If you are wondering what is depression disorder, chances are that you or a loved one is struggling with symptoms of depression. Depression related mental health disorders impact more than 17 million Americans annually, while untreated depression can lead to symptoms that prevent you from working or going to school.
Depression can also increase your risk of early death, as suicide is the second-leading cause of death among Americans ages 10 to 34. Overall, suicide causes more than four times as many deaths as homicide every year, demonstrating that leaving depression untreated has lethal consequences.
What is Depression Disorder?
So, what is a depression disorder? Depression is a mental health disorder that can cause intense sadness that lasts for prolonged periods of time. Depression disorder can cause:
- Suicidal thoughts and ideation
- Isolation
- Low self-esteem
- Self-harming behavior
- Anger and anxiety
- Insomnia and poor sleep
When you struggle with depression, you can lose interest in activities and hobbies that you previously enjoyed, which can ultimately worsen your symptoms. Another common symptom of depression is isolating from others and neglecting your hygiene. Sometimes, depression symptoms can become severe and cause you to stay home from school or work. Other times, depression can lead to intense thoughts of suicide, which typically requires immediate treatment.
Although everyone experiences sadness, when you have depression these periods of sadness are more intense and last longer. Depression can develop spontaneously or occur after a major life event, such as the death of a loved one. If you wonder what is depression disorder, it can indicate that you acknowledge that you’re unable to pull yourself out of a rut.
How is Depression Treated?
Depression is curable with early treatment. Depression disorder is typically treated with a mix of evidence-based and holistic therapies. Anti-depressant medications can increase pleasurable neurotransmitters, like serotonin. Many times, depression is related to a lack of serotonin. This makes medications like Prozac and Zoloft highly effective in alleviating and reducing your symptoms.
One major benefit of medications is that short-term use of medications can limit your symptoms and prevent future depressive episodes. However, medications can take some time to work, meaning that participating in other forms of treatment, like counseling and therapy, is important. Therapy can help improve your ability to identify and change negative thinking patterns, which can make it easier to cope with your symptoms.
Treatment for depression usually takes place in an outpatient setting. Although severe symptoms, such as suicidal behavior, may require inpatient treatment. Learning how to cope with negative emotions, like stress and anger, is also a central part of treatment. Depression can isolate you from others. But treatment can help improve your communication skills and help you build a strong support network.
Finding Help for Depression Today
When you are wondering what is depression disorder, it may be a sign that you are dealing with symptoms of depression. Depression can become increasingly more severe when left untreated. Thus, reaching out for help is the first step in your recovery journey. If you are ready to begin your recovery, contact us today at 844.334.4727 to learn more about our depression disorder treatment programs.
