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Depression

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Depression
Major Depressive Disorder
 
 

What is depression?

  • Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest
  • It can affect how you feel, think, and behave
  • It can lead to a variety of both emotional and physical problems
  • Depression may lead you to have trouble doing day-to-day activities
  • It can make you feel as if life isn’t worth living
  • Depression isn’t a sign of weakness
  • You can’t just snap out of it. Treatment is required
  • Almost all people suffering from depression feel better with treatment
  • Depression may occur only once in your life, but people typically have multiple episodes
  • During depressive episodes, symptoms can occur for most of the day, almost every day
 
What are the symptoms?
For most people with depression, symptoms are usually severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day to day life. This can include school, social activities, sports, and relationships with others. You may feel generally miserable or unhappy without knowing exactly why.
  • Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness
  • Angry outbursts, and irritability or frustration, even over small issues
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, even things that you previously enjoyed
  • Sleep disturbances, including both insomnia, as well as sleeping too much
  • Tiredness and lack of energy. Even small tasks take extra effort
  • Reduced appetite and weight loss
  • Increased cravings for food and weight gain
  • Anxiety, agitation, or restlessness
  • Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
  • Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
  • Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, or suicide attempts
  • Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
 
What causes depression?
It’s not known precisely what causes depression. However, as with most mental disorders, a wide variety of factors may be involved, including:
  • Biological differences
  • Brain chemistry
  • Hormones
  • Inherited traits
 
When should you get Help?
  • If you’re feeling depressed or think that any of the above symptoms match what you’re feeling, reach out to your athletic trainer or coach as soon as you can. If you’re feeling reluctant to seek help, talk to a friend, family member, teammate, or someone else that you trust. They should be able to help you reach out to get help.
  • When to get emergency help
    • If you think that you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or the national suicide emergency hotline immediately (1-800-273-8255).
  • Reach out to your athletic trainer or coach to help lead you to the path of treatment.
 
How do I get diagnosed?
First, talk to your athletic trainer, doctor, or health care professional about your symptoms.
  • Diagnosis is typically determined based upon a physical exam and a psychiatric evaluation. This typically involves questions about your symptoms, thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns.
  • Diagnosis often involves the help of a health care team, involving your athletic trainer, team doctor psychiatrist, psychologist, and social worker.
 
How do I get treated?
  • Reach out to your athletic trainer or coach to help lead you to the path of treatment.
  • Treatment typically involves either medications, psychotherapy, or both. Typically, a combination of the two is most effective.
  • Typically, your team doctor will prescribe you medication, and will also refer you to speak with another mental health expert for counseling.
    • Medications
      • There are many types of medications for depression, typically referred to as antidepressants.
      • Taking antidepressants does not mean that you’re “crazy.” Currently, roughly 13% percent of Americans are taking antidepressants on a daily basis. They are one of the most commonly prescribed types of medications in the world.
      • Finding the right medication for you can take some a while. Often, you may need to try several different medications, or a combination of different medications before you find one that works.
      • Finding the right medication requires patience, as some medications take several weeks or longer to take full effect.
      • If a family member has responded well to a certain antidepressant, it might be the correct one that can help you.
      • Don’t stop taking your medicine without talking to your athletic trainer and team doctor first. Stopping abruptly or missing several doses can cause withdrawal-like symptoms, and quitting suddenly can cause a sudden worsening in symptoms. Always work with your team doctor to gradually and safely decrease your dose.
      • Beware that some antidepressants can cause a worsening of symptoms if you’re not on the correct medication for you. There may be an increase in suicidal thoughts, especially in the first few weeks after starting a medication, or if the dose is changed. If you’re experiencing any suicidal thoughts, immediately seek help.
 
What about Psychotherapy?
  • Psychotherapy is a general term used for treating depression by talking about your condition and any related issues with a mental health professional.
  • Also known as talk therapy, psychological therapy, or counseling.
  • Your team doctor and athletic trainer will help refer you to the proper mental health professional that will be able to best help you
 
Can I Prevent Depression?
  • There’s no way to prevent depression. There are some strategies that may help, however.
    • Take steps to control your stress
    • Reach out to family and friends, especially in times of crisis
    • Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent depression from worsening
    • Consider getting long-term maintenance treatment to help prevent a relapse of symptoms
  • Lifestyle and home remedies for depression
    • Stick to your treatment plan. Don’t skip psychotherapy sessions or skip doses of your medication, even if you’re feeling better.
    • Learn about depression. Education about your condition can help to empower you and motivate you to stick to your treatment plan. Encourage your family to learn about depression to help them understand and support you
    • Pay attention to warning signs. Work with your mental health team to learn what might trigger your depression symptoms.
    • Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs. It might seem like these things lesson depression symptoms, but they almost always worsen symptoms in the long run, and make depression harder to treat.
    • Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, be physically active, and get plenty of sleep.

 
Further Reading/Videos
When College Athletes Face Depression
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/when-college-athletes-face-depression/284484/
 
Michael Phelps’ Battle with Depression
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/19/health/michael-phelps-depression/index.html
 
The Rock’s Battle with Depression
https://www.today.com/health/dwayne-rock-johnson-shares-inspiring-message-people-depression-t56586
 
J.K. Rowling’s Battle with Depression
http://www.howibeatdepression.com/how-jk-rowling-beat-depression/
 
 
Further References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20356013
               
https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression