Are you depressed?

[missy]

If so you will want to treat your depression as best as possible
Not surprisingly if one has depression one is at risk for other health issues
Being clinically depressed leaves one vulnerable to developing other illnesses



"Major depressive disorder has significant potential morbidity and mortality, contributing to suicide, incidence and adverse outcomes of medical illness, disruption in interpersonal relationships, substance abuse, and lost work time. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2021, an estimated 21.0 million adults (8.3%) in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. Adult females had a higher prevalence of depressive episodes than adult males (10.3% vs 6.2%). Individuals aged 18–25 had the highest prevalence of major depressive episodes at 18.6%. Among adolescents in the United States, an estimated 5.0 million (20.1%) aged 12–17 had at least one major depressive episode in 2021. The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adolescent females (29.2%) compared to adolescent males (11.5%). [<a>1</a>] With appropriate treatment, 70%–80% of individuals with major depressive disorder can achieve a significant reduction in symptoms."




"

Depression May Speed Up Physical Health Decline​

Edited by Anushree Chaphalkar
March 06, 2025

TOPLINE:​

Depression was associated with having more physical health conditions at baseline, as well as faster development of additional conditions, in a new study.

METHODOLOGY:​

• Researchers analyzed data for more than 172,500 participants (age at baseline, 40-71 years) from the UK Biobank cohort study.
• Overall, 69 long-term physical health conditions were ascertained through self-reporting, primary care, hospital admission, cancer registry, and death records at baseline (2006-2010) and during a mean follow-up period of 6.9 years.
• Participants with a history of depression (17.8%) were identified through primary care diagnoses (90.7%), hospital diagnoses (4.2%), or self-reported diagnoses (31.5%).

TAKEAWAY:​

• Participants with a history of depression had more physical health conditions at baseline than those without depression (mean, 2.9 vs 2.1), and accrued additional physical health conditions at a faster rate (mean, 0.20 vs 0.16 conditions/year).
• After adjusting for age and sex, the rate ratio (RR) was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.31-1.34) for accrual of physical morbidities in participants with a history of depression compared to those without.
• The association remained significant after adjusting for all sociodemographic characteristics (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.28-1.32) and further adjusting for baseline condition count and social/lifestyle factors (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.09-1.12).

IN PRACTICE:​

“Existing healthcare systems are largely designed to treat individual conditions, instead of individual people with multiple conditions,” the investigators wrote. “We need healthcare services to take an integrated approach to caring for people who have both depression (or other mental health conditions) and long-term physical health conditions.”

SOURCE:​

The study was led by Kelly J. Fleetwood, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, the United Kingdom. It was published online on February 13 in PLOS Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:​

The main study limitation was a healthy volunteer selection bias as only 5.5% of invited individuals participated in the UK Biobank baseline assessments. Participants were less likely to live in deprived areas and tended to have better health than the general population, which may have limited the generalizability of the findings. Some covariates may have overlapped with depression, possibly underestimating its impact. Missing data, mainly on the cholesterol, ie high-density lipoprotein ratio and A1c levels, were imputed. Additionally, this study did not assess specific physical conditions and depression severity, remission, and relapse.

DISCLOSURES:​

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council/National Institute for Health and Care Research. The investigators reported no relevant conflicts of interest.

"

 

[missy]

Personally I have never been clinically depressed but when I am sad the following activities help

1. Exercise
2. Music
3. Being outdoors
4. Cycling
5. Hiking
6. Talking about it with my trusted loved ones
7.Meditation


Anyway just a PSA because it seems a lot of people are not doing well mentally these days
Allow yourself to feel the way you are feeling but after you have allowed yourself to feel how you are feeling remember also to
Be resilient and be strong and try scheduling some fun into each day
And stop subjecting yourself to the news (at least for a short break) if you feel it is affecting you profoundly

 

[missy]

One last thought.
You can only control so much
Focus on what you can control
And try letting go of what you cannot


And compartmentalize when necessary

 

[dk168]

No, and I would go as far as to say "never".

I keep myself busy with work and various recreational activities through the years.

Now that I am semi-retired, I do more volunteering and am active member of a global service charity that takes up a lot of my time.

Less active physically, however, I go ten-pin bowling at least once a month, and walk the dog regularly.

Still learning the clarinet and go out and about camping in my van/RV with the dog at least once a month throughout the year from March to December. Looking forward to my first trip of the camping season later this month, can't wait!

When I have time to spare, I sleep.

I am content with my lot, and do not believe I have reasons to be depressed or feel sorry for myself. I have not been in situations where there is no light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.

