Does this Seem Depressive to You? Is it a case of Major Depressive Disorder?
Let’s have a clear vision of Major depressive disorder. Undoubtedly, it is not in one’s hands to control the reactions to different situations. Difficult situations sometimes push you towards sadness or mood disorders and accordingly, your brain functionality gets altered depending upon the situations you go through.
Talking further about the term Major Depression or Major depressive disorder (MDD) which is also known as Clinical Depression, is characterized by a continuous and never-ending feeling of melancholy, sorrow, and despair.
While suffering from major depressive disorder, one may feel difficulty doing work, studying, sleeping, eating, having fun with friends, and while indulging in various activities. Depressive disorders can trigger one at any point in time. They prohibit them from doing their favorite works too.
There are numerous people these days who are falling under this prevalent disease which is commonly known as depression or mood disorder. Depression has several types which trigger various people with different personalities in different ways.
A plethora of individuals experience clinical depression only once in their lifetime, while there are others, who experience it several times. Again, it entirely depends on the type of person you are and how you deal with things that don’t look favorable to you.
Another point that is required to be added over here is that there are possibilities that major depression can be passed down in families. So, if someone in your family has been trapped by clinical depression, there are chances that it will happen to you too.
However, often it affects people who do not have a family history of depression.
Discover Everything About Clinical Depression (Major Depressive Disorder)
The majority of people experience sadness or low moods at some point in their lives. There is a lot happening these days in everyone’s life and most of us have been used too of it.
Clinical depression, however, is characterized by a depressing mood for most hours of the day. It sometimes happens especially in the mornings when one starts feeling low or feeling sad as well as a loss of interest in normal activities.
In addition to this in some cases, it negatively affects relationships too. This major depressive episode lasts for at least two weeks. DSM-5, which is a manual for diagnosing mental health conditions, suggests that one may also have other symptoms besides major depression symptoms.
In case one is facing this condition of the blues, then being depressed is not a weakness that can be cured by simply taking a pill. One may require long-term treatment for depression of any type.
In depression, a persistent sense of sadness and loss of interest is experienced. In addition to affecting the way one feels, thinks, and behaves, major depressive disorder is connected to a variety of emotional and physical problems too.
Sometimes conditions may arise when you feel like you don’t have a reason to live, and you may be unable to accomplish your daily tasks. You may feel not satisfied with life or the people around you. We all experience sadness at some point in our lives. It can in the form of chronic diseases, other severe illnesses, close one’s death, and so on. It’s common for people to feel like this every now and then.
But always remember that’s only a phase of life that will be changed with time.
Feelings like these usually last for a short period of time. It is possible that someone may suffer from a mood disorder such as major depressive disorder or Clinical depression if they experience persistent and intense feelings of sadness for extended periods of time.
Don’t let discouragement get you down because its’ not only you who got hit by depressive disorder. But you do require depression help indeed.
Treatment for MDD is not always sought by people with the disorder. The disorder, however, can usually be managed with treatment and most people can function normally. MDD can be treated effectively and managed with medication, psychotherapy, and other methods.
Are clinical or major depressive disorders more prevalent among certain age groups?
If we check the overall figures, then approximately 20 percent out of 100 women are affected by Clinical depression. And in the case of men, around 10 to 15 percent is the count. Moreover, studies have shown that older people tend to get affected by it more.
Symptoms Noticeable in Individuals Affected by a Major Depressive Disorder or Clinical Depression
Depression can make unexpected lifestyle changes in one’s life. Everything feels negative when a person is depressed. It is likely that every individual will experience symptoms differently throughout their lives. These are the most prevalent major depressive disorder symptoms:
1. One Gets Irritated Easily or Feels Frustrated Most of the Time
Feeling frustrated even on small matters is very common among people who are fighting with clinical depression. They feel irritated sometimes seven without any reason. This all happens because they don’t feel good from the inside.
2. Showing Aggression Even on Small Matters
Every time they experience frustration, they are unable to control their aggression. Sometimes situations get out of control for these people, but in the end, it was never their fault. Most of these people don’t even aware of the thing that they are depressed about.
