Depression is classified as a mood disorder. It may be described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities.
Though depression and grief share some features, depression is different from grief felt after losing a loved one or sadness felt after a traumatic life event. Depression usually involves self-loathing or a loss of self-esteem, while grief typically does not.
In grief, positive emotions and happy memories of the deceased typically accompany feelings of emotional pain. In major depressive disorder, the feelings of sadness are constant.
People experience depression in different ways. It may interfere with your daily work, resulting in lost time and lower productivity. It can also influence relationships and some chronic health conditions.
It’s important to realize that feeling down at times is a normal part of life. Sad and upsetting events happen to everyone. But if you’re feeling down or hopeless on a regular basis, you could be dealing with depression.
Depression is considered a serious medical condition that can get worse without proper treatment.
So if you suffer from depression see your doctor.
Depression symptoms
Depression can be more than a constant state of sadness or feeling “blue.”
Major depression can cause a variety of symptoms. Some affect your mood and others affect your body. Symptoms may also be ongoing or come and go.
General signs and symptoms
Not everyone with depression will experience the same symptoms. Symptoms can vary in severity, how often they happen, and how long they last.
The symptoms of depression can be experienced differently among males, females, teens, and children.
Males may experience symptoms related to their:
mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, or restlessness
emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad, or hopeless
behavior, such as loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, or engaging in high-risk activities
sexual interest, such as reduced sexual desire or lack of sexual performance
cognitive abilities, such as inability to concentrate, difficulty completing tasks, or delayed responses during conversations
sleep patterns, such as insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, or not sleeping through the night
physical well-being, such as fatigue, pains, headache, or digestive problems
Females may experience symptoms related to their:
mood, such as irritability
emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious, or hopeless
behavior, such as loss of interest in activities, withdrawing from social engagements, or thoughts of suicide
cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly
sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, or sleeping too much
physical well-being, such as decreased energy, greater fatigue, changes in appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, or increased cramps
Children may experience symptomsTrusted Source related to their:
mood, such as irritability, anger, rapid shifts in mood, or crying
emotional well-being, such as feelings of incompetence (e.g., “I can’t do anything right”) or despair, crying, or intense sadness
behavior, such as getting into trouble at school or refusing to go to school, avoiding friends or siblings, thoughts of death or suicide, or self-harm
cognitive abilities, such as difficulty concentrating, decline in school performance, or changes in grades
sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
physical well-being, such as loss of energy, digestive problems, changes in appetite, or weight loss or gain.
Depression causes
There are several possible causes of depression. They can range from biological to circumstantial.
Common causes include:
Brain chemistry. There may be a chemical imbalance in parts of the brain that manage mood, thoughts, sleep, appetite, and behavior in people who have depression.
Hormone levels. Changes in female hormones estrogen and progesterone during different periods of time like during the menstrual cycle, postpartum period, perimenopause, or menopause may all raise a person’s risk for depression.
Family history. You’re at a higher risk for developing depression if you have a family history of depression or another mood disorder.
Early childhood trauma. Some events affect the way your body reacts to fear and stressful situations.
Brain structure. There’s a greater risk for depression if the frontal lobe of your brain is less active. However, scientists don’t know if this happens before or after the onset of depressive symptoms.
Medical conditions.
Certain conditions mayTrusted Source put you at higher risk, such as chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, heart attack, and cancer.
Substance use. A history of substance or alcohol misuse can affect your risk.
Pain. People who feel emotional or chronic physical pain for long periods of time are significantly more likelyTrusted Source to develop depression.
Risk factors
Risk factors for depression can be biochemical, medical, social, genetic, or circumstantial. Common risk factors include:
Sex. The prevalence of major depression is twice as high in femalesTrusted Source as in males.
Genetics. You have an increased riskTrusted Source of depression if you have a family history of it.
Socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status, including financial problems and perceived low social status, can increaseTrusted Source your risk of depression.
Certain medications.
Certain drugs including some types of hormonal birth control, corticosteroids, and beta-blockers may be associatedTrusted Source with an increased risk of depression.
Vitamin D deficiency. StudiesTrusted Source have linked depressive symptoms to low levels of vitamin D.
Gender identity. The risk of depression for transgender people is nearly 4-fold that of cisgender people, according to a 2018 study.
Substance misuse. About 21 percent of people who have a substance use disorder also experience depression.
Medical illnesses. Depression is associated with other chronic medical illnesses. People with heart disease are about twice as likelyTrusted Source to have depression as people who don’t, while up to 1 in 4 peopleTrusted Source with cancer may also experience depression.
