Depression: 14 Important Insights

Depression: 14 Important Facts You Might Not Know

Chances are that in your lifetime you will be one of two people – depressed, or close to someone who is. For this reason, understanding depression is fast becoming a life skill. Here are 14 important insights.

  1. Certain personalities are more prone to depression.

    Depression can happen to anybody, but those with depression are more likely to be introverted, creative or perfectionistic. Personality doesn’t cause depression but it can be a risk factor.

  2. People with depression won’t necessarily look depressed.

    People with depression are often highly functioning and adept at concealing their depression from the world. It could be your doctor, dentist, teacher, best friend or the life of the party. Whether because of the stigma associated with depression, or because of their concerns about the impact on the people around them, many people with depression will be masterful at masking their illness publicly. This is further evidence that depression is not a sign of weakness. The strength and mental toughness it would take to carry on as usual would be enormous. Of course, sometimes the strongest act is asking for help.

  3. Depression is a deficiency in chemistry, not character.

    Unfortunately, we live in a society where depression is still vastly misunderstood. It is a physical illness that effects mood and is no more a product of personality or character than cancer or diabetes. The only shame around depression is in the response of the ignorant.

  4. The internal body clock is disrupted.

    The body has an internal body clock that uses signals in the environment to cue appetite, sleep and mood. In people with depression, this clock can be so severely disrupted, that a.m and p.m. are reversed. This means that sleep is disturbed, as morning is confused with night. When sleep is thrown off balance, so too are hunger hormones, hence the appetite and weight changes that often come with depression.

  5. Depression changes the size of the brain.

    In research from Yale University, analysis of the brains of people with depression have shown an overproduction of a genetic ‘switch’. This genetic switch causes the loss of connections between the brain cells that regulate cognition and emotion, causing the brain to shrink in size. The more severe and longer-lasting the depression the greater the shrinkage. Antidepressants can help to reverse this.

  6. Depression fades memory.

    Depression can really interfere with memory, particular the type of memory that deals with specific facts such as names or places. Part of the reason for this may be the tendency to over-generalise, which can compromise the ability to differentiate between similar experiences.

  7. Blood test to diagnose depression.

    Up to now, the only way to diagnose depression was through self-reports or reports and observation. But that is set to change. Researchers have developed a blood test that may be used to diagnose depression and predict who will benefit from therapy. This will give way to the tailoring of more effective treatments.

  8.  Mindfulness can reduce and protect against depression.

    Mindfulness can reduce and prevent depression adolescents (aged 13-20) and adults.

  9. Depression ages you faster.

    Research has found that depression leads to accelerated cellular ageing and a heightened risk of ageing-related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. People with depression have a shorter length of telomeres (a repeating DNA sequence found at the end of chromosomes). The more severe and longer-lasting the depression, shorter the telomere length the greater the ageing. Those who had previous episodes of major depression had shorter telomere length than those who had not experienced depression.

  10. Exercise causes the same changes in the brain as antidepressants.

    An abundance of research has demonstrated that exercise alleviates symptoms of depression in the short-term, but also that it has a protective factor against developing depressive episodes in the future. In fact, a recent study has found that for mild to moderate depression, exercise has the same effect on the brain as antidepressants. Walking 30 minutes a day is enough to make a difference.

  11. Gut bacteria play a role in depression.

    Increasingly, evidence is pointing to a powerful connection between the gut and the brain, with neurobiologists at Oxford University finding that gut microbiome play an important role in maintaining certain brain functions such as mood, emotion and appetite. Mounting evidence is suggesting a link between the gut health and psychiatric and neurological disorders such as anxiety, depression and autism. 

    Researchers at the University of Oxford have found that taking probiotics has an effect on anxiety and depression by influencing the neuroendocrine stress response and by altering the way people process emotional information.

  12. Depression increases the experience of physical pain.

    Like the emotional pain isn’t enough, depression is also associated with physical pain such as headaches, backache, stomach ache, joint ache and muscle ache. Research has shown that depression and physical pain share a common chemical pathway in the brain and are influenced by the same neurotransmitters. In light of this, it has been suggested that depression and the painful physical symptoms that are associated with it should be treated together. Research has actually shown that a correlation between an improvement in physical symptoms and an improvement in other depressive symptoms. 

  13. Antidepressants aren’t a magic pill.

    Depression can respond really well to treatment but the type of treatment that is most effective can differ from person to person. The best approach involves a multi-faceted approach that responds to the whole person – mental (therapy, emotional support, cognitive awareness, mindfulness); physical (exercise, diet); chemical (medication). Furthermore, antidepressants generally won’t have an immediate effect. Expectations that medication is a magic bullet can lead to disappointment and a further worsening of symptoms. Depression is treatable but can involve some trial and error of responses. Knowing this, and being patient and open to altering treatment is an important part of the way through depression.

