Depression can be defined as a persistent and irregular mood state characterized by sadness, melancholy, slowed mental process and changes in physical patterns such as eating and sleeping. It is fairly obvious that the above changes in routine are unhealthy but in this article titled "depression and illness" we will explore specific areas which depression may contribute/cause illness.

While there may be some disagreement as to how best treat depression there is no arguing the damage that depression exacts on a person's body. Let's look at 4 areas which are commonly linked to depression.

*Heart disease - If you have heart disease depression increases your chances from dying from it. The risk posed by depression is equivalent to that of smoking according to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University. Another study reported in the journal Ciruclation found that elderly persons with depression were 40% more likely to develop heart disease and 60% more likely to die. Perhaps even more frightening was the finding that as depression increased so did the likelihood of heart disease.

*Pain - We all know how much emotional pain depression can dish out but studies show that depression also increased the severity of physical pain. This is particularly problematic for those suffering from already painful conditions such as arthritis or back pain. Scientists are not sure exactly why this happens but their best guess is it involves the disruption of the feel good hormones (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin). This is an interesting phenomenon because people with depression may overlook the depression and focus on treating the pain leading to a vicious cycle involving medication and more pain.


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