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“Many of depression’s symptoms – exhaustion, insomnia, nausea, headaches, weight loss, weight gain – are physical ailments.”
- Gayle Forman
In 2021, depression symptoms, like the ones mentioned by Forman, impacted the lives of around 32.8% of adults in Delaware. These symptoms make it difficult for many of these people to live the lives they had wished for themselves. Still, many might be unaware of how a depression disorder is associated with these physical ailments. At SUN Behavioral Health Delaware, we provide education to aid our patients and their loved ones in understanding the impact this condition can have on more than just their mental health. Today, we are going to discuss the common physical side effects of depression.
Depression is a mental health condition that lasts for several weeks at a time, or more, and comes with a variety of symptoms. These symptoms include sadness or hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, insomnia, emotional fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. All of which creates concerns for someone to function in their daily lives. Someone with this disorder might even feel like life is not worth living.
While many of depression’s symptoms are emotional or cognitive, it can also have a significant impact on the human body by affecting many of the major systems it has. Suppose a medical condition develops as a result of a depression disorder. In that case, it will drastically affect a person’s quality of life. For some physical conditions, it might require additional care beyond simply treating the mental health condition.
The central nervous system is the necessary network of nerves connecting your brain and spinal cord with every other body part. This system is responsible for most bodily functions and, with the help of neurotransmitters, can communicate messages between different cells and the brain. The primary functions it is responsible for include your sense of awareness, thoughts, speech, and your ability to move. When someone is living with depression, some of these neurotransmitter connections become inefficient, which results in a range of symptoms. The good news is that with proper treatment this is not a permanent outcome.
There are many ways that depression impacts your central nervous system; many of these might be ignored or seen as a normal part of aging, especially in older adults, including experiencing memory loss or having slower reaction times. These specific symptoms make it difficult to concentrate and remember important events or tasks, resulting in an inability to make necessary decisions.
Depression also plays a role in several side effects that can alter how the digestive system works. This system is comprised of the gastrointestinal tract, esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. It breaks down the crucial nutrients you consume to give your body energy and repair cells. However, depression can compromise how this system works in several ways.
One of those ways is by changing how one’s appetite works. Some people experience a lack of appetite or might only want to eat certain foods. Over time, they will often lose a significant amount of weight, or in some cases, they develop an eating disorder, such as anorexia. On the flip side, depression also results in others overeating or having periods of binge eating. This leads to weight gain over time or the development of health conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, depression can cause other symptoms associated with the digestive system, like stomachaches or constipation. Maintaining a nutritious diet is essential in preventing or reducing many side effects of depression in the digestive system.
Depression significantly affects the cardiovascular system, which is necessary for circulating blood, oxygen, nutrients, and hormones throughout your body. People with depression have a 13% higher chance of developing coronary heart disease. This is because the symptoms of depression make it difficult to take care of your physical health, including your heart.
Some people might feel like they don’t have the energy to exercise or take proper medications when necessary. Others may try to cope with their depression symptoms with unhealthy behaviors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, or overeating, which have adverse side effects on the heart and other cardiovascular organs.
People with depression also experience higher levels of stress than people who do not have this condition. Excess tension in your body puts you at risk for abnormal heart rhythms or high blood pressure. Over time, this may result in the development of heart disease or even a heart attack.
Depression makes it more difficult for your body to fight infections. Many people who have this condition might find that they are more likely to get sick than someone who does not have depression. One possible reason for this is that depression tends to result in higher inflammation in the body, which has been linked to several health concerns.
Additionally, increased stress in the body can suppress the body’s immune system’s ability to function. When this system cannot adequately protect or fight against different infections and diseases, it results in a higher chance that you will be sick more frequently.
Many of the abovementioned side effects are short-term. Receiving the proper treatment that benefits your needs will result in many of them going away or less impacting your ability to function. However, what happens if you don’t properly treat a depression disorder?
It can result in the development of more long-term side effects that might require further medical attention while also attending depression treatment to find healing and recovery. These side effects impact different areas of the body.
At the cardiovascular level, people with untreated depression are more likely to experience a stroke or heart attack. It might also be possible to develop heart artery disease. When depression remains untreated while trying to heal from these cardiovascular system conditions, it makes it more challenging. This is due to how depression often results in a decreased level of motivation and energy, or unhealthy coping mechanisms that hinder their ability to recover.
Untreated depression might also lead to someone having suicidal thoughts. If you or a loved one is experiencing these, you must go to a 24/7 crisis care center as soon as possible. Not everyone with depression will have these thoughts or even attempt suicide. Still, there is an increased risk if the condition remains untreated.
Some of the most common signs that someone you love might be considering suicide include talking about wanting to die, putting affairs in order, suddenly switching from extreme sadness to appearing happy, and seeking methods. If you notice these signs, calmly discuss your concerns with your loved one. Talking about suicide will not encourage or convince them that they should. Instead, it provides you with the necessary information to enable them to seek treatment.
Depression is not a condition that you can suddenly stop having overnight and there is no magic remedy that will make it go away. It takes time to heal from and often requires depression treatment to receive proper recovery outcomes. This treatment includes medication, therapy, or a combination of both, which enables you to discover your inner strength and reclaim your life from the disorder. By attending treatment, you will be able to lower your chances of more long-term side effects of depression as well as reduce the impact the short-term ones have on your daily life.
SUN Behavioral Health Delaware solves unmet needs for adolescents and adults with depression in Georgetown. Our no-cost care assessments connect you with our expert and compassionate team before you start treatment to determine the best care options that will enable you to heal. For more information or to schedule your consultation, contact us at 302-604-5600 today.
21655 Biden Ave
Georgetown, DE, 19947
Open 24 hours
SUN Delaware
