Stages Of Depression
One of the most common mental health diseases in America is depression, commonly known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression. In fact, at least one depressive episode affected 21 million adults in 2020 or 8.4% of the population. These incidents can have a significant negative effect on people’s lives, making it challenging for them to work, study, and participate in other activities as they formerly did.
When the first signs of sadness appear, they can be overpowering and even terrifying. Therefore, it can be reassuring to think that there are stages of depression that a person goes through before healing and recovery.
Do Depression Stages Actually Exist?
There are no recognized stages of depression according to psychologists. In actuality, stage theories aren’t frequently employed to describe mental health experiences because depression and other mental illnesses frequently vary and are unique to each individual.
Each year, millions of individuals throughout the world are impacted by depression, and many of them experience the worst outcomes possible as a result of the symptoms and lack of care. Among the symptoms, which include sadness, anxiety, and changes in eating patterns, are some that can progress to one of the five stages of depression.
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What Kinds Of Depression Are There?
Minor signs of major depression may also coexist with persistent depressive illness, although symptoms must endure for two years.
Women who experience postpartum depression both before and after giving birth experience emotions of despair, worry, and weariness that impair their ability to care for their child.
When a person experiences both severe depression and psychosis, such as hallucinations or delusions, they are said to have psychotic depression.
The advent of shorter daylight hours coincides with the onset of seasonal affective disorder, which typically manifests in late summer to early fall and lasts into the following winter.
Major depressive disorder-like periods of low mood are a feature of bipolar disorder.
Different Depression Stages
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ phases of grieving were appropriated to create the five stages of depression. As follows:
- Denial and isolation are frequently transient symptoms of depression. Extreme sadness can be challenging to ignore. But patients continue to overlook the problem, frequently thinking that if there is a problem, it will pass quickly.
- When the effect of denial wears off, anger sets in because you realize you cannot get rid of your depressive symptoms, and you become angry with everyone and everything.
- When depression assumes a life of its own and discloses awful truths about you, bargaining occurs. You attempt to talk yourself out of depressive thoughts and replace them with optimistic ones.
- Depression makes you feel alone as if you are wandering aimlessly through the desert.
- The last stage is acceptance, which denotes that you’ve fully come to terms with the fact that you have a mental disease.
Signs of Depression
The chemical ketamine, which was originally used as an anesthetic, can often be used to alleviate the symptoms of depression. Which signs, though?
- Chronic drowsiness or insomnia
- Petulance
- The decline of interest in once-fun activities
- Hopelessness
- Always worrying that something bad will happen
- Obsession with suicide, passing, or attempts at suicide
- In extreme situations, psychotic signs like delusions or hallucinations
- A lack of self-care is demonstrated by difficulties with eating, bathing, or completing tasks for work or family.
You might feel like there is no hope when you have depressive symptoms but talk to your doctor about depression treatment options. Even serious symptoms can be managed.
Depressive Disorder Treatment
A physical examination with lab tests, a mental assessment, consultation with the DSM-5, and then a doctor will recommend medication constitutes the typical course of treatment. Usually, this entails using psychotherapy and antidepressants, but ketamine has altered the environment in a way that makes it seem like people are terraforming Mars. The medication is believed to function by having a favorable impact on brain neurotransmitters, which are important regulators of mood and have a direct impact on depression.
