Major depression is a mental illness that effects how you feel about life generally. Having an overly pessimistic or hopeless outlook on life is usually the most severe symptom of major depression. Along with this pessimistic outlook is usually lack of energy, poor coordination, sleep disturbance, and persistent pain. Other symptoms can be excessive self-esteem, habitual guilt, or indiscriminate guilt.
If you are experiencing a combination of these symptoms, it is likely you are suffering from low mood disorder. The cause of your low mood may be many different factors including genetics, stress, depression, or chemical imbalances in your brain. There is no permanent treatment for depression, but there are several ways to control the signs and symptoms of the condition. The goal of therapy and counseling is to help you regain control of your thoughts and emotions.
Major depression often affects people who have low self-esteem or are genetically prone to the disease. Genetics is known as one of the contributing factors to mood disorders like bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder. Low mood disorder can also be a symptom of another medical problem. An underactive thyroid or chronic fatigue syndrome can also contribute to depressed feelings. Sometimes, it is simply a matter of adjusting to a new or less active lifestyle.
One of the biggest factors that contribute to mood disorders is brain chemistry. Poor brain chemistry is often the cause of post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and bipolar disorder. There is not a strong enough connection between mental disorders and brain chemistry to link them specifically, but they do share some common symptoms.
Treatments for the above illnesses include cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and pharmaceuticals such as anti-depressants. Cognitive behavioral therapy involves talking with your patient to change their perception of negative thoughts and beliefs about themselves and others. Psychotherapy is used to change thought patterns and behaviors to combat depression.
It is important to understand how depression can begin, because understanding risk factors can help you prevent it from progressing. Risk factors for depression are both internal and external. Depression often begins slowly over time with little or no obvious symptoms. However, as the illness progresses, the symptoms can become more apparent. While all mental disorders are not the same and do not require the same treatments, understanding what you’re going through and the risk factors can make treatment more effective.
One risk factor is the use of mood stabilizers. Mood stabilizers are prescribed to treat people with bipolar disorder, major depression, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. People with these conditions may also be prescribed medications to stabilize their moods. If the doctor detects that at least two of the following symptoms occur in at least two out of every three adults who are treated for depression, he or she may diagnosed the patient with a depressive disorder. At least two symptoms must occur in at least two persons diagnosed with a depressive disorder in order to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of depressive disorder.
If the healthcare provider detects that at least two of the following depression symptoms occur in at least one person in his or her patient’s family, he or she may diagnose the patient with a depressive disorder. The two major depression symptoms are the feeling of sadness and helplessness, and the feeling of worthlessness. You can feel depressed for days, weeks, or even months before your depression symptoms begin to subside, and feeling worthless is a common depression symptom. Low moods for longer than two weeks are another type of depressive symptoms that can last longer than two weeks. Feeling the inability to be self-reliant can also begin a cycle of feelings of worthlessness and sadness.