What is depression – part two

Symptoms of depression in men may include:

• Mood: anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness
• Emotional: feeling empty, sad, hopeless
• Behavioral: loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, engaging in high-risk activities
• Sexual: reduced sexual desire, lack of sexual performance
• Cognitive: inability to concentrate, difficulty completing tasks, delayed responses during conversations
• Sleep: insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, not sleeping through the night
• Physical: fatigue, pains, headache, digestive problems

Symptoms of depression in women may include:

• Mood: irritability
• Emotional: feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless
• Behavioral: loss of interest in activities, withdrawing from social engagements, thoughts of suicide
• Cognitive: thinking or talking more slowly
• Sleep: difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, sleeping too much
• Physical: decreased energy, greater fatigue, changes in appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, increased cramps

Symptoms of depression in children may include:

• Mood: irritability, anger, mood swings, crying
• Emotional: feelings of incompetence (e.g. “I can’t do anything right”) or despair, crying, intense sadness
• Behavioral: getting into trouble at school or refusing to go to school, avoiding friends or siblings, thoughts of death or suicide
• Cognitive: difficulty concentrating, decline in school performance, changes in grades
• Sleep: difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Physical: loss of energy, digestive problems, changes in appetite, weight loss or gain

There are several possible causes of depression. They can range from biological to circumstantial and common causes include:

• Family history. You’re at a higher risk for developing depression if you have a family history of depression or another mood disorder.
• Early childhood trauma. Some events impact the way that body reacts to fear and stressful situations.
• Brain structure. There’s a greater risk for depression if the frontal lobe of your brain is less active. However, scientists don’t know if this happens before or after the onset of depressive symptoms.
• Medical conditions. Certain conditions may put you at higher risk, such as chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Drug use. A history of drug or alcohol misuse can impact your risk.

Many other people may never learn the cause of their depression. About 30 per cent of people who have a substance use problem also experience depression. In addition to these causes, other risk factors for depression include:

• low self-esteem or being self-critical
• personal history of mental illness
• certain medications
• stressful events, such as loss of a loved one, economic problems, or a divorce

Many factors can influence feelings of depression, as well as who develops it and who doesn’t. The causes of depression are often tied to other elements of your health.

ALSO READ: What is Depression?

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