Hello everyone, this is the
Mental Health for Life channel. Depression is a disease that drains the
energy to live. It causes mental symptoms such as feeling down, not being able to have
fun, and loss of energy. At the same time, the brain ceases to function normally. Since
the brain and all organs are closely connected by autonomic nerves and hormones, the body
is also affected in various ways. Depression is often thought of as a mental illness, but
many physical symptoms also appear. In fact, many people who go to internal medicine or
orthopedics for gastrointestinal disorders or pain are referred to psychiatry, where they
are diagnosed with depression after tests fail to reveal any abnormalities. If physical symptoms
persist for a long time and no abnormality is found on examination, it is possible that
you may be suffering from depression. In this video, we will introduce 12
physical symptoms seen in depression. 1 Insomnia
A Sleep disorder is seen in most depressed people. There are two
types of sleep disorders: insomnia, which makes it difficult to sleep, and hypersomnia, in
which no matter how much sleep a person gets, he or she does not feel rested. Insomnia
is especially common in depression. It is difficult to fall asleep, and even if you do, you
cannot get a good night's sleep because you keep dreaming and feel tired. You wake up early in
the morning and do not want to get out of bed. Someone with insomnia might go to a physician
and receive only sleeping pills. but If they are able to get enough sleep but still don’t feel
well during the day, they may be suffering from depression. In such cases, we recommend that you
consult with your doctor or visit a psychiatrist. 2 Lack of appetite, weight
loss, diarrhea or constipation Depression may cause loss of appetite and
weight loss because of the negative effects on gastrointestinal tract movement through
the autonomic nervous system. The patient visits an internal specialist to check for
gastric cancer, but is diagnosed only with "mild gastritis" and no major abnormality is
found. Food in general may not taste good, and the taste may even feel different.
In addition, a patient may visit a physician for nausea and be diagnosed with reflux
esophagitis, in which gastric juice flows back into the esophagus, but depression
may be hiding behind this as well. In addition, depression can cause
repeated diarrhea and constipation, and some people rush to get tests to see
if they have colorectal cancer. Thus, gastrointestinal disorders are
deeply related to depression. 3 Heavy head and headache
A feeling of heaviness in the head and headache are very common in
depression. In particular, tension headaches previously diagnosed by a physician may have
depression behind them. Stubborn headaches that do not get better with headache medication
may get better with depression medication. 4 Dizziness
One of the most common types of vertigo that occurs with depression is floating
vertigo, which is a sudden feeling of fluttering around on one's feet. It is similar to the feeling
of the ground shaking during an earthquake. When it occurs while walking, it is difficult to walk
straight. ENTs specialize in treating vertigo, but if there is nothing abnormal on examination,
depression or stress may be the cause. 5 Chest tightness and breathlessness
Symptoms such as tightness in the chest, palpitations, and breathlessness may bring
to mind a heart condition such as angina pectoris. However, if an EKG or other tests are
performed at a physician's office and there are no abnormalities, it may be a physical symptom of
depression. This is especially the case when the patient wakes up early in the morning with
chest pain and palpitations. This is not a symptom of a heart or lung problem, but rather
a symptom of dysautonomia due to depression, which causes the brain to send the wrong signals
to the organs. The same is true for chronic coughing, hyperventilating, sighing, or having
something in the chest that is bothering you. 6 Frequent urination and night sweats Chest symptoms are not the only symptoms
that can result from autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The autonomic nervous system
is connected to all the organs in the body, so a variety of symptoms can appear.
Frequent urination, residual urine, sweating, and night sweats are common. Another symptom is
dry mouth due to decreased saliva production. 7 Irregular menstruation or impotence
Depression can also manifest itself as sexual problems. This is because the secretion
of male and female hormones decreases, resulting in symptoms similar to menopause. Some women
may experience irregular menstruation or stop menstruating, and some men may become impotent.
Interest in the opposite sex will also disappear. 8 Pain Depression makes the part of the brain that
senses pain more sensitive, so pain is felt many times more intensely than usual. If you
have chronic headaches, facial neuralgia, frozen shoulders, or back pain, and medical or
orthopedic surgery does not find anything wrong, or if pain medications are ineffective,
you may be suffering from depression. 9 Numbness in hands and feet
Like pain, unexplained numbness in the limbs can be a sign of depression.
There is no problem moving them, but they feel uncomfortable, as if
there is a weak electric tingling. 10 Lassitude or lethargy
Continued lethargy after sleep or rest, and stiffness in the neck and shoulders are a common
early symptoms of depression. Even after a good night's rest, you may still feel as tired the next
morning as you did when you got home from work. 11 Symptoms like catching a cold
People with depression generally have a high body temperature and may suffer from a low-grade fever
that is slightly above 37°C (98.6°F). Fever is usually caused by an inflammatory reaction in the
body due to an invasion of bacteria or a virus, which results in the production of a thermogenic
substance. In the case of depression, however, the brain sets the body temperature higher in response
to stress, even though there is no inflammation in the body. A persistent low-grade fever makes
the body sluggish and may make it difficult to stay awake. At the same time, some people
develop a cough due to autonomic nervous system dysfunction, so in some cases, it is difficult to
distinguish the condition from a lingering cold. 12 Decreased immunity
Depression also lowers the body's resistance. Immunity to
bacteria and viruses is also reduced, making the body more susceptible to colds and
cystitis. Shingles, a viral disease that causes a rash and pain in the chest and other parts
of the body, is also common during depression. These are some of the physical symptoms
seen in depression. According to a survey, many people with depression visit an internal
specialist or orthopedist for these physical symptoms and are then referred to a psychiatrist.
Surprisingly few people visit a psychiatrist from the beginning because they are often more
distressed by physical symptoms than by mental symptoms. Physical symptoms that do not
improve with internal medicine or orthopedics will always improve as treatment for depression
progresses. Depression is also a physical illness. This was the Mental Health for Life
channel. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up
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