Women and Depression
Women are at an increased risk for depression for various reasons including: genetics (having a family history of depression), chemical and hormonal imbalances (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, menopause and stress). Women experiencing depression often report having feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and excessive guilt.
Often depression can coexist with serious medical illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, thyroid problems and multiple sclerosis, and may even make symptoms of the illness worse. Studies have shown that both women and men who have depression in addition to a serious medical illness tend to have more severe symptoms of both illnesses. They also have more difficulty adapting to their medical condition, and more medical costs than those who do not have coexisting depression.
For women, depression often coexists with other illnesses including: eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa), anxiety disorders (PTSD- post-traumatic stress disorder, OCD- obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, and GAD- generalized anxiety disorder). It is very important that women seek treatment for both illnesses in order to achieve wellness. Research has shown that treating the depression along with the coexisting illness will help ease both conditions.
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