There is a common misconception that depression is just a common case of the blues. However, depression can be so severe that it can lead to thoughts of suicide. We must know the difference between these two to seek proper treatment.
The blues
The blues this is simply a natural feeling that is encountered when something makes a person feel sad. The blues typically disappear once the incident or the cause of the sadness disappears. Feelings associated with the blues typically disappear after a few hours or a few weeks but not longer. The blues often come around in significant parts of the year such as the holidays and are characterized as intense feelings of sadness. They are often experienced by people who have to endure the holidays away from the people they love. However, these feelings may vanish or be replaced with happiness once the holidays are over and people resume their normal activities.
The blues are considered short-lived when they last for only a few days to a couple of weeks, usually right before or after the holidays. When the blues last for more than two weeks, this could be a sign of depression.
Coping with the blues
The blues are just temporary. You can help eliminate the symptoms and function well by doing a few things to help elevate your mood. These include talking with someone, limiting caffeine intake, limiting sugary foods in the diet, maintaining fiber, changing the usual routine, and exercising. Moving or increasing the level of activity such as exercising is one effective way to prevent the blues from totally clouding your day. Walking for 15 minutes a day can get the blood flowing and stimulate the release of endorphins, the natural happy hormones of the body. Adding more protein is also helpful, especially in the morning when the body is most ready to convert food into energy.
What is depression?
Depression is a clinical condition that is characterized by severe and prolonged sadness and an inability to enjoy things in life that used to evoke positive feelings such as happiness. Depression can be mild, moderate, or severe.
Factors that differentiate depression from the blues include duration, pattern, and impairment.
Duration
In depression, the symptoms are present almost every day and the feeling lasts for more than two weeks.
Pattern
The symptoms of depression occur together at the same time.
Impairment
The symptoms can cause a certain degree of impairment in the affected individual daily activities at work or at home. Depression also causes changes in the social interactions of the person.
Depression can last for several weeks and is characterized by anxiety, feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Clinical depression is the term used to refer to the more severe kind of depression that is characterized by:
- loss of interest in daily activities
- persistent sadness of feelings of emptiness
- inability to sleep
- significant weight loss or gain
- loss of concentration
- fatigue
- suicidal thoughts or behavior
Treatment
The most common forms of clinical depression include psychological counseling, antidepressant medication, or a combination of the two.
Counseling
Counseling has been shown to be effective in helping individuals cope with the symptoms of depression. Counseling may be done in an individual or a group setting. In a group setting, the person joins a group composed of other people also suffering from depression. Sessions are often weekly hour-long sessions that last for 8 to 20 weeks. Those who do not see any changes after this time may be encouraged to try out other forms of treatment. For those with severe clinical depression, psychological counseling may be coupled with medications.
Medications
Medications are prescribed for symptom relief, not cure. Antidepressants are used for the symptoms of depression but they are also helpful for the milder forms of depression. The most common drugs used to treat depression include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRIs) are used for the symptoms of depression.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are the oldest medications used for depression and are prescribed for people who do not respond to other treatments. These are also used for other types of mental disorders. Because MAOIs can interact negatively with certain foods like cheese and wine, people taking the medications should be placed under strict monitoring.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a newer form of antidepressant that work by altering the amount of serotonin in the brain.
Other more radical approaches to treating depression include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and deep brain stimulation (DBS). These treatments affect the mood centers of the brain through stimulation. Electroconvulsive therapy, for example, stimulates the brain with electrical currents that pass through electrodes surgically implanted on the brain. A newer method uses magnets to stimulate the brain. Called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), this process was recently approved for use by the FDA.
Treatment-resistant depression
Clinical depression can be so severe that modes of treatment such as counseling or medications do not appear to work. Treatment-resistant depression is caused by a number of factors but the most common include emotional stress, improper use of medications, underlying health problems, or another mental health diagnosis. Improper use of medications such as taking a lower dose or skipping a dose may affect the effectiveness of the medications. If medications do not work, consultation with a mental health doctor is in order.