Depression, also known as depressive disorder, manifests primarily as significantly prolonged feelings of low mood during the onset of the condition. As a main type of mood disorder, it often involves noticeable emotional despondency and a tendency towards feeling downcast. As the condition progresses, there may be a sense of pessimism and aversion to life, posing serious health risks to the body, hence necessitating preventive measures against depression.
Additionally, physical manifestations accompany the onset of depression, warranting prompt attention and treatment. So, what are the characteristics of depression that affect health?
1. Prolonged feeling of despondency
At the formation of depression, the main characteristic is a low mood and despondency, with patients exhibiting significantly prolonged emotional lows. Initially feeling down and lacking joy in anything, patients demonstrate diminished interest in activities.
As depression progresses unchecked, there could be situations of pessimism, despair, feeling like life is unbearable, or even contemplating death. On the basis of low mood, many patients may also experience diminished self-esteem, feeling hopeless and helpless. If these signs are present, it indicates the possible onset of depression, requiring targeted treatment to alleviate the condition.
2. Cognitive impairment
Depression, as a severe mood disorder, may present with signs of cognitive impairment such as slowed thinking. Many patients exhibit slow associative thinking, mental sluggishness, cognitive rigidity, likening their brains to rusty machines in terms of cognitive abilities.
There could be decreased judgment, reduced spontaneous speech, slower speech rate, difficulty responding in conversations, or even a complete inability to communicate in severe cases – common signs of depression. If such characteristics are already evident, it implies that depression has taken hold, and ignoring the condition will only exacerbate it, leading to evident adverse consequences.
3. Decline in memory function
When depression strikes, it can impair cognitive functions, leading to decreased short-term memory, perhaps along with mental sluggishness, attention deficits, and in severe cases, poor verbal fluency and learning difficulties.
If these signs of cognitive impairment are present, it indicates that depression may be in its developmental phase. Failure to take timely corrective measures may result in functional impairments, affecting normal life in the future – all potential distinctive presentations of depression.
Hence, the impact of depression should not be underestimated. As a serious illness, it should be managed through appropriate treatment. If left unattended, depression will worsen, potentially leading the patient to contemplate suicide, with unimaginable consequences. Therefore, post-onset, a combination of psychotherapy, medication, and other treatments should be employed to control the disease.