3. Feeling Low Due to Sadness
People who experience clinical depression experience extreme highs and lows of emotions. They don’t have control over their emotions. But this sadness provides them a feeling of pessimism which is very strong, and they just don’t know the way to cope with it.
4. Feeling Alone Even if One is Surrounded by a Group of People
Even while being surrounded by numerous people (friends and family members) they feel lonely. This is the feeling in which one thinks that he is the only one who is going through the depth of negative thoughts.
No one else is able to understand their situation. Hence, they feel alone even in social gatherings, and eventually, they avoid crowded places or events.
5. Overthinking
A person who is depressed he don’t have any control over his/her thoughts. Whether it is any type of mood disorder or clinical depression (major depressive disorder), they keep thing over the same thoughts again and again and this process never stops. That means that their mind is always occupied with negative thoughts only and their brain never rests.
The brain is the main organ of the body that mainly controls the overall function of the body. And it needs to be taken care of with proper food and the rest, of course, is of utmost importance.
6. Always Occupied with the Recurring Thoughts
There are times when the situation is more worst that one gets stuck to random thought and it hits the brain after a very short interval, again and again. These recurring thoughts don’t even let them sleep.
Even if one tries to get rid of these negative thoughts and try to get distracted by indulging himself/herself in any other activities, they are unable to. Similarly, if they try to sleep and they are sleepy too, this recurring thought occupies one’s mind and doesn’t let one sleep.
7. Getting Suicidal Thoughts
Overthinking sometimes costs you more than you ever expected. Negative thoughts sometimes lead you in the wrong direction. One can think of ending his/her life because he/she is fed up tackling depressive episodes.
Sometimes the feelings of getting suicidal thoughts are so deep that one can’t escape from it and may step into taking the wrong decision which takes one’s life.
8. Long-time Headaches
People suffering from mental illness normally experience a headache in their routine. They feel a burden on their forehead, and they can’t concentrate on the tasks that require their focus.
Children getting daily severe headaches cannot focus on their studies. Adults who are working can’t go to work with chronic headaches. Because one needs to concentrate on tasks that require brain power.
9. Feeling Fatigued All Day Long
Negative thoughts hitting one’s brain continuously, make him/her mentally as well as physically tired and sick. Here is the thing that we must know if one is physically tired then by having rest for some time, he/she can feel relaxed.
However, if one’s brain is tired, he/she will feel physically tired too. So, your brain needs to be relaxed so that your body can get rid of tiredness.
10. Lack of Interest or No Interest in Favourite Activities or Favourite People
Once a person gets depressed either with major depressive disorder (Clinical depression), he/she may lose his/her interest in the activities which were once enjoyed him/her. They don’t even like to spend their time with the people, whose company they used to enjoy earlier.
11. One Feels that He is of No Use or Not Worthy of Anything
A feeling of worthlessness comes into one’s mind as they think they are not capable of anything now. They start seeing their life as a burden because they see nothing is going the way they want.
12. Insomnia or Over-sleeping
Insomnia or over-sleeping is a common symptom that can be normally noticed in mood disorder patients. Mostly these people find it struggle to sleep because they just keep thinking or keep staring at one spot or wall or something hanging on the wall of the room.
Otherwise, they oversleep because they just don’t want to face the world.
Causes or risk factors responsible for Clinical Depression
Clinical depression or major depressive disorder can happen to anyone at any age. There are various risk factors that are responsible for causing one mood disorder.
Children can also be affected by this illness due to pressures associated with their studies or competitions. Mental illnesses can sometimes be targeted against children by their parents because of comparisons between them.
Adults get triggered by depressive episodes in many ways sometimes their work pressure is responsible and sometimes the responsibilities they have towards their family. An individual’s life can easily be filled with events that can trigger major depressive disorder symptoms.
These are some of the most common reasons why one might suffer from clinical depression:
1. Family history of depression:
Depression is an ailment that can travel in the family easily from one person to another. It is quite possible for one to get affected by clinical depression or major depressive disorder (MDD) if there was any person in the family who was affected by the same earlier.
