Everyone gets the blues from time to time, but the feelings usually go away. You might have clinical depression if they hang on and get worse. The Mental Health America community network website explains that 19 million American adults are affected by depression annually. It has wide ranging symptoms that can increase if you don't realize what is happening and take steps to counteract the illness. Fortunately this disorder is treatable if you recognize it and get professional help.
Definition
Depression is an emotional illness, according to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH). It is more intense than normal sadness. It lasts longer and interferes with your life, including work, family relationships, friendships and socializing. Symptoms get worse until you no longer get any pleasure from life. NIMH warns you are at a higher risk for substance abuse or other emotional disorders like anxiety when you have depression.
Symptoms
The Mayo Clinic identifies many common depression symptoms, including sadness, irritability, agitation, impaired thinking, fatigue and feelings of worthlessness. A depressed person may sleep too little or too much and may overeat or avoid food. These symptoms increase as the disorder gets worse. For example, you might start out with occasional sad feelings. They can eventually overwhelm you, causing you to cry frequently and withdraw from other people. You might have occasional bouts of insomnia because of negative thoughts, and they can increase until every night becomes a struggle.
Effects
Depression symptoms impede your normal functioning as they worsen. The effects eventually spill over onto family members, friends, co-workers and everyone else around you. Your irritability and frustration can push others away, and you will withdraw from them due to fatigue and sadness. You won't ask for support from them because you will lose interest in dealing with other people and increase your alone time. Eventually you might wonder if you'd be better off dead. Extreme cases of depression can end in suicide if the symptoms are allowed to grow unchecked, the Help Guide mental health website warns.
Treatment
Proper treatment can arrest increasing depression symptoms, Help Guide explains. Cognitive therapy teaches you strategies to counteract negative thoughts. You also learn to improve your functioning by taking power over situations that are causing the depression. You may need to take antidepressant medication to control your symptoms if your problem is chemically based rather than triggered by environmental factors.
Alternatives
Counseling alone may not be effective for cases of severe depression. Medication is needed if the symptoms increase despite several weeks of therapy. Antidepressants can be combined with therapy, and this dual approach is often better than a single-treatment approach. Sometimes the first medication your doctor prescribes does not help. You may need to try a different antidepressant or add a second medication to your regime if the symptoms worsen despite drug treatment.
