Major Life Events and Depression
The Types and Symptoms of Depression
Several major life changes could induce depression. One is death of a family member, friend, or pet. Others include parents' divorce, separation, or remarrying. Relocating to another place or school can also affect an individual making him depressed. A dysfunctional family could also be a breeding ground for feelings of negativity, stress, or unhappiness leading to depression.
Living in highly stressful situations such as coping with poverty, homelessness, and violence in the family, constant relationship problems, or community troubles are also social factors that could potentially lead to depression.
Substance use and abuse, which is prevalent among youth today, can possibly cause chemical changes in the brain that affect mood. Alcohol and some drugs are known to cause depression as a side effect. The negative social and personal repercussions brought about by substance and alcohol abuse can also lead to severe depression.
Types of Depression
Depression can come in various forms. It could be intense and short-term. It could also be less severe but can be long-term. Doctors distinguish two types of depression. The severe but short-term is called major depression, while the longer-lasting but less severe is called dysthymia. A third form of depression is what doctors refer to as adjustment disorder with depressed mood.
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood pertains to a depressive reaction to a specific life event such as a death, divorce, or other loss. Unhappiness is a normal reaction when undergoing those kinds of events but when the adjustment takes longer than necessary then the condition could turn chronic and becomes depression.
Bipolar disorder (also sometimes called manic depressive illness) is another depressive condition characterized by periods of major depression alternating or combined with periods of mania. Mania means the person experiences abnormally high mood and extreme bursts of unusual activity or energy. So, he feels down one day and extremely happy the next.
Symptoms of Depression
These are the things to watch out for if someone is depressed:
- depressed mood or sadness for long periods of time for no apparent reason
- tiredness at most times
- loss of interest in things or inability to enjoy things that used to be pleasurable
- withdrawal from friends and family
- irritable mood, angry, or anxious
- unable to focus
- sudden weight loss or gain
- considerable change in sleep patterns such as inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or getting up late in the morning
- feeling unworthy or guilty
- feeling aches and pains even if there is no medical cause
- prevalence of negativity and indifference
- contemplating death or suicide
When someone exhibits at least five or more of these symptoms for 2 weeks or longer, then the condition is probably no longer mere sadness but depression.
Depression
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