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Depression is a very common affective disorder, but it is also very serious and has affected humanity since the beginning. Fortunately, depression is also treatable. This disease or disorder causes feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities that once gave pleasure to the person
It can bring a huge variety of emotional and physical problems, in addition to decreasing a person’s ability to perform simple tasks and lead a normal life in both the professional and personal environment.
Main Causes of Women Suffering Depression
Women, compared to men, are twice as likely to develop depression and there are several explanations for why this happens. First, because of the biological factors that are intrinsically linked to women’s emotions, the variation in hormones that occurs during the various stages of a woman’s life contributes to depression developing.
Stages of Higher Depression Index
Stages such as menstruation , pregnancy and menopause are moments of major changes in the body, for this reason also, the ages when these major changes occur, are the ages when depression is more common among women
We know that one of the main causes of depression occurs when certain areas of the brain produce a low amount of serotonin . Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has as one of its main functions to stabilize emotions such as mood, but also our sleep and appetite
It turns out that during this festival of hormones that occurs in a woman’s body during periods like pregnancy or menopause, the body can end up overloading and producing less serotonin than normal
But in addition to biological factors, there are other things that can contribute to the development of depression such as genetic factors, the use of drugs and certain types of medication. And, if all of these things are danger signs, depression in women can be much worse if combined with some of these extra biological factors.
Symptoms of Depression
Some of the most common symptoms of depression are:
- Lack of courage to perform simple tasks;
- Loss of appetite;
- Constant sadness;
- Thoughts of death and suicide;
- Feeling of worthlessness;
- Sleep problems.
How Depression Manifestes
It is not difficult to differentiate between simple sadness and depression. The constant sadness is only one symptom of depression, but when combined with symptoms such as constant loss of appetite, insomnia, trouble sleeping or sleep excessively, difficulty concentrating and feeling of constant guilt, it’s time to worry. Loss of heart to perform daily tasks is already a warning sign for the person to seek medical help.
The biggest problems occur when a person’s discouragement becomes so powerful that it prevents them from performing simple activities and living a peaceful life. Many refuse help or refuse to accept that they need treatment, but the more the person develops the disease, the more the condition worsens and the symptoms tend to grow.
In extreme cases, the person does not feel like even getting out of bed or taking a shower, even eating becomes a bad task for those suffering from severe cases of depression, which can end up developing other problems such as anemia, for example .
Baby blues
About 10% of women suffer from postpartum depression , which is common for everything that has already been mentioned. But, contrary to what many think, virtually all women experience symptoms of depression after giving birth.
It is the famous baby blues , a mild type of disorder that causes melancholy in the vast majority of women , but that goes away on its own over time, usually in two weeks. Postpartum depression, on the other hand, comes as much stronger symptoms that do not go away so easily
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
Some specific symptoms of postpartum depression are:
- Easy irritability;
- Feeling that your baby is a stranger;
- Negative thoughts about the baby and herself;
- Willingness to escape, to go away, to abandon everything.
Help from Family and Friends
A woman who has postpartum depression should not be condemned as this can further aggravate the disease and make the symptoms even stronger. The sooner family and close friends seek help , the better for women’s health. A good treatment will bring the pleasure of being a mother to a woman and make her have a healthy and normal life.
Treatment for Depression
The vast majority of patients who undergo depression treatments fully recover, but there are also cases of people who have chronic headaches and who need to take controlled medications constantly.
But the good news is that in one way or another, the big symptoms and the worst part are sure to go away after treatment with therapy and the help of medications like antidepressants and anxiolytics, in some cases.
The most recommended is that each case be analyzed individually, for the level of the disease to be diagnosed correctly and for the drugs to have a greater effect. Most of the time, drugs such as antidepressants have the function of releasing neurotransmitters so that they are regulated within the patient’s body
The big problem is that most drugs take a long time to take effect , some about 15 days, which ends up making some patients give up or think that the treatment does not work for them. It is always good to remember that the use of medications must be accompanied by therapy so that the treatment is completely complete
There are several reasons why depression manifests itself more frequently in women, there is even a type of depression exclusive to women, which is postpartum depression. But, as much as they are more likely to develop this disorder, there are also treatments and ways to fight depression to enjoy life with all normality.
See also: Pregnancy Depression – Why Does It Occur and How to Treat It?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
