Depression is a mental state of low mood and aversion to activity. It affects more than 3.5% of the global population. Depression affects a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being.
Feelings of deep depression may be caused by one factor alone or a combination of several factors including biological, psychological and environmental factors. Depression affects all age groups, races, and sexes. 20% of adults will have suffered from depression at some point in their lifetimes.
Although it may feel like a never ending, self-sustaining, big, dark hole sometimes, have faith that you can break free from depression.
Depression is a common but serious mood disorder and can affect men and women differently.
Emotional Symptoms
Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or numb
Restlessness, irritability, or anxiety
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Less interest or participation in activities normally enjoyed
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
Repeated thoughts of death or suicide
Physical Symptoms
Low energy and feeling tired all the time
Changes in appetite or weight (eating more / less)
Change in sleep pattern (sleeping more / less)
Increased use of drugs or alcohol
Self destructive behavior, loss of control, or uncontrolled rage
May include headaches, aches, pains, digestive problems, dizziness
Biological
There are many possible causes of depression, including:
Faulty mood regulation by the brain
Genetic vulnerability
Stressful life events
Several of these forces can interact to bring on depression. The onset of depression is more complex than a brain chemical imbalance. It’s not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Rather, many chemicals are involved, working both inside and outside nerve cells.
Phycological
Individuals are affected by outside events differently. One’s thoughts determine how they will experience life, and can affect whether or not they become depressed. Some Psychological Factors include:
Thinking Patterns
Sense of Failure
Stress
Loss
Environmental
Depression can often be triggered by very stressful life situations such as:
A move
Divorce
Social isolation
Relationship conflict
The death of a loved one
Financial difficulties / Job loss
Demanding work / Stressful workplace
Health issues, especially a chronic health problem
A person with depression may think more about death and dying. They may also think about suicide and how they could end their life. This is suicidal ideation.
Sometimes, a person may tell others about these thoughts. If someone is talking about death or suicide, this could be their way of asking for help, and it is vital to seek assistance right away.
Depression is a common but serious condition that can be life threatening. Not every person who thinks about suicide will attempt it. However, if someone mentions suicide, it is important either to contact a doctor or to help the person seek urgent medical care.
Crisis Line Association of BC
In Crisis? Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) to speak with crisis line workers anytime of the day or night.
Looking for information and support? Call 310-6789 to reach the Mental Health and Information and Support Line, from anywhere in the province. You will receive emotional support, and information on appropriate referral options and a wide range of support relating to mental health concerns.
Certain types of depression are unique to women.
Certain types of depression occur at specific stages of a woman’s life. Pregnancy, the postpartum period, the menstrual cycle, and perimenopause are associated with physical and hormonal changes that can bring on a depressive episode in some women.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a more intense form of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, that occurs in the weeks before menstruation. The disorder causes severe symptoms, such as depressed mood, anger or irritability, suicidal thoughts, appetite changes, bloating, breast tenderness, and joint or muscle pain.
Perinatal depression occurs during pregnancy or after childbirth. It is more than the “baby blues” many new moms experience after giving birth. Women with perinatal depression feel extreme sadness, anxiety, and fatigue that may make it difficult to carry out daily tasks, including caring for themselves or others.
Perimenopausal depression affects some women during the transition to menopause. Whereas abnormal periods, problems sleeping, mood swings, and hot flashes are common during the menopause transition, more extreme feelings of irritability, anxiety, sadness, or loss of enjoyment may be signs of depression.
Certain types of depression are unique to men.
Male depression is a serious medical condition, but many men try to ignore it or refuse treatment.
When depression occurs in men, it may be hidden by unhealthy coping behavior. For several reasons, male depression often is not diagnosed or treated and can lead to serious and sometimes tragic results. But when treated, male depression usually gets better. Men tend to use different coping skills — healthy and unhealthy — than women. It isn't clear why depression affects men and women differently. But these differences could be due to brain chemistry, hormones and life experiences. These differences also could stem from the traditional male role, which discourages the expression of emotions and encourages the pursuit of success, power and competition.
Like women with depression, men with depression may:
· Feel sad, hopeless or empty.
· Feel very tired.
· Have a hard time sleeping or sleep too much.
· Not get pleasure from activities usually enjoyed.
