Depressive disorders are complex mental health conditions that can cause severe emotional distress. Can depression cause appetite loss, weight changes, and other physical symptoms too?
When you choose Robles Ranch, you can expect to receive evidence-based depression treatment from a team of compassionate experts in a safe and highly supportive environment.
Learn more about depression treatment in Paso Robles, CA, or verify your insurance now.
What Is Depression?
Depression is one of the most common mental health concerns in the U.S. and throughout the rest of the world.
Though depression is often thought of as a single condition, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes entries for several distinct types, including:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Major depressive disorder with peripartum onset (postpartum depression)
- Major depressive disorder with seasonal onset (seasonal affective disorder or SAD)
There are of course clear differences among these various conditions. But generally speaking, common characteristics of depressive disorders include:
- Persistent sadness
- Feelings of emptiness or hopelessness
- Loss of interest in most activities
- Disrupted focus and concentration
- Recurrent thoughts of death and dying
Can Depression Cause Appetite Loss?
Can depression cause appetite loss? Yes, it most definitely can. It can also cause increased appetite, as well as unintentional weight loss or gain depending on which type of appetite change a person experiences.
Appetite loss or gain aren’t just an occasional effect of depressive disorders. They are among the core symptoms of these conditions.
The DSM-5 includes nine criteria for major depressive disorder. One of those criteria is “significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain … or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.”
To be accurately diagnosed with major depressive disorder, a person must meet at least five of the nine criteria for a period of at least two weeks. So appetite changes don’t necessarily affect every person with MDD, but this type of symptom is quite common.
The DSM-5 also includes appetite-related criteria for other types of depression:
- Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia): One of the criteria is “Poor appetite or overeating.”
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Diagnostic criteria include “Marked change in appetite; overeating; or specific food cravings.”
Appetite loss or gain can also be symptomatic of postpartum depression (PPD) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). As defined in the DSM-5, these two conditions are forms of major depressive disorder with symptoms that only occur at specific times. So the MDD symptom about changes in weight or appetite applies to them as well.
Does Depression Cause Other Physical Symptoms?
Appetite loss is by no means the only physical symptom that is commonly associated with depressive disorders.
Other physical effects of depression include:
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Restlessness
- Slowed physical reaction time
- Headaches and stomach aches
- Persistent muscle tension
- Sexual dysfunction
- Abnormal sleep, such as insomnia or hypersomnia
What Are the Mental & Behavioral Effects of Depression?
The cognitive and emotional impact of depression can include:
- Persistent sadness or low mood
- Diminished ability to focus and concentrate
- Lack of motivation
- Memory problems
- Difficulty making decisions
- Delayed cognitive responsiveness
- Being more easily angered or frustrated
- Diminished confidence and self-esteem
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
From a behavioral perspective, signs that someone has a depressive disorder can include:
- Social withdrawal and isolation
- Increase in arguments and conflicts
- Drop in performance at work or in school
- Exhibiting uncharacteristic anger or aggressiveness
- Reducing or ending their participation in important activities
- Comments such as saying they wish they had never been born or could simply disappear
- Frequent expressions of hopelessness or helplessness
How Many People Have Depression?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 332 million people across the globe have depression.
Other depression statistics from the WHO include:
- Depression affects about 4% of the global population.
- Among adults ages 18 and above, the rate of depression is 5.2%.
- Among older adults ages 70 and above, the depression rate is 5.4%.
- Depression is more common among women (6.2%) than men (4.1%).
- About 10% of women struggle with depression during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth.
In the U.S., the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that about 21 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in the past 12 months.
Who Is Most Likely to Develop Depression?
Depression can affect people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The likelihood that a person will develop a depressive disorder can be influenced by a range of factors.
According to a December 2021 Brain Sciences review, depression risk factors include:
- Being female
- Having certain genetic variations
- History of abuse, neglect, or other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
- Family history of depression and certain other mental health concerns
- Personal history of other mental health conditions
- Having certain medical conditions, including diabetes, chronic pain, and cancer
- Being a member of a marginalized or oppressed population
- Imbalances in intestinal bacteria levels
- Dysregulation within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
- Poverty
- Substance abuse and addiction
What’s the Best Way to Treat Depression?
There are many types of depression, and each type can affect different people in different ways. This means that a treatment plan that is ideal for one patient may offer little to no benefit to another.
In other words, there is no single “best” way to treat depression. This is why it is so important to select a treatment provider who will take the time to assess your unique circumstances, then develop a customized plan that reflects your specific history, needs, and expectations.
Two common elements in many effective depression treatment plans are prescription medication and therapy.
Medication
Types of medication that are often used to treat depression include:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Atypical antidepressants
- Tricyclic antidepressants
Therapy
The therapeutic component of depression treatment may involve individual, group, and family sessions.
Therapeutic approaches that can help people with depression include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Holistic therapy
- Somatic therapy
- Biosound therapy
If a person’s struggles with depression are related to untreated trauma, they may also benefit from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
Learn More About Depression Treatment in California
Robles Ranch offers a full continuum customized care for adults with depressive disorders and other mental health concerns. Treatment options at our center in Paso Robles, CA, include residential care, a partial hospitalization program (PHP), and an intensive outpatient program.
To learn more call 805-635-0668 or verify your insurance now.