Depression in Women …
Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
A significant number of women go through depression throughout their lives. This mental disorder affects their lives in many different ways. Nowadays, women usually perform a variety of roles – wife, mother, professional, friend, and caregiver. Thus, it’s unsurprising women experience pressure and ups and downs now and again.
Depression is more prevalent among women than men. According to statistics, women are two times more likely to suffer from depression than men. This may be due to several reasons, including:
- Female-specific hormonal changes, for example as a result of periods,
pregnancy and the menopause - Women being more inclined to seek help for their depression than men,
resulting in higher rates of diagnoses for the condition
In addition, compared to men, depression in women is often experienced earlier in life, tends to last longer, and has a higher likelihood of recurring.
Signs of Depression in Women
Depression is marked by a variety of symptoms that can affect both males and females. Some of these common symptoms include the following:
- Intense sadness and hopelessness
- Feeling irritable and short-tempered
- Sleep problems – difficulty falling asleep, sleeping too much,
or struggling to rise out of bed in the morning - Difficulty in concentrating and making decisions
- Losing interest in activities and hobbies that were once important
- Isolating oneself from family and friends
- Low energy and chronic tiredness
- Anxiety
However, some depression symptoms tend to be more commonly experienced by women than men. These include the following:
- More time eating and sleeping, thereby increasing the likelihood of weight gain
- Stronger feelings of guilt and worthlessness, meaning they can be very self-critical
- Suicidal thoughts are much more common in women, however women are much less likely to act on these feelings compared to men
What Causes Depression in Women?
There are many possible causes of depression, which can increase the likelihood of you becoming depressed at some point in your life, regardless of your gender. These include the following:
- Being the victim of neglect or abuse, especially if this happened as a child
- Difficult life events such as bereavement, divorce or losing your job
- Personal history of other mental health problems
- Family history of depression or other mental health problems
- Having a severe physical health problem such as cancer
- Having certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem
Aside from the more general causes of depression mentioned above, there are some that tend to affect women in particular.
Hormones
Women experience hormonal changes throughout their lives. These are related to menstrual periods, pregnancy, and childbirth, and many of these can lead to symptoms of depression in women.
- Periods
Every month, women undergo hormonal changes depending on which part of their menstrual cycles they’re at. Some women experience pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) that causes irritability, tiredness and the tendency towards emotional outbursts. However, other women experience pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder that manifests in more severe symptoms where they go through intense disturbances in mood, affecting their ability to function.
Women experience hormonal ups and downs through each month, depending on where they’re at in their menstrual cycles. Some women get pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), which can cause them to be irritable, tired and more prone to emotional outbursts. However, others can have more serious symptoms, where they experience intense mood disturbances, which can impact their ability to function. This is known as pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which can lead to symptoms of depression.
- Pregnancy and Birth
During pregnancy and birth, a woman’s body undergoes many hormonal changes (known as the “perinatal period”), which can be a contributing factor to depression. In addition, fertility problems or having a miscarriage and other issues related to pregnancy can likewise cause a woman to become depressed. After delivery, many women experience the “baby blues”, where they feel low and are more prone to break down in tears. However, this often naturally goes away after a few weeks. Some women may develop postpartum depression (PND), a specific and severe type of depression believed to be in part due to the hormones that women experience after delivery. Fortunately, postpartum depression is a treatable condition.
- Menopause
Many women go through depression during menopause, possibly due to fluctuations in their reproductive hormones that take place during this life phase. Those who have struggled with depression in the past are more likely to go through it again during or in the period leading up to menopause. Menopause can result in many mental health issues, causing women to experience many symptoms, including depression. - Hormonal medications
Throughout their lives, women may take hormone-based medications like the contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). One of the potential side effects of such medicines is depression.
Female stress response
Women produce more stress hormones than men, and due to this, they are more likely to experience depression after highly stressful life events such as the loss of a loved one, divorce or other emotional disturbance in life.
Body image issues
Women are more susceptible to experiencing issues with their body image, and an obsession with body image can be linked to depression. These problems related to body image can begin at puberty and develop into low self-esteem and depression in adulthood for women.
Juggling motherhood with work and other demands
In modern society, women are subjected to various pressures and are expected to fulfil the demands of motherhood and full-time work (which is particularly true for solo parents). Thus, many women experience stress in their everyday lives, and being in this situation can trigger symptoms of depression.
Personality traits
If you are someone who identifies with the following:
- Has low self-esteem
- Is especially anxious
- Is a perfectionist
- Is very self-critical
then you possess the personality traits that make you more vulnerable to depression.
