The ABCs of Untreated Depression

Untreated depression is a growing concern that can lead to a number of difficulties. Depression left untreated can result in failed relationships, difficulties at work or school, and diminishing immune defense against many infectious and chronic conditions. Left unaddressed Depression can also lead to self-injurious behaviors and substance abuse.

Clinical or major depression is a condition that affects a person’s mood and other functioning. It can affect your eating and sleeping patterns. It can alter the way you perceive yourself and the way you interact with others. In severe cases, it can affect your day-to-day functioning, so you cannot perform your usual tasks or chores at home and in the workplace or school.

A lot of things have changed in the past decades. That includes the growth of understanding about emotional conditions, like depression. While our understanding of Depression has improved, there is still some stigma that exists that can make seeking treatment difficult for some.

This is a difficult reality because depression generally cannot be resolved without proper diagnosis and treatment. Depression is not something you can simply “shake off” or pull yourself through. You will likely need professional intervention to overcome depression. Left untreated, depression will often worsen.

Can Untreated Depression Can Affect Your Health?

There is increasing scientific evidence that major depression can take a toll on a person’s physical and emotional health. For instance, stroke or heart attack patients can have difficulty committing to treatment and other health care measures when they are also struggling with depression.

Studies show that emotional and physical health are closely connected. This means that without treating depression, you can become more vulnerable to other disorders and chronic ailments, such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. Depression can also affect your sleep and eating, which are also vital processes related to your health. Most importantly, untreated depression may lead to substance abuse, self-harm or suicide.

The Costs of Untreated Depression

It can be difficult to function at your best when you are feeling depressed. When depression is left untreated you may find yourself unable to work, go to school or spend time with those that matter to you. Without a job or being out of school can tremendously impact your self-esteem and level of confidence. Weighed down with difficult symptoms and feeling unable to improve your circumstances, you may isolate yourself, furthering your sadness and seclusion. This can wreak havoc on your relationships and career.

Your sleep pattern is among the first things that could be affected by depression. Insomnia, or having difficulty falling and staying asleep, is more common, but there are people who may feel the need to oversleep when depressed. This is called hypersomnia. Sleeplessness is often the reason for feeling tired, experiencing loss of energy and having poor focus. Ironically, oversleeping cannot increase your energy level.

With insomnia and oversleeping, you may experience weight loss or gain. Untreated, depression can also come with other symptoms – overeating or loss of appetite, irritability, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. – contributing further strain. To resolve all these complications, treatment is often required.

Can Depressive Symptoms Look Different for Men vs. Women?

The presentations of depression can be different for women versus men, though there is often times a great deal of similarity. Women may report experiencing more overwhelming emotions such as helplessness, irritability, hopelessness, and desolation. Depressed men often report feeling that they must suppress their emotions, not wanting to be called ‘weak.’ They may release these feelings through reckless behavior, anger and/or substance abuse.

Both men and women may manifest physical signs that they may attribute to something else. These physical symptoms can be in the forms of lingering pain, headaches and gastric troubles. Not recognizing these difficulties as depression symptoms, they may see different doctors in search of the right diagnosis, finding little relief until their symptoms of Depression are adequately addressed.

The Most Undiagnosed

There are more than 19 million who struggle with depression yearly. About 20 percent of them have untreated depression. The most undiagnosed are children, young teens and the older adults. Naturally, children need their parents or elders to recognize the symptoms. Older children or young teens may not be as unaware of Depression, but they still lack the competency to note the change in their emotions and to verbalize them. Older adults, especially those with physical limitations, usually prefer to stay on the sidelines. Their silence is usually taken as a sign that they are okay, and not as a sign that something is off.

Older teens and adults may not outright miss the symptoms. Rather, they may ignore them because they have so much on their plates that they may choose to prioritize the things they deem more important. These are usually work/career or studies, social life, and relationships. Not fully recognizing the value of their emotional health, they may downplay changes in their feelings and behaviors.

Therapy: Your Way Out of Depression

Considering the extent of its impact, depression is distressing for you and those close to you. With early diagnosis and intervention Depression is highly treatable, remission is possible. Studies show that most individuals with Depression do best when therapy is a part of their treatment plan.

Untreated depression has many serious repercussions. It can wreak havoc on your health, relationships and finances. It can leave you feeling drained, helpless, hopeless, and perpetually alone and sad. Depression is not hopeless. It can become worse and more complicated when it is untreated. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of depression, call to schedule an appointment with – Carolina Counseling Services -Fayetteville, NC.

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