Depression is a psychological disorder characterized by persistent sadness and lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable. Main symptoms include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, irritability, lack of energy, changes in sleep and appetite. Depression can be mild, affecting daily tasks, or major, affecting personal and social activities. While there is no single cause, depression is more common when genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors increase predisposition. It can occur at any life stage but signs differ for children, teenagers, and pregnant women. All types of depression should be properly diagnosed and treated.
1. all about theDepression
What is depression?
Depression is a relatively common psychological disorder that is characterized by
persistent sadness and a lack of interest in activities that were once considered fun.
Although sadness is a normal emotion, in depression this sadness is so strong and
lasts for so long that it ends up affecting the person's entire life, even preventing
basic daily tasks such as sleeping or eating.
Main symptoms of depression
The main symptoms of depression include:
Feeling sad, anxious or "empty";
Having frequent feelings of hopelessness or pessimism;
Get easily irritated;Not wanting to do activities that were once fun;
2. Feeling without energy and very tired;
Sleeping a few hours a night or sleeping for too long;
Ha.ve difficulty concentrating and memory;
Feeling more or less appetite than usual;
Having suicidal thoughts.
People with depression typically have several of these symptoms most of the
day, nearly every day of the week, and for more than two weeks at a time.
Depending on the intensity of the symptoms, depression can be divided into
"adaptation disorder with depressed mood", popularly known as mild
depression, when the depressive episode causes some difficulty in carrying on
a simple task or social activity, "major depressive disorder" or "dysthymia,"
when symptoms affect personal and social activities, such as work and family,
in addition to daily tasks.
All types of depression must be properly diagnosed and treated by a
psychologist and/or psychiatrist
3. what causes depression
There is no specific cause for the onset of depression, but this disorder tends
to be more frequent when there is a set of genetic, biological, environmental
and psychological factors that make a person more predisposed to
depression.
Some of the factors
Having cases of depression in the family;
Having suffered a traumatic or very stressful episode,
such as sexual abuse or the loss of a family member;
Going through a phase of major changes;
Excessive use of alcohol or drugs;
Having a serious or chronic illness, such as cancer;
Make use of certain types of medication.
In addition, some studies also indicate that depression may arise
due to chemical imbalances in the brain, namely in the
concentrations of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine
and dopamine.
Depression at different stages of life
4. childhood depression
Although less common, childhood depression can happen to children who
have experienced traumatic times during their childhood, such as a
troublesome parent's divorce or moments of verbal or physical violence.
Signs of childhood depression can be more difficult to identify than at other
stages of life, but they tend to include sad face, unwillingness to play, easy
tantrums, trouble sleeping, poor appetite, and even trouble holding in your
pee. or the poop.
Teenage depression
Adolescent depression is a little more common than childhood depression, as
the teenager goes through several physical and psychological changes that
can facilitate the onset of depression. In addition, other factors also increase
the risk of depression such as using drugs, being bullied at school or feeling
pressure to succeed.
The teenager himself can identify that he is becoming depressed, but
depression can also be identified by parents, friends or teachers through signs
such as constant tiredness, memory problems, frequent crying or lack of
interest in going out with friends, for example.
depression in pregnancy
After adolescence, pregnancy is another of the most striking phases in a
woman's life and, therefore, depression in pregnancy is increasingly common.
Depression at this stage is characterized by feelings of anxiety and sadness,
which can result in a lack of interest in the pregnancy and jeopardize the
development of the baby.