Depression Complications
Depression Complications
What you need to know about
Depression Complications
Are you concerned about the effects of depression? Even lesser forms of depression can have a wide-ranging impact on a person’s life. Clinical depression can exacerbate major illnesses like heart disease or cancer. Pain, sexual desire and performance, and sleep problems can all be symptoms of depression. The more you learn about depression problems, the more you’ll realise why it’s critical to get treatment for clinical depression.
What is depression?
Depression is characterised by being “trapped” in a state of sadness or grief, which is accompanied by a variety of physical symptoms. Everyone experiences sadness at times. However, clinical depression, which can take numerous forms, is defined by a melancholy or sullen mood that lasts longer than usual.
Symptoms
The symptoms of depression vary depending on the type of depression. While there are many different varieties of depression, the following are some of the more frequent signs and symptoms:
- Consistently depressed mood, “blue”
- Hopelessness and a negative attitude toward life
- Feelings of guilt and insignificance
- Libido decline
- Oversleeping, early morning wakeup, or insomnia
- Overeating and weight gain or decreased appetite and/or weight loss
- Loss of enthusiasm for hobbies and other social pursuits
- Fatigue and low energy
- Suicide attempts or thoughts of suicide
- Irritability and restlessness
- Concentration, memory, and decision-making difficulties
- Headaches, digestive problems, and chronic pains are examples of persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment.
Why is depression common in people with chronic illness?
Chronically unwell people have a hard time adjusting to the demands of their conditions. At the same time, they must concentrate on their medical condition’s therapy. However, a person’s mobility and freedom may be harmed by a chronic illness. It can also alter how a person views himself or others, as well as how they interact with the outside world. It’s no surprise, then, that one out of every three people with a major medical condition suffers from depression, according to research.
Clinical depression is one of the most common side effects of chronic medical conditions. A chronic condition can sometimes be the cause of depression.
Chronic illness depression frequently exacerbates the condition. This is especially true if the chronic illness is already causing pain and interruption in the individual’s life. Depression produces exhaustion and a loss of energy, which can worsen over time. Depression can also make people shrink into social isolation.
Clinical depression, on the other hand, is not merely a typical reaction to a long-term medical problem. Rather, persons who are physiologically predisposed to depression may be more likely to acquire it in the face of particular pressures, such as a chronic medical condition. Doctors frequently diagnose an “adjustment disorder” or “acute stress disorder” when a depressed mood occurs alongside issues coping with a stressful condition, such as a chronic or serious physical ailment, but no other symptoms of major depression are present.
Which chronic illnesses can lead to depression?
Depression can be caused by any chronic illness. However, the severity of the sickness and the amount of disturbance it produces raise the risk. According to statistics, women have a 10% to 25% chance of developing depression, while males have a 5% to 12% chance. People with chronic conditions, on the other hand, have a much higher risk, ranging from 25% to 33%.
How frequently does depression complicate a chronic illness?
The rate of depression associated with other medical conditions is quite high and is influenced by a number of factors, including a history of depression. Following are some examples:
- Depression affects 40% to 65% of heart attack patients.
- Both Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis have a 40% risk of depression.
- Patients with cancer and diabetes account for up to 25% of all cases of depression.
- The proportion of depression in people with coronary artery disease who have not had a heart attack ranges from 18% to 20%.
- The mortality rate for stroke victims ranges from 10% to 27%.
How is pain related to depression?
Physical symptoms, such as pain, are common in clinical depression. The mind is in charge of the body, and a person’s emotions can influence the body’s major processes. Unexplained headaches, neck discomfort, and abdominal pain are all common symptoms of depression.
Why does depression complicate sex?
Sexual issues can be caused by both depression and some depression drugs. Depression reduces sex drive and has an impact on personal connections. Furthermore, several antidepressants have been shown to diminish libido or sexual functionality.
Some antidepressant drugs have been demonstrated in studies to have a negative impact on sexual desire. Some antidepressants contain ingredients that interfere with the neurotransmitters that control sexual response.
See Pure Medical’s Depression and Sex for more details.
What are sleep complications associated with depression?
Insomnia (inability to fall or keep asleep) is a common symptom of depression. The inability to get a decent night’s sleep might have major health effects. This is especially true if other depressive symptoms such as weariness and poor energy are present. Some persons who have clinical depression oversleep (a condition known as hypersomnia) and are still fatigued the next day.
If you have been suffering from sleeplessness for a long time, you should be tested for additional signs of depression. People who suffer from depression or sleeplessness may be offered sleep medicines.
See Pure Medical’s Sleep and Depression for more information.