Though depression and grief share some features, depression is different from grief felt after losing a loved one or sadness felt after a traumatic life event. Depression usually involves self-loathing or a loss of self-esteem, while grief typically does not.
In grief, positive emotions and happy memories of the deceased typically accompany feelings of emotional pain. In major depressive disorder, the feelings of sadness are constant.
People experience depression in different ways. It may interfere with your daily work, resulting in lost time and lower productivity. It can also influence relationships and some chronic health conditions.
It’s important to realize that feeling down at times is a normal part of life. Sad and upsetting events happen to everyone. But if you’re feeling down or hopeless on a regular basis, you could be dealing with depression.
Depression is considered a serious medical condition that can get worse without proper treatment.
So if you suffer from depression see your doctor.
Depression symptoms
Depression can be more than a constant state of sadness or feeling “blue.”
Major depression can cause a variety of symptoms. Some affect your mood and others affect your body. Symptoms may also be ongoing or come and go.
General signs and symptoms
Not everyone with depression will experience the same symptoms. Symptoms can vary in severity, how often they happen, and how long they last.
The symptoms of depression can be experienced differently among males, females, teens, and children.
Males may experience symptoms related to their:
mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, or restlessness
emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad, or hopeless
behavior, such as loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, or engaging in high-risk activities
sexual interest, such as reduced sexual desire or lack of sexual performance
cognitive abilities, such as inability to concentrate, difficulty completing tasks, or delayed responses during conversations
sleep patterns, such as insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, or not sleeping through the night
physical well-being, such as fatigue, pains, headache, or digestive problems
Females may experience symptoms related to their:
mood, such as irritability
emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious, or hopeless
behavior, such as loss of interest in activities, withdrawing from social engagements, or thoughts of suicide
cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly
sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, or sleeping too much
physical well-being, such as decreased energy, greater fatigue, changes in appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, or increased cramps
Children may experience symptomsTrusted Source related to their:
mood, such as irritability, anger, rapid shifts in mood, or crying
emotional well-being, such as feelings of incompetence (e.g., “I can’t do anything right”) or despair, crying, or intense sadness
behavior, such as getting into trouble at school or refusing to go to school, avoiding friends or siblings, thoughts of death or suicide, or self-harm
cognitive abilities, such as difficulty concentrating, decline in school performance, or changes in grades
sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
physical well-being, such as loss of energy, digestive problems, changes in appetite, or weight loss or gain.
Depression causes
There are several possible causes of depression. They can range from biological to circumstantial.
Common causes include:
Brain chemistry. There may be a chemical imbalance in parts of the brain that manage mood, thoughts, sleep, appetite, and behavior in people who have depression.
Hormone levels. Changes in female hormones estrogen and progesterone during different periods of time like during the menstrual cycle, postpartum period, perimenopause, or menopause may all raise a person’s risk for depression.
Family history. You’re at a higher risk for developing depression if you have a family history of depression or another mood disorder.
Early childhood trauma. Some events affect the way your body reacts to fear and stressful situations.
Brain structure. There’s a greater risk for depression if the frontal lobe of your brain is less active. However, scientists don’t know if this happens before or after the onset of depressive symptoms.
Medical conditions.
Certain conditions mayTrusted Source put you at higher risk, such as chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, heart attack, and cancer.
Substance use. A history of substance or alcohol misuse can affect your risk.
Pain. People who feel emotional or chronic physical pain for long periods of time are significantly more likelyTrusted Source to develop depression.
Risk factors
Risk factors for depression can be biochemical, medical, social, genetic, or circumstantial. Common risk factors include:
Sex. The prevalence of major depression is twice as high in femalesTrusted Source as in males.
Genetics. You have an increased riskTrusted Source of depression if you have a family history of it.
Socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status, including financial problems and perceived low social status, can increaseTrusted Source your risk of depression.
Certain medications.
Certain drugs including some types of hormonal birth control, corticosteroids, and beta-blockers may be associatedTrusted Source with an increased risk of depression.
Vitamin D deficiency. StudiesTrusted Source have linked depressive symptoms to low levels of vitamin D.
Gender identity. The risk of depression for transgender people is nearly 4-fold that of cisgender people, according to a 2018 study.
Substance misuse. About 21 percent of people who have a substance use disorder also experience depression.
Medical illnesses. Depression is associated with other chronic medical illnesses. People with heart disease are about twice as likelyTrusted Source to have depression as people who don’t, while up to 1 in 4 peopleTrusted Source with cancer may also experience depression.