Physical effects of Depression

It is very common to exhibit physical symptoms when you are suffering from depression. Vague aches and pains are commonly exhibited symptoms. These include chronic pain in the joints, the limbs start to ache accompanied by back pain. Gastrointestinal problems and sleep deprivation, psychomotor activity changes, tiredness and fatigue, and gradual or even a sudden drop in appetite are not uncommon.

Gastrointestinal problems and loss of appetite usually go hand in hand.

It is worrying to see the number of people not realizing that they are depressed. It makes it almost impossible for them to undergo treatment. It has also been noticed that a fair number of patients that suffer from depression, who do decide to seek professional medical help, fail to describe the mental attributes or symptoms and end up describing only the physical symptoms, which makes it difficult for their doctor to diagnose depression. To them, it will only seem like a physical illness and treatment will be given only for the physical illness and not the mental side of it.

Depression and physical pain have a much deeper biological link than the good old ‘cause and effect.’ The neurotransmitters that are responsible for the influence of pain and mood are called serotonin and norepinephrine. Dysregulation of serotonin and norepinephrine is directly linked to both depression and pain.

Usually, as the first line of treatment, antidepressants are prescribed. These antidepressants inhibit the reuptake of both the transmitters affecting the physical symptoms. When the acute emotional symptoms have been abated, many physicians around the globe suggest that patients go into remission. However, the residual symptoms that include physical symptoms are immensely common and have a high chance of increasing the likelihood of a relapse. The symptoms, all of them, must be measured and accounted for if you want to achieve full remission.

There are a bunch of accurate yet short measurement tools or rating scales that are available to measure the amount of remission of the physical symptoms as well as the emotional ones. These tools should not be treated as the only mode of diagnosis. If symptoms are exhibited, then going to a medical professional is advised.

A study by the World Health Organization of the somatic symptoms in the presentation of depression shows that out of the 1146 patients that hail from 14 different countries are included in the survey that have met the criteria for depression. Out of these, 69% were reported as showcasing only somatic symptoms as the cause for their visit. Somatic symptoms are showcased when a person suffering from depression starts getting anxious with regard to their physical symptoms such as pain and fatigue.

The patient suffering from this has intense thoughts, feelings and fears causing a huge hindrance in their day-to-day life. Unfortunately enough, depression can very often go undiagnosed in such cases. The physical symptoms that are associated with depression may be interpreted as the patient only showcasing somatic illness and not signs of depression.

If you or someone you know is displaying a high number of physical symptoms, then it might be a cause of worry, and professional help is needed. However, if there are only a few physical symptoms, there is a high probability that the patient is not suffering from a mood disorder.

A study that involved a thousand adult primary care clinic patients revealed that the number of physical symptoms present is greatly predictive of the mood or mental disorders and also functional impairment. Among the patients that reported zero to one physical symptoms, a total of 2% were diagnosed with mental or mood disorders.

Although patients who reported nine or more physical symptoms showed a whopping 60% who were diagnosed with mental disorders. Thus, the link between physical and mental capacity needs to be recognized. Overall, it became evident that the presence of any physical symptom approximately doubled the chances of the patient having a mental disorder.

Psychological effects of Depression

Yes, depression ruins everything and it starts with your mood. This, in turn, is one of the biggest factors when it comes to getting a task done. Will you be able to make that perfect morning coffee if you are not in the ‘mood’ for it? The mood dictates most of our actions and reactions. When you are in the most agitated of moods, the likelihood of you enjoying it is very minimal.

A lot of people don’t seem to grasp the depth and intensity of the control depression has over their thought process, emotions and feelings, and their general overall wellbeing. As we discussed earlier, how people go to their primary care clinic with complaints of only physical symptoms takes us back to the point of the body and mind being more connected than we perceive it to be. Due to the effects depression has psychologically, optimum performance of day-to-day work, social interactions and educational tasks seem intensely overwhelming. It is usually clouded with the sense of emptiness, sadness and the feeling of hopelessness.

