Depression impacts many areas of day-to-day life. Getting out of bed and completing seemingly simple tasks like showering or washing the dishes can become immense hurdles. But can depression affect your physical health as well?
Unfortunately, yes. When left untreated, depression can affect your central nervous system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, and more. But with help from Crescent City Psychiatric, Metairie’s leading psychiatrist, you can work on overcoming depressive symptoms and living a healthier life, both physically and mentally.
How Does Depression Affect Physical Health?
Depression looks different in everyone. Some may be able to carry on what appears to be a normal, healthy lifestyle while experiencing severe depressive symptoms on the inside. Others begin suffering from serious physical symptoms and changes that are directly tied to their depression.
This mental illness can affect many areas of the body. Here are just a few ways depression may impact physical health.
Effects on the Digestive System
If you experience frequent stomach aches, cramps, or constipation, they could be stemming from your depression.
Depression can significantly affect nutrition and appetite. Many people who are depressed struggle to eat healthy, balanced meals. Some overeat, while others have little appetite and sustain themselves with the few foods they can stomach.
Some depression medications can also affect the digestive system, causing weight changes or suppressing the appetite.
Effects on the Central Nervous System
The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. It is the body’s processing center, responsible for how we think, learn, feel, and move. Depression can affect all of these processes, leading to cognitive symptoms and behavioral changes outside of simply feeling sad.
Many people who are depressed also experience sleep problems, irritability, anger, and loss of interest in hobbies. Depression can lead to behavioral changes like:
- Frequent episodes of crying
- Alcohol or substance misuse
- Social withdrawal
- Failure to fulfill work responsibilities
This mental illness can also produce cognitive symptoms like memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and inability to make decisions.
Effects on the Cardiovascular System
People with depression may be at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. This is because depression commonly leads to stress, which increases the heart rate and causes the blood vessels to tighten. Those with prolonged depressive symptoms may develop heart disease and other cardiovascular issues.
As many as 25% of cardiac patients suffer from depression. However, in some cases, depression develops after cardiac events due to the increased strain on a person’s life during the recovery process.
Effects on the Immune System
Do you get sick more often than other people? This could be because depression has negatively impacted your immune system.
The immune system is responsible for fighting viruses and infections. However, depression often raises stress hormones, causing your body to work harder to fight off infections. Being in a constant state of stress affects the body’s ability to heal.
Some experts believe that depression can also lead to inflammation, which correlates to many health problems, including immune deficiencies.
Effects on Chronic Pain
Depression and chronic pain often coincide. In many cases, chronic pain causes depression. People experiencing ongoing pain often develop symptoms of depression like loss of interest, lethargy, and empty moods due to the impact their pain has on their lifestyle.
Depression can also cause chronic pain in some cases. People experiencing depressive symptoms may notice unexplained back pain or headaches. They may also have trouble sticking to regimens that have alleviated their chronic pain in the past, like completing moderate exercise or physical therapy.
Depressed? We Can Help You Find Relief
Can depression affect your physical health? Yes, in several ways. Depression doesn’t only make you feel sad — it can impact virtually every area of your health and well-being.
You don’t need to live with depression alone. Our licensed psychiatrists can provide depression treatment so you can find relief. It all starts with a psychiatric evaluation.Call Crescent City Psychiatric today at (985) 249-1322 or fill out our online form to make an appointment in Metairie, LA.
