Depression is a medical condition characterized by feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness. It affects numerous people throughout the world, a major chunk of them being women. If mild in nature, depression can cure itself, but in case of a severe or prolonged attack, it needs proper treatment by qualified doctors.
Complications of depression mean secondary conditions or other problems arising out of depression. It often becomes difficult to find a dividing line between symptoms and complications of depression. The list of complications of depression is quite long. The list includes suicidal behavior, adverse effect on physical health, heart ailments, harmful impact on kids, marriage and work, substance abuse, smoking, obesity, cancer, female infertility, Bradykinesia, headache, Amenorrhoea, mood swing, delusion, sleep disturbance, and constipation.
There is an increased risk of suicidal tendencies among children and adolescents, more so if accompanied by behavioral problems, and substance or alcohol abuse. According to a study, no less than seven percent of depressed adolescents commit suicide in their early adulthood. Patients undergoing treatment in hospitals run the maximum risk of suicide.
Curiously, in comparison to women, more depressed men, especially over 60, prefer to kill themselves. Researchers have claimed that atypical depression leads to more suicides than typical cases of depression, and that dysthymia is more risky than episodic major depressive problem. It is, therefore, sensible to take any suicidal behavior seriously, and go for immediate treatment.
Complications of depression adversely effect physical life. Elderly people suffering from major depression have been found to live a relatively shorter life than normal people, even in the absence of any serious accompanying disease. A study claimed that even minor depression could lead to a shorter life span in men.
Women, however, behave differently. Detachment from society and lack of physical activity might be responsible for this. Some researchers indicate that depression leads to low serotonin levels, the response to which causes blood clotting problems, inflammation, and damages organs and cells.
Recent studies have suggested a close link between depression and heart diseases. In fact, it has been found that one might lead to another. Depression causes a rise in the incidence and severity of heart attacks, stroke, and death due to heart problems. Depression, it is now known, may trigger heart disease along with hypertension and high blood cholesterol.
Depression has been linked with mental decline and even osteoporosis in elderly people. Interestingly, in spite of the fact that depression causes heart problems in both men and women, only men are found to have a high death rate.
Depression can have a disastrous effect on family ties, friendships, and workplace atmosphere. If parents suffer from depression, it tells on their children as well. In addition to increasing the risk for depression in their kids, depression in parents may lead to several medical conditions such as headaches, urinary and genital disorders, and lung problems in their children.
A study reveals that almost 50% of those who suffered from psychiatric problems prior to their marriage were divorced, while the corresponding figure is 36% for those who never faced such problems. Quite expectedly, depression is bound to adversely affect a person's professional life. It increases the risk for unemployment and lower income. On account of major depression, a lot of productive is wasted resulting in a huge financial loss for the country.
A significant percentage of people suffering from major depression are found to have alcohol use disorder and drug abuse problems. However, as far as the link between depression and alcoholism is concerned, it has not yet been clearly established whether one causes the other, or if both of them share a common biologic origin.
More than 25% of people having major depression take to excessive smoking, as nicotine may stimulate receptors in the brain that has the ability of improving mood in certain people suffering from genetically induced depression.
Various studies have shown a close link between depression and obesity. Depressed adolescents run a high risk of obesity, a recent study revealed. Both depression and obesity may have common risk factors. However, few studies have been undertaken for finding a common biologic or behavioral source for both.
The link between depression and cancer has been clearly found in pancreatic cancer. It cannot be denied that depression and anxiety do have a profound impact on quality of life in those who are suffering from cancer. The picture is gloomier for those who had depression earlier compared to those who had depression only after the illness.
The list of complications of depression cannot be called exhaustive. With change in lifestyle and everything else, only time will tell if some items would be added or subtracted to it in the future.
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