Depression- A Serious Mood Disorder

Symptoms of depression in women should consider altering their treatment plan if they are pregnant or plan to conceive. If a woman has only mild depression, her doctor will often recommend managing her depression only through therapy while she tries conceive or is pregnant. Patients with severe depression may need to stay on their medication but can also switch to an antidepressant that is believed to be safe for pregnant women.

Women with a history of severe depression should also talk about postpartum depression with their doctors. Sometimes a doctor may advise a woman to start taking antidepressants during her last month of pregnancy, even if she stopped using antidepressants when she conceived. This cautionary measure can prevent these women from developing postpartum depression.

There are no studies on the effects of antidepressants on pregnant women due to ethical concerns. However, drug manufacturers do keep a list of women who use their drugs while pregnant as well as a list of any side effects the women and their children experience. This information helps doctors identify the possible risks to the fetus when determining if antidepressants are necessary.

Postpartum major depression is a serious mood disorder that causes a depressed mood for the majority of the day for at least two weeks. Some women with postpartum major depression experience fatigue, guilt, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts. Very severe cases can cause delusions or hallucinations, which in rare cases may lead a woman to harm her child.

Postpartum major depression is caused by changes in the body’s brain chemistry and is considered a biological illness. After birth, the amount of progesterone and estrogen in a woman’s body falls, which may trigger depression? Sometimes an underactive thyroid gland causes postpartum major depression, but this cause of depression is more easily treated. The same condition primarily caused by hormone changes is treated through therapy and sometimes medication. However, women breastfeeding their children should discuss the use of antidepressants with their doctor.

While most women will experience some changes in mood, hot flashes, and insomnia during menopause, these symptoms can also progress into major depression. Researchers believe that changes in hormones can trigger major depression, especially in women who have had depression in the past or have family members with depression. Women with major depression will have one or both of two primary symptoms. They can have a depressed mood for most of the day for at least two weeks, or they may lose interest in treasured activities. Symptoms of depression in women is still transitioning into menopause, a doctor may recommend trying only hormone therapy, especially if the woman has never experienced depression before. For women with mild symptoms who have fully transitioned into menopause, many doctors believe that antidepressants are more useful than hormone replacement. 

Depression also affects more than 35 million adults each year. Of these, 6.5 million are over the age of 65. In the later years of a person’s life, changes occur that can lead to depression. These include medical illnesses, death of spouses or other loved ones and retirement. Depression prevents older adults from enjoying their lives like they did when they were younger. For more information visit the site https://selfbetter.com/