If you feel like your wellbeing is suffering from a persistently low mood, you may have depression. This syndrome often affects your mental wellness with a lack of drive and interest, loss of pleasure in everything, altered sleep and appetite, and feelings of guilt and hopelessness. It is not, on the other hand, just a bit of the blues.
The reason why depression is such a wellness concern is that it is an illness caused by imbalances in your brain chemicals, significantly interfering with your ability to enjoy life and carry on usual roles. Not only does it bring your mood down, but also your energy levels and ability to concentrate suffer. You can feel worthless, guilty and even entertain thoughts of suicide. These feelings prevent you from functioning normally in your daily home and work life, meaning that those things suffer too.
If left untreated, depression can go on for 6-9 months and some symptoms may not resolve. Even with treatment, if the stressors that precipitated the depression are still present in your life, they can prevent you from recovering. However, this only happens in certain cases and there are treatment options available, usually as a combination of medication and psychotherapy.
These days, the most commonly used antidepressants are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), as well as tricyclics and tetracyclics, the serotonin-noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and the noradrenergic-specific serotonin antidepressants (NaSSA). These work by increasing the availability of the serotonin neurotransmitter in your brain, which has been shown to improve symptoms of both depression and anxiety. However, there can be side effects with these medications, including gastrointestinal upset, headaches, sedation or restlessness and sexual dysfunction, all of which you should discuss with your doctor if they occur.
Yet, to really battle depression, you need to find its cause and this is where psychotherapy can help. You might find that your depression is caused by a social stressor (such as financial strain or work problems), loss (such as bereavement or relationship failure), or a family history of mood disorders. The psychotherapeutic options for you could include cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, supportive psychotherapy and interpersonal therapy, but if your depression is moderate to severe, you may need the help of anti-depressants too.
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