Health Effects Of Depression: How Depression Affects The Entire Body And Not Just The Mind

Clinical depression is known as a serious disorder that affects a person's mind. It is usually defined as a mental condition that causes feelings of extreme sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness. However, a new study shows that the effects of depression go beyond a person's mind and could negatively affect a person's entire body as well.

A research team led by researchers at the University of Granada studied thousands of people with depression, Medical Daily reports. They found out that depression is a systemic disease that can cause several physical symptoms on patients.

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"Those suffering from depression have commonly reported both insomnia and oversleeping, along with chronic fatigue and decreased appetite for both food and sex," Medical Daily explains. The research findings that were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry also showed that there is a possible link between depression and other health conditions such as different kinds of cancer, cardiovascular disorders and shorter longevity.

The health effects of depression also include having a depressed mood throughout the day, especially during the morning; lack of energy for any activity; feeling guilty and worthless; concentration and focus difficulties; indecisiveness; insomnia or difficulty falling asleep; hypersomnia or excessive sleeping; lack of interest and pleasure in many activities, even the ones you enjoyed before; constant suicidal thoughts; memory difficulties; body aches and pains; headaches and cramps; digestion problems; recurring thoughts about death; restlessness; and weight loss or weight gain, according to WebMD.

The findings of the study about the effects of depression on the entire body show just how important it really is to treat this serious health condition. "Many people use a combination of treatments, such as medication and psychotherapy," WebMD shares. "For depression that doesn't respond to standard treatment, non-drug approaches can be effective, either alone or used with other treatments."