What is Depression?

At some point in their lives, everyone will experience sadness or feel depressed. These emotions are normal reactions to a loss or other life obstacles. However, when feelings of severe sadness (feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless) continue for weeks to months and hinder you from properly living your life, it could be a sign that it’s more than just sadness. You could have clinical depression, a treatable neurochemical condition. Depression, which includes major depressive disorder as well as other subtypes, such as persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), is a common but potentially serious condition that can negatively impact how you feel, think, and behave.

In this article you’ll find information about depression—common causes, symptoms, and ways to address it. You’ll also find a brief depression test that you can take to assess whether you may be experiencing mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of depression. Keep in mind this is not a replacement for medical diagnosis but more of a useful guide. You may also use this depression test periodically to determine whether your condition is improving based on your chosen interventions.

You’ll also learn about how depression may be the result of a temporary brain state, in part caused by long-term hyperarousal of the sympathetic nervous system (the body's "fight or flight" response system). If you’ve been feeling “tired and wired,” This could be a sign that your brain is effectively tired and may need to replenish its natural feel-good hormones.

This is why re-origin has assembled a team of clinical psychologists and neuroscientists to create the best brain retraining program that can help people normalize their function, return to a state of calm, and allow their brain to naturally begin producing its feel-good neurotransmitters again.

How do I know if I have depression?

All of us will occasionally feel hopeless, sad, or depressed. These are normal and natural responses to challenging events and circumstances. But when these emotions persist long beyond the stressful events and evolve into overwhelming weights or begin causing physical symptoms, they can hinder us from living a normal, active, joyful life.

If you’re feeling this way, it may be an indication that it’s time to seek help.

If you suspect you may be suffering from depression, the first place to go is your regular doctor. There they can properly assess you for clinical depression and begin to develop a plan to help manage symptoms. If left untreated, clinical depression may worsen and last for months, if not years. 

Recognizing symptoms of depression is vital in order to begin managing symptoms and feeling like yourself again. Some common symptoms of depression include:

• Brain fog such as trouble concentrating, recalling details, and making decisions
• Fatigue or little energy
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and helplessness
• Hopelessness
• Finding little interest in things that previously were enjoyable
• Insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep)
• Sleeping too much
• Irritability
• Overeating or poor appetite
• Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities
• Appetite increase or decrease
• Headaches, body aches, or cramps
• Digestive issues
• Persistent sad, empty, or anxious feelings
• Suicidal thoughts or actions

An important note to understand is that feeling sad doesn’t instantly point to clinical depression. Clinical depression is a condition that compromises not only a person’s mood, but also sleep patterns, energy level, appetite, ability to concentrate, and overall motivation.

Take the Depression Self-Assessment 

While not meant to serve as a replacement for a diagnosis of clinical depression given by a mental health professional, this quiz was designed with the help of expert psychologists to provide you with a baseline that can be used to assess your current level of depressive symptoms, as well as to measure changes over time by returning to this page and repeating the self-assessment.

Can depression be healthy? 

Living with depression allows you to look at it from all possible angles — both positive and negative. Depression influences everyone in diverse ways. Whether you’re encountering mild or extreme symptoms, it can be useful to examine this disorder from other mindsets. While we naturally seek to avoid challenges and discomfort, life's setbacks are often the very things that spark our growth and self-discovery. The same can be said of depression, it can be a means of personal growth.

Occasional feelings of sadness or mild depression can:

• Provide time and space for self-reflection 
• Encourage us to reevaluate personal perspectives and goals 
• Help us increase empathy and compassion
• Prompt us develop coping skills

Shifting your perspective on depression can be empowering, but seeking help is still crucial, especially for moderate to severe symptoms. If you're having thoughts of suicide, please contact your doctor immediately or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Health risks related to depression

The discomfort and anxiety-inducing symptoms of depression can negatively impact a person’s mental well-being. Considerable chronic illnesses have also been connected to elevated rates of depression, including:

• chronic pain
• arthritis
• heart disease
• diabetes
• thyroid disease
• stroke
• cancer
• multiple sclerosis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• dementia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Huntington’s disease

Depression can also negatively impact your physical as well as emotional well-being. For instance, depression raises your risk of other health problems by keeping stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol elevated for long periods. Increased stress hormones can impact your immune system (the body's defense system that fights off germs), making you susceptible to infection. The symptoms of clinical depression can also cause extensive emotional damage, which can increase the risk of substance use disorder (an inability to control the use of drugs and alcohol).

Here are some conditions that are commonly associated with depression:

• Major depressive disorder (clinical depression)
• Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
• Anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder)
• Substance abuse or dependence
• Chronic pain or illness
• Sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia)
• Eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa)
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Personality disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder)
• History of trauma or abuse
• Family history of depression or mental illness
• Dependence on certain medications
• Chronic stress
• Isolation or lack of social support

It’s important to note that depression can have various causes and can often be a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. This list is not exhaustive, and it’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional for a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis.

Overcoming Depression

When dealing with depression, there are various ways to help manage its effects. One frequent approach is using medications that your doctor can prescribe:

• SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): These are a type of drug that helps increase the level of serotonin, a chemical in your brain that can boost your mood.
• Antidepressants: A broad category of medications designed to improve symptoms of depression.
• Anxiolytics: Medications specifically aimed at reducing feelings of anxiety.
• Antipsychotic Medications: Drugs that can be used to treat severe depression or other mental health conditions that might occur with depression.

Beyond medication, there are drug-free approaches that can improve brain function and chemical balance by teaching you healthier ways of thinking, such as:

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A type of talk therapy that helps you identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors.

Psychotherapy: Also known as talk therapy, it involves discussing your feelings with a therapist to address the emotional aspects of depression.

The most common interventions and recommendations include: 

• Psychiatry or psychology with a qualified mental health provider 
• Seeking support from family members or a loved one or joining a support group 
• Apps are becoming increasingly common because of their widespread accessibility 
• Medication prescribed by a medical practitioner 
• Meditation and other mind-body therapies 
• Neuroplasticity or brain retraining

Neuroplasticity or “brain retraining” exercises for depression

From a neurobiological viewpoint, depression is the incarnation of a fatigued, overworked brain, specifically an overloaded limbic system. Maladaptive neural (brain cell) pathways can keep us locked in a persistent loop of depression and hopelessness. 

However, the brain has neuroplasticity—the ability to modify and create new neural connections through experience and training. At re-origin, the neuroplasticity program teaches you specific neurocognitive exercises (mental activities designed to forge new, positive neural pathways in your brain).

By systematically practicing these exercises, you can weaken the old, unhealthy brain circuits and build new neural pathways that support balanced thought processes, emotions, and behaviors. This allows your normal, healthy mental functioning to resume. re-origin’s approach does not chase or mask symptoms but rather works to rewire the part of the brain that is causing the dysfunction (the limbic system), resulting in long-lasting recovery. To learn more about the re-origin program, join an info call today.