Depression is a troublesome and sometimes incapacitating condition that affects more than one million Canadians a year. People suffering from a depressive episode will often display a variety of physical symptoms. The depressed person may complain of a sad or blue mood. However, most people have symptoms not readily recognizable as depression, because they have never had a previous episode of depression. Sometimes a stressful life event triggers depression. Other times depression seems to occur spontaneously with no identifiable specific cause. Depression is much more than grieving or a bout of the blues.
Types of depression include:
- Major depression: Symptoms may include overwhelming feelings of sadness and grief, loss of interest or pleasure in activities you usually enjoy, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt resulting in poor sleep, a change in appetite, severe fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Severe depression may increase the risk of suicide.
- Dysthymia: Signs and symptoms usually aren’t disabling, and periods of dysthymia can alternate with short periods of feeling normal. Having dysthymia places you at an increased risk of major depression.
- Adjustment disorders. If a loved one dies, you lose your job or you receive a diagnosis of cancer, it’s perfectly normal to feel tense, sad, overwhelmed or angry. Eventually, most people come to terms with the lasting consequences of life stresses, but some don’t. This is what’s known as an adjustment disorder — when your response to a stressful event or situation causes signs and symptoms of depression.
- Bipolar disorder. Having recurrent episodes of depression and elation (mania) is characteristic of bipolar disorder. Because this condition involves emotions at both extremes (poles), it’s called bipolar disorder or manic-depressive disorder. Mania affects your judgment, causing you to make unwise decisions.
- Seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a pattern of depression related to changes in seasons and a lack of exposure to sunlight. It may cause headaches, irritability and a low energy level.
The key symptoms of depression are:
- Loss of interest in normal daily activities
- Depressed mood (You feel sad, helpless or hopeless, and may have crying spells)
Associated symptoms include:
- Sleep disturbances
- Impaired thinking or concentration
- Changes in weight
- Fatigue
- Low self-esteem
- Anxiety
Depression can also cause a wide variety of physical complaints, such as gastrointestinal problems (indigestion, constipation or diarrhea), headache and backache.
Homeopathic treatment plans for depression seek to treat the patient on various levels of physical and emotional symptoms. Depending on the type and severity of the depression, patients will undergo a treatment plan that is tailor made to meet their needs and resolve to a healthier and more physically and emotionally stable lifestyle. More about homeopathy……