Reviewed by: Xueling Yang (Pearl River Hospital, Southern Medical University)
You may have a lot of questions about depression that you want to know about. In this article, we summarize and answer 10 of the most common clinical questions about depression.
1. Is depression a mental illness?
Yes, depression is a serious mental illness, but it can be treated.
Note that depression is a disease, not a personal character defect, and it does not mean that the person is not good.
Depression is very common. Major depressive disorder is a clinical syndrome. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 6.7 percent of U.S. adults are affected by it.
Everyone feels sad at some point, which is a normal reaction to losing a loved one, experiencing pain, or having a frustrated self-esteem. However, if the depressive symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks and affect normal work and life, you must go to the hospital for treatment, and the doctor will judge whether you have "major depression".
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2. Will children suffer from depression?
Yes, children may also suffer from depression.
Changes in physical health, life events, genetics, the environment, and chemical disorders in the brain can cause depression in adults as well as affect children's mood.
An estimated 2.5 percent of U.S. children suffer from depression; among adolescents (ages 14-18), the rate is estimated at 4 to 8 percent.
Unlike the "melancholy" and daily mood changes felt by children of different ages, depression in children can lead to behavioral changes that continue to disrupt a child's normal life, often interfering with their partnerships, homework, special interests, and daily life.
Depression may occur in conjunction with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or conduct disorder (CD), or be masked by these disorders.
3. Why are women more likely to suffer from depression?
Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men, and one of the reasons may be that women have changes in hormone levels.
For example, depression is common during pregnancy, menstruation, and after childbirth, miscarriage, or hysterectomy. During these periods, women's hormone levels fluctuate dramatically. Both PMS and PMS can trigger depression.
4. Does lack of sleep trigger depression?
No. Lack of sleep does not trigger depression, but it plays a role in the occurrence of depression.
Lack of sleep due to other illnesses or personal problems can exacerbate depression, and chronic poor sleep is also a strong sign of depression.
General triggers for depression include:
Family history of depression.
Abnormal reactions in the face of death, divorce or separation.
Argue with others.
Physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
A major life event, such as moving, graduating, or retiring.
Severe illness. Major, chronic, and advanced diseases often contribute to depression, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, AIDS, Parkinson's disease, and more.
Drug or alcohol abuse. Drug use or excessive alcohol consumption can trigger mood changes similar to those seen in depression. In addition, even without taking mood-altering drugs, drug users can experience depression, bipolar disorder, or other emotional problems.
Social isolation or exclusion by family, friends or other social groups.
5. Somatic symptoms and depression, who is the cause and who is the effect?
There is no definitive answer to this question.
Some major, chronic, and/or advanced physical disorders can trigger depression. When a disorder can trigger depression, it's usually because of long-term pain, physical disability, or a sudden change in lifestyle.
Depression can also trigger physical illness in different ways. For example, depression can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of a cold or flu; depression may also manifest itself as significant "pain" for no particular cause.
In addition, depression can make the symptoms of another disease last longer, or make the symptoms more pronounced.
In fact, the causal relationship between somatic symptoms and depression is not important to the general public. What you need to know is that if you think you or someone close to you may be suffering from depression, be sure to see a doctor in time.
Doctors can screen for depression and develop treatment options.
6. How long does depression last?
If left untreated, depression can persist for months or years. Different types of depression also vary in duration.
Major depressive episodes usually last for several months.
Seasonal depression (SAD) usually lasts throughout the winter and continues to improve in the spring and summer.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by alternating "highs" (periods of mania) and "low tides" (periods of extreme depression).
Dysthymia, often referred to as persistent depressive disorder, is a mild, sometimes unrecognized form of depression that persists for 2 years or more in adults. If left untreated, dysthymia can reduce quality of life and even trigger major depressive disorder.
7. I heard that antidepressants often interact with other drugs or foods, really?
Yes, some antidepressants do interact with other medications or foods.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are antidepressants that have been used for many years and are generally used in patients with major depressive disorder.
Their effects have been shown to be the same or even better as other antidepressants, but such drugs may increase food-drug interactions.
Medications that should be avoided while taking MAOI include:
All selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI drugs, including fluoxetine and paroxetine) and individual analgesics (including piperidine and tramadol).
Some antitussives, drugs to treat high blood pressure, should not be taken with MAOIs.
Foods not to be consumed while taking MAOI include:
Aged cheeses and cured or smoked foods such as meats, pickles or meats
Aged or fermented foods such as soy sauce or cask beer.
Be sure to tell your doctor about any medications you are taking and talk to your doctor about the limitations, interactions, and possible side effects of MAOI.
8. Is there an alternative treatment for depression?
Exercise has been shown to treat mild to moderate depression.
Alternative treatment refers to a treatment or technique for a disease that is not well documented or has not been identified as safe or effective.
Alternative therapy involves many disciplines, including diet, mental training, and lifestyle changes. Some of them have been shown to be effective in treating depression.
In addition to the previously mentioned exercises, alternative treatments include acupuncture, image guidance, spinal massage therapy, yoga, hypnosis, biofeedback, aromatherapy, relaxation, herbalism, massage and many other methods. If you are interested in any of the above methods, consult a doctor.
9. Have most depressed people ever attempted suicide?
No. Most people with depression do not attempt suicide.
However, according to the American Mental Health Association, 30%-70% of suicidal people have experienced a different type of depression. This means that if depression is suspected, it is important to seek professional treatment.
10. Will depression recur?
not necessarily.
A history of episodes of major depressive disorder increases the risk of future relapse, but not everyone who recovers from depression will relapse.
Sometimes, depression is triggered by a combination of a major life event, illness, or factors of a particular place and time, and may also occur without an obvious "cause."
Proper treatment at the right time period is critical for depression recovery and can help prevent or diagnose future depression.
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
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