Signs, Symptoms, Treatment for Depression in Women

Depression In Women

Clinical depression is a serious mental disorder. It can cause a perpetual feeling of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness. It can severely hamper your confidence and self-esteem if left untreated.  Clinical depression can be categorized into mild, moderate, and severe depending on the severity of the symptoms: Apathy, loss of appetite, disturbance in sleep pattern, fatigue, etc, to extreme cases of thoughts of suicide. 

However, these symptoms are common both in men and women but they are found to be more prevalent in women. Many women start to show symptoms of depression at an early stage in life and this continues as they grow older, or can recur from time to time. It can affect women emotionally, physically, mentally, professionally, and socially. It’s fair to say that women face all kinds of pressure throughout their life, which can develop into various kinds of mental disorders, including anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc.

If you know anyone who is dealing with depression or signs of depression, let us tell you, there is hope! Depression can be managed and successfully treated through various procedures, but first, you should understand the various types of depression that women deal with and what these symptoms look like.

Why Is Depression More Common In Women?

Before puberty, depression occurs at the same rate in girls and in boys. But with the onset of puberty, as the hormone and body change, the girl’s risk of developing depression increases almost twice that in boys. 

Some experts believe that the hormonal changes women undergo throughout their lives can be the leading cause of signs of depression in women. These changes can be seen more dramatically during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause and can also be seen after childbirth and miscarriage. 

In addition to these events, the hormonal fluctuation during the monthly menstrual cycle also contributes to premenstrual syndrome(PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder(PMDD), a severe depressive or mood disorder episode, along with the symptoms of stress and anxiety, which happens a week before menstruation making it hard to function in daily life. 

Early Signs And Symptoms Of Depression In Women

For most women, the early signs of depression often go unnoticed. Women, and people in general, often misunderstand it as PMS or mood swings. However, there can be a few prevalent signs of depression in women that differ from what men face. Identifying these early signs can help in the early diagnosis of depression: 

Physical Signs: Depression affects everyone’s physical and mental health. But it can be more apparent in a woman’s body as their hormones play a major role in such changes:

• A drastic change in appetite 
• Disturbance in sleep pattern 
• Mental lethargy, or brain fog
• Frequent muscle aches, headaches, and cramps 
• Digestive-related issues

Emotional Signs: Women go through emotional turmoil during the depressive episode. These feelings can be chronic and intense: 

• Hopelessness, worthlessness, and/or helplessness 
• Irritability(or mood swings)
• Indecisiveness 
• Loss of interest
• Self-harm
• Thoughts or attempts of suicide  

These symptoms are not unique to women. However, the signs are more evident in women than men. 

What Are The Leading Causes And Triggers Of Depression In Women?

Biology can play a crucial part in developing depression in an individual. Some of the biological traits in women make women more susceptible to depression. The two female hormones, Progesterone and Estrogen, are responsible for regulating women’s mood, and slight fluctuation in these hormones can affect their mood. However, these are all implications, the definite cause of depression is unknown, but there can be multiple factors that can contribute to the onset of depression or trigger depressive episodes in women:  

Hormonal Changes: In the US alone, more than 15 million individuals fight depression; unfortunately, most are women. The reason behind this disparity is unknown, but it's likely because of the hormonal changes women undergo at various life stages. 

Since the onset of puberty, women go through major changes in their hormones and body. From the beginning of menstruation to menopause, female sex hormones play a crucial role in this disparity between signs of depression in women and men.

Genetics: Genetics is considered one of the biggest contributors to the signs of depression in women. Heritability accounts for 40-50% chances of developing depression and can be higher in cases of severe depression. But it’s not safe to say that someone can simply ‘inherit’ depression from their mother or father. But they inherit a unique combination of genes, which can genetically predispose the individual to depression. 

Aging: Through MRI(Magnetic resonance imaging) scans, it can clearly be seen that elderly people with depression have a lower volume of gray matter in their brain cells. This signifies that aging takes place much faster in people with depression than a people without depression. The researcher later noticed that the aging process, lower volume of gray matter cells, reduced further in female participants. 

Societal Causes: The higher rate of sign of depression in women isn’t only because of their biology, but external factors play an equal part. Women are more likely to have anxiety and/or develop eating disorders because of societal pressure and expectations. Women are often exposed to mental and physical abuse which takes a toll on their mental health and can develop into depression at a later stage in their life. 

Substance Abuse: Due to extreme pressure and stress, women often rely on substances (i.e. drugs) to momentarily feel better about themselves. However, this can do more harm than good, and it can trigger the underlying symptoms of depression. 

Poor Diet: Young girls are subjected to body issues ever since they reach puberty. Women suffer from body image issues more than men as they face more pressure from society to look a certain way(whatever that is trending). One of the most common things is to look thin which can trigger eating disorders in women. Leading to forced starvation and poor diet, which can be dangerous for their mental health. 

Triggers Leading To Depressive Episodes

There can be a few instances where certain events, or hormonal changes, can trigger underlying depressive episodes in women. These instances can induce from mild depressive episodes to severe to sometimes extreme suicidal episodes. It’s always advisable to identify these triggers before it's too late and seek or help your loved ones to seek professional help as soon as possible: 

Puberty: The sudden change in hormones may increase the risk of developing depression in young girls. Young girls go through a lot during their puberty, eg: changes in their bodies, identity confusion, constant conflicts with parents, etc. During and after puberty, the rate of developing depression is higher in girls as compared to boys, as they reach puberty earlier than boys. This gender gap in depression is likely to continue throughout the lifespan of both genders. 