I know I am fortunate in having a good life in my 60s, however, I have worked hard to be where I am today. Something up there is looking after me!

My pets keep me sane, that's for certain!

DK

 

[missy]

@dk168 great point about volunteering. That’s an incredible help. I find helping others gets me out of my head

 

[dk168]

@dk168 great point about volunteering. That’s an incredible help. I find helping others gets me out of my head

Indeed, even though it can be hard work at times!

I just do what I can to help to the best of my knowledge and ability, reminding myself I am just an ordinary person without any super power!

DK

 

[Bron357]

From my own experience there are two types of depression.
There’s the type of being sad from external or internal sources that can be managed and improved with therapy, positive activities and affirmations and sometimes medications.
Then there’s the chemical depression. This is the most awful illness. It has no bearing on how your life situation is, it is just a quagmire of darkness that makes not only no sense but also feels endless, overwhelming and desperate.
Unless you have been there you cannot fully comprehend how soul crushing, painful and relentless such darkness is. You can have everything, supposedly, be surrounded by support, love, care, kindness and yet feel nothing of value or meaning. Such emptiness can lead to other coping mechanisms and with that another raft of insurmountable problems like illegal drug taking, gambling and anti social / reckless behaviour. And the guilt. The desperate guilt of why don’t I appreciate and vale what I have when it’s so much more than others have.
Why can’t I be happy, grateful, thankful?
This is why people take their own lives and it is truly tragic.
For chemical depression only medication can truly make a difference but even then it’s difficult to treat. It requires intense therapy with the aim of management and that requires great strength and resolve of a person already seriously depleted because the darkness remains relentless.
For those who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to depression, please take some comfort in knowing they are now free. It was never ever anything “you” could have done, either differently or more of.
Life to such affected people feels like slowly bleeding to death from a thousand cuts, of drowning, suffocating being mercilessly crushed not for a few minutes with an end in sight but Every. Single. Moment. Of. Every. Single. Day.
So be kind to yourself and kind to others.
Never dismiss another’s emotional or mental state because you never know what someone else is going through on the inside.

 

[ShinyPink]

@Bron357 I feel like you're reading my mind. You're right - no words help. It's a lonely, embarrassing, secret experience.

 

[ecf8503]

.. the chemical depression. This is the most awful illness. It has no bearing on how your life situation is, it is just a quagmire of darkness that makes not only no sense but also feels endless, overwhelming and desperate.
Unless you have been there you cannot fully comprehend how soul crushing, painful and relentless such darkness is. You can have everything, supposedly, be surrounded by support, love, care, kindness and yet feel nothing of value or meaning. ... And the guilt. The desperate guilt of why don’t I appreciate and vale what I have when it’s so much more than others have.
Why can’t I be happy, grateful, thankful?
This is why people take their own lives and it is truly tragic.
For chemical depression only medication can truly make a difference but even then it’s difficult to treat... Never dismiss another’s emotional or mental state because you never know what someone else is going through on the inside.

This is 100% accurate. No amount of "Go outside! Exercise! Eat well! Be happy!" will fix it. Medications are necessary. Some people's brains need meds to make them function normally, just as another person needs insulin for their diabetes. Be kind.

 

[missy]

@Bron357 absolutely. I should have been more clear. I was talking about the former. Especially given the circumstances in the world now and more specifically the USA.

 

[missy]

Indeed, even though it can be hard work at times!

I just do what I can to help to the best of my knowledge and ability, reminding myself I am just an ordinary person without any super power!

DK

It is very hard at times. But always so worth it

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

work has always been important to me
it gives me self worth and purpose even if i only sell pies and donughts
if work is ok im fine
if work turns to sh*t i fall apart
i work for and with really good nice genuine people

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

This is 100% accurate. No amount of "Go outside! Exercise! Eat well! Be happy!" will fix it. Medications are necessary. Some people's brains need meds to make them function normally, just as another person needs insulin for their diabetes. Be kind.

at my old work we had so many clinically depressed people -not helped by the work enviroment, they had this book in the office for lending out so we who did not have it could understand our friends better

 

[pearlsngems]

Not depressed.
Appalled.

 

[Garnetgirl]

Thank you @Bron357 for your instructive and eloquent post.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Not depressed but very angry at times.

This story has been in the media and has garnered a lot of rage in me. More rage than normal. I drafted a host of death wishes aimed at this woman (and the dude filming) but luckily she disabled her IG otherwise I probably would have pasted my death wishes all over her page. It’s a very bizarre reaction for me even if I am huge animal lover.

