8 Depression Facts You May Not Know About

Start with these Facts about Depression

1. Depression symptoms need not be only mental:

Exhaustion, insomnia, reduced pain tolerance- all of these are physical manifestations of depression as research shows. Many patients complain of eye problems and headaches too that may be written off as stress or over work. Body ache, especially backache, is a common complaint mentioned by depressed individuals.

2. Symptoms are not limited to despondence:

Depression is often equated with a feeling of despondence or sorrow that persists. However, it can take many other forms too. Apathy, lack of involvement in any activity, mood swings, hopelessness- these are all depression symptoms too.

3. A range of causative factors:

It is difficult to pinpoint one causeas the most common one behind depression and because of this, it is also tough to always identify people who are at high risk. While a major loss in life or a severe medical condition can cause depression, many also suffer from it without any discernible cause. Victims of abuse are at high risk and so are those with a family history of depression. Some medications may also trigger this ailment.

4. Depression may be of different types:

Each type affects the person and their brain differently. Some types may affect the way you enjoy pleasurable activities, others result in fatigue 24/7, still others may make you isolate yourself from family members and friends. Depression symptoms of one patient may not match those of others, so do not ignore any suspicious symptoms. The treatment also varies depending on the type of depression you suffer from.

5. Depression is not just a human condition:

Yes, even animals can suffer from depression. Your pet dog may exhibit the same symptoms too and so can animals confined to cages and deprived of the company of other animals. Lab animals often exhibit depressive behaviours.

6. Unexplained weight and appetite changes may be a sign:

Common depression symptoms include changes in appetite levels and/or weight. Your weight/appetite may increase or decrease; both may be a sign of depression. For some, comfort foods may seem to alleviate the feeling of sadness for a while. For others who have lost interest in eating, this could add to the weight loss aspect of depression.

7. Women are more likely to get depression:

It is still unknown why women seem to be at higher risk for depression than men. Studies show a 1.7-fold greater incidence of this condition in women than men. Hormonal fluctuations appear to be a leading cause of depression and women fall prey to this ailment at those stages in life when hormones are in flux, say, at menopause or puberty time.

8. Depression is treatable:

The most important point to know is that depression is treatable andalmost all patients enjoy some degree of relief from depression symptoms with the right treatment. Common treatment includes use of anti-depressants that maybe of many types, each acting differently. These work on different neurotransmitters to relieve symptoms.