Other behaviors in men that could be symptoms of depression include:
· Problems getting along with others, including your spouse or partner.
· Escapist behavior, such as spending a lot of time at work or on sports.
· Physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive problems and pain.
· Problems with alcohol or drug use.
· Controlling, violent or abusive behavior.
· Irritability or anger that gets out of control.
· Risky behavior, such as reckless driving.
Men with depression often aren't diagnosed for several reasons, including:
· Not recognizing depression. You may think that feeling sad or emotional is always the main symptom of depression. But for many men, that isn't the main symptom. For example, headaches, digestive problems, tiredness, irritability or long-term pain sometimes can be symptoms of depression. So can feeling isolated and seeking distraction so that you don't have to deal with feelings or relationships.
· Downplaying symptoms. You may not know how much your symptoms affect you. Or you may not want to admit to yourself or anyone else that you're depressed. But ignoring, covering up or using unhealthy behaviors to hide depression will only make the negative emotions worse.
· Not wanting to talk about depression symptoms. You may not be open to talking about your feelings with family, friends or a healthcare professional. Like many men, you may have learned to focus on self-control. You may think it isn't manly to express feelings and emotions related to depression, and you may try to cover them up.
· Not wanting to get mental health treatment. Even if you think you have depression, you may not want to be diagnosed or treated. You may not want to get help because you're worried that the stigma of depression could harm your career or cause family and friends to lose respect for you.
Depression and suicide
Although women attempt suicide more often than men do, men are more likely to complete suicide.
That's because men:
· Use methods that are more likely to cause death, such as guns.
· May act more suddenly in the moment on thoughts about suicide.
· Show fewer warning signs, such as talking about suicide.
· Are more likely to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, which increases the risk of suicide.
If you have thoughts about suicide
If you have access to guns, unload them and lock them in a safe place. You also could put trigger locks on your guns.
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, contact a suicide hotline.
Crisis Line Association of BC
In Crisis? Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) to speak with crisis line workers anytime of the day or night.
Looking for information and support? Call 310-6789 to reach the Mental Health and Information and Support Line, from anywhere in the province. You will receive emotional support, and information on appropriate referral options and a wide range of support relating to mental health concerns.
If you're having thoughts of suicide, but you aren't thinking of hurting yourself right away, seek help:
· Reach out to a close friend or loved one, even though it may be hard to talk about your feelings.
· Talk to a minister, spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
· Think about joining a men's health group that deals with depression.
· Call a suicide crisis center hotline.
· Make an appointment with your healthcare professional or a mental health professional.
If you know someone at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person:
Ask the tough question: “Are you considering suicide?”
Listen to the person without judgment.
Call 911 or the local emergency number.
Stay with the person until professional help arrives.
Try to remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful objects.
Get help when you need it
Asking for help can be hard. But without treatment, depression isn't likely to go away, and it may get worse. Untreated depression can make you and the people close to you miserable. It can cause problems in every part of your life. It can affect your health, career, how well you get along with others and personal safety.
Depression, even if it's severe, usually gets better with medicines or counseling. This includes talk therapy, also called psychotherapy. Sometimes both medicines and counseling are used. If you or someone close to you thinks you may be depressed, talk to your healthcare professional or a mental health professional. It's a sign of strength to ask for advice or seek help when you need it.
Depression and coping skills
Treatment with a mental health professional can help you learn to:
· Note your emotions and coping strategies to see how you can make them better.
· Learn ways to manage stress, such as meditation and mindfulness, and develop problem-solving skills.
· Learn to adjust your thinking and try new approaches to situations.
· Decide what is important in your life and move toward those values.
· Set realistic goals and put tasks in order of importance.
· Seek out emotional support from a partner, family or friends. Learn how to make social connections so that you can take part in social activities.
· Wait until you get better before you make important decisions, such as changing jobs.
· Take part in activities you usually enjoy, such as ballgames, fishing or a hobby.
· Try to stay on a regular schedule and make healthy lifestyle choices. This includes healthy eating, regular physical activity, and not using alcohol and other substances, for better mental health.
Many effective treatments are available for depression. Don't try to deal with depression on your own. The results could be harmful or tragic.
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Try to remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful objects
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