Depression
Sadness touches our lives at different times, but usually comes and goes. Depression, in contrast, often has enormous depth and staying power. It is more than a passing bout of "the blues." Depression can leave you feeling continuously burdened and can squash the joy you once got out of pleasurable activities.
When depression strikes, doctors usually probe what's going on in the mind and brain first. But it's also important to check what's going on in the body, since some medical problems are linked to mood disturbances. In fact, physical illnesses and medication side effects are behind up to 15% of all depression cases.
Depression isn't a one-size-fits-all illness. Instead, it can take many forms. Everyone's experience and treatment for depression is different. Effective treatments include talk therapy, medications, and exercise. Even bright light is used to treat a winter-onset depression known as seasonal affective disorder. Treatment can improve mood, strengthen connections with loved ones, and restore satisfaction in interests and hobbies.
New discoveries are helping improve our understanding of the biology of depression. These advances could pave the way for even more effective treatment with new drugs and devices. Better understanding of the genetics of depression could also usher in an era of personalized treatment.
Depression Articles
Probiotic supplements appear to help relieve depression symptoms, suggests a review of clinical trials published online July 6, 2020, by BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.
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People with chronic pain may be more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those without chronic pain. Pain may trigger a number of factors linked to poor heart health, including stress, reduced ability to exercise, poor sleep, and depression.
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Most adults experience the occasional "senior moment" as they age. While these memory slips may be embarrassing and stressful, they are not always a warning sign of problems like Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Still, for specific types of everyday forgetfulness, adopting certain lifestyle behaviors and strategies can help people retain and recall information and navigate memory lapses when they arise.
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Recovery from a heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty, or heart surgery often involves cardiac rehabilitation. While it’s normal to have some anxiety and stress after a heart-related issue, dealing with these issues and treating even more significant problems such as depression can affect people’s recovery success and increase their risk of future problems.
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A coalition of women’s groups called the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative recommends that health care providers screen girls over age 13 and all adult women for anxiety.
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Evidence suggests that attending a religious service at least once per week is associated with a much lower risk of "death from despair" (suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol poisoning), compared with never attending religious services.
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and potentially debilitating anxiety disorder that affects people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. PTSD often develops in combat veterans, but it can also strike older adults, and especially men. Fortunately, there are many proven ways to help treat and manage PTSD. These include prolonged exposure therapy, social support, medication, exercise, and meditation.
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Approximately one in three people ages 65 to 74 has age-related hearing loss. Research continues to show that people with hearing loss who get fitted for hearing aids tend to be more active. Some science has even suggested wearing hearing aids is linked with fewer cognitive issues and a lower risk of depression and dementia.
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Times of stress or trauma can trigger new substance use disorders or lead to relapse in people who are recovering. During these times, the brain seeks to find relief for the most pressing short-term problems, which takes the focus off long-term health. People shouldn’t wait until the problem is entrenched to seek help. Reaching out early brings benefits.
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Taking an antidepressant is not something to jump into in order to cope with a difficult time. The medications may take up to six weeks to start working, and it can be tricky to get the dose just right. In addition, antidepressants may have side effects such as nausea, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, or sleep problems. And it can be very difficult to wean off antidepressants. For all of those reasons, antidepressants are typically not prescribed unless someone has a moderate-to-severe case of depression.
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