History UsefulNotes / Depression

* Finally, for some who have uteri, depression symptoms can be tied to the menstrual cycle or to pregnancy. Note the existence of PMDD and post-partum depression.

* "Depressed people must be sad all the time, if you're ever happy, you're not really depressed." This is one of the big ones (big enough that it's even led to lawsuits in a few cases, specifically related to insurance, workers compensation, and the like). The reality of depression is that sufferers do have good days as well as bad, and maybe even good weeks or months as well as bad. Or good minutes or hours in the middle of bad days, etc.

* "Depression doesn't mean other mental illnesses or have much in common with them." This one's true to some degree and is a means to limit stigmatization of depression sufferers, but there's many conditions that are co-morbid to depression. There are also other mental illnesses for which depression is a symptom (the physical illnesses for which it is will be addressed below). To use a physical comparison, much like pneumonia being both a condition itself as well as a possible symptom of other illnesses, so can depression.

* ADD/ADHD, because of the lifestyle results of especially severe ADD/ADHD leading to stressful life events and a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness over what seems to be a disorganized and scattered life -- as well as to the side effects of badly managed ADD/ADHD medication in some instances.
* Autistic spectrum disorder, particularly among women, because so much mental resources gets put into trying to cope with impaired social skills (either by emulating others or trying to manage the consequences of not) that it exhausts mentally and leads to a feeling of alienation.

* "Depression is always the direct result of a chemical imbalance of serotonin in the brain." Again, this is true in ''some'' cases of depression, but it is also a commercial oversimplification of what can be a very complicated mental condition, a symptom of a physical condition where the imbalance is of something else entirely, or even the result of abuse. This is why anyone suffering from any form of depression needs a thorough physical and mental examination rather than a prescription of whatever antidepressant is advertising the most -- especially because some of the physical causes can be ''fatal'' if left untreated in the pursuit of "it's all in your head."

* "Treatment consists only of antidepressants and neuroleptics." There are many other options to treat mild to severe depression, and while antidepressants and neuroleptics are ''one'' option, they are not the only legitimate option that is used.

* "There is only one kind of depression and that is major melancholic depression." There are a few different kinds of depression.

* '''Persistent feelings of sadness or worthlessness, for at least two weeks.''' (Obvious sign of depression.) A common description by sufferers is that they feel "empty" or "hollow" inside. Unfortunately with teens, it is often dismissed as typical moodiness. This leads to the perfect storm of feeding their self-destructive thoughts, making them reluctant to seek help from adults, and instilling the belief that they have to ''prove'' their unhappiness is genuine--regrettably, [[GoneHorriblyRight some of those attempts work]].

Something else to note is that some of the most recent research on depression shows that the "serotonin imbalance" of common antidepressant advertising may only be ''one type'' of depression - some unmedicated depressives have absolutely normal serotonin levels, for example. Also note the overlap between chronic fatigue syndrome and depression, some pain syndromes and depression, and PTSD or complicated grief triggering depression. While the research isn't ''completely'' in yet, it does seem to point to at least four conditions that are under the umbrella of "unipolar depression": one where emotional symptoms are dominant and there are few physical symptoms, one where physical symptoms are more dominant and either a result of or even possibly ''causing'' the emotional symptoms (which is what CFS and similar syndromes appear to be), one where ''both'' physical and emotional symptoms exist, and one triggered by painful and traumatizing life experiences such as abuse or combat stress or the loss of a loved one and its attendant grief. The point being - every case of depression is, in a way, unique to the person suffering it, even if it falls generally under "depression" or these symptoms or these types.

** Nicotine and opiate addictions are specific risks of depression - nicotine because it is a stimulant with ''some'' possible positive effects on brain function (at least in current users), and opiates because they do have an antidepressant effect, and especially in physical symptom predominant cases, may provide relief. If you are prone to depression you should use ''neither'' unless opiates are prescribed by your doctor with full knowledge of your condition and when all other options have been exhausted. If you're already a smoker, nicotine replacement/harm reduction (via using gum, lozenges, patches, or vaporizing devices) is something to consider, as it provides the possible positive effects without as many of the harmful ones that smoking or chewing tobacco provide.

