Severe Depression: When Sadness Becomes a Medical Emergency

Have you ever seen a loved one make their way through life with severe depression? If you have, you know just how heartbreaking it can be.

Severe depression doesn’t just lower a person’s mood – it makes it difficult for them to believe that their life will ever improve. Their brain and body trick them into believing that their worst fears and doubts about themselves are a certainty.

29.5% of Ohio residents between the ages of 18 and 24 had already been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, according to a 2021 study. At SUN Behavioral Health Columbus, we’re dedicated to solving unmet needs in Franklin County, Ohio, and throughout our wider community. When someone you love is living with severe depression, you need to know how to recognize their symptoms and what you can do to help. That’s why we’re highlighting what you need to know about the condition.

Knowing the Facts About Severe Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that impacts millions of adults throughout the country. There are many different kinds of depression, including seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression, and dysthymic disorder, among others. Clinically, severe depression is known as major depressive disorder (MDD).

If someone you love is living with MDD, you’ve seen the ways it changes their life. The condition can make it difficult to complete daily living tasks, including eating, showering, and even getting out of bed. MDD affects everything from a person's behaviors to their moods, thoughts, and feelings. Sometimes, MDD is triggered by a specific major life event, like divorce or the death of a loved one. However, there isn’t always a clear-cut reason why a person develops MDD. People of all ages experience MDD, including children, adults, and the elderly. Symptoms can come on suddenly and last for weeks or even months if the condition goes untreated.

MDD makes navigating life more complicated, not just for the person who’s experiencing the condition but for the people who love them as well. It’s vital to remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Cases of severe depression improve drastically within a few weeks of starting the right treatment options.

Understanding the Causes and Risk Factors of Severe Depression

There isn’t one clear cause for MDD. However, there are multiple factors that put some people at a higher risk of developing MDD than the general population, including:

• Family history: Having close relatives who’ve lived with MDD makes it more likely that you will experience it yourself. This is especially true for people who were raised by parents living with MDD. Genetics are thought to put certain people at greater risk for developing the condition, but there is no “depression gene.”
• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): Trauma during childhood makes a person more likely to develop MDD as a teen or an adult. One example of ACEs is experiencing major traumas like physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in the home. Other examples include neglect or financial instability. Other seemingly minor experiences, like bullying, can also have a major impact on the psychological development of a child.
• Other health conditions: Depression also occurs as a result of other health conditions. Many people living with chronic pain, cancer, and epilepsy experience depression at high rates. Often, their depression will improve as their condition gets better, but receiving mental health treatment can help them manage their symptoms.

These are just a few of the potential risk factors for depression. If someone in your life is managing MDD, and there isn’t a clear cause, that doesn’t make their experiences any less real. Depression should always be taken seriously.

Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Severe Depression

The symptoms of MDD differ depending on the person. The clearest sign of MDD is persistent low moods that last for at least two weeks or more. Other common symptoms of depression include:

• Sudden weight loss or weight gain due to changes in appetite
• Difficulty concentrating, recalling information, or making decisions
• Suicidal ideation
• Fatigue or low energy
• Slowed speech or movements
• Difficulty falling asleep or sleeping too much
• Trouble concentrating
• Feelings of deep sadness, hopelessness, and worry
• New anger, irritability, or hostility
• No longer enjoying hobbies or activities you used to enjoy

People with severe depression are more likely to have thoughts of self-harm and suicide than people with mild depression. Any suicidal ideation or self-harm is an immediate medical emergency and needs to be taken seriously. If you’re with someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts, seek the nearest mental health care center.

A person who’s living with depression will not exhibit all of these symptoms all the time. Some people are better at concealing their symptoms than others. If you’ve noticed that someone you love is withdrawing from social interaction or you believe that they’re showing signs of depression, take the time to reach out and have a conversation about what they’re going through.

What to Do if Someone You Love Is Experiencing Severe Depression

When someone you love is experiencing severe depression, communication often feels impossible. Even when they’re sitting right next to you, it can feel like your loved one is miles away. The most important thing you can do for someone living with severe depression is to offer emotional support. Ask them about their feelings and let them talk about what they’re experiencing without judgment. It can be scary to hear your loved one talk about how low they’re feeling, but you should always be empathetic and supportive of their emotions.

People with MDD often need more time than the average person to think things through and communicate due to their condition. Be sure to be an active listener and give them the opportunity to talk before you do. After they’ve finished speaking, you can ask follow-up questions and discuss ways you can support them

In the case of MDD, professional help is often necessary. Let your loved one know that you are happy to help them do research and find the support they need. With the right care, your loved one will see their mental health improve.

Be sure to include your loved one when deciding on a care plan. It’s vital that they feel empowered to make their own decisions during this process.

When to Get Help for Severe Depression

If your loved one is living with depression or is exhibiting depressive symptoms, it’s never too early for them to get treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective, evidence-based treatment options for depression. In CBT, your loved one will work with a therapist to develop a better understanding of the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Throughout the course of their treatment, your loved one and their therapist will uncover harmful ways of thinking and determine where those thought patterns come from. This encourages learning how to change them, leading to improved behavioral outcomes.

Professional support becomes more necessary as the symptoms of MDD worsen. The longer their condition goes untreated, the worse their symptoms will continue to get. As stated above, self-harm and suicidal ideation pose an immediate threat to the person’s safety. If someone you love is practicing self-harm, they need to begin treatment as soon as possible. If they are expressing thoughts about hurting themselves or someone else, they should seek immediate medical attention, even if they don’t believe that they will act on those thoughts.

Crisis Care for Severe Depression in Columbus, Ohio

When someone you love is living with MDD, you want to do everything you can to help them. Knowing how to help someone living with the condition is important, but you can’t do it on your own, and you shouldn’t have to. Mental health crisis care provides support to your loved one in their darkest moments. A good crisis center will provide 24/7 mental health services, psychological evaluations, and crisis management tools that you and the person you care about can access whenever you need to. People with depression do recover, they just need the right support.

Recovery from depression can start at any time, including now. Here at SUN Behavioral Health Columbus, our doors are always open and ready to assist anyone who needs it. We will find the right treatment option to address depression and any other mental health concerns your loved one is living with. We also have an online depression survey that can be filled out at any time. If you have any questions about our programs, treatment plans, or anything else at all, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 614-706-2786.

SUN Columbus: Solving Unmet Needs