  14. Asking about depression or suicide will never make it worse – but it could save a life.

    Everyone has their ups and downs but if someone you know is acting unusual (mood, sleep and appetite changes, sadness, aggression, recklessness, more withdrawn), it might be something more. If you have any hunch at all that something isn’t right, it’s important to ask if he/she is depressed or suicidal, using direct language such as ‘suicidal/giving up on life’ rather than the lesser ‘hurting yourself’. People often avoid asking for fear it will plant the idea but it doesn’t work like this. The question might save a life. If the person is suicidal, seek immediate help from a doctor, hospital or suicide prevention helpline.

For those who have never had depression, the darkness is impossible to imagine. It can strike anybody and none of us can know when we, or someone we love, are about to walk through the middle of its very broad and undiscerning target.

Depression is a treatable illness. We are learning more about depression every day and a lot ground is being made in the search for effective treatments with minimal side effects. 

The more that can be understood about depression, the more it can be responded to with wisdom, respect, openness and compassion – it should never be responded to with anything less.

(A shortened version of this post was published on The Huffington Post UK.)

[irp posts=”1727″ name=”How to Heal From Depression. The 6 Proven, Non-Medication Ways That Are As Effective as Antidepressants (We Should All Be Doing This!)”]

105 Comments

Denyse

Thank you Karen – Most enlightening and clarifying information. Sincerely appreciated this.
I’m sick of hearing that depressed people are attention seekers, sensation needers, etc etc etc.
They need to know it is an illness like Diabetes or Cancer (as mentioned above) xxx

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Elisabeth S

I love how you said that depression is a chemistry flaw and not a character one. I think this is important to people to understand. Knowing that there is something physically wrong causing depression, I think will help people seek treatment a lot sooner.

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Jim

I Just dont know what to do anymore… Lifelong depression which has worsened over the last few years.. Years of therapy which really haven’t done much. Over a quarter of a century on some variant of an anti depressant, no family to speak of… few friends… it all went downhill really fast and its never recovered. Of course the first question I’m asked is “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?” And when the response is “no” , everyone thinks its not serious…So they go on their merry way. I dont know what to to… I cant seem to help myself… Ive had health issues the last couple of years and it limits my motility… And I gotta be honest… when i respond to “that” question, Im not exactly telling the truth… I just dont have the nerve to do it… And so I just linger….

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Karen Young

Jim. I hear you on how serious this is! Any amount of depression which causes pain and intrudes on your potential to be happy is serious. Absolutely. I also hear that you have tried everything to feel better. I can hear how desperately you want to move this, and I understand that when you have tried everything, it can feel so helpless. I want you to know that the research in the area of depression is moving forward all the time. We are discovering new potential causes all the time which may lead to more effective treatments. In the meantime, do you have a consistent practise of exercise and mindfulness? If you haven’t practised mindfulness before, the Smiling Mind app is a great place to start. It has a series of guided meditations. Both exercise and mindfulness change the structure and function of the brain in ways that can strengthen it against depression. If you are on any form of anti-depressant, it is also important to be doing these things. The research on both exercise and mindfulness is prolific, and growing stronger. Sleep is also critical. If you are having trouble sleeping, this will interfere with the way your brain functions and potentially make it more susceptible to depression. If you are having trouble sleeping (and you might not be), speak with your doctor about this. Melatonin is the body’s natural sleep hormone – it’s what let’s our body know that it’s time to wind down and get sleepy. It can be taken as a supplement, and it might be useful – but speak with your doctor. Here are some articles that might be useful for you:
– Doing These Two Simple Activities Together Can Reduce Depression by 40% in Two Months – https://www.heysigmund.com/dealing-with-depression-meditation-exercise/
– Stronger by Nature – 30 Minutes of Nature Will Strengthen Mental Health – Research – https://www.heysigmund.com/stronger-by-nature/
– Healing From Depression. The 6 Proven, Non-Medication Ways To Strengthen the Brain and Body Against Depression (We Should All Be Doing This!) – https://www.heysigmund.com/the-non-medication-ways-to-deal-with-depression-that-are-as-effective-as-medication/
https://www.heysigmund.com/mindfulness-as-effective-as-medication-in-preventing-relapse-in-depression/

Something else that can make an enormous difference is gut health. Here is an article that explains that
– Our ‘Second Brain’ – And Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Mood – https://www.heysigmund.com/our-second-brain-and-stress-anxiety-depression-mood/

Reply
Lr

Vitamin D deficiency, I know that really effects my mood. Also a food allergy panel, prayer and practicing being thankful for even the littlest of things, and do something to help others that u enjoy doing helps me along with any type of exercise.