Lucky we Australians are very much in the habit of banning people from our country so I doubt she’d ever set foot here again.

US influencer who snatched a baby wombat and posted the video online has visa reviewed - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au

 

[VRBeauty]

What Bron said.

 

[monarch64]

Yes, diagnosed with major depressive disorder (finally) in 2016. Pretty sure I made a thread about it here some time after that.

When I was 12 years old, I started to notice that I had no excitement about things like going to carnivals, social events, etc. I couldn’t even feel like I looked forward to hanging out with friends. I thought I was just “moody.” I remember telling my mother that I was worried because I just didn’t feel right anymore, and she said it was probably just hormones.

It wasn’t. Long story short, it took decades to get a proper diagnosis and meds, and now I am regulated on a mild antidepressant called Wellbutrin which worked for my dad as well. Hereditary mental health issues are definitely a thing and I am so fortunate to have stopped listening to those people in my life who said I was just being crazy.

I hope anyone reading this who has been considering finding help is motivated to do so.

 

[monarch64]

From my own experience there are two types of depression.
There’s the type of being sad from external or internal sources that can be managed and improved with therapy, positive activities and affirmations and sometimes medications.
Then there’s the chemical depression. This is the most awful illness. It has no bearing on how your life situation is, it is just a quagmire of darkness that makes not only no sense but also feels endless, overwhelming and desperate.
Unless you have been there you cannot fully comprehend how soul crushing, painful and relentless such darkness is. You can have everything, supposedly, be surrounded by support, love, care, kindness and yet feel nothing of value or meaning. Such emptiness can lead to other coping mechanisms and with that another raft of insurmountable problems like illegal drug taking, gambling and anti social / reckless behaviour. And the guilt. The desperate guilt of why don’t I appreciate and vale what I have when it’s so much more than others have.
Why can’t I be happy, grateful, thankful?
This is why people take their own lives and it is truly tragic.
For chemical depression only medication can truly make a difference but even then it’s difficult to treat. It requires intense therapy with the aim of management and that requires great strength and resolve of a person already seriously depleted because the darkness remains relentless.
For those who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to depression, please take some comfort in knowing they are now free. It was never ever anything “you” could have done, either differently or more of.
Life to such affected people feels like slowly bleeding to death from a thousand cuts, of drowning, suffocating being mercilessly crushed not for a few minutes with an end in sight but Every. Single. Moment. Of. Every. Single. Day.
So be kind to yourself and kind to others.
Never dismiss another’s emotional or mental state because you never know what someone else is going through on the inside.

This resonated. I always wonder (whether I logically understand what’s going on in my brain or not) wtf is wrong with me.

 

[missy]

@monarch64 Absolutely nothing is wrong with you Monnie. This world is warped

 

[monarch64]

@monarch64 Absolutely nothing is wrong with you Monnie. This world is warped

Thank you.

 

[VRBeauty]

Yes, diagnosed with major depressive disorder (finally) in 2016. Pretty sure I made a thread about it here some time after that.

When I was 12 years old, I started to notice that I had no excitement about things like going to carnivals, social events, etc. I couldn’t even feel like I looked forward to hanging out with friends. I thought I was just “moody.” I remember telling my mother that I was worried because I just didn’t feel right anymore, and she said it was probably just hormones.

It wasn’t. Long story short, it took decades to get a proper diagnosis and meds, and now I am regulated on a mild antidepressant called Wellbutrin which worked for my dad as well. Hereditary mental health issues are definitely a thing and I am so fortunate to have stopped listening to those people in my life who said I was just being crazy.

I hope anyone reading this who has been considering finding help is motivated to do so.

My story is similar to yours. I can recall what I now know were symptoms of depression starting when I was 12 or 13. It wasn’t diagnosed until I was 30. I did seek help a few times when I was in college and even when I was out on my own, but I was told my “anxiety” was due to stress, or a breakup, or a new job, or other circumstances. It got every bit as bad as Bron described. The therapist who convinced me I was dealing with depression was great an I owe her a great deal, but… she discouraged the use of antidepressants. Fortunately I followed my gut, and my GP was willing to prescribe some. I’ll spare you the long and sometimes torturous antidepressant journey. I’m also now on a low dose of Wellbutrin, and that seems to do a good job of keeping the depression in check. I’d love a different antidepressant that would allow me to get over the hump, as it were - that would allow me to shed that undercurrent of sadness and allow me to experience happiness and joy more readily, but for me there’s a balancing game between good results and unacceptable side effects. I’m grateful for the relative peace and normality I’ve got.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Not depressed but very angry at times.

