Depression is one of the most common disorders affecting millions of people worldwide. Short spells of depression in crucial moments in life such as periods where a great amount of stress and trauma is faced is fairly normal. However, there are instances where the condition can be chronic. There are individuals who may be living with the disorders for years or even decades. Long term depression can pose further issues despite the usual negative effects and symptoms of the malady. After a period of time, long term effects of depression can start to set in.
Ordinary symptoms of the disorder are characterized by significant changes in mood, typical to negative passive emotions such as moodiness, irritability, loss of interest, apathy as well as lack of motivation. Physiological symptoms include over sleeping or lack of sleep, overeating or under-eating, pain in any area of the body including the head as well as other generic symptoms such as digestive symptoms, fatigue and malaise. To understand the long term depression effects, it is first important to understand the aforementioned ordinary tell-tale signs of the disorder. Once this has been noted, figuring out the long term depression symptoms can be done quite easily.
Long term depression can result in drastic changes mentally as well as physically. Hypersomnia and insomnia can both result in symptoms such as tiredness, lethargy, lowered immunity as well as weight gain or loss as metabolism would increase or decrease. The same is true for changes in eating habits. Over the long term, a person may become obese or anorexic. These long term depression effects can further damage the person mentally. Mental symptoms simply intensify over the long haul with the most severe symptom resulting suicidal tendencies due to extreme apathy, worthlessness and hopelessness.
Besides this, if you are under treatment for the condition, the various treatments used can also result in long term effects. Antidepressants and other conventional remedies are at most risk for resulting in long term effects. However, if you have been seeking treatment, your disorder will most likely not last for an extended period of time. using alternative, natural treatments would most likely not result in any long term issues. Alternative treatments include adjusting your diet, incorporating exercise as well as trying other remedial procedures such as acupuncture.
Depression can have a serious impact on any individual, irrespective of their emotional strength, for this reason it is important to quickly bring the condition under control if diagnosed in a person.