The natural result of this ends up being harmful to the patient, especially in the long run. How often do we come across a boss who understands the employee’s lack of productivity and attributes it to the depression the employee is suffering from?

Personal and professional growth for the employee is halted the moment he/she has stopped being productive. In a competitive world, like we are living in today, not being productive can result in more pressure especially from those who may want to jump into your job.

It is scary, isn’t it? Ironically enough, that has been cited and recorded as one of the leading causes of depression. Missing out on the daily routine also makes patients miss out on achieving the goals they had once set with aspirations to reach the very top. Remember, if you or anyone you know is going through this, then do not worry. As has been reiterated multiple times in this book, ask for help and that is the best thing you can do. Treating depression rather than ignoring it can help the patient overcome it.

Apart from the worldly factors, there are a number of internal systems that are responsible for our wellbeing. If these internal systems do not function as they are supposed to or if there is a hindrance in these systems, they cause the psychological effects of depression.

These psychological effects directly target your emotions, moods and feelings. Have you ever seen people talking about not being their “old self”? What does this mean? Do we sideline this? After all, every human being is naturally programmed to learn constantly and stay updated; we learn and experience new things.

Can this be classified as growth or change in a human? Does this qualify for not being your old self? The answer when we are talking about depression is simple. It is a big fat NO! You might be caught off-guard with these new feelings and even feel alienated, as you are unfamiliar with the changes that are happening to you.

In the case of the psychological effects of depression, unlike the blues, the symptoms are persistent, almost all day and every day at least for a minimum of two weeks.

Here is a quick way of checking the psychological symptoms and what to look out for to find out if the symptoms lead to a diagnosis of depression. Watch out for these signs and, upon noticing any of them, the ideal thing to do is talk to a medical professional about it. It is better if the professional is trained in mental health.

Symptom – Your mood seems depressing for the most of the day.

What am I looking out for? – Expressing sadness or feeling the blues, the feeling of emptiness or hopelessness or the feeling of being in the dumps.

Symptom – your interest level in almost everything that was once enjoyed by you is at an all-time low or is getting low.

I am talking about the things that you used to enjoy on a day-to-day basis. For example, going for a run in the morning was the best thing you loved about your day, but now it has become a task that seems to be forced upon you.

What am I looking out for? – Abandonment of activities that you once enjoyed, avoiding social interactions with friends and family, reduction of sex drive and the reduction of enjoyment during sex, the feeling of being numb or even emotionless.

Symptom – You have recurring suicidal thoughts, or you talk about death most of the time.

What am I looking out for? – Thoughts of death concern you more than just the fear of dying, persistent thoughts and attempts to harm you.

Symptom – You feel guilty and worthless nearly every day.

What am I looking out for? – You start feeling guilty about things that you have no control over. The guilt lasts much longer than it used to. You constantly express the feeling of being unworthy of good things ever happening to you. You are so preoccupied with your past failures that you do not see the ray of hope that carries a bundle of opportunities.

Types of Depressions:

Like every other medical condition out there, depression too comes in various kinds that may develop under unique and varied circumstances. The most common ones are – Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia), Perinatal Depression, Psychotic Depression, Seasonal affective disorder and Bipolar Disorder. It is fundamental to remember that the types are purely subjective to the person and may vary from person to person.

1. Persistent Depressive Disorder:

Dysthymia, as it’s commonly called in the medical profession, is usually diagnosed after the depressed mood has lasted for at least two years. A patient diagnosed with Persistent Depressive Disorder usually exhibits episodes of major depression, accompanied by periods of symptoms which are not as severe. However, symptoms normally last for a minimum of two years.

These symptoms may include apathy, anti-social behavior or even wanting to be alone. They may also include personal neglect.

Symptoms

Persistent depressive disorder (PDS) symptoms come and go over a period of years, and their intensity can vary with time. However, typical symptoms do not disappear for a little over two months at a time. In addition to the recurrent symptoms, there are chances of prominent depression incidences occurring during or before persistent depressive disorder. This illness is also called double depression.

Some common indicators of PDS can cause substantial impairment. Some of them are:

●  Disinterested in getting through daily activities

●  Feeling sad, empty and feeling down all the time

●  Feeling futile

●  Constantly tired and lacking in energy

●  Immensely low self-esteem, negative self-critique increases, feeling incapable of completing tasks that you were once good at

●  Concentration and decision-making abilities are hampered

●  The feeling of being irritated all the time or just feeling angry without any reason

●  Decrease in effectiveness and productivity

●  Saying no to social activities

●  Guilt and past regrets loom over you

●  You either start eating too little or overeat

●  Sleep deprivation

These symptoms have now become a part of the individual’s day- to-day experience. These are emotions one is bound to express, particularly in the case of early onset – e.g., “I have always been this way.” When it comes to children and teens, the general mood to look out for will be ‘irritable’ instead of feeling depressed, and it usually lasts for at least a year.

Parents often fail to notice it or pay heed to it stating, “It’s a phase, it will pass.” This is one of the reasons they may not have seen – let alone reported – these symptoms to a doctor. It takes a keen eye to recognize these symptoms as symptoms and not the newly accepted teen way of life. However, there may be external influencers such as an individual who is constantly around you and notices the changes in you and probes you to receive help.

To meet the indicative criterion of dysthymic disorder, the symptoms could be a result of the direct or impending physiological effects of abuse of any substance (e.g., alcohol, drugs or medications) or even a common general medical condition (e.g., cancer or a stroke). These symptoms will also be the reason for significant distress or the impairment of social, educational or even occupational areas of day-to-day activities.

It is scary to think about how these symptoms are there right in front of us. They can be exhibited by potentially anyone; from the person you love the most to yourself. Being aware of these symptoms will help to identify the right moment to reach out for a skilled professional hand.

Talk to the doctor of your choice about your symptoms – preferably a doctor who knows your medical history or a doctor you are comfortable sharing your information with. You can also seek an appointment directly with a mental health provider; trust me, there is no shame in it. What you are doing is one of the bravest things you can do.

This fantastic decision will certainly change your life. If you are still disinclined towards seeking help directly from a mental health professional, reach out to someone else! Help can be sought out from someone who you think will be able to guide you in the right direction. The right direction, in this case, is certainly treatment; though, you could very well confide in a friend or a loved one, a teacher, a faith leader, a colleague or anyone you trust.

To identify and treat it, it’s important to understand what the causes could potentially be. However, it is important to know that the reasons can vary from individual to individual. Clinically, the precise cause for PDS is still not known.

Causes

Here are some of the commonly recorded causes:

Life Events

Just like every other form of depression, Persistent Depressive Disorder is highly likely to be due to traumatic incidents that have occurred in the recent or even the distant past. Events such as

losing a loved one, continuous financial problems or even a high- stress demanding job or social environment can very easily trigger Persistent Depressive Disorder.

Inherited Traits

The concept of inheritance is an amazing phenomenon. It has its flip side too; Persistent Depressive Disorder is one of those conditions that can be genetically passed on to any offspring. However, researchers are yet to isolate the gene that might be involved in causing and passing on depression. If you have close relatives who have suffered from depression, your doctor should be made aware of this.

The Chemistry in the Brain

The human brain is a repository of neurons and neurotransmitters that are naturally occurring brain chemicals. A chemical imbalance in the brain can play a significant role in triggering depression. According to recent research, the neuro- circuits are responsible for the stability of the moods and how they work. Depression indicates changes in the function of the neurotransmitters and it is this change that causes depression. This research was responsible for developing a way depression can be treated by targeting specific neuro-circuits.

Physical medical conditions

As much as depression is classified as a mental condition, there are physical illnesses that people suffer from that may also be the cause of the depression that is experienced. Physical brain trauma, a concussion is a good example, chronic physical illnesses like diabetes and heart disease can prove to be the causes of Persistent Depression Disorder in some cases.

2. Perinatal Depression

This type of depression is commonly seen in new mothers. Becoming a mother is considered as one of the biggest joys in the world. However, with this great joy comes a bundle of emotions, ranging from excitement to fear, to stress and even apprehension. The physical changes new mothers go through can vastly affect the mood and feelings.

