What is depression?
When doctors talk about depression, they mean the medical illness called major depression. Someone who has major depression has symptoms like those listed in the box below nearly every day, all day, for 2 weeks or longer. There is also a minor form of depression that causes less severe symptoms. Both kinds of depression have the same causes and treatment.
If you're depressed, in addition to emotional symptoms you may also have physical symptoms, like fatigue, problems with too much or too little sleep, increased or decreased appetite, headaches, other aches and pains, digestive problems and problems with sex. An older person who has depression may feel confused or have trouble understanding simple requests.
What are the Symptoms of depression?
- Feeling sad or hopeless
- Frequent crying spells
- Losing interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy (including sex)
- Feeling guilty, helpless or worthless
- Thinking about death or suicide
- Sleeping too much, or having problems sleeping
- Unintended weight loss or gain
- Feeling very tired all the time
- Having trouble paying attention and making decisions
- Having aches and pains that don't get better with treatment
- Feeling restless, irritated and easily annoyed
What causes depression?
Depression seems to be related to a chemical imbalance in the brain that makes it hard for the cells to communicate with one another. Depression also seems to be hereditary (to run in families).
Depression can be triggered by stressful events in your life, such as the death of someone you love, a divorce, chronic illness or loss of a job. Taking certain medicines, abusing drugs or alcohol or having other illnesses can also lead to depression. Depression is not caused by personal weakness, laziness or lack of willpower.
How is depression diagnosed?
If you're having symptoms of depression, be sure to tell your doctor so you can get help. Don't expect your doctor to be able to guess that you're depressed just by looking at you. Sometimes when people are depressed, they have a hard time imagining that treatment can actually help. But, the sooner you seek treatment, the sooner the depression will lift.
Once you tell your doctor how you're feeling, he or she may ask you some questions about your symptoms, about your health and about your family history. Your doctor may also give you a physical exam and do some tests.
How is depression treated?
Depression can be treated with medicines, with counseling, or with both.
For mild to moderate depression, counseling may be a good treatment option. For major depression and for some people with minor depression, counseling may not be enough. A combination of medicine and talk therapy is usually the most effective way of treating more severe depression. If you continue the combination treatment for at least two years you are less likely to have depression come back. For the Christian, Christian or biblical counseling is well recommended alongside medication.
What about medicines?
Many medicines can be used to treat depression. These medicines are called antidepressants. They work to correct chemical imbalances in the brain that cause depression.
Antidepressants work differently for different people. They also have different side effects. So, even if one medicine bothers you or doesn't work for you, another may help. You may notice improvement as soon as 1 week after you start taking the medicine. But you probably won't see the full effects for about 8 to 12 weeks. You may have side effects at first but they tend to decrease after a couple of weeks.
How long will I need medicine?
How long you'll need to take the medicine depends on your depression. Your doctor may want you to take medicine for at least 6 to 9 months or longer. You need to take the medicine long enough to reduce the chance that the depression will come back. Talk with your doctor about any questions you have about your medicine.
What is psychotherapy?
In psychotherapy, you talk with a trained therapist or counselor about things that are going on in your life. The focus may be on your thoughts and beliefs, about things that happened in your past, or on your relationships. Or the focus may be on your behavior, how it's affecting you and what you can do differently. Psychotherapy usually lasts for a limited time, such as 8 to 20 visits.
Will I need to go to the hospital when depressed?
Depression can usually be treated through visits to your doctor. Treatment in the hospital may be needed if you have other medical conditions that could affect your treatment or if you're at high risk of suicide.
How long will the depression last?
This depends on how soon you get help. Left untreated, depression can last for weeks, months or even years. The main risk in not getting treatment is suicide. Treatment can help depression lift in 8 to 12 weeks, or less.
What are tips to help get through depression?
- Pace yourself. Don't expect to do everything you normally can. Set a realistic schedule.
- Don't believe negative thoughts you may have, such as blaming yourself or expecting to fail. This thinking is part of depression. These thoughts will go away as your depression lifts.
- Get involved in activities that make you feel good or feel like you've achieved something.
- Avoid making big life decisions while you are depressed. If you must make a big decision, ask someone you trust to help you.
- Avoid drugs and alcohol. Both make depression worse. Both can cause dangerous side effects with antidepressant medicines.
- Physical activity seems to cause a chemical reaction in the body that can improve your mood. Exercising 4 to 6 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time is a good goal. But even less activity can be helpful.
- Try not to get discouraged. It will take time for your depression to lift fully.
- If you are a Christian, reading the word of God at your personal time is great to see yourself the way God sees you. It's a nice place to meditate too.
- Going to church provides help from church family to talk and share that love which comes from no other place than the family of God.
Can it result to Suicide?
People who have depression sometimes think about suicide. This thinking is a common part of the depression. If you have thoughts about hurting yourself, tell someone. You could tell your doctor, your friends, your family, or call your local suicide hot line, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273- 8255.