Menstruations: Menstruations regulate women’s hormonal balance and are an excellent indicator of health concerns. Women dealing with depression are more likely to face irregularities in their menstruation cycle, and women who have dealt with menstruation concerns are more prone to depression. 

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder(PMDD): Women usually suffer from some extent of mood swings days before their period, but a significant change in mood or feeling of discomfort can be associated with PMDD. While they might not necessarily face any hormonal imbalance, these women are likely to be more sensitive to changes in hormone levels. This can lead to extreme emotional turmoil in women. 

Menopause: According to a study, it was estimated that 45%- 68% of women go through severe mood swings during their menopausal transition, also known as perimenstrual depression. Women going through the menopausal transition are more sensitive to the hormonal level changes happening in their body, i.e. drastic drops in estrogen and progesterone levels.

Pregnancy and Postpartum: Perinatal depression can develop during or after childbirth. It is commonly described as depression that develops during or the first year after childbirth. This kind of depression can severely affect the mental condition of a woman. It can last for more than 14 days and have more severe depression symptoms than any other triggers mentioned above. It is a rising concern to women’s health, as more than 500,000 pregnant or perinatal women are estimated to develop such depressive disorder yearly. 

Postpartum Psychosis: Postpartum psychosis is an extremely delirious behavior developed in women after childbirth. During this episode, the woman is a threat to herself and her baby. This depressive episode is a medical emergency. Suicide is 20% more common in postpartum women, and 1 depression-induced infanticide, i.e. killing a child under age, is reported every three days. 

Seasonal Affective Depression(SAD): This type of depressive disorder mostly occurs in the colder and darker months. The definite reason is still unknown but it can be because of the lack of natural sunlight that we receive during this season, i.e. winter. However, this episode can also pop up in other seasons as well. Women show more symptoms of seasonal depression, as compared to men, like lack of apathy, lack of energy, sadness, and general irritability, along with other signs of depression.   

How To Cope With Depression In Women?

Nowadays depression term is thrown around very casually on social media platforms, but it's a serious mental disorder and should be dealt with by professionals. Feeling a little low, stressed, and anxious is now considered to be normal, due to our changing lifestyle, but it shouldn’t. If you’re feeling low or have any kind of difficulty managing your daily life, there can be some underlying depression symptoms that you need to look into. Here are some various ways how you can manage your depression symptoms: 

Take charge of your emotion: First of all, it’s important to understand that it’s okay to feel this way and that you are certainly not alone. Taking charge of your emotions is the first step to dealing with depression. You should first understand what exactly you’re feeling and what are your triggers. 

Maintain a healthy diet: You must maintain a proper diet by adding more nutritious food to your diet. Depressive episodes can drive you to eat less than what your body requires or munch on unhealthy snacks. Try adding more protein, iron, and vitamins to your diet. In addition to diet, you must also get your vitamin levels checked, deficiency of vitamins B and D is proven to trigger a few depressive episodes, especially in women. 

Move your body: Physical exercise has been shown to improve the symptoms of depression. Even as little as walking can elevate your dopamine and serotonin level, commonly known as “happy hormones”, which can instantly improve your mood. Physical exercise plays a vital role in mental well-being, it can also help with anxiety and panic attacks.

Socialize: Dealing with depression is scary and can get lonely but it doesn’t have to. We know it’s hard to socialize with people when you’re dealing with depression but it's extremely important. You must reach out to your friends and family and let them know what you’re dealing with. Having peer support makes it easier in dealing with depression, and can also make you realize that you’re not alone in this process. 

Get some help: Therapy is one proven way that helps with depression. Talk therapy has benefitted millions of women with depression. It’s easier to address your issues and emotions in a closed room in front of a neutral and caring person. Therapy can also help equip you with the perspective that can help you to self-reflect and find the solution within yourself. There are different kinds of therapy that you can opt for: 

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Also known as CBT, is a talking therapy that can help you manage your symptoms of depression and anxiety, by providing you with a perspective that can change your way of thinking and action. CBT addresses your negative thought pattern and helps you maintain a positive outlook in any situation.
• Psychodynamic Therapy: Depression can slow;y creep into your life, and you can unconsciously start behaving in a particular manner, which may not be apparent to people around you but a professional can understand these cues. Psychodynamic therapy works on this principle. The professional works on your unconscious processes and make you self-aware of your unresolved issues of present and past. 
• Interpersonal Therapy(IPT): This therapy focuses on your present relationships with your close ones and targets improving those relationships. This method can help you cope with your symptoms better and help you build healthy interpersonal relationships in your surrounding. 

All these ways are proven to help people with depression but women have benefitted most from the methods. With the help of these methods, you can successfully subside the symptoms of depression and can improve your quality of life. But does depression completely go away? Well, it depends. It depends on the severity of the trauma one goes through. 

Conclusion

Depression is not an ailment that can be cured through medication immediately, it's a process that needs time and patience. You should be patient and give time to yourself, depression is a battle and by talking and seeking help, you’ve won half of it. Depression leaves you feeling lonely but that’s just not true. It may seem lonely and scary today, but trust us when we say that, more than half of women of your age are going through exactly what you’re feeling right now. You should treat depression as you would treat any other disease, without any stigma or shame. 

Every day with depression looks different. Some days you’re hopeful and other days you may struggle to get out of your bed. It’s on these days you should be kind to yourself. Talk to a friend, go on a walk, or talk to your therapist, whatever helps you on those hard days. Remember, one step at a time.