Yes, it is common to experience mood swings but, in this case, Perinatal Depression is not just a ‘low mood.’ It is a serious condition, which doesn’t just affect the person suffering from Perinatal Depression, but also the people who are close to that person. It can hamper the relationships you share and cherish and also play a huge role in disrupting the healthy development of your child.

When it comes to new mothers, it becomes essential to know the difference between ‘baby blues’ and Perinatal Depression. Baby blues or mood swings a new mother experiences usually begin between the third day and the tenth-day post birth. You might feel a bit tearful at the most bizarre times or even overwhelmed by the simplest of things. This usually passes within a few days and without it being treated specifically. The only care that needs to be received during this phase is the support and understanding of the ones around you.

All parents go through a period when they take their time to adjust to the drastic new changes life has presented to them. The thing to remember here is that you are not the only parent who is trying to figure out how to calm a crying baby or just trying to get it to sleep. Every parent faces the same challenges. Certain parents take longer than others to adapt. It’s a learning process for the parents as much as it is for the kid. Perinatal Depression falls into the picture only when the mood swings persist and there is a feeling of being distressed, feeling down or sad and being overwhelmed most of the time. This can sometimes stretch over to two weeks or even longer in certain cases.

Symptoms

The persistent symptoms of perinatal depression can be broken down into categories to keep an eye out for. The symptoms to look out for include:

● Watch the mood for recurring anger, anxiety, general discontent with self and others, constant guilt, the feeling of hopelessness, loneliness despite being surrounded by loved ones, loss of interest or pleasure in day to day activities, drastic mood swings and panic attacks as well as unexplained sadness.

●  Has the behavior changed to any of these?–Starts to cry more than usual, easily irritable, restlessness prevails, or has the constant need for social isolation.

●  No more beauty sleep? – Insomnia has struck, waking up to constant nightmares, or being deprived of sleep entirely.

●  Have the cognitive abilities become hampered? – Concentration becomes a problem; undergoes thought process disorder or negative unwanted thoughts keep looming constantly.

●  Psychological health – General increase in fear; specifically – the fear of trying new things, and repeated over thinking.

●  Fit body, fit mind – constant fatigue or loss of appetite, sudden weight loss or weight gain.

The exact causes of Perinatal Depression are yet to be identified. The common triggers for this type of depression can include a past history of mental illness, stressful life events – past or present, depression during the time of pregnancy, a bad or a non- existent marital relationship, few or no support systems during the time of child birth and sometimes poverty too.

There is a pattern that is at play here with the causes if you are keen enough to read between the lines. Though a medical professional’s help is required during these times, it becomes a mandate to seek and offer support if you think you are exhibiting any of these symptoms or someone you know is. Catching depression early can go a long way with the health of not just the mother, but her child as well.

3. Psychotic Depression

Have you ever had those delusional thoughts when you think you are feeling down? The next thing may seem haunting. Do you hear or see upsetting things that are not heard and seen by others? Having either of these delusions and hallucinations will mean that you are potentially suffering from Psychotic Depression.

The first thing to be evident if you are suffering from this form of depression or if someone you know is, the patient will display a sense of disconnection with reality. It is considered to be one of the sub types of major depression. Psychotic depression is induced by depression when accompanied by some form of psychosis. The psychosis could be the delusions – such as having a feeling that you have committed a sin, you start believing you are a failure and have intense feelings of worthlessness. The hallucinations in certain cases are worse and can cause more harm to the person suffering from Psychotic Depression. The hallucinations are usually accompanied by voices in the head. Psychotic Depression affects roughly one out of every four people admitted to the hospital for depression.

Symptoms:

Delusions and hallucinations are the first and the clearest signs that you might be suffering from Psychotic Depression. Close to half the patients with this form of depression experience more than one kind of delusion. Hallucination free delusions can also occur. In fact, it occurs in one-half or two-thirds of patients with psychotic depression. Some of the other symptoms include:

● Anxiety
● Hypochondria
● Agitated state of mind
● Insomnia
● Impairment of the intellect
● Physical Immobility
● Constipation

With the kinds of depressions you have read about so far, psychotic depression is considered to be the most frightening of the lot. What causes this scary depression? It has been noticed that the victims of psychotic depression are usually the ones who have had multiple episodes of depression earlier in their lives without psychosis. It is like a collective aftermath of multiple depression episodes.

