Depression

There are several disorders that fall under the description of depressive disorders. When spoken about in everyday language “depression” often describes solely a low mood or feelings of sadness, however there are other signs and symptoms to be aware of. Depression can be diagnosed at any age and is more common in women. The most common mental illness and depressive disorder is categorized as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) of which the person with the illness must have a low mood and an additional grouping of symptoms for longer than a two week period. The symptoms to be aware of can be described by the following acronym commonly used by healthcare professionals:

S-sleep changes (sleeping a lot more or a lot less than usual)

I- interest in once enjoyable activities is lacking (called anhedonia)

G-guilt

E-energy is decreased, fatigue

C-concentration is decreased, unable to focus

A-appetite changes, for some people this means barely eating or for others consuming more than usual

P-psychomotor retardation or agitation (could be feelings of being slow moving or restless)

S-suicidality

Other symptoms that are not displayed in the acronym are feelings of hopelessness and low self esteem. These symptoms should technically not be attributable to other medical or psychiatric conditions or substance use, however depression is a common comorbidity with other conditions and substance use so this may have to be teased out by a medical professional. It is also of note that certain age groups or cultural groups will present with a more somatic focus. What this means is they will often complain more of pain and physical ailments than mood difficulties and is common in children, the elderly, and certain Asian cultures.  

The treatment for depression is dependent upon the severity with which someone is suffering from the illness. Commonly medications known as antidepressants are prescribed, of which there are several different classes, one of the most common being selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications take at least 4-6 weeks to begin working which is something those suffering need to be aware of before ceasing the medication prematurely because they think it is not working. As well, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been found to be very helpful in treating the symptoms of depression. For some forms of severe depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be beneficial, whereby electrical current is transmitted to the brain to “reset”its current functioning. Finally, exercise cause endorphins (hormones within the brain) to be released which have analgesic or pain numbing and stress relieving effects, thus exercise is a commonly recommended adjunct to other forms of therapy for depression.