Depression and Mood Disorder

Depression and Mood Disorder

Depression affects a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of wellbeing since it causes low mood and aversion to activities. The patient may experience a wide range of symptoms, such as memory issues, unexplained somatic diseases, such as chronic disease-related vertigo and diabetes and arthritis.

Major depression is typically diagnosed when a patient exhibits depressed mood or loses interest in activities that they typically enjoy as well as at least four of the following symptoms: disturbed sleep, disturbed appetite, sinfulness or guilt, exhaustion, psychomotor agitation or retardation, a sense of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, and thoughts of suicide and death. Depression may be indicated by nonverbal cues such hunched posture, sluggish movement, and slower speech.

Risk Factors

The likelihood of geriatric depression is influenced by a number of factors, including

• Insomnia.
• Being a woman
• Being unmarried, divorced, widowed, or single.
• Absence of a strong social network.
• Stressful circumstances.
• Depression risk is also increased by physical illnesses such dementia, cancer, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, stroke, and chronic pain.
  • Additionally, the elderly frequently exhibit the following risk factors for depression
    • Specific medications or medication combinations.
    • Harm to one's self-image.
    • Major depressive disorder in the family.
    • Dread of dying.
    • Social isolation, living alone.
    • Previous suicide attempt
    • Existence of severe or persistent discomfort.
    • Previous experience with depression.
    • Loss of a loved one recently.
    • Addiction to drugs.

Symptoms of Depression

• Mood disturbance.
• Grief, defeat, and sobs.
• Panic attacks, anxiety, depression, and irritability.
• Say they're down in the dumps, sad, blue, depressed, low, and nothing is enjoyable.
• Uncertain perceptions.
• Loss of the capacity for enjoyment
• Withholding from routine activities.
• A sense of unworthiness
• irrational worries
• Guilt, including self-criticism for small shortcomings.
• Delusions.
• Hallucinations.
• Alterations in behavior.
• Pulling or rubbing their hair, body, or clothing; pacing; or wringing their hands.
• Disruptions in sleep.
• Alterations in appetite
• Occasionally weight gain or loss.
• Energy was reduced by fatigue.
• Obsession with physical fitness.
• Believing they are suffering from cancer or another severe sickness when they are not.
• Inability to focus, think clearly, or decide.
• Reduced amounts of speech, slower responses with pauses before answering, and low or monotone vocal tones.
• Suicide attempts, thoughts of suicide, or both.
• Constipation.
• Abnormally quick heartbeat.

Management

For depression, there are numerous therapeutic options. They include medicine, physical therapy, counseling, electroconvulsive therapy, and other cutting-edge techniques for stimulating the brain (such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation). A combination of these treatments may occasionally be employed.

• Elderly persons are thought to respond equally well to the majority of antidepressants currently on the market. A person may experience sedation or a sharp drop in blood pressure when they stand up as a result of the side effects or possible reactions associated with other antidepressants like amitriptyline and imipramine. Falls and fractures may result from this.
• Support from friends and family, participation in self-help and support groups, and psychotherapy are all beneficial in the opinion of the majority of depressed people. People who have undergone significant life stress or who prefer not to take medication but only have mild to moderate symptoms can benefit most from psychotherapy. Additionally, it is useful for those who are unable to take pharmaceuticals due to side effects, drug interactions, or other health issues.
• Electroconvulsive Therapy
  • ECT can be quite helpful in treating depression in older persons. ECT is frequently a safe and effective therapy option when elderly patients are unable to take typical antidepressants due to side effects or combinations with other medications, or when depression is extremely severe and interferes with basic daily functioning.