Question 1

Can you treat depression without medication?

Accepted Answer

There are many ways to treat depression and decrease depressive symptoms at home, without medication, including:

Physical activity or exercise (as effective as antidepressants). Read more: All you need to know about exercise and depressionAn antidepressant diet. Read more: An easily digested guide to diet and depressionPracticing mindfulness. Read more: How to use mindfulness for depression in 5 simple steps – Quick guide to medication-free mindfulness treatmentPracticing meditation on a regular basis. Read more: Top 3 beginner meditations for depression – A psychologist’s guide on how to use meditation for depressionGetting better sleep quality. Read about the best sleep tools here: All you need to know about depression and sleep – The most effective sleep strategies for improving depressionStop smoking (this is actually as effective as taking antidepressants). Contact the NHS stop smoking services.Drink carefully. Visit the NHS Alcohol Support.Gardening (preferably together with other people)Spending time with animals. Connecting with friends and family.Showing kindness and giving to others.

Read more about: 12 natural treatments for depression – Science-based and medication free depression treatments

Question 2

What is the difference between depression and bipolar disorder?

Accepted Answer

In short, the difference between depression and bipolar disorders (there are more than one) is:

Depressed people struggle with low moodPeople with bipolar disorder struggle with extreme fluctuations in mood – usually both highs and lows.

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by low mood, loss of interest in activities, feelings of hopelessness, excessive guilt, sleep and appetite changes, frequent thoughts about death or suicide and concentration difficulties. A depressive episode lasts for a minimum of two weeks, but usually for much longer. Bipolar disorders are different. While most people with bipolar disorders experience periods of depression, they also struggle with periods of mania and/or hypomania. To be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania. And to be diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, the person must have experienced at least one episode of hypomania and one depressive episode. Read more about the symptoms of mania and hypomania: What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

Question 3

What is the best treatment for bipolar disorder?

Accepted Answer

Medication. Usually, bipolar disorder is best treated with prescription medications. The most common medications for bipolar disorders are mood stabilizers and/or antipsychotics. Lithium is considered a mood stabilizer and it’s often used to treat bipolar disorders. Lithium can be used both as maintenance therapy and as treatment for acute episodes. In general, antidepressant medication is not recommended as the only treatment for bipolar disorders. Antidepressants can cause mood destabilisation and must be carefully monitored. A doctor will take into consideration the patient’s symptoms, possible side effects and how effective different types of medications are before determining what prescriptions to use.Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, or ‘talk therapy’, plays an important role in the treatment of bipolar disorders. Prescription medications in combination with psychotherapy is considered the best treatment solution for most patients. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in combination with medical treatment improves mood stabilisation and reduces the recurrence of bipolar symptoms more effectively than medications alone.  ECT. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment in which electrical impulses are administered through the scalp to induce a seizure. ECT procedures are always performed under general anesthesia. ECT is effectively used to treat severe depressive episodes and mania in bipolar disorders.  Read more about ECT and depression: All you need to know about electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) – Liberating modern ECT from old-fashioned stereotypes

Question 4

What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

Accepted Answer

Bipolar disorders are characterized by periods of mania (extreme excitement, overactivity, euphoria and delusions) and periods of depression (low mood, hopelessness and loss of interest in activity).To be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania. And to be diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of hypomania and one episode of depression.To be considered mania, the elevated, expansive, or irritable mood must last for at least one week and be present most of the day, nearly every day. To be considered hypomania, the mood must last for at least four days and be present most of the day, nearly every day.Symptoms of mania and hypomania. The symptoms of mania or hypomania must represent a significant change from the person’s usual behaviour. Three or more of the following symptoms must be present:

Inflated self-esteem or grandiosityDecreased need for sleepIncreased talkativenessRacing thoughtsBeing easily distractedIncrease in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation (a feeling of anxious restlessness which causes a person to make meaningless movements)Engaging in activities which may have painful consequences, for example extreme buying sprees

Symptoms of depression. A person must experience five or more of the following symptoms for at least two weeks to be diagnosed with a major depressive episode:

Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every dayLoss of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activitiesSignificant weight loss or decrease or increase in appetiteInsomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much or too little)Engaging in purposeless movements, such as pacing the roomFatigue or loss of energyFeelings of worthlessness or guiltDiminished ability to think, concentrate and/or make decisionsRecurrent thoughts of death and/or suicide

Question 5

What are the 3 types of bipolar disorders?