This story has been in the media and has garnered a lot of rage in me. More rage than normal. I drafted a host of death wishes aimed at this woman (and the dude filming) but luckily she disabled her IG otherwise I probably would have pasted my death wishes all over her page. It’s a very bizarre reaction for me even if I am huge animal lover.

Lucky we Australians are very much in the habit of banning people from our country so I doubt she’d ever set foot here again.

US influencer who snatched a baby wombat and posted the video online has visa reviewed - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au

yip
i actually wished a croc had eatten her , i think your PM had similar ideas

what a waste of a degree is the only polite think i can think to say

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

this is for everyone who needs it
i gave up on 'likes' because i felt in a lot of cases i couldnt find an appropreate one
take care everyone

 

[monarch64]

My story is similar to yours. I can recall what I now know were symptoms of depression starting when I was 12 or 13. It wasn’t diagnosed until I was 30. I did seek help a few times when I was in college and even when I was out on my own, but I was told my “anxiety” was due to stress, or a breakup, or a new job, or other circumstances. It got every bit as bad as Bron described. The therapist who convinced me I was dealing with depression was great an I owe her a great deal, but… she discouraged the use of antidepressants. Fortunately I followed my gut, and my GP was willing to prescribe some. I’ll spare you the long and sometimes torturous antidepressant journey. I’m also now on a low dose of Wellbutrin, and that seems to do a good job of keeping the depression in check. I’d love a different antidepressant that would allow me to get over the hump, as it were - that would allow me to shed that undercurrent of sadness and allow me to experience happiness and joy more readily, but for me there’s a balancing game between good results and unacceptable side effects. I’m grateful for the relative peace and normality I’ve got.

Yes, many similarities.

I remember never being taken seriously. That was the awful part, you know?

 

[fiona00004]

@Bron357 I guess I fit into the chemically depressed category. Depression was triggered by a toxic manager. Went through therapy, quit the job, went off work, took medication
...I overcame "it" and now back to "normal".

I took up jogging... it's part of my medicine regimen including my antidepressant. Tried getting off the antidepressant a few times,. didn't work at all. My life is BEAUTIFUL. NOTHING to be "depressed" about. AT.ALL.

But the sadness can just come in a wave...for no reason. It's crippling. My doctor says sometimes being on the antidepressant is a must for some people.... that it's not dangerous for me. She didn't recommend trying to wean off again.

I guess you could say I have functional depression. People can't tell.

I walk my dog, jog, care for my teen kids who are amazing, I have an amazing husband, caring family, I love what I do professionally ,everything. Something small can trigger the darkness...like lack of sleep or something.

We need to de-stigmatize depression. I think of it like the asthma that I have. I suffer from it so I take meds, and sometimes i have attacks.

 

[Bron357]

@Bron357 I guess I fit into the chemically depressed category. Depression was triggered by a toxic manager. Went through therapy, quit the job, went off work, took medication
...I overcame "it" and now back to "normal".

I took up jogging... it's part of my medicine regimen including my antidepressant. Tried getting off the antidepressant a few times,. didn't work at all. My life is BEAUTIFUL. NOTHING to be "depressed" about. AT.ALL.

But the sadness can just come in a wave...for no reason. It's crippling. My doctor says sometimes being on the antidepressant is a must for some people.... that it's not dangerous for me. She didn't recommend trying to wean off again.

I guess you could say I have functional depression. People can't tell.

I walk my dog, jog, care for my teen kids who are amazing, I have an amazing husband, caring family, I love what I do professionally ,everything. Something small can trigger the darkness...like lack of sleep or something.

We need to de-stigmatize depression. I think of it like the asthma that I have. I suffer from it so I take meds, and sometimes i have attacks.

Sending hugs.
It’s incredibly isolating and the guilt you can feel because your life is “wonderful” on the outside is very difficult to reconcile.
That alone makes it very very difficult to talk about.
It’s a life long chronic illness but I think that by simply accepting that this “feeling” is part of who you are helps. Having strategies to manage “an attack” is important as it knowing your triggers and being mindful to reduce or eliminate them.
Most important is being kind to yourself.
And believe it or not, depression in your life makes you a better person. It makes you more aware of yourself and also of others. You are more empathic than most. You know how to be kind and why it is important in life.
So on the “bad days” find yourself your outlet or safe space and be who you are at that time. Put an “out of order temporarily” sign up and get through it.
Gold star on your chart when you’re on the other side, being grateful but also accepting that many more gold stars will need to be earnt, but that’s ok.