* In a similar vein, there are types of depression that are dependent on {{UsefulNotes/trigger}}s. These are generally associated with PTSD, complex PTSD, and complicated grief (though sometimes a trigger can switch a BPII or cyclothymia sufferer to a depressive cycle). Sufferers of these types of depression are often very likely to be dismissed, mocked, or considered to be lying because they often seem like mentally healthy people unless they are in a situation where the trigger is unavoidable. This may prove a major problem for those whose triggers involve things in traditional workplace or family situations - they can be considered "lazy" for not working certain types of jobs or [[MandatoryMotherhood inferior for not wanting a traditional family situation]], and the scorn and disgust this earns destroys self-worth and can make the depression spread from the triggers to a far more generalized depressive condition.

** This can be a double problem for some FTM UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} people - being in the wrong body alone is depressing, and the hormonal fluctuations that serve both to cause chemical imbalances themselves and as a reminder of what is causing them. This can sometimes be almost a mental form of AndIMustScream - for those who've never experienced it, imagine being at the mercy of mood swings and cycles that can be uncontrollable and change on a biweekly to monthly basis... and which are predictable but unstoppable.

* ''Eating disorders'' can be co-morbid to depression because depression itself changes eating patterns, and an eating disorder may well result - especially if the depressed person wishes to lose weight and stops eating in order to do so or alternately, eats to feel better.
* ''[[SelfHarm Self-injury]]'' is sometimes co-morbid to depression and is ''not'' generally a suicide attempt or being an AttentionWhore or EmoTeen stereotype - it is a way to feel or release emotions.

* ADD/ADHD, because of the lifestyle results of especially severe ADD/ADHD leading to stressful life events and a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness over what seems to be a disorganized and scattered life - as well as to the side effects of badly managed ADD/ADHD medication in some instances.

* "Depression is always the direct result of a chemical imbalance of serotonin in the brain." Again, this is true in ''some'' cases of depression, but it is also a commercial oversimplification of what can be a very complicated mental condition, a symptom of a physical condition where the imbalance is of something else entirely, or even the result of abuse. This is why anyone suffering from any form of depression needs a thorough physical and mental examination rather than a prescription of whatever antidepressant is advertising the most - especially because some of the physical causes can be ''fatal'' if left untreated in the pursuit of "it's all in your head."

* ''Anemia'' is often mistaken for depression. Someone who is anemic is not getting enough oxygen via their bloodstream to their body and brain - the body is in effect dying from blood loss and oxygen starvation, which leads to depression symptoms among others. A complete blood count is essential.
* ''Any number of organic brain illnesses or injuries,'' too many to list individually, but anything from ALS to multiple sclerosis to traumatic brain injury.
* ''Cancer'' can cause anemia or hormonal imbalances that lead to depression, or even directly affect the functioning of the brain, depending on the location of the tumor (a tumor causing bleeding in the GI tract or uterus leading to anemia, a thyroid cancer leading to hyperthyroidism - see below for its own entry, or a brain tumor causing brain functioning changes.) Diagnosed cancers can also lead to depression from the stress of the diagnosis and life with it, and some forms of chemotherapy can be physically and mentally exhausting.
* ''Chronic pain'' can lead to depression or depression-related symptoms - treating the pain or the cause of pain properly will help.
* ''Chronic fatigue syndrome'' can be a cause of depression and can manifest in ways that are easily mistaken for depression - just look at the crossover symptoms between CFS and depression.

* ''Alternative medications'' are possible in cases involving hormonal causes - thyroid hormones or sex hormones. Another alternative form of medication is the prescribed and monitored use of cannabis, psilocybin, MDMA, or even opiates - ''very'' experimental at the time and illegal outside of official studies or prescriptions, but some results have been reported in depressions that have been otherwise resistant to traditional antidepressants. Often drugs are used that have no visible connection to depression- seizure meds, so on- that occasionally have mood stabilization as a side effect.

