Every person undergoes mood swings at some point in their life. Some may grow from it, some forget it, and some remain stuck at that point. A continuous mood swing that affects the working of daily routine and life can be called depression.
Interestingly even depression has its many types to identify.
Most common are
- Clinical Depression
- Persistent Depressive Disorder, and
- Bipolar Depression
Though depression is not permanent to stay, it is treatable.
It may be mild or long term or a serious one. It differs from person to person. But if left untreated, it created many health issues and became dangerous with time being. It affects the feeling and working of the body and sometimes may result in serious mishaps. Depression cannot restrict to any age group. From children to adults to an older person, it is common.
The reason may vary. It depends on the person’s level of dealing with the situation and emotional quotient. Failure, loss of dear one, relationships breaking are much reason that causes depression.
Some signs of depression
Depression has many dimensions to understand, identify, and is unique to a person, and the duration stays shorter or longer terms. Unknown depression or unable to find cause find the depression further increases the problem. There is some common sign of depression. They are :
- Loss of interest in doing anything
- The feeling of loneliness or emptiness
- High anxiety level
- Feeling sad all the time
- Unable to focus
- Not talking properly with your loved one or ignoring them
- Social distancing
- Suicidal instincts
- Feeling nauseous, heavy breathing, etc
- Feeling fearful about loss, failure, relationships, etc
7 Ways in which depression is unhealthy
Depression, whether short term or long term. It affects our body and creates many health issues. Mild anger to a high sign of anger stroke is a common symptom of depression. Some people have suicidal instincts. Untreated depression or left alone depressed person can lead to a serious situation. That’s why the reason behind the depression need to know. It helps in treatment and proper medication. Not all depression require medication. Together with medication, behavioral therapies help to eliminate the same. Depression is unhealthy and dangerous for your health in many ways. They are:
- Depression disturbs sleeping pattern:
The depressed person tends to sleep more or less. Researchers had proved that a significant number of people fighting with depression are unable to fall asleep. Sleep is necessary for mental and physical health. Lack of sleep affects the next day’s activities, energy level, and mood.
It also affects brain function. The brain needs to rest, but a depressed person’s brain has focused on the same situation that affects the person who is unable to sleep. In some people, brain tiredness causes people to sleep more and create lethargy feeling in doing next-day activities. However, medication helps the person to fall asleep but may further affect other organs. CBT( Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) helps the depressed person to come out of the situation.
- Depression causes weight problems:
A depressed person either tend to gain weight or lose weight. Poor eating habits, skipping food or overeating, irregular eating, and unhealthy food intake lead to weight problems. The loss of interest in food affects the digestive system also. Sometimes, depressed people started the intake of alcohol or increased the intake of alcohol and other drugs, which further affected the problem, overeating or eating more roses the problem of obesity and other problems such as diabetes, stomach problems, and pain in joints, etc.
Eating less leads to a lack of energy, vertigo, unable to concentrate on anything, etc. However, weight loss is treatable by eating healthy food from time to time. But dealing with obesity is difficult. Medications further increase this problem. Controlling hunger, a healthy and low-calorie diet, and light exercise helps the person deal with the problem. Many researchers have proved that yoga, aerobics, walking helps deal with weight problems and help overcome depression.
- Depression affects decision making:
Depressed people often fighting with the problem of decision making. Poor attention and retention of information affect the thought process of a depressed person. They are also unable to focus on a goal or lose internet in the activities. They find difficulty with the changing environment. They often fail to analyze the situation and cannot decide properly, and have difficulty executing it.
Decision making is important for the day to day life. From day to day decisions to long term decisions, a depressed person is unable to concentrate. This problem increases with time being. Fear is the most common sign of a depressed person. Fear of failure, fear of loneliness, fear of loss, and fear of making the wrong decision make the person unable to decide. Diagnosis and treatment help a person. CBT helps the depressed person in analyzing and making decisions.
- Depression causes other diseases:
Several diseases come with depression, often linked to health conditions such as Diabetes, blocked or constricted blood vessels, risk of heart attack, and weak immune systems. Many researchers have proved that Diabetes and depression are linked to brain functioning change that also affects the insulin level. Depression increases the chances of a heart attack.
It is so because platelets became sticky, increasing the blood clot ratio, leading to a heart attack. Blood vessels are responsible for passing the oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.
But this cycle is affected by frequent mood swings and results in it constrict blood vessels. It also causes high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack. Every small change in our body affects the immune system in our body. Lack of sleep, change in diet pattern, frequent mood swings, overthinking, and stress weaken the immune system.
Depression can also cause heavy breathing, sweating, the feeling of danger, muscle contraction, etc. Though, with proper diagnosis, medication, and treatment, the health conditions are avoidable.
- Depression causes fatigue:
The feeling of tiredness and fatigue are common problems caused by depression. Too much thinking and unsorted problems and stress further increase the fatigue level. A depressed person exhibits a low energy level, a lower interest in doing anything. Repetitive thought process causes brain tiredness, can create headaches.
Fatigue results in a depressed person feel tired without doing anything or without any underlying reason. Feeling lethargic, tiredness without doing anything, and losing interest in activities are common signs of a depressed person. Fatigue is unhealthy as it stops the person from doing anything.
- Depression causes lower sex drive:
The chemical produced by the brain called libido is responsible for sex instinct, and a high amount of blood flow is required for sexual activities. A depressed person’s mind tends to produce low chemical and has a low blood vessel that also affects sexual interest. Plus, the medication and antidepressants also affect sexual interest.
The problem further increases in older people if they also have sexual dysfunction. However, the simple way to overcome this problem is feeling happy again and taking an interest in day to day activities. Sometimes, the problem of depression occurs from relationship stress. Adequate communication through spending time with the person helps in lowering the depression. Lowering the expectation level and stopping to think too much also help in dealing with the depression.
- Depression causes emotional imbalance:
A depressed person suffered from emotional imbalance. Feeling of emptiness, loneliness, and lower interest level are some of the signs of depression. A depressed person either tends to think too much or has an anger stroke; some may have an emotional stroke.
Long-term depression causes emotional imbalance, and a person may have suicidal instincts. It also causes reduce happiness level and not finding interest in doing anything.
Several signs of emotional imbalance like heavy breathing, sweating, the feeling of danger, increased heartbeat, muscle contraction, etc. Emotional imbalance can lead to dangerous mishaps. Apart from medications, Behavioural therapies are needed to come out of the situation.
Summary
Depression is common in today’s scenario, and the ratio is further increasing. Change in lifestyle, workplace stress, relationships, stress, and high expectations level are the major external factors affecting depression. Depression is unhealthy and leads to serious consequences. It affects the mind and other organs of the body.
Medications help fight depression but long-term use of medication or antidepressants affects the other body organs. Socializing and communication help the person in dealing with depression. Finding the cause behind the depression and change in the environment helps a depressed person get rid of the depression. The main point here is the depressed person himself needs to have a spirit of living.
Many tried and tested methods change in day-to-day activities, walking, socializing, trying to feel happy, and taking an interest in day-to-day activities. Another important thing is depression can be revert back, meaning once treated, it can come again. From time to time, a check-up is needed to diminish the problem. Many helpline and NGOs are taking a lot of interest and working hard to decrease depression in society.