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How Does Depression Affect the Body?
Jules Washington
Medically reviewed on 11/26/2020 by
Dr. Kimberly Cress
Texas Regional Medical Director
Most people recognize the main emotional symptoms of depression: low mood, lack of energy, persistent sadness, and so on. But what about the physical symptoms of depression. These symptoms get less recognition, but they are worthy of attention. Depression can affect the entire body, not just your mood, and learning to identify its physical symptoms can help you see the whole picture, which is a crucial step toward wellness and healing. So how does depression affect the body? Here's an overview of the potential effects of the condition, as well as steps you can take to treat it and progress toward a healthier body and mind.
How Does Depression Affect the Body?
Not everybody with depression develops physical symptoms, but if you have dealt with depression for a significant amount of time, you might identify with these symptoms:
- Changes in appetite: The brain regions affected by depression also influence how we eat and how we sleep. With depression, food cravings or appetite loss can cause weight gain or weight loss.
- Trouble sleeping: Up to 90 percent of people with depression report insomnia. Have you been waking up earlier than usual or oversleeping? Do you feel unrefreshed after a full night of rest? If so, these could be physical symptoms of depression. People with depression are three times more likely to feel exhausted or chronically fatigued.
- Gastrointestinal issues: Have you experienced stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, or a change in bowel habit? If so, it might be because the brain and the gut are intimately connected. A Harvard Medical School report says that a troubled brain can send signals to the intestine (and vice-versa): "A person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression."
- Pain: If everything hurts more than it once did, depression might be the cause. People with depression are three times more likely to develop chronic pain. Back pain, joint pain, and headaches are common. How does depression affect the body in this way? The chemical messengers that are disrupted by depression (including serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine) also regulate our response to pain. Research using brain scans suggests that some people with depression find it more difficult to tolerate pain.
- Sexual dysfunction: Up to one-third of people with depression report decreased sex drive, and up to one-third of men with depression report erectile dysfunction. Depression medications can also trigger these issues.
If you believe your physical symptoms have been neglected in your medical journey, it is normal to feel frustrated. Fortunately, there are proactive steps you can take to treat your depression and ease the physical symptoms it can cause, or even eliminate them entirely.
Treating Depression Minimizes the Risk of Some Illnesses
A two-way relationship exists between depression and some illnesses. One in four people with cardiac issues have depression, but individuals with depression also have a 64 percent greater risk of developing coronary artery disease.
Similarly, diabetes and depression occur together approximately twice as frequently as chance alone would predict. While depression can affect your general health, you can leverage this information now to find treatment that will enhance your overall well-being in the long term. In fact, according to the highly encouraging findings of one Indiana study that followed up with people over eight years, treating depression as soon as possible decreased the risk of strokes and heart attacks by half.
This does not mean that depression causes strokes or heart attacks directly. Rather, exercising less, eating less healthily, or smoking more during a bout of depression could elevate the risks associated with heart problems and diabetes. Depression can also weaken the immune system, making it tougher to fight off infections. The good news is that reaching out for depression treatment may help to improve your physical health as well.
Your Next Steps to Positive Health
When you're ready to improve your mental and physical health with depression treatment, what are the next steps? Treatment for depression usually begins with talk therapy and medication. However, you may have treatment-resistant depression that will not respond well to medication. This is the case for one in three people.
If this applies to you, there are non-drug possibilities. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS, is an effective treatment for when at least two medications have not been effective for depression. It is a gentle and non-invasive treatment cleared by the FDA. TMS applies highly focused magnetic pulses to brain regions that regulate mood, helping to relieve some, or even all, symptoms of depression in many patients.
About two-thirds of patients report a reduction in depression symptoms at the completion of the acute phase of TMS therapy, which takes six to nine weeks. In the course of treating the mental and emotional symptoms of depression, TMS may help to restore aspects of your physical health as well. With depression, it is possible to find your own path to wellness. Once you have developed an understanding of how depression may be impacting you physically, you can seek treatment options that support both physical and emotional health.
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A recent study compared the effects of TMS therapy and Antidepressants. TMS therapy provided more relief from patients depressive symptoms compared to Antidepressants.
You may feel isolated and alone when you have clinical depression, and depression also affects your relationships with family and friends. While the primary focus of your treatment is to improve your mental health, it’s also essential to understand your loved ones may experience their own issues as they try to support you. An understanding of how depression affects relationships can help everyone maintain healthy connections and navigate problems. Here are some of the ways depression may affect the people in your support network.
