Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is when normal feelings like being sad, down, grumpy, or irritable are very intense, go on too long and get in the way of normal life. Depressed feelings can happen to everyone, especially after a loss or disappointment. When they happen too much and interfere with life—get in the way of doing things you want to do and need to do—is when it is important to get help. Depression can be a specific episode or repeated episodes that are out of the ordinary for the person. The episode can be mild, moderate or severe. Severe depressions usually involve suicidal thoughts or behaviors. In some cases, depression can be chronic.

Causes

Depression isn’t caused by any one thing but is usually happens because of a combination of things. It can be caused by stress, chronic illness, or chemicals in the brain (not working like they should). Stressful life events like the death of a loved one, a move to a new area, or a breakup with a girlfriend or boyfriend can bring on depressive feelings. Certain times of life when there are many changes, like entering the teenage years, can be especially stressful and lead to depression. Sometimes, depression can seem to come out of the blue. Depression sometimes runs in families, so someone with a close relative who has depression may be more likely to experience depression

Common Symptoms

Emotional Changes

Feelings of sadness, which can include crying spells for no apparent reason
Frustration or feelings of anger
Feeling hopeless or empty
Irritable or annoyed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure activities
Loss of interest in, or conflict with, family and friends
Low self-esteem
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Fixation on past failures or exaggerated self-blame or self-criticism
Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
Ongoing sense that life and the future are grim and bleak
Frequent thoughts of dying or suicide

Behavioral Changes

Tiredness and loss of energy
Insomnia or sleeping too much
Changes in appetite — decreased appetite and weight loss, or increased cravings for food and weight gain
Use of alcohol or drugs
Agitation or restlessness —pacing, fidgeting or an inability to sit still
Slowed thinking, speaking or moving
Unexplained body aches and headaches
Social isolation
Poor school performance or frequent absences from school
Less attention to personal hygiene
Angry outbursts, disruptive or risky behavior, or other acting-out behaviors
Self-harm — for example, cutting or burning
Making a suicide plan or a suicide attempt

Getting Help

Since everyone feels sad or down sometimes, it is important to pay attention when the feelings, thoughts and behaviors are very intense, go on too long and get in the way of life. Some symptoms can be dangerous or risky so it is very important to talk to someone — a parent, trusted adult, school counselor, doctor or nurse — right away.

Get help right away if...you have thoughts about killing yourself or thinking it would be better to be dead or you are doing things on purpose to hurt yourself.

Treatment for Depression

Cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT is a time-limited, problem-focused intervention that teaches how to change unhelpful thoughts and how to learn new behaviors like taking steps toward goals, spending more time doing positive activities, and learning how to problem solve. The therapist and client identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and come up with new ones to practice and try out.
Interpersonal therapy. IPT is a time limited, problem-focused intervention that focuses on patterns of interactions with other people and teaches more positive ways to have relationships and friendships. The therapist and client identify unhelpful patterns of interactions and come up with new ones to practice and try out.
Antidepressant medicine. These medicines work on the brain and uplift and calm down moods. Medicine is usually not the only treatment but can be taken along with doing therapy.
Mindfulness. Mindfulness is one way to deal with mild depression on your own. Click here (the anxiety & stress page of this website) to learn more about mindfulness and other methods to help treat depression.

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