How Depression Affects Us

Elderly:Even some health professionals may mistakenly think that depression is an acceptable response to other serious illnesses and the social and financial hardships that often accompany aging – an attitude often shared by older people themselves. The importance of aging brain, depletion of brain hormones and shrinkage of brain tissue is often underestimated. Depression in elderly is often caused by brain tissue loss because of diabetes and high blood pressure.

Children:Common folklore may have us believe that children do not get depression. This is far from the truth. Children who are   depressed may not say they feel sad, but can become irritable, have erratic eating and sleep patterns and academic difficulties. Regrettably, many such children may remain undiagnosed and struggle through the pain of mental illness or emotional or emotional turmoil, doing their best to make it to adulthood. The consequences of this untreated epidemic are well recognized: entanglement in drugs and the criminal justice system, increased incidence of depression in adulthood and at times suicide.

Gender:Depression is about twice as common in women as in men. But we still do not know if it is truly less common among men, or if men are just less likely than women to recognize, acknowledge, and seek help.

Substance use disorders (abuse or dependence): People with alcoholism are almost twice as likely as those without alcoholism to also suffer from major depression. Often proscribed in popular  culture as a stress buster, alcohol is actually a brain depressant, increasing the risk of mood disorders.

Chronic Illness: Depression is often found to co–exist with other serious medical illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes,and Parkinson’s disease. Studies show that treating the depression can help improve the outcome of treating the co–occurring illness consequently enhancing the person’s quality of life.

http://healthmad.com/mental-health/depression-is-an-illness-and-not-you/

http://healthmad.com/mental-health/main-causes-of-depression/

http://healthmad.com/mental-health/how-depression-affects-adolescents/