Physical health
Chronic or debilitating physical health problems can also lead to depression. Physical health problems can make you unhappy if your condition has altered or limited how you live. Suffering from chronic pain may also cause you to be resentful, which might negatively affect your sleep and your relationships with others.
These issues can easily result in been a cause of depression if you don’t get the relief or professional support that you need.
Types of Depression in Women
Different types of depression can affect both women and men. These include:
- Severe depression
- Severe depression with psychotic symptoms
- Mild/moderate depression
- Bipolar depression
- Dysthymia
- Recurrent depressive disorder
However, women are more susceptible to developing other types of depression. In addition to other types of depression and conditions associated with hormones, such as PND and PMDD, they are also more prone than men to experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a specific type of depression.
SAD is associated with reduced exposure to natural sunlight during the winter months, and as a result, its symptoms are only experienced during that season.
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How to Help a Women with Depression
If you are concerned that you or a loved one is struggling with depression, here are some things you can do to help:
Learn as much as you can about depression
Educate yourself as much about depression as possible; with a better understanding of their situation, you can offer genuine and practical support.
Open the conversation
Try to engage in a conversation with your loved one about her depression, encouraging her to talk openly and honestly about how she’s feeling. Bear in mind the following:
- Be attentive to listen to her thoughts
- Support and invite her to share her emotions with you
- Don’t criticise, judge, or make assumptions
- Assure her that depression is a medical condition, not a sign of weakness
Talking to someone about their depression is a challenging task, so make sure the conversation is focused on your concerns and not about her to keep her from becoming defensive. For example, you can say things like, “I’m concerned about your behaviour” or “I’d like to know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
What lies behind us and what lies before us are
tiny matters compared to what lies within us
Keep track of any signs and symptoms
In addition to those mentioned above, you can also encourage and assist your loved one to monitor her symptoms, including what they are, when they occur, and triggers, if any.
Being aware of these patterns and helping your loved ones be able to identify them as well, you can better support her in dealing with these challenging emotions and learn to know when she is experiencing an especially tough time.
Encourage them
Motivate and encourage her to seek help for her depression. You could offer to contact her GP and set an appointment on her behalf, then accompany her to provide moral support. You may also want to research treatment options that can help your loved one. Ultimately, reassure her that seeking help is nothing to be ashamed of and that you’re willing to be there for her if and when she wants you to be.
Every day, encourage him to continue doing things that make him happy and eat well. Be with him when he attends social events and make sure he pursues his hobbies. These little things may not seem like a lot, but they are great mood boosters that work wonderfully in the day-to-day management of depression.
Treatment for Women with Depression
Treatment options for depression are the same for men and women. The best course of treatment will be decided by both the patient and the medical professional helping them.
Common depression treatments include:
- Treatment programmes such as inpatient stays or day care
- One-to-one and group therapy
- Medication
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, there are treatment options available that can help you steer your life back in the right direction. Treatment can help you deal with your symptoms and their root causes, establishing the foundation that will help you move on towards a fulfilling life.
Consider consulting your GP about your symptoms to understand your mental state and receive professional medical advice and obtain an initial diagnosis. We treat women who are suffering from depression every day, helping them recover from their mental health problems and providing them with the tools to live a happy and fulfilling life.
Providing depression treatment are our teams of experienced mental health specialists who are the best in the industry. Our range of treatment options include inpatient stays, weekly therapy visits to our treatment facilities with sessions adapted to your daily life and work schedule, and online therapy, where you have your sessions in the comfort of your own home.
Whichever treatment best fits your circumstances, give us a call and talk to a highly trained mental health professional. Through collaborative effort, you and our depression specialists can outline the most appropriate course of treatment that will help you get your life back on track.
FREE Depression Assessment
If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, there is hope and healing for you. You can receive treatment as an outpatient or inpatient and through one-on-one or support group therapy. We understand the challenges you’re facing and we’re here to offer compassionate help and support.
We design personalised treatment plans that meet an individual’s unique needs and circumstances. We will work together to address your symptoms, help you develop coping strategies and enable you to live life to the full in a healthy and positive manner.
We also have a young people’s service which provides specialist depression treatment exclusively for adolescents and young people.
Our highly trained advisers are available to speak to you right away, simply call 0808 252 3379 today.
We can discuss your concerns in complete confidence, explore the options for treatment, and help you to understand what will work best for you.
We’ll also help you to book your free depression assessment there and then, with appointments usually available within only a few days.
We understand that taking the first step can be the most difficult, but we’re here to support – with no pressure or judgement.
Professional and compassionate help is just a phone call or click away.
