Depression is a serious psychological problem that affects millions irrespective of age and gender including young ones, adolescents, and adults. It is an illness that involves thoughts, mood, and the body. It affects the way you sleep and eat. Many people have a myth that depression is all in the brains and can be treated without proper medication or attention of a physician. However, it should be noted that if depression is left untreated it can ruin relationships, create problems at work, develop unwanted behaviors like drug or alcohol addiction and in some cases even cause suicidal tendencies.
Depression can cause following risks if left unattended or untreated.
1. Physical health
There is mounting evidence that depression can cause serious problems related to physical health. For instance, depressed people who suffer from heart attacks or strokes find it very difficult to make health care choices. They also find it hard to follow their doctor’s instructions, which further make it difficult for them to cope up with their present illness.
2. Change in sleep patterns
One of the most common effect of depression is insomnia, which may result in difficulty in getting adequate sleep. Sometimes people feel the need of an increased sleep and experience extreme loss of energy, excessive tiredness, problems in concentrating and decision-making. Moreover, the following complications may also occur on daily basis:
a. Daytime fatigue
b. Irritability
c. Waking up at night
d. Always feel sleepy
3. Obesity and weight loss
Untreated depression may also result in excessive weight loss or weight gain. Other emotional outcomes like irritation, feelings of hopelessness, frustration, and helplessness can also be the resultant symptoms of unattended depression.
4. Cardiovascular damage
People suffering from depression have higher chances of a heart attack due to the increased endothelial inflammation, which causes pressure on arteries and blood vessels. It also fuels up the stickiness of platelets, which increases the chances of blood clots and heart attacks.
5. Alcohol and drug abuse
Alcohol and drug addictions are some of the common side effects of depression. They are mostly common in teens, youth and middle aged men. Proper counseling is very important for these people as they are more likely to commit suicide. Inability to keep up with personal relationships, self-pity, sudden memory loss, and tremors are some of the common symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse.
6. Constant mental illness
One of the very serious risk of untreated depression is chronic mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorder.
7. Social Withdrawal
It is not uncommon for people suffering from depression to stay in bed the entire day, miss days of work, and avoid participating in family affairs. Serotonin is a chemical inside the brain that causes a feeling of happiness, when this important chemical stays out off balance, it leads to social withdrawal.
8. Risky Behaviors
People suffering from untreated depression have great chances of getting into serious troubles like wasteful spending, having unprotected sex, gambling, rash driving, and taking spurious drugs,
9. Suicidal tendencies
Untreated depression carries a potential risk of suicide. More than 90 percent of people who commit suicide either are depressed or have other mental disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
10. Increased mortality
Studies show that due to the chemical imbalance in the brain people suffering from chronic, untreated depression may have pre-mature death, which can be up to 25 years earlier than the normal lifespan.