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Luke

Interesting stuff , especially the relationship between stomach/gut and depression.

I had taken medication daily over a period of about five years for acid reflux. ( Cimetidine, Omprazole, Lanzoprazole, etc). Ok an unexpected breakdown of a long long term relationship may have triggered depression which I still battle. But within a year I was suddenly free off and able to stop taking medication for acid reflux which hasn’t returned so far ,five years later, though depression remains.
The correlation mind gut makes sense. Seen Very little about any research, till reading this

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LW Clay

Loved this article. I have a young blog on mental health, and I’d like to use this article in my next post. Of course I would give credit to the author and your site. How can I get permission to repost this with some of my own comments added at the beginning and end? Thank you.

Reply
Karen Young

Unfortunately, I’m not able to give permission for the articles to be republished on other sites but you are very welcome to publish up to 75 words of the original article with a link back to the original article on this site. Here is a link to the content share guidelines https://www.heysigmund.com/content-share-guidelines/. I hope you understand, and I hope the 75 words and a link back to the original article will be something that can work for you.

Reply
Karen Young

Sally the research that talks about the blood test is hyperlinked in the section that talks about the blood test. It’s linked to the word ‘Researchers’. Your doctor will also be able to help you with more information about this.

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Karen Young

Our body chemistry is extremely complicated. Serotonin is not the only part of this. The point of this is that depression is biological and not about personality or character.

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Anon

I was wondering where can I go or what can I do to see if I actually have depression everyone tells me I’m just faking and to shake it off but I just can’t they say it’s all in my head

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Karen Young

If you suspect you might have depression, I would really encourage you to see a doctor. A doctor will be able to diagnose and set you on the right track to manage your symptoms and move towards healing.

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Cindy Lou

I’ve had ADHD all my life.With major depression it’s a fast moving train.Sometimes I meditate or just bus to the city to be among people.Has it helped,I’m still here but very tired.Was Red Sel Chef now on welfare lost everything.Stolen 1 piece at a time.Now at 60 depression is a deep hole,if you have no help the enormity of the problem is insurmountable.The black is very thick.The out look,not great view .

Reply
Mar

I really would like to know more about:” what to do and what mot to do when your husband is having a depression”
He has got all sorts of treatment. Nothing really works.

Reply
Jerilee

Hi I hope you are able to still see this message ?!
I wonder how this relates to post natal depression. Does it all still apply

I really enjoyed the piece. Thank you

Reply
Karen - Hey Sigmund

Jerilee the research here wasn’t done with PND, but that doesn’t mean they won’t happen with PND. Depression takes different shapes in different people, so while there will be vast similarities, there will also be differences in the way people experience depression, whether it’s PND or major depression.

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The @resilientkidsconference is coming to Melbourne (15 July) and Adelaide (2 September), and we’d love you to join us.

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We have to change the way we talk about anxiety. If we talk about it as a disorder, this is how it feels.

Yes anxiety can be so crushing, and yes it can intrude into every part of their everyday. But the more we talk about anxiety as a disorder, the more we drive ‘anxiety about the anxiety’. Even for big anxiety, there is nothing to be served in talking about it as a disorder. 

There is another option. We change the face of it - from an intruder or deficiency, to an ally. We change the story - from ‘There’s something wrong with me’ to, ‘I’m doing something hard.’ I’ve seen the difference this makes, over and over.

This doesn’t mean we ignore anxiety. Actually we do the opposite. We acknowledge it. We explain it for what it is: the healthy, powerful response of a magnificent brain that is doing exactly what brains are meant to do - protect us. This is why I wrote Hey Warrior.

What we focus on is what becomes powerful. If we focus on the anxiety, it will big itself up to unbearable.

What we need to do is focus on both sides - the anxiety and the brave. Anxiety, courage, strength - they all exist together. 

Anxiety isn’t the absence of brave, it’s the calling of brave. It’s there because you’re about to do something hard, brave, meaningful - not because there’s something wrong with you.

First, acknowledge the anxiety. Without this validation, anxiety will continue to do its job and prepare the body for fight or flight, and drive big feelings to recruit the safety of another human.

Then, we speak to the brave. We know it’s there, so we usher it into the light:

‘Yes I know this is big. It’s hard [being away from the people you love] isn’t it. And I know you can do this. We can do hard things can’t we.

You are one of the bravest, strongest people I know. Being brave feels scary and hard sometimes doesn’t it. It feels like brave isn’t there, but it’s always there. Always. And you know what else I know? It gets easier every time. I’ve know this because I’ve seen you do hard things, and because I’ve felt like this too, so many times. I know that you and me, even when we feel anxious, we can do brave. It’s always in you. I know that for certain.’♥️
Our job as parents isn’t to remove their distress around boundaries, but to give them the experiences to recognise they can handle boundaries - holding theirs and respecting the boundaries others. 

