Depression runs deep in America. In a March 2021 survey, 22% of Americans said they felt depressed for at least three days during the previous seven days.
Depression is on the rise, especially amongst younger people. This leads to many misconceptions about it. One is that depression is a normal reaction to stress.
What is depression, and is depression normal? What are the different types of depression? How can someone receive treatment for their symptoms?
Answer these questions and you can become part of the solution for depression. Here is your quick guide.
The Basics of Depression
Depression is a mental health condition that can create persistent feelings of sadness. You might consider if you're experienicing depression if things seem to be going right in your life, but you struggle to feel happy or focused for a long period.
You may even notice signs of anhedonia, which is losing the desire to work or participate in your favorite activities. Another indication may be if you find it difficult to take care of yourself and begin to either gain or lose weight without actually trying.
It is okay to experience occasional bouts of sadness. Depression becomes a mental health disorder when feelings of sadness last for several months. It also becomes a problem when it creates suicidal thoughts or inhibits someone's ability to work.
The Main Types of Depression
Despite the common use of this term, there is no such thing as "normal depression." Some types of depression are more common than others. Yet all types can be debilitating and require therapy for depression.
Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common type of depression. Roughly 12% of the population will experience it at some point in their lives and women are two times more likely to experience MDD than men.
When most people say the word, "depression," they are speaking about MDD. One of the main creiteria of MDD is experiencing persistent sadness or worry for at least 2 weeks. The effects of MDD can easily trickle into other areas of one's life, such as a loss of self confidence or difficult in making decisions.
There are a number of reasons why someone can feel depressed and be diagnosed with MDD. While scientists do not know what causes MDD, it is possible that a family history of mental illness will increase the likelihood. In additiona, a history of trauma may also be a cause.
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Persistent depressive disorder has many of the same symptoms as MDD. With persistent depressive disorder, those same intense negative feelings may be present alongside being unable to work for long periods.
The difference however is that those with persistent depressive disorder don't experience weight loss or trouble sleeping. Those with persistent depressive disorder may be able to work, but may not feel enthusiastic or focussed.
This form of depression is much harder to recognize or treat because people often don't even realize that they're experiencing depression. Because it is so pervasive and constant, many people internalize their symptoms, saying that they are parts of their personality.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs during the fall and winter when there is typically less sunlight and much shorter days. This combination can seriously affect the circadian rhythm which plays a big role in our physical, mental and behavioral health. Lack of exposure to sunlight during the winter months can affect the circadian rhythm, causing difficulty sleeping or remaining focussed, which can all spark and contribute to SAD.
The symptoms of SAD are similar to the symptoms of other kinds of depression. Many people end up with dysregulated sleep cycles, which has a domino effect often leading to a stronger craving for carbohydrates, including sweets. If you notice this drop in mood and changes in your sleep and eating patterns when the days are shorter, and an alleviation of them in the spring and summer, you're likely experiencing SAD and would benefit from early morning exposure to sunlight (even if it's cold).
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression occurs after a childbirth. Childbirth is not just a huge life change, but also significantly changes a person's hormones, which can cause chemical imbalances inside the brain.
The time after childbirth is one of transition and adjustment. Even if it seems like everything is fine, a woman may experience feelings of sadness, worry, worthlessness or even anger. These types of feelings are normal, but should be addressed to ensure that both the mother and child are cared for. Postpartum depression can make it difficult for a new parent to care for herself or her baby, and also make it feel like she cannot bond with her child. If there have been any complications during pregnancy or childbirth, these feelings may be exacerbated.
In some cases, someone may feel worried that they will harm themselves or their child. They may have thoughts or dreams about harming their baby. While most mothers are absolutely terrified of this idea, and admit that they would never hurt their child, it is important to seek help as such feelings can cause tremedous distress.
Psychotic Depression
A few mental health conditions can overlap with depression. Psychosis is the inability to tell reality from fantasy. With psychosis, a person may believe that the fictional stories they read are real, or they may confuse their dreams with their waking life.
Psychotic depression is when there's a combination of the symptoms of depression with psychosis. A person may experience hallucinations, seeing things that are not there.
They may experience delusions, thinking that people are out to get them. This can worsen the feelings of sadness and guilt.
Depression Treatments
There is no one foolproof treatment for depression. But all types of depression can lead to treatment that helps a person cope with their symptoms.
Therapy
Depression counseling centers around exploring not just the symptoms, but also the root causes of depression. During therapy, you sit with your therapist who will utilize various approaches to help you understand and also help from the things that are at the root of your distress.
A talk therapy approach can help develop an understanding of how depression is currently affecting your life. However, at Haven MHC, our therapists also utilize other modalities such as somatic therapy and EMDR to go deeper and process the difficult feelings to improve your overall feelings and functioning.
Over time, as you work with your therapy and figure out which experiences and resulting thought patterns contribute to your depression, your therapist also help you develop new tools to manage not just the depression but all the things that contribute to it.
If you are in a relationship, you can also go to couples therapy. This is especially helpful if the relationship is contributing to your depression. A marriage counselor can work with you and your parnter to go beyond the surface level conflicts and help you develop the communication skills to better connect and deepen your bond.
Medications
There are times when therapy alone is not enough. You can discuss the possibility of taking medications with your therapist and work with a psychiatrist to figure out which medication will work best with your brain and body. Your psychiatrist will work with you to determine if you should take antidepressants or mood stabilizers.
Antidepressants can affect how the brain produces chemicals. It can encourage the brain to produce uplifting chemicals while reducing its supply of depressing ones. Common examples of antidepressants include Prozac, Zoloft, and Cymbalta.
If antidepressants are not ideal, a person can take mood stabilizers. People with psychotic depression may take antipsychotics, which can reduce delusions.
So Is Depression Normal?
Many people have questions about depression. Is depression normal? While experiencing sadness during difficult times is normal, depression is not.
What is depression? It is a mental health condition that can create extremely low moods, fatigue, and suicidal thoughts. There are a number of reasons that can lead to depression, including losses, difficult life transitions, and a history of trauma.
What is the cure for depression? There is no "one size fits all" cure. There are a number of different therapeutic approaches that your therapist might use, all of which have shown to alleviate and even overcome the symptoms of depression.
Do not hesitate to get help for depression. Our therapists are experienced, compassionate, and honored to support you through your healing journey. Contact us today to get started.