Depression

Understanding Depression: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Hi, I'm Dr. Craig Sawchuk, a clinical psychologist at Mayo Clinic. And I'm here to talk with you about depression. Whether you're looking for answers for yourself, a friend, or loved one, understanding the basics of depression can help you take the next step.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes feelings of sadness that won't go away. Unfortunately, there's a lot of stigma around depression. Depression isn't a weakness or a character flaw. It's not about being in a bad mood, and people who experience depression can't just snap out of it. Depression is a common, serious, and treatable condition. If you're experiencing depression, you're not alone. It honestly affects people of all ages and races and biological sexes, income levels and educational backgrounds. Approximately one in six people will experience a major depressive episode at some point in their lifetime, while up to 16 million adults each year suffer from clinical depression.

There are many types of symptoms that make up depression. Emotionally, you may feel sad or down or irritable or even apathetic. Physically, the body really slows down. You feel tired. Your sleep is often disrupted. It's really hard to get yourself motivated. Your thinking also changes. It can just be hard to concentrate. Your thoughts tend to be much more negative. You can be really hard on yourself, feel hopeless and helpless about things. And even in some cases, have thoughts of not wanting to live. Behaviorally, you just want to pull back and withdraw from others, activities, and day-to-day responsibilities. These symptoms all work together to keep you trapped in a cycle of depression. Symptoms of depression are different for everyone. Some symptoms may be a sign of another disorder or medical condition. That's why it's important to get an accurate diagnosis.

While there's no single cause of depression, most experts believe there's a combination of biological, social, and psychological factors that contribute to depression risk. Biologically, we think about genetics or a family history of depression, health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or thyroid disorders, and even hormonal changes that happen over the lifespan, such as pregnancy and menopause. Changes in brain chemistry, especially disruptions in neurotransmitters like serotonin, that play an important role in regulating many bodily functions, including mood, sleep, and appetite, are thought to play a particularly important role in depression. Socially stressful and traumatic life events, limited access to resources such as food, housing, and health care, and a lack of social support all contribute to depression risk. Psychologically, we think of how negative thoughts and problematic coping behaviors, such as avoidance and substance use, increase our vulnerability to depression.

The good news is that treatment helps. Effective treatments for depression exist and you do have options to see what works best for you. Lifestyle changes that improves sleep habits, exercise, and address underlying health conditions can be an important first step. Medications such as antidepressants can be helpful in alleviating depressive symptoms. Therapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, teaches skills to better manage negative thoughts and improve coping behaviors to help break you out of cycles of depression. Whatever the cause, remember that depression is not your fault and it can be treated.

To help diagnose depression, your health care provider may use a physical exam, lab tests, or a mental health evaluation. These results will help identify various treatment options that best fit your situation. Help is available. You don't have to deal with depression by yourself. Take the next step and reach out. If you're hesitant to talk to a health care provider, talk to a friend or loved one about how to get help. Living with depression isn't easy and you're not alone in your struggles. Always remember that effective treatments and supports are available to help you start feeling better. Want to learn more about depression? Visit Mayo clinic.org. Do take care.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Hello. I'm Dr. Marc Frye and I'm a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic. We all experience the emotional ups and downs of life. But when these mood swings become extreme, changed suddenly and negatively impact our function and our quality of life. It may be due to a mental health condition called bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings, including emotional highs and lows, with an associated marked change in energy. During an emotional high, you may feel euphoric or unusual, irritable. Importantly, the corresponding energy change can be highly productive or unusually impulsive. This is called mania. A less severe form is called hypomania. During an emotional low, also called depression. You may feel sad, hopeless, apathetic, or have thoughts that life is not worth living. Again, the corresponding energy change can be prominent. Lethargy, feeling exhausted, sometimes, an inability to get out of bed. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior, and the ability to think clearly. Both episodes of mania and depression can cause great difficulty with work, school, social activities, and our relationships.

Bipolar disorder affects more than 5 million adult Americans every year. The average age of illness onset is about 25, but it can occur in adolescents or late life. In contrast to major depression, bipolar disorder affects men and women equally. Individuals with bipolar disorder appear to have brain changes. And it's more common in people who have a sibling or parent with the condition. Symptoms may include mania, hypomania and depression. Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year. Most people experience emotional symptoms between episodes, while some may not.

There are two main types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar type one disorder means an individual has had at some point in the past a manic episode. In some cases, mania may trigger a break from reality, also known as psychosis. With bipolar type two disorder, an individual has had at least one hypomanic episode in the past, but never a manic episode. We rely on a thorough interview, asking questions about symptoms and history, as well as a physical exam, additional psychiatric assessments, and or mood tracking.

Although bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, symptoms can be very effectively managed. In most cases, bipolar disorder is treated with medications and counseling. Bipolar disorder doesn't get better on its own. If you have any symptoms of depression or mania, please see your doctor or mental health professional. Suicidal thoughts are common among people with bipolar disorder. If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts called 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline. If you have a loved one who is in immediate danger of suicide, make sure someone stays with that person. Call 911 or your local emergency room number immediately. Or if you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room. If you're experiencing bipolar disorder, you are not alone. 1 in 25 Americans live with a serious mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depression. You don't have to struggle with mental health conditions by yourself. Reach out, seek help, find resources. Looking for more information about bipolar disorder? Visit Mayo clinic.org.