Depression: Causes, Behaviors, and Treatment Approaches

Introduction to Depression

Depression is a state of sadness and gloom in which one feels dull and overwhelmed by the challenges of life. People tend to say that they are "depressed" any time they feel very unhappy. More likely than not, such feelings could be a mere response to fatigue, sad thoughts, or difficult events. This improper use of the term causes confusion between an ordinary mood swing and a medical condition. While it is normal for all human beings to experience dejection every now and then, a few people may experience unipolar depression. Ordinary dejection is rarely serious enough to significantly affect a person's day-to-day activities and does not persist for long. Mood downturns can even have some benefits — time spent in contemplation can help an individual explore their inner self, values, and way of life, and people often emerge from such periods feeling stronger, more resolved, and with a greater sense of clarity.

Unlike normal dejection, clinical depression does not carry any redemptive characteristics. It causes severe and persistent psychological pain that can worsen over time. Victims may find that they have no will to perform simple activities in life; in some cases, the will to live is lost entirely (Comer, 2013).

Behaviors Associated with Depression

Different people may experience different forms of depression. Most sufferers feel dejected and melancholic, describing their emotional state with words such as "empty," "humiliated," or "miserable." The sense of humor is often lost, depressed persons rarely derive pleasure from any activity, and in some cases they display an inability to feel pleasure at all — a condition known as anhedonia. Several also experience anger, agitation, or anxiety, and this immense misery may produce episodes of crying (Comer, 2013).

People suffering from depression tend to lose the desire to engage in their normal activities. A majority report having lost their drive, spontaneity, and initiative. They may find that they must force themselves to work, eat meals, engage in sex, or even converse with friends — a state known as "paralysis of will." Victims of depression are generally not very active or productive. They spend more time alone and may remain in bed for extended periods. They hold very negative opinions of themselves, tending to view themselves as inferior, undesirable, inadequate, or even evil. They also blame themselves for almost all unfortunate events, even when they bear no responsibility, and seldom take credit for their positive achievements.

Pessimism is another cognitive sign of depression. Victims tend to be convinced that things can never improve and feel powerless to change anything in their lives. Because they expect a negative outcome, they are more likely to fall into procrastination. They are also vulnerable to suicidal thoughts as a result of feelings of helplessness and hopelessness (Wilson & Deane, 2010).

Depressed people often claim to have poor intellectual abilities. They lack focus, feel confused, have poor memory, and struggle to solve even basic problems. Laboratory studies confirm that people with depression perform poorly on tasks requiring reasoning, attention, and memory compared to those who are not depressed. It is possible, however, that these challenges reflect motivational deficits rather than true cognitive impairment (Hammar et al., 2011).

Depressed persons frequently suffer from physical ailments such as indigestion, headaches, dizziness, general pain, and constipation. Indeed, many cases of depression are initially misdiagnosed as a medical problem. Sleep and appetite disturbances are particularly common: the majority of depressed people report feeling more fatigued and eating and sleeping less than before, though some sleep and eat excessively.