Normally, when someone is undergoing recession, it is advised that they seek help and talk to people they trust. However, in this particular type, the chances of family members suffering from Psychotic Depression get exponentially high when a member of the family is already a patient. Times like these call for a trained professional who can help you walk away from this. Remember, every type of depression is curable.

4. Seasonal Affective Disorder:

This is a peculiar one. With what you have read so far, it depends on what you classify as peculiar or strange. Seasonal affective disorder is what its name suggests. It is seasonal depression, which is nothing but depression that visits you like clockwork. If you fall under the bracket most of the seasonal affective disorder patients fall under, you will notice your symptoms generally start somewhere during the fall and continue to grow until the winter. Just like the mood that surrounds these seasons, your mood falls, and your energy is sapped. However, there have been cases recorded where the depression starts early spring or summer.

Often confused with the ‘winter blues,’ the first reaction to these feelings is to sideline and ignore them, blaming the winter. “Oh, it’s the weather that is making me gloomy.” The gloomy package you receive seasonally is giving you a sign; a sign where you make sure you find things to do that are therapeutic and that make you feel better.

Symptoms:

This gloomy package is one to watch out for, especially if you are seasonally prone. Look out for these signs to understand and recognize Seasonal Affective Disorder.

● The feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness ● Suicidal thoughts
● Loss of interest in activities
● Social interaction withdrawal

● Appetite and sleep disorders
● Challenges in concentrating and making decisions ● Decreased sex drive
● Constant complaints of fatigue
● Agitation

The symptoms may be similar to those of other types of depression. The key to look out for is to notice if these symptoms occur periodically or seasonally to be specific. While this is technically the least dangerous type of depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder should not be disregarded. Seek help, no matter how small or silly the reason might seem to you. You don’t have to put up with it. You may find that a simple blood test will tell your doctor what deficiencies you are suffering from and you may be able to adjust your activities and your supplements to make things better.

How different is depression from feeling down or sad?

With the knowledge of the major kinds of depression and their symptoms, it is time to understand the difference between actual depression and a ‘sad feeling.’ You might be sipping a cup of coffee in your favorite spot and you think about something that fills the air with absolute sadness.

Your perspective of the entire place has now changed. What was a nice relaxing cup of coffee has now been ruined by this dark empty sadness that has crept in. Is this depression or a sign of it? Or is it just an emotion that was triggered by something that reminded you of an event or a person that is unpleasant? If it is the latter, it is just sadness which is nothing but a normal human emotion. It will pass in a few hours or days based on how strongly you feel about it, and you will go back being your dandy self.

Depression, on the other hand, is an abnormal and caused state that affects the way you think, act and react to things and people around you. When you are sad, you are not depressed. But, when you are depressed, you are sad about everything.

There are enough triggers that can cause depression without it being a difficult event to put your finger on. A loss of someone or something and even stress can cause depression. Sadness or any other such emotion, on the other hand, needs to have a trigger to kick-start the feeling within you. If what you are feeling is truly only sadness or a negative emotion, the fix for it is going to be relatively simple compared to fixing depression.

 

2)  Tim Ferriss is known to watch films he knows on silent while writing.

This has a similar effect – it keeps the visual cortex busy and stimulated thus avoiding distraction and making other distracting thoughts, movements or sounds less inviting. You can also achieve this by working in a ‘richer’ environment with more to look at. This is a flow trigger as you may recall, meaning it can theoretically wake your brain up more and also avoid distraction. It’s why the old corporate idea of working in grey cubicles is so outmoded.

3)  This is also why it’s so important to make sure you are in homeostasis

– to avoid un-useful stress, tiredness or hunger that can tell your body you have more important things to consider.

