What is depression

More than a passing bad mood, depression interferes with your life, your relationships, your sense of self and your health.  Read on to learn more about warning signs and treatment options.

Depression ranges from dysthymia — low-level depression that can last for years — to major depression, which can make working, performing daily activities and relating to your spouse, family and friends nearly impossible. Another type is seasonal affective disorder, which occurs only during certain times of the year (usually winter).

Any combination of genetics, chronic stress, and difficult life experiences can trigger spells of depression. Some triggers include specific situations, like a separation or the death of a loved one. In these instances, levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which brain cells use to communicate with each other, may be out of balance. This might cause the areas of the brain that regulate mood, thought, sleep, appetite and behaviour to function abnormally.

• Changes in your sleeping and/or eating habits.
• Loss of pleasure in things that you used to enjoy.
• Thoughts of hurting yourself.
• Lack of interest in sex.
• Feeling hopeless or worthless.
• Crying for no apparent reason.
• Trouble concentrating and making decisions.
• Irritability or restlessness.
• Feeling fatigued or weak.
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches.

Serious depression may lead to suicide. Outside of this risk, depression often coexists with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and other major health conditions, making symptoms of these illnesses more severe and more difficult to manage.

The combination can be fatal; people with diabetes and depression face a higher risk of dying from heart disease. According to new evidence, depression may even help trigger diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis by raising levels of inflammation and stress hormones.

• Seek professional help.
• Exercise regularly; studies show it can help prevent or lift depression.
• Relieve stress every day in whatever way works best for you.
• Cultivate a positive attitude.
• Connect with family and friends for social support.

People who have had depression are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who were never depressed. Researchers don't know yet whether the depression contributes to the development of Alzheimer's or whether something else is at work to cause both the depression and the Alzheimer's.