We’ve all heard the common health-related misconceptions or myths-- chocolate causes acne, carrots will improve your night vision, and cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis. Subscribing to these particular myths is relatively harmless, but other health-related misconceptions can have far more serious consequences. This is the case for depression—the myths surrounding it can prevent people from getting the help they need. This is the case for depression—the myths surrounding it can prevent people from getting the help they need. Because untreated depression can have a serious physical and psychological impact, it’s imperative to have the right information in order to make the best decisions for yourself and for your health. Here are 5 common misconceptions about depression, and the facts behind them:
Starting any medical treatment for the first time can leave you with questions, especially if you’re looking forward to the benefits it may bring. It’s no different when you’re preparing for your nasal esketamine treatment. Your previous mental health treatments may have consisted solely of taking antidepressants at home or visiting a therapist’s office for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), so nasal esketamine is probably a new treatment experience for you. If you're wondering what it's like to start nasal esketamine and get ready for your first session, keep reading. Getting Started with the Nasal Esketamine Treatment As with any new treatment, you’ll first talk to your primary care provider or psychiatrist about whether nasal esketamine is a good fit for you. Alternatively, you can schedule your esketamine nasal spray consultation with a treatment center (such as Greenbrook) that has certification by the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). At Greenbrook's REMS-certified nasal esketamine treatment centers, our Greenbrook-affiliated psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners will review your medical history and also conduct our own assessment to help determine whether nasal esketamine treatment is right for you. Certain conditions, including blood vessel disease and a history of psychosis, may make treatment a risk for you. Make sure you discuss all previous and present conditions with your doctor or nasal esketamine provider before beginning treatment. If the medication is deemed a good fit, you’ll receive your prescription from the Greenbrook-affiliated provider. Your Greenbrook Care Team will put together a personalized care plan for the weeks and months to follow. Keep in mind that you will need to take a standard (oral) antidepressant along with your nasal esketamine treatment. There are two important regulations to note when it comes to preparing for treatment: Each treatment is followed by a mandatory two-hour observation period. This means you will need to plan to stay at the center for at least two hours following your self-administration of the esketamine nasal spray. You cannot drive during the rest of the day after treatment and must arrange for transportation. These regulations are mandatory. It may be helpful to sit down and plan out several weeks’ worth of transportation once you know your treatment schedule. In addition, if you’re wondering what to bring for the treatment, we recommend entertainment such as an audiobook or playlist of favorite songs and a pair of headphones. You may want them during the two-hour observation period. What to Expect During Nasal Esketamine Treatment On the day of treatment, you’ll need to stop eating any food two hours before your appointment and stop drinking all fluids 30 minutes before you come in. Your Greenbrook Care Team will confirm that you are prepared for the two-hour observation period and that you have a ride home. You’ll get the opportunity to practice using a “trainer sprayer” that mimics the real nasal esketamine sprayer but does not release any medication. The Care Team will encourage you to use the restroom and set up your preferred environment in your private treatment bay or room. Some patients like reduced lighting, for example, while others don’t request light adjustments. You’ll complete a depression scale before each treatment session. Your Greenbrook provider will confirm that the dose kit is yours, show you how to administer it, and then hand it to you. Each sprayer contained 28mg of Spravato esketamine nasal spray. Patients usually start with two sprayers (56mg) and soon increase to 84mg (three sprayers) per treatment. But, your dosage maybe vary. Should you be left with a metallic taste by the spray, the Care Team will offer suckers to help make the flavor dissipate. After your dose, you’ll be encouraged to lie back in your comfortable recliner. While most patients enjoy a quiet setting, Greenbrook is prepared to accommodate patients with a more animated reaction to the medication. You may feel sleepy, dizzy, mildly dissociated, and/or nauseated during treatment. Greenbrook's Care Team is readily available if you need assistance. How to Prepare for after your Nasal Esketamine Treatment Most side effects begin to wane in the second hour of observation, but if you’re wondering, “Is it safe to drive immediately after nasal esketamine treatment?” the answer is a resounding no. In addition to the mandatory ride home, you will need to block off time to rest and let side effects fully dissipate. This extended rest period is especially important in the first weeks of treatment when you’ll have treatment twice a week. Do not drive or operate machinery of any kind until the day after treatment. Just take it easy, relax, and take care of yourself. If you’re unsure what activities you can do or should avoid during this time, talk to your Care Team for more information. While side effects tend to dissipate completely after a good night’s sleep, many nasal esketamine patients begin feeling relief from depression symptoms within hours of their treatment. Other Tips in Preparing for Your Nasal Esketamine Treatment At Greenbrook, we make every effort to schedule your treatment in the afternoons or whenever it is most convenient for you. We encourage you to see each treatment session as an opportunity to relax and take care of your mental health. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your doctor or the Greenbrook Care Team. At Greenbrook, we’ll help you feel at ease when preparing for each treatment session. Schedule A Free Consultation To get started with nasal esketamine, schedule your free consultation today.