4)  Most important is making what you’re doing more interesting.

Got writer’s block? Can’t force yourself to concentrate on what you’re writing? Chances are, it’s because what you’re writing doesn’t excite you. And if it doesn’t excite you, it probably won’t excite your readers either. So, try to change the scene or the approach to the topic and make it something you feel passionate about. If it’s something you don’t have any say over, then try to find something about the task or subject you can relate to. Nearly every subject contains some element of artistry.

5)  Use CBT to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing.

Link the task at hand to the emotionally gratifying end goal. If you’re doing boring work now, it is probably because you are trying to get a promotion, launch a business… etc. So, focus on that end vision and picture it in your mind’s eye. This will drive you toward achieving that end. The opposite can also be true here, if you want to end a bad behavior then try to picture the negative outcomes that you associate with it and you can effectively rewire your brain. For instance, if you keep snacking, then you should focus on your growing belly each time you go to – and even try to conjure the feeling of being overly full. Remember the last time you ate desert and didn’t really need it and how that made you feel!

6)  Make sure that you believe that the activity you’re engaged in really will yield that reward.

This is important in order to be motivated by that activity. We motivate ourselves to go to work every day because we know we’ll get paid. We don’t motivate ourselves to workout consistently though, because there’s a chance that that effort won’t result in the body we want (most of us have tried and failed before!). Make sure you have a plan you believe in and you’re chances of sticking with it will greatly improve! This again requires CBT and cognitive restructuring.

Challenge your thoughts and really break down what you actually believe. If you can identify the problems with your plan, then fix those. Keep it simple. Doing more press-ups will burn more calories. And write your goals appropriately: aim to simply get into better shape and start working out, rather than aiming to transform your physique in weeks.

7)  Dopamine is released in anticipation of reward.

This is why activities such as programming are so inherently addictive and make it much easier to achieve flow – every time the coder hits compile they get a rush of dopamine waiting to see if the program works. They can then make one small fix and hit run again. Something similar happens when editing video. This is also what makes computer games more rewarding – it’s the constant reward/failure and the sounds and the colors that signify each.

Longer and more abstract tasks lack this reward loop and aren’t as immediately gratifying, meaning they lack the dopaminergic reward. Find ways to gamify what you’re doing and you can remedy this – for example, try keeping focussed on the word count while typing. Or try tidying your hoes in a set time frame. Go for ‘big wins’ first so that you can see the fruits of your labor.

Even choosing the right data to show on a Sat Nav during a long drive can make a huge difference. It’s better to show how much further is left to go, rather than what time you’ll arrive. Why? Because the former counts down thereby providing that stimulating reward loop.

8) Finally: practice your focus, your motivation and your attention.

Like anything else, this can be trained. Many people say to start by making your bed every morning and if you can motivate yourself to do that every day, eventually you can motivate yourself to do anything!

https://www.headspace.com

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What we have been very kind to though is meditation. Meditation is your greatest tool for getting the most out of your brain and can be a fantastic asset in increasing plasticity and so much more. That said, it is also hard to get started with, which is where Headspace comes in handy by providing you with plenty of guided meditation sessions. You don’t need a tool like this to get started, but it can sure be a big help.

LongeCity Forums

http://www.longecity.org/forum/

If you have any interest in the topic of nootropics – something we discussed at length in the book – then this forum is a fantastic place to learn more and to discover how to use supplements and more to improve your cognitive function. There’s a lot of discussion here and you can ask the community for advice and ideas if you’re unsure.

The Bulletproof Blog

https://blog.bulletproof.com/

There are several blogs on the web about making the most of your brain and body. These biohackers are concerned with optimizing themselves so they can work smarter and feel better. One of the most popular is Dave Asprey, creator of Bulletproof Coffee, who you’ll find over at this blog.

The Four Hour Blog

https://tim.blog/

The other big one is Tim Ferriss, who runs the Four Hour Blog and who wrote The Four Hour Workweek. Definitely a lot worth checking out here, so head over and read through the archives. There’s everything from sleep optimization, to hacking your brain!

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