Despite growing awareness, there are still many misconceptions about depression. From insisting you should snap out of it to not realizing people have physical symptoms, depression remains a complex condition that few understand.
If you struggle with depression, you can find the help you need from our compassionate team at Palo Alto Mind Body. We offer comprehensive care for depression, including psychotherapy, functional medicine, and advanced treatments often delivering rapid symptom relief, like IV ketamine infusions and FDA-approved Spravato.
Let’s explore six misconceptions that reflect what many people don’t know about depression.
One of the most common misconceptions about depression, and one of the most damaging for people who are depressed, is that they should be able to snap out of it.
The belief that depression is something you can snap out of may come from a general lack of understanding about mental health disorders.
Or, it may stem from the fact that many people experience the blues, which they can (and do) snap out of. They expect people with depression to do the same.
However, the blues are not the same as depression. The blues are a temporary feeling usually caused by life stressors and events. Depression is a complex brain disorder requiring professional support and treatment.
This “just snap out of it” attitude carries a devastating stigma that judges and affects those with depression. As a result, many don’t let others know they’re depressed, and they don’t seek help, which can lead to health complications and life-threatening outcomes like suicide.
All too often, people say they’re depressed as a way to express transient sadness. Like the blues, feeling sad in daily life is different from clinical depression.
Though people with depression feel sad, they also experience profound emotional, physical, and cognitive changes.
Many people don’t know that depression can affect a person’s physical health. People with depression commonly develop muscle aches, headaches, joint pain, abdominal cramping, and indigestion.
Deep fatigue often develops, and the brain’s processing speed slows down. Additionally, many with depression have chronic pain.
In reality, many people with depression mask their symptoms. They force a smile on their face, go to work or school, and make it through the day without anyone knowing they’re depressed.
You may be able to pinpoint a life event that triggers your depression. Losing a job, the death of a loved one, trauma, illness, and many other life changes can lead to depression. Also, substance abuse and depression often go hand-in-hand.
Or, depression may develop without an apparent reason. Genetic tendencies, brain biology, neurochemicals, stress, the gut-brain connection, and lifestyle habits can all contribute to depression. In many cases, multiple causes interact at the same time.
No matter the cause, depression that lasts two weeks or longer is unlikely to improve without treatment.
It’s easy to believe depression is little more than sadness or the blues because everyone faces and understands those issues. Depression, however, encompasses much more and is often different for each person.
Many people experience similar depression symptoms, such as losing interest in their favorite activities and feeling hopeless and worthless.
Other symptoms vary from person to person. Some people sleep all the time, while others struggle to sleep at all. Some can’t eat; others overeat. Some are incredibly restless, nervous, and irritable; others move slowly or can’t conjure an emotion.
Additionally, some people with depression also struggle with anxiety, psychosis, and other symptoms associated with different mental health conditions.
Without treatment, depression can physically alter certain areas of the brain. The longer you wait to get help, the higher your risk of falling into a downward spiral of worsening symptoms.
The good news is that there are really effective, evidence-based treatments for depression these days. For those who have tried antidepressants and therapy but are still having depressive symptoms, ketamine or Spravato may help you reach remission and feel good again.
Call Palo Alto Mind Body today or request an appointment online to get individualized treatment for overcoming depression.
