Depression Part 2
What Are the Symptoms of Depression?
- Lack of motivation, or ‘get up and go’. Sometimes even simple tasks can seem difficult.
- Difficulty concentrating, for example, when reading and at work
- Sleep difficulties: difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty staying asleep or early morning wakening. Classically, this early morning wakening occurs when you wake up early but are unable to get back to sleep, and yet you still feel tired. Sometimes people with depression can oversleep.
- Feelings of sadness, sometimes with tearfulness
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
- Lack of energy
- Loss of interest in sex
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lack of emotion
- Change in appetite: this is usually a loss of interest in and taste for food with associated weight loss. However, sometimes comfort or binge eating can occur with subsequent weight gain.
- Feelings of irritability, agitation or restlessness
- Mood variation during the day, with symptoms often worse early in the day
- Physical symptoms including headaches, constipation, palpitations, fatigue or feeling tired all the time
- Thoughts of death, which may include passive death wishes, where someone feels they would be better off dead
- A feeling of ‘blackness’
- Occasional suicidal thoughts
As a general rule, the more of the above symptoms you have the more severe the depression. More severe forms of depression, particularly when associated with feelings of hopelessness about the future or worthlessness, can be associated with an increased risk of suicide. Stop Depression with Myviagrainaustralia.com!
Specific Medical Criteria for the Diagnosis of Major Depression
Symptoms of depression must be present nearly every day for at least two weeks and not explained by medical conditions, strokes or recent bereavement.
At least one of these two symptoms should be present:
- Depressed mood
- Severely diminished interest in or pleasure from activities that are usually pleasurable
In addition, at least four of the following seven symptoms should be present:
- Substantial change in appetite or weight loss or, less commonly, weight gain
- Inability to sleep or, less commonly, excessive sleep
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Diminished physical activity or, less commonly, agitation
- Impaired ability to think, concentrate or make decisions
- Diminished self-esteem, with feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
What Causes Depression?
Depression is thought to occur when there is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Men suffering from depression are thought to have lower levels of some of the chemical messengers in the brain, called neurotransmitters. The three neurotransmitters believed to be involved in depression are serotonin, dopaine and noradrenaline. It is thought that, when levels of serotonin or the other brain chemicals drop, then symptoms of depression kick in. This fall in neurotransmitter levels can occur without there being any obvious reason. Just like the man who eats a healthy diet can still have high cholesterol, the man without any obvious underlying cause can develop symptoms of depression.
However, stressful life events such as losing your job, relationship difficulties or illness can also trigger depression.
Depression Part 1
Depression is common among Irish men and is often undiagnosed. Men tend to bottle up feelings, suppress and internalise emotions, and suffer stoically in silence. The natural resistance of the Irish male to seek help cialis pills Australia is compounded further by his general reluctance to discuss mental health issues. Some men still perceive depression to be a stigma, implying weakness or inadequacy. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.
Unlike women, men are usually unable to articulate their feelings through their support networks or friends. Yet it is only through education and by increasing awareness of the symptoms, causes of and treatments for depression that we can help to bridge the gap that currently exists in Irish society for Irish men. Undiagnosed and untreated depression in severe forms can increase the risk of suicide, which is tragically all too common amongst Irish men, particularly young men.
Check out the self-assessment test for depression at the end of this chapter and see how you fare out. If you think you may be suffering from symptoms of depression, don’t suffer in silence. Your family doctor is there to help and support you.
Some Facts
- One in every four Irish men will develop depression at some time in their lives.
- Suicide is at least four times more common in men than women.
- The majority of suicides can be traced back to depression.
- Suicide is the biggest killer of young men aged 15-24.
Types of Depression
Depression is a medical condition caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, usually a deficiency of serotonin (the happy hormone). This can occur as a reaction to a major, often traumatic, life event or to chronic stress. This type of depression is known as reactive depression.
I have often heard it said, ‘sure he has nothing to be depressed about.’ But sometimes depression can occur without there being any underlying reason and this is known as endogenous depression. This can affect anyone, irrespective of upbringing, address or bank balance.
Bipolar disorder, which used to be called ‘manic depression’, is a much less common condition. This is where episodes of elation or mania alternate with bouts of depression.
What Are the Symptoms of Depression?
Temporary feelings of sadness or depression are part of the normal ups and downs of everyday life. Clinical depression is more than that. Some or all of the following symptoms may be present:
- A low mood every day or most days for at least two weeks
- Loss of enjoyment or interest in usual activities, particularly things you would normally enjoy, like hobbies
Depression and Erectile Dysfunction
Depression is now a recognised medical condition and one of the problems with it is that you may not be aware you’re suffering from Depression. I provide a checklist for Depression because this issue is a common source of ED. But, it is only as a very general checklist due to the complexity of the problem. Have a look at the these symptoms and see if you can relate to any of them over a period of at least several weeks:
– You wonder whether life is worth living;
– You have lost interest in things you were previously interested in;
– You lack enthusiasm for anything;
– You have to push yourself to do tasks or your daily routine;
– You can’t concentrate and find most things meaningless;
– You suffer physically from lack of sleep, get tired easily, have lost weight, have no energy;
– You suffer mentally and feel irritable, tense, anxious and feel gloomy.
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These factors don’t all have to be present but a combination of them requires professional attention in order to address the Depression issue. At the end of the day if you’re truly, clinically depressed, then ED is a common consequence.
A recent Japanese study established a link between Depression and ED and poses an interesting question as to whether Depression itself can be treated by treating ED. It makes sense that overcoming ED will boost one’s confidence. (Source: LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, doi: 10.1111/j.l 757-5672.2011.00140.x).
Depression has been linked to serotonin levels produced by the body. We have briefly discussed how one’s reaction to a sex encounter through the autonomous nervous system can take the Parasympathetic or Sympathetic nervous paths. If you are suffering from any kind of serotonin imbalance, then the undesirable Parasympathetic path is more likely.
The good news is that if Depression is the source of your ED condition, then with effective treatment of Depression your ED will also be treated. Likewise, drugs can easily treat any serotonin imbalance. Please refer to your Doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist, or psychologist. A psychiatrist specialises in psychological aspects of medicine and a psychologist is not medically qualified but may be so as a clinical psychologist. Experience in sexual disorders is a plus. It is also common these days for Doctors to treat Depression themselves.
After clinical treatment HealthCare Mall of Depression you should still follow my Step by Step Therapy program to effectively treat your ED and to improve your sexual prowess because, as I have already explained, there is usually more than one inter linked source.