Can Depression Cause Health Issues?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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There is plenty of evidence that demonstrates the full range of effects on the body associated with depression. According to the Mayo Clinic, patients with untreated long-term depression are more prone to

sleep disruptions, heart disease, weight gain or loss, weakened immune system, and physical pain

.

How does depression affect the brain and body?

As depression starts to affect the brain’s chemical balances,

neurons in the hippocampus shrink, which can cause difficulty concentrating and memory loss

. A shrunken hippocampus can also make completing familiar tasks difficult, which can lead to hopelessness, guilt, and anxiety.

Does depression change your face?


Long-term depression has disastrous effects on skin

, because the chemicals associated with the condition can prevent your body from repairing inflammation in cells. “These hormones affect sleep, which will show on our faces in the form of baggy, puffy eyes and a dull or lifeless complexion,” says Dr. Wechsler.

Can long term depression be cured?


There’s no cure for depression

, but you still have plenty of options for treatment, all of which can improve your symptoms and minimize their impact on your daily life.

Does depression cause permanent brain damage?

A depression not only makes a person feel sad and dejected –

it can also damage the brain permanently

, so the person has difficulties remembering and concentrating once the disease is over. Up to 20 percent of depression patients never make a full recovery.

What will happen if you don’t treat depression?

Untreated depression

increases the chance of risky behaviors such as drug or alcohol addiction

. It also can ruin relationships, cause problems at work, and make it difficult to overcome serious illnesses. Clinical depression, also known as major depression, is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts.

What is the depression Emoji?


Unamused Face

is a depression emoji that portrays how people who suffer from depression no longer enjoy things that they used to enjoy. When a person suffers from depression, it is hard to feel joy or contentment in things that are fun, enriching or stimulating.

What are the problems of depression?

Depression causes

a low mood that lasts a long time and affects your daily life

. Mild depression can make you feel low and as though everything is harder to do. Severe depression can lead to feeling hopeless and, in some cases, suicidal. If you’re depressed, you’re not alone.

Is depression a brain disorder?


Depression is much more than just a brain disorder

. It causes physical symptoms and can cause lasting damage to the body because of both direct effects and indirect complications of living with this mental illness. For instance, depression can change your appetite.

How does depression affect thinking?

It can

impair your attention and memory, as well as your information processing and decision-making skills

. It can also lower your cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt your goals and strategies to changing situations) and executive functioning (the ability to take all the steps to get something done).

Can you reverse brain damage from depression?

Research suggests that

some of the physical brain changes caused by depression can be reversed

. A 2016 study showed that interventions, such as antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy, may help reduce inflammation caused by depression.

How does depression affect human behavior?

Individuals suffering from depression may become

reclusive and uninterested in activities that typically bring pleasure

. They may have overwhelming feelings of sadness, guilt, or hopelessness, and chronic fatigue that lead them to push friends and family away.

Where does the depression come from?


There’s no single cause of depression

. It can occur for a variety of reasons and it has many different triggers. For some people, an upsetting or stressful life event, such as bereavement, divorce, illness, redundancy and job or money worries, can be the cause. Different causes can often combine to trigger depression.

How do I know if I’m in crisis?


Confused thinking or irrational thoughts

. Verbally stating, writing, or insinuating they’d like to hurt themselves or someone else. Talking about death or dying. Extreme energy or lack of energy.

How long is long term depression?

Persistent depressive disorder symptoms usually come and go over a period of years, and their intensity can change over time. But typically symptoms don’t disappear for more than

two months

at a time.

Can depression make your body feel heavy?

However, atypical depression — also called depression with atypical features — means that your depressed mood can brighten in response to positive events. Other key symptoms include increased appetite, sleeping too much,

feeling that your arms or legs are heavy

, and feeling rejected.

What happens if anxiety is left untreated?

Untreated anxiety disorders can lead to extremely negative consequences that can impact a person’s entire daily life –

they may not be able to work, go to school, or have normal social relationships

.

What is fuzzy brain?

What is brain fog? While it’s not a medical term, brain fog describes

a feeling that you don’t have full mental clarity

—maybe you’re having trouble remembering something or difficulty focusing on a thought or idea.

How does untreated depression affect the brain?

Depression

Can Cause Inflammation in the Brain

Untreated depression can also inflame the brain. Not everyone who has depression experiences brain inflammation, but if you do, it can lead to severe symptoms like: Confusion, agitation, hallucinations. Seizures.

Does anxiety damage your brain?

Summary:

Pathological anxiety and chronic stress lead to structural degeneration and impaired functioning of the hippocampus and the PFC

, which may account for the increased risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia.

What does this emoji mean?

️ Meaning –

Man in Suit Levitating Emoji

The image of a man in a suit, hovering above the ground with a shadow displayed beneath him, also known as Walt Jabsco, is the emoji symbol for “exclamation mark in the style of the rude boy logo found on records by The Specials”.

What Colour heart is mental health?


Green

ribbon for mental health awareness

The green ribbon is the international symbol for mental health awareness. Wear a green ribbon to show colleagues, loved ones or simply those you walk past that you care about their mental health.

What is the happiest emoji?

Often conveys general happiness and good-natured amusement. Similar to Grinning Face but with taller, more excited eyes.

Grinning Face with Big Eyes

was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 under the name “Smiling Face with Open Mouth” and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.