Suicidal ideation or self-harm
Thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or death is often the most serious stage and symptom of depression.
But some cases of depression are more severe, with intense symptoms that may include significant appetite and weight loss, sleep problems, and frequent thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression often gets worse if it isn't treated, resulting in emotional, behavioral and health problems that affect every area of your life. Examples of complications associated with depression include: Excess weight or obesity, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes. Pain or physical illness.
Research by the National Institutes of Health shows that you lose gray matter volume (GMV) when you suffer from depression. This loss is caused by parts of your brain shrinking due to the hormone cortisol impeding the growth of your brain cells. The more serious depression a person suffers, the more GMV they lose.
Clinical depression (major depressive disorder) causes a persistently low or depressed mood and a loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy. The symptoms must last for at least two weeks to receive a diagnosis. The condition is treatable, usually with medication and psychotherapy.
They'll ask about whether you've had thoughts of suicide or self-harm. A GP may use a questionnaire to assess your symptoms. Try to be as open and honest as you can be with your answers. Describing your symptoms and how they're affecting you will help the GP determine whether you have depression and how severe it is.
When stress and feelings of worry or anxiety are there all the time and build up to a level that has an impact on a person's daily life, they may be described as having a nervous breakdown. A nervous breakdown, also known as a mental health crisis or mental breakdown, describes a period of intense mental distress.
Stage 3: Lack of Interest in Activities You Once Loved
The prospect of having fun feels uncomfortable or impossible, leading to inhibition around social activities, friendships, or anything you once took pleasure in.
Depression creates a sensation of isolation as if you are lost in the wilderness with no direction. The final stage is acceptance, which means you have finally made peace with the reality of your mental illness.
A major depressive episode is a period of two weeks or longer in which a person experiences certain symptoms of major depression: feelings of sadness and hopelessness, fatigue, weight gain or weight loss, changes in sleeping habits, loss of interest in activities, or thoughts of suicide.
Whatever the cause, your first step is to let your doctor know how you're feeling. They may refer you to a mental health specialist to help figure out the type of depression you have. This diagnosis is important in deciding the right treatment for you.
Only “depressed mood” (mood) or “loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities” (anhedonia) are considered to be essential requirements for the diagnosis of a . Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in DSM-IV.
Losing your mind may be experienced as extreme confusion, distress and/or dissociation from oneself. It may be so overwhelming that it leads to anxiety and panic attacks. You are not alone in feeling this way, and to answer the question again; it is highly unlikely that you're losing your mind.
People experiencing a nervous breakdown may dissociate or have suicidal thoughts. Unable to perform the activities of everyday life, they usually require treatment from a mental health professional. A nervous breakdown may last for days, weeks, months—even years.
Depression is a disorder of the brain. It is a serious mental illness that is more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. For more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings persist and can interfere with everyday life.
One of the most popular and effective treatments used in the treatment of depression is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). 19 This form of psychotherapy focuses on identifying negative thinking patterns and then replacing them with more positive ones.
For example, depression is more common among women than men. The median age of onset for depression is 32 years, meaning that half of people who will ever have a depressive episode will have had their first episode by this age.
No two people with bipolar disorder share the same thoughts or experiences, but there are some common thought patterns among most folks who have it. This includes cyclical thinking, manic and/or depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and psychosis.
No one knows the exact cause of depression, but researchers believe it is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Depression episodes can be triggered by factors such as stressful events, loss, illness, lifestyle habits, and substance use.
People with clinical depression often have increased levels of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme that breaks down key neurotransmitters, resulting in very low levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.