Studies show that 10% of the US population will struggle with depression, and women struggle twice as much as men. But how does depression affect your life? What is the impact of depression on things like performance or family? And what help is available?
Satori Health offers comprehensive mental health treatment in the San Fernando Valley. Contact us today to learn more about our depression treatment programs in Los Angeles.
What Causes Depression?
Of those who develop depression at some point, half of the situations are caused by genetics and the other half by other causes.
Genetics
Genes can play a role in your risk of depression. 50% of people with depression can blame their genes. Individuals who have a parent or a sibling with a history of depression are at a two or three-times greater risk of struggling with depression themselves. So while the average person has a 10% risk of dealing with depression, someone with a family history has a 20% or 30% chance.
Life Events
Many life events can contribute to depression. Postpartum depression is one example where a significant change in hormone levels leads to depression after giving birth. But how does depression affect your life in this situation? It can make caring for yourself and your new child very challenging and seemingly impossible.
Experience in trauma can contribute to the development of PTSD and depression. And does depression affect daily life in this situation? Yes, of course. Depression can make it seem like nothing else in the world matters, you have no purpose, and there is no end in sight.
Changes to the Brain
Any changes to brain structure or brain chemistry can contribute to the development of depression. When stressful life events occur, this is precisely what takes place. But other situations can result in chemical or hormonal changes to the brain, like substance abuse or personality disorders.
What Are the Symptoms of Depression?
Sometimes, well-intentioned friends or family might say that someone isn’t really struggling with depression; they are just sad. But a depressive disorder is a legitimate mental health disorder. Unfortunately, depression and a depressive disorder symptoms might look very similar to being sad.
However, there are some key differences. For example, if you are moving to a new place, during your going away party, you might be very sad that you are leaving your close friends and family, but you also experience a tinge of happiness sprinkled throughout the stress and sadness because you remember the good times you had with those same friends and family.
Once you get to that new location, major depressive disorder could set in, causing symptoms of perpetual sadness, chronic hopelessness, and lethargy. In this case, you don’t feel any tinge of happiness sprinkled throughout; you just feel worthless or hopeless.
How Does Depression Affect Your Life?
So does depression affect daily life? Yes. And how does depression affect your life? Depression can make it challenging to complete daily tasks.
- If you feel a complete sense of hopelessness, your depression might interfere with your ability to get up and go to work every day, let alone complete the tasks you are supposed to do at work.
- The impact of depression can extend to your family life where you are so depressed that you don’t properly care for your kids, communicate with your spouse, feel any sex drive, or fulfill any personal responsibilities.
- With severe depression and feelings of hopelessness or despair, you might pull back from friends and family, no longer socializing, engaging and hobbies, or finding pleasure in any activity. This can damage your relationships and self-esteem, making getting the help you need even harder.
Thankfully, there is help at places like Satori Health.
How to Find Depression Treatment Centers in Southern California
If you are struggling with depression, you need to find a treatment center in Southern California specializing in mental health programs. Many rehab centers offer dual diagnosis treatment for mental health and addiction concurrently, but if you don’t have that, it might seem impossible to find a good program.
At Satori Health, we specialize exclusively in mental health programs. With our depression treatment, you can participate in group and individual therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy or family therapy. Here you can learn new life skills and coping mechanisms that better address the symptoms of your depression and help alleviate the impact of depression on your daily life. In some cases, you might also need medication, and we can work with you to find the medication that is a good fit.
Let Satori Health find a customized depression treatment program for you. Contact us today.