Why should I get help for depression?
- Early treatment helps keep depression from getting worse or lasting a long time.
- Thoughts of suicide are common in people with depression. The risk of suicide is higher if you don't get treatment for your depression. When depression is successfully treated, the thoughts of suicide will go away.
- Treatment can help you return to your "normal" self, enjoying life.
- Treatment can help prevent depression from coming back.
Postpartum Depression and the Baby Blues
Are mood changes common after childbirth?
After having a baby, many women have mood swings. One minute they feel happy, the next minute they start to cry. They may feel a little depressed, have a hard time concentrating, lose their appetite or find that they can't sleep well even when the baby is asleep. These symptoms usually start about 3 to 4 days after delivery and may last several days.
What is Baby blues?
If you're a new mother and have any of these symptoms mentioned above, you have what are called the baby blues. The baby blues are considered a normal part of early motherhood and usually go away within 10 days after delivery.
What is postpartum depression?
When however, some women have more severe symptoms or symptoms that last longer than a few days. This is called postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression is an illness, like diabetes or heart disease. It can be treated with therapy, support networks and medicines such as antidepressants.
What are its symptoms?
The symptoms of postpartum depression include:
- Feeling sad or down often
- Frequent crying or tearfulness
- Feeling restless, irritable or anxious
- Loss of interest or pleasure in life
- Loss of appetite
- Less energy and motivation to do things
- Difficulty sleeping, including trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep or sleeping more than usual
- Feeling worthless, hopeless or guilty
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Feeling like life isn't worth living
- Showing little interest in your baby
Although many women get depressed right after childbirth, some women don't begin to feel depressed until several weeks or months later. Depression that occurs within 6 months of childbirth may be postpartum depression.
In rare cases, a woman may develop postpartum psychosis. This is a very serious disease and includes all the symptoms of postpartum depression and thoughts of hurting yourself or hurting the baby. If you have any of these symptoms, you should talk with your doctor immediately.
Who gets postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression is more likely if you have had any of the following:
- Previous postpartum depression
- Depression not related to pregnancy
- Severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- A difficult or very stressful marriage or relationship
- Few family members or friends to talk to or depend on
- Stressful life events during pregnancy or after childbirth (such as as severe illness during pregnancy, premature birth or a difficult delivery)
Why do women get postpartum depression?
The exact cause isn't known. Hormone levels change during pregnancy and right after childbirth. Those hormone changes may produce chemical changes in the brain that play a part in causing depression.
Feeling depressed doesn't mean that you are a bad person, that you did something wrong or that you brought this on yourself.
How long does postpartum depression last?
It varies for each woman. Some women feel better within a few weeks, but others feel depressed or "not themselves" for many months. Women who have more severe symptoms of depression or who have had depression in the past may take longer to get well. Just remember that help is available and that you can get better.
What kinds of treatments help with postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression is treated much like any other depression. Support, counseling ("talk therapy") and medicines can all help. Talk with your doctor about what treatment is best for you.
If I'm breastfeeding, can I take an antidepressant?
If you take an antidepressant medicine, it will go into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking an antidepressant while breastfeeding. Your doctor can decide which medicine you can use while nursing your baby.
What can I do to help myself?
If you have given birth recently and are feeling sad, blue, anxious, irritable, tired or have any of the other symptoms of postpartum depression, remember that many other women have had the same experience. You're not "losing your mind" or "going crazy" and you shouldn't feel that you just have to suffer through. Here are some things you can do that other mothers with postpartum depression have found helpful:
- Find someone to talk to and tell that person about your feelings. Yout priest, Pastor or Minister or Doctor.
Get in touch with people who can help you with child care, household chores and errands. This social support network will help you find time for yourself so you can rest.
- Find time to do something for yourself, even if it's only 15 minutes a day. Try reading, exercising (walking is great for your health and is easy to do), taking a bath or meditating.
- Keep a diary. Every day, write down your emotions and feelings. This is a way to let out your thoughts and frustrations. Once you begin to feel better, you can go back and reread your diary. This will help you see how much better you are.
- If you are a Christian, reading the word of God at your personal time is great to see yourself the way God sees you. It's a nice place to meditate too.
- Going to church provides help from church family, support group to talk and share that love which comes from no other place than the family of God.
- Even if you can only get one thing done on any given day, remember that this is a step in the right direction. There may be days when you can't get anything done, but try not to get angry with yourself when this happens.
It's okay to feel overwhelmed. Childbirth brings many changes and parenting is challenging. When you're not feeling like yourself, these changes can seem like too much to cope with.
You're not expected to be a "supermom." Be honest about how much you can do, and ask other people to help you when you need it.
- Find a support group in your area or contact your doctor who can put you in touch with people near you who have experience with postpartum depression.