Major depression disorder is a mood disorder that results in a constant feeling of sadness, anger, or loss. It impacts your everyday activities, and how you feel, behave, and think, and leads to physical and emotional issues. It’s different from the occasional blues — you can’t just snap out of it.

Depression is a serious medical condition and requires treatment.

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Symptoms

Not everyone with depression experiences the same symptoms. They can vary in intensity and time duration. However, if you’ve been experiencing some of the following signs and symptoms for over 2 weeks, you may be depressed:

  • Feeling sad, empty, hopeless
  • Loss of interest in what you once enjoyed
  • Angry, annoyed, irritated over everything
  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Lethargy and fatigue
  • Restlessness, anxiety
  • Moving, thinking, or talking slowly
  • Lack of concentration
  • Memory issues
  • Recurrent thoughts of death, self-harm, suicide attempts
  • Physical problems like headaches, back pain, digestive issues
  • Depression, for most, causes visible symptoms that impact one’s day-to-day activities and relationships.

Causes

A variety of factors might cause depression, including:

  • Brain chemistry
  • Family history
  • Hormone levels
  • Childhood trauma
  • Medical conditions
  • Pain
  • Substance abuse
  • Biological differences

Risk Factors

There’s no defined age limit for depression. It can happen to anyone. However, more women are diagnosed because men are less likely to seek treatment or even diagnosis.

Certain risk factors that increase the probability of developing depression include:

  • Traumatic events
  • Genetics
  • Certain personality traits
  • Sex
  • Gender identity
  • Socioeconomic status
  • History of other mental disorders
  • Alcohol or drug abuse
  • Chronic illness
  • Certain medications
  • Vitamin D deficiency

Prevention

You can’t completely prevent depression but certain strategies can help.

  • Learning how to control your stress
  • Reaching out to loved ones, especially in times of difficulty
  • Getting treatment as soon as you notice the signs of depression
  • Considering a long-term treatment

If you need to talk to a mental health expert, you can reach out to our professionals at any time.