Accepted Answer

There are 3 types of bipolar disorders:

Bipolar I disorder. Bipolar I disorder is diagnosed when a person experiences a manic episode. A manic episode is characterized by an extreme increase in energy which lasts at least one week. The person may feel euphoric and high-spirited, or uncomfortably irritable. The manic state causes dysfunction in work, family or social activities. Commonly, symptoms of mania require a person to receive hospital care. Some people with bipolar I disorder also have depressive episodes, periods with neutral mood and/or hypomanic episodes (a less severe form of mania). Bipolar II disorder. Bipolar II disorder is diagnosed when a person has experienced at least one depressive episode and one hypomanic episode. A hypomanic episode is a less severe form of mania which lasts for at least four days. Hypomania typically creates a significant increase in energy and mood, but does not lead to the severe problems in daily functioning which is seen during a manic episode. Cyclothymic disorder. Cyclothymic disorder is a milder form of bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymic disorder experience periods of depressive symptoms and hypomanic symptoms, but the symptoms do not meet criteria for full depressive episodes or episodes of hypomania. The mood swings are milder and typically occur more frequently in cyclothymic disorder than in bipolar disorder I and II.

Question 6

What is bipolar disorder?

Accepted Answer

Bipolar disorders are a group of brain disorders which cause extreme changes in a person’s energy level, mood and ability to function. The word bipolar reflects the fluctuations in mood between extreme highs and extreme lows that people with bipolar disorder experience. People with bipolar disorder usually live through periods of mania (extreme excitement, overactivity, euphoria and delusions) and periods of depression (low mood, hopelessness and loss of interest in activity).Read more about: What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

Question 7

Why is depression affecting older adults?

Accepted Answer

For people who experience depression for the first time later in life, changes in the brain or other functions in the body may be the cause. Scientists are currently examining the link between restricted blood flow (ischemia) and a type of late-life depression called “vascular depression”. In addition, other forms of physical illnesses and the inconvenience that accompany them can increase the risk of depression. Psychosocial factors, such as social isolation and loneliness, contribute to depression in older adults. The death of friends, family members and pets poses a higher risk of depression.

Question 8

What is late-life depression (LLD)?

Accepted Answer

Late-life depression is defined as an episode of depression occurring at age 65 or later. The risk of depression is lower in older adults than in younger, but when depression affects the elderly it can be more difficult to treat. Late-life depression affects 2-5 % of older adults. Around 12-30 % of older adults experience some depressive symptoms.

Question 9

Why is suicide more common in men than in women?

Accepted Answer

Even though women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, men are 4-6 times more likely than women to commit suicide. In general, men tend to experience stigma brought on by a social culture which celebrates self-reliance, toughness and repressing emotions. This prevents men from seeking professional help, or makes them wait longer before doing so. A Canadian research study by Dr Mackenzie and colleagues found that depressed men reported significantly more self-stigma related to help-seeking than women.Another reason why men are less frequently diagnosed with depression is that depression presents itself a bit differently in men than in women. In addition to the common symptoms of depression, men are more likely to experience the following signs:

Chronic irritability. Exaggerated anger and aggressive behaviour. Drinking too much or abusing other substances.Risk-taking or impulsiveness.A tendency to overwork (as a way to cope with depression). Arrogance (as a way to mask insecurity).

Read more about depression in men: The hidden signs of depression in men – how do men deal with depression?

Question 10

Why is depression more common in women than in men?

Accepted Answer

Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. Researchers are still examining potential causes and contributing factors to the high rate of depression in women. Biological and hormonal factors play a role in depression. Women as a group suffer from several forms of depression, such as postpartum depression, premenstrual depression and menopausal depression. In addition, they are affected by all the forms of depression that afflict men. But biology alone can’t explain women’s increased risk of depression. There are also psychosocial factors to consider. Women’s lives are more likely to include circumstances which lead to depression, such as abuse, poverty, regular humiliations and lack of education.

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