How To Overcome Depression

There are a range of strategies you should employ to overcome depression. Having an extensive understanding of the causes and different symptoms of depression is critical to treating it effectively. Depression has the potential to affect anyone, so knowing the different ways to treat depression and having a solid support system is extremely important. Knowing the symptoms also makes it easier to recognise when your treatment is working.

Who is affected by depression?

In any given year, millions of people will be affected by depression. Depression affects people of all different ages, genders and ethnicities. Because of how widespread it is, it’s especially important to educate people about its causes and effects. By being able to identify depression in yourself and others, you are able to take the first steps towards treating and overcoming it.

What causes depression?

Depression has a range of potential causes, which vary between individuals. The causes may be related to difficult life circumstances, family history, personality type, or substance abuse. It’s typically a mix of several factors that contributes to depression manifesting. Depression also has comorbidity with certain mental health conditions such as anxiety.

Personal CirCumstances

Depression often starts affecting people due to difficult life events that they have trouble coping with. These could include breakups, losing jobs, or grieving over loved ones who have passed away. However, this may also be more nebulous and occur gradually if someone is dissatisfied with their life. In these cases, there is not an easy-to-identify stressful life event that triggers someone’s depression.

Genetics 

Depression has been shown to have a high level of genetic heritability. People with a family history of depression tend to be more susceptible to developing it at some point. Being aware of your family’s mental illness history is important for this reason. If you are aware of your higher risk status for depression, it’s important to watch out for the signs.

Personality

Certain personality types are more susceptible to depression than others. People who rate highly for a lot of neurotic personality traits are at higher risk for developing depression. This is because they tend to engage in more negative thinking and don’t manage stress well in difficult situations. In many cases, they may be anxiety sufferers, which also increases someone’s chances of developing depression. Developing healthy coping strategies for stressful situations is key for helping people with this personality type to avoid depression.

Substance Abuse

Many people who drink too much alcohol or use a lot of drugs increase their likelihood of developing depression. This is because excessive use of these substances can affect the brain in a number of ways. These include affecting the brain’s pleasure centres and damaging other areas of the brain. The specific effects will depend on the substance in question.

How does depression affect the brain?

Depression is able to cause various physical changes in different parts of the brain. Many of the hormones released during depression are able to affect the brain in multiple ways. These eventually carry over into behavioural changes.

Brain shrinkage

Some studies show that parts of the brain may experience shrinkage in people that experience depression. These include the hippocampus (responsible for learning and memory) and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for high-level thinking and planning). This may result in symptoms including impaired memory, clouded thinking, lack of motivation and anxiety.

Brain inflammation

Conversely, depression may also result in certain parts of the brain being inflamed. This tends to happen when people have had major depressive episodes over a longer period of time. The inflammation has a number of negative effects including cognitive impairment, faster brain ageing and damage to brain cells.

What are the symptoms of Depression?

The symptoms of depression vary between different individuals. However, there are certain symptoms that tend to occur fairly frequently amongst sufferers of depression. The effects of depression symptoms are often interlinked, with certain symptoms often leading to others.Because the list of depression symptoms is fairly broad, some people have a tendency to self-diagnose when they feel as though they identify with some symptoms. Whilst identifying your feelings is important, a proper diagnosis should be handled by a healthcare professional like your GP or a mental health professional like a clinical psychologist.

Lack Of Sleep

Lack of sleep, or insomnia, is often cited as a key symptom of depression. It is often one of the first symptoms that sufferers of depression notice. Lack of sleep is often attributed to the intense and frequent mood swings that depressed people may feel. This makes it harder for them to shut off and sleep when it’s time for bed. As a result, they get low quality sleep and feel worse the next day. This may often continue as a vicious cycle, making you feel more and more exhausted. If you already have problems with insomnia, seek medical help as soon as possible to remedy this.

Anxiety 

Experiencing major depression may cause individuals to develop anxiety as well. This is because many of the symptoms of depression involve a lot of negative thoughts. These feed into anxiety symptoms like worry, stress and potentially even panic attacks. The anxiety then has the potential to worsen depression symptoms as a result.

reduced appetite

People with depression often cite reduced appetite as one of the symptoms they experience. This can often be a knock-on effect from lack of sleep. Mental fogginess often leads to individuals forgetting to eat regularly throughout the day. If they are experiencing anxiety as part of their depression, it may also make them feel queasy and lead to them avoiding meals.

Lack of energy

Lack of energy is usually a result of lack of sleep and reduced appetite during depression. Because you’re not getting adequate sleep for recovery and enough energy from food, your energy levels will be very low. And when you’re constantly feeling exhausted, you end up having lower levels of motivation too.

Difficulty concentrating or focusing

One commonly mentioned symptom amongst sufferers of depression is difficulty concentrating. This is commonly associated with the lack of sleep that depression brings for a lot of people. It leads to individuals procrastinating many tasks that they are struggling to focus on. It only takes a few days of bad sleep for this symptom to start manifesting. 