Every time we hold a boundary, we are giving our kids the precious opportunity to learn how to hold their own.

If we don’t have boundaries, the risk is that our children won’t either. We can talk all we want about the importance of boundaries, but if we don’t show them, how can they learn? Inadvertently, by avoiding boundary collisions with them, we are teaching them to avoid conflict at all costs. 

In practice, this might look like learning to put themselves, their needs, and their feelings away for the sake of peace. Alternatively, they might feel the need to control other people and situations even more. If they haven’t had the experience of surviving a collision of needs or wants, and feeling loved and accepted through that, conflicting needs will feel scary and intolerable.

Similarly, if we hold our boundaries too harshly and meet their boundary collisions with shame, yelling, punishment or harsh consequences, this is how we’re teaching them to respond to disagreement, or diverse needs and wants. We’re teaching them to yell, fight dirty, punish, or overbear those who disagree. 

They might also go the other way. If boundaries are associated with feeling shamed, lonely, ‘bad’, they might instead surrender boundaries and again put themselves away to preserve the relationship and the comfort of others. This is because any boundary they hold might feel too much, too cruel, or too rejecting, so ‘no boundary’ will be the safest option. 

If we want our children to hold their boundaries respectfully and kindly, and with strength, we will have to go first.

It’s easy to think there are only two options. Either:
- We focus on the boundary at the expense of the relationship and staying connected to them.
- We focus on the connection at the expense of the boundary. 

But there is a third option, and that is to do both - at the same time. We hold the boundary, while at the same time we attend to the relationship. We hold the boundary, but with warmth.♥️
Sometimes finding the right words is hard. When their words are angry and out of control, it’s because that’s how they feel. 

Eventually we want to grow them into people who can feel all their feelings and lasso them into words that won’t break people, but this will take time.

In the meantime, they’ll need us to model the words and hold the boundaries firmly and lovingly. This might sound like:

‘It’s okay to be angry, and it’s okay not to like my decision. It’s not okay to speak to me like that. I know you know that. My answer is still no.’

Then, when they’re back to calm, have the conversation: 

‘I wonder if sometimes when you say you don’t like me, what you really mean is that you don’t like what I’ve done. It’s okay to be angry at me. It’s okay to tell me you’re angry at me. It’s not okay to be disrespectful.

What’s important is that you don’t let what someone has done turn you into someone you’re not. You’re such a great kid. You’re fun, funny, kind, honest, respectful. I know you know that yelling mean things isn’t okay. What might be a better way to tell me that you’re angry, or annoyed at what I’ve said?’♥️
We humans feel safest when we know where the edges are. Without boundaries it can feel like walking along the edge of a mountain without guard rails.

Boundaries must come with two things - love and leadership. They shouldn’t feel hollow, and they don’t need to feel like brick walls. They can be held firmly and lovingly.

Boundaries without the ‘loving’ will feel shaming, lonely, harsh. Understandably children will want to shield from this. This ‘shielding’ looks like keeping their messes from us. We drive them into the secretive and the forbidden because we squander precious opportunities to guide them.

Harsh consequences don’t teach them to avoid bad decisions. They teach them to avoid us.

They need both: boundaries, held lovingly.

First, decide on the boundary. Boundaries aren’t about what we want them to do. We can’t control that. Boundaries are about what we’ll do when the rules are broken.

If the rule is, ‘Be respectful’ - they’re in charge of what they do, you’re in charge of the boundary.

Attend to boundaries AND relationship. ‘It’s okay to be angry at me. (Rel’ship) No, I won’t let you speak to me like that. (Boundary). I want to hear what you have to say. (R). I won’t listen while you’re speaking like that. (B). I’m  going to wait until you can speak in a way I can hear. I’m right here. (R).

If the ‘leadership’ part is hard, think about what boundaries meant for you when you were young. If they felt cruel or shaming, it’s understandable that that’s how boundaries feel for you now. You don’t have to do boundaries the way your parents did. Don’t get rid of the boundary. Add in a loving way to hold them.

If the ‘loving’ part is hard, and if their behaviour enrages you, what was it like for you when you had big feelings as a child? If nobody supported you through feelings or behaviour, it’s understandable that their big feelings and behaviour will drive anger in you.

Anger exists as a shield for other more vulnerable feelings. What might your anger be shielding - loneliness? Anxiety? Feeling unseen? See through the behaviour to the need or feeling behind it: This is a great kid who is struggling right now. Reject the behaviour, support the child.♥️

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