* "Depressed people must be sad all the time, if you're ever happy, you're not really depressed." This is one of the big ones (big enough that it's even led to lawsuits in a few cases, specifically related to insurance, workers compensation, and the like.) The reality of depression is that sufferers do have good days as well as bad, and maybe even good weeks or months as well as bad. Or good minutes or hours in the middle of bad days etc.

* Depression sufferers may feel incredibly bad but try to do things to make themselves feel temporarily better or to meet the expectations of others in their lives as well - this is actually often a cause of co-morbid addictions, in that sometimes, substance use will temporarily lift the depression enough to make being TheAlcoholic, for example, at first seem a welcome relief. Psychological addictions are another way of coping; some sufferers may watch more television, read books, or find some other form of escapism as a way of relieving the stress of their situation.

->'''Michael:''' Everything's wrong! The stress of my modern office has caused me to go into a depression!
->'''Dwight:''' "Depression?” Isn't that just a fancy word for feeling "bummed out?”
->'''Michael:''' Dwight, you ignorant slut!

* "Depression doesn't mean other mental illnesses or have much in common with them." This one's true to some degree and is a form of PositiveDiscrimination to limit stigmatization of depression sufferers, but there's many conditions that are co-morbid to depression. There are also other mental illnesses for which depression is a symptom (the physical illnesses for which it is will be addressed below). To use a physical comparison, much like pneumonia being both a condition itself as well as a possible symptom of other illnesses, so can depression.

* "Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions" This is easy to over-look if the sufferer is also experiencing insomnia. It may also be difficult to distinguish between this symptom and ADD/ADHD. Since ADHD, anxiety, and depression are frequently co-morbidities, this is even more difficult to pinpoint.
* "Irritability, restlessness." (Easily-Overlooked)
* "Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day."
* "Headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment."

* '''Persistent feelings of sadness or worthlessness, for at least two weeks.''' (Obvious sign of depression.) A common description by sufferers is that they feel "empty" or "hollow" inside. Unfortunately with teens, it is often dismissed as typical moodiness. This leads to the perfect storm of feeding their self-destructive thoughts, making them reluctant to seek help from adults, and instilling the belief that they have to ''prove'' their unhappiness is genuine--regrettably, [[GoneHorriblyRight some of those attempts]] [[DrivenToSuicide work]].

* '''Persistent feelings of sadness or worthlessness, for at least two weeks.''' (Obvious sign of depression.) A common description by sufferers is that they feel "empty" or "hollow" inside. Unfortunately with teens, it is often dismissed as typical moodiness. This leads to the perfect storm of feeding their self-destructive thoughts, making them reluctant to seek help from adults, and instilling the belief that they have to ''prove'' their unhappiness is genuine--regrettably, [[GoneHorriblyRight some of those]] [[DrivenToSuicide attempts work]].

* '''Persistent feelings of sadness or worthlessness, for at least two weeks.''' (Obvious sign of depression.) A common description by sufferers is that they feel "empty" or "hollow" inside. Unfortunately with teens, it is often dismissed as typical moodiness. This leads to the perfect storm of feeding their self-destructive thoughts, making them reluctant to seek help from adults, and instilling the belief that they have to ''prove'' their unhappiness is genuine--regrettably, [[GoneHorriblyRight some of those attempts work]].

* '''[[ImHavingSoulPains Unexplained, frequent aches or pains]] due to the immune system shutting down.''' (Little-known/overlooked.) A variant of this is when minor injuries or illnesses take too long to heal, such as a cold persisting for a month or scrapes and bruises lasting for days. Those with no medical experience often cannot connect this to depression.
* '''[[EvilIsDeathlyCold Feeling cold in inappropriate weather, or the coldness persisting in adequate warmth.]]''' (Little-known/overlooked.) This may be the reason for the stereotypical depictions of a black-clad "emo" teen, as dark colors absorb and retain heat better than light clothes. It also is one of the most frequently-overlooked symptoms, as wearing sweaters is not unusual in certain climates and even the person in question may not realize that this is a symptom.

* "Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions" This is easy to over-look if the sufferer is also experiencing insomnia. It may also be difficult to distinguish between this symptom and ADD/ADHD.

-->-- ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sBC3YCTn_o "Training Demonstration"]]