Recurring thoughts of self-harm or guilt

Recurring thoughts of self-harm and guilt often occur in people dealing with depression. This guilt may often occur as a result of putting off even simple tasks. These feelings can intensify and compound over time when depression is left unaddressed. Over enough time, if someone experiences severe depression, they may have thoughts of self-harm, also referred to as suicidal ideation. If you have these thoughts with any frequency, or know someone who shares thoughts like this, call Lifeline at 13 11 14 or Triple Zero.

Loss of interest in activities that give pleasure

One other way that depression may manifest is through an inability to enjoy the activities that you typically do for pleasure. These may include exercising, showering, sexual intercourse, or your favourite hobbies. This is linked with lower energy levels and a lack of dopamine.

Sudden instances of back pain or severe headaches

Depression may often manifest as physical pain in the form of back or headaches. The increased stress from your depression can often make you more tense, leading to pain and discomfort. This could further result in you reducing your level of physical activity.

Substance abuse

While substance abuse has a role in causing depression, it may also manifest as a symptom of it. Some people who experience depression may turn to substances like drugs or alcohol as a method of self-soothing.

How to deal with depression

There is no one method to deal with depression. Depression is a category that encompasses several medical illnesses including clinical depression, melancholia, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and bipolar disorder. Every mental health condition in this group is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to overcoming depression.

Additionally, you have to account for differences between individuals. Certain resources and treatment plans suit specific people better, and multiple methods are often used together for best results. Once you have had a medical diagnosis, some of the most common treatment routes include medical intervention, attending therapy sessions with a psychologist, and finding support groups.

Aside from these organised methods of dealing with depression, utilising the support systems in your own life is important. Spending time with friends and family is one of these. Keeping busy with activities that you enjoy are also very helpful in this regard.

Medical interventions

Since depressive disorders are classified as medical illnesses, they often benefit from a doctor’s treatment. The first step in your treatment should always be getting a credible diagnosis from a medical professional like your GP. They will have the best knowledge of your medical history and be able to give you further medical treatment advice.

One form of treatment that medical professionals may issue to patients is pharmaceuticals such as antidepressant medications. These come in different forms such as selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and noradrenaline uptake inhibitors, and serotonin modulators. 

Many people are apprehensive about using medications like antidepressants for depression treatment. While this is certainly not the only option, using a controlled dose of certain medications has the potential to provide excellent benefits for patients. They are best implemented as part of a wider treatment plan with different lifestyle recommendations like regular exercise and adequate nutrition.

Therapy sessions

Therapy is a popular method for helping people deal with their depression symptoms. These sessions are led by trained clinical psychologists. There are different types of therapy, as mental health professionals specialise in certain areas. Some of these include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and interpersonal therapy. These will suit certain patients better than others, so it’s worth trying different types to see which suits you best.

Therapy sessions can also be conducted over video calls. Utilising telehealth consultations is a preferred method for many people who feel more comfortable having an appointment from the comfort of their own home.

Support groups

Support groups provide a method of dealing with depression in a larger group. They involve other people in a community talking about their shared experience. These groups could be centred around specific experiences, such as emotional support groups for people who have lost loved ones. Often you can include people from your life in these groups such as friends and family for greater emotional support.

How to find the right depression treatment for you

Finding the right depression treatment for you involves trying treatment options and noting which ones feel beneficial. Not everyone will have the same response to different treatment methods. Everyone has a slightly different experience treating and managing their depression. Experimenting with different options lets you see which ones are helpful and which ones you would prefer to avoid.

How do you know your depression treatment is working?

You will know your depression treatment is working when you start feeling your symptoms lessen and daily tasks become easier. It is also important to get a professional opinion from your psychologist. However, these are simply the ways you can identify how your treatment is progressing on your own.

Tracking your progress may be different depending on your personal treatment plan. Checking in with your GP is a good idea to see how your treatment is progressing and make any necessary changes. If you find that your current plan is relieving depression symptoms for you, it might be worth staying the course.

Daily tasks become easier

People suffering from depression often report that doing daily tasks like getting ready for work or school are difficult for them. If these tasks start to become easier, that is a good chance that you are on the right track. As you start to feel better, you will have an easier time building and maintaining your routine.

Your symptoms are improving

If you are aware of the depression symptoms, you can notice when they are decreasing. For example, if you notice you are sleeping well, eating properly and focusing better, that is a strong sign that your depression treatment is paying dividends. It’s also important to check in with your GP for regularly scheduled check-ups to monitor your progress.

You’re not alone and we’re here to help

Depression symptoms may flare up due to any number of reasons. If you notice that you are experiencing the symptoms outlined in this article, it is important to seek help. When you notice your symptoms getting intense, call triple zero or your nearest emergency department. Sometimes, you may need a mental health day to help you regroup and handle your depression. In that case, an online medical certificate for your depression may be very helpful. It will give you the ability to regroup without the additional stress of a work day. Further, if you need a longer break, you can get our multiple day medical certificate without additional charge. Contact us today if you would like to learn more.