2. Life’s traumas:
Life never goes according to plan. We are always surprised by it at every turn. So, there are many times when we get the worst life experiences, and those experiences leave us devastated. While we wish to get rid of these negative thoughts, we are unable to do so because of the detrimental effects they have on our lives.
Mental illness is attracted to one’s life by these types of life traumas.
3. A chronic illness:
Depressive disorders are more prevalent among people with chronic medical conditions. Those who suffer from chronic diseases for a long period of time are also at a higher risk of major depressive disorder or clinical depression compared to individuals without chronic illnesses.
An illness may impair a person’s mobility and independence, as well as alter the way they live, view, and tackle the different situations in their life. There may be a sense of despair associated with these changes, which is normal.
There is a strong connection between chronic illnesses and clinically significant depression, which can be extremely serious but can also be overcome or treated.
4. Abuse during Childhood:
Studies have shown that children who experienced abuse as children had a greater likelihood of suffering from severe mood disorders such as depressive episodes throughout their lives.
It is uncommon for children to experience trauma during their childhood. Most people are not aware of the fact that it is a common problem. The trauma experienced during childhood may lead to major issues such as relationship problems (family or personal), low self-confidence, a feeling of worthlessness, and depression in adulthood.
Trauma during childhood can negatively affect physical and mental health for the rest of one’s life. Mental illness is often rooted in early trauma.
5. Busy lifestyle:
If you are always busy, you may not have time to take care of yourself. Consequently, you may become stressed and anxious. Whenever you are stressed, you cannot perform well, and this will gradually lead to a decrease in your ability to work.
Furthermore, if your schedule requires you to follow a lot of tasks within a very limited time frame or no time at all. It is obvious that you would end up making impulsive decisions that are certainly unhealthful. It is inevitable that a person will suffer from clinical depression at some point.
6. Poor eating habits:
There is a large concern that modern people enjoy eating junk food, which is considered to be unhealthy food and harmful to their bodies and minds. In addition, eating habits have a considerable impact on both our mental and physical health.
It is therefore important to keep in mind a healthy list of foods that contain proper nutrition for the brain.
Major Depressive Disorder Treatments: It’s Not as Hard as You Think
The Best Natural Ways to Treat Depression with Lifestyle Habits
1. Selfcare is Effective
Our health can be healed if we take care of ourselves. One of the best ways to overcome mental illness is to follow a self-care routine. Several things fall under this category, including:
- Spending time doing the things you love.
- Make sure you get enough rest and sleep.
- Making friends and spending time with them is important.
- Expanding one’s horizons.
- It is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is rich in taste.
- Self-effort is important.
- Prioritize yourself above all else.
2. Exercise or Workout
In order to live a healthy lifestyle, it is essential to follow an exercise routine. Exercise needs not to be intense, but 30-40 minutes of physical activity can work wonders. Alternatively, even a walk of just 30 minutes can make a big difference. However, if one wants to get in shape and alleviate mental stress, he or she must also work on their mental health.
3. No Consumption of Alcohol and Drugs
Drugs and alcohol may temporarily relieve anxiety by cutting a person off from the world, but they will negatively impact your life in the long run. Additionally, these substances increase the severity of mental health disorders over time.
4. Routine Check-up is Required
During this difficult time, when one is experiencing extreme discomfort, the patient needs to visit the doctor frequently to see if he is getting better. If not, the mental health specialists will make better suggestions or come up with a more efficient technique to treat the patient.
5. Eating Habits Needs to be Improved
Vitamins like Vitamin B (B-6 and B-12) are necessary for the body to operate properly, thus people with mental health disorders need to eat more of them.
Treatment from Doctors/psychiatrists
After having an in-depth check-up of the illness, you have. Healthcare professionals or a psychiatrist may suggest antidepressants as a kind of treatment, based on the intensity of your symptoms.
Along with this, they can recommend counseling or psychotherapy so that you can talk about your emotions and what you are going through.
