What is the pastoral approach to counseling?
Pastoral counseling is a kind of counseling in which the counselor is a religious leader who also
has training and psychology. It combines secular approaches to mental health with spirituality
and religious practice. Pastoral counseling is not focused on any particular issue or mental health
condition. Rather, it is a way for people to seek guidance in a way that draws on their
religious traditions. It can be especially helpful for people who have concerns related their own
spirituality or religious practice.
Pastoral counseling is somewhat similar to simply seeking guidance from a religious leader, but
the difference is that pastoral counselors also have training as mental health professionals. Some
form of pastoral counseling is often available in many different kinds of religious
communities.
What can pastoral counseling help with?
Pastoral counseling can be helpful for many mental health concerns, including:
Family Issues
Families come in all shapes and sizes, from nuclear families and extended families to biological
families, foster families, and families of choice. Your family might include your parents,
siblings, grandparents, spouse, children, extended family, and others. While the idea of family
means different things to everyone, for many of us, it can be a valuable source of love, support,
and security.
However, family relationships can also be sources of pain and stress. In part because they mean
so much to us, relationships with family members can be among the most difficult to navigate.
What are family issues?
Family issues are when conflict between or related to family members becomes especially
intense or frequent, to the point that it interrupts your day-to-day life. Some degree of conflict
within families is normal (and even, to a point, healthy) and the family dynamic for each person
may be different. But when a family cannot resolve conflicts and and emotional intensity around
the relationship becomes overwhelming, it can lead to symptoms of common mental health
conditions such as anxiety or depression.
How common are family issues?
Because family problems vary so much and these concerns are deeply personal, it’s hard to say
for sure how common they are.
However, evidence suggests that various types of discord within families are fairly common
overall. For example, one study on tension in relationships between parents and adult children
found that 94% of participants reported at least a little tension in their parent/child relationships.
Family issues also tend to come up around the balance between parenting and professional
pursuits. The Pew Research Center reports that in nuclear families in which both parents work
full-time, both partners often feel concerned that they don’t spend enough time with their
children and/or partner.
These examples are only a small subset of the diverse kinds of family issues you might
experience; whatever your challenges are, there are likely countless other people facing similar
issues with their families.
What are some symptoms of family issues?
Family problems are different for everyone, and people vary widely in their emotional and
psychological responses to these issues. That said, some of the most common symptoms include:
Anxiety or worry: You may be frequently preoccupied with concerns about your family
and struggle to focus on other things. Over an extended period, this can translate into
mental health issues.
Sadness or depression: Feelings of tension, conflict, or disconnection from your family
might make you feel sad or hopeless.
General stress: You may have trouble sleeping or experience physical symptoms
including muscle tension, headaches, and digestive troubles, often time due to family
worries like financial troubles or other money problems, or the inability to resolve
conflicts in your own home.
Conflicts with other loved ones: If a relationship with one person is upsetting you, you
might find that issues also come up with other people you’re close to. For example,
tension with a parent might make you more sensitive in your relationship with your
partner. Or differences between parenting styles may affect healthy communication
within the family as a whole.
Low self-esteem: Feeling insecure or threatened within a relationship that means a lot to
you can make you doubt yourself and your worth.
Different types of family issues
Again, issues in families come in countless forms, and this is by no means an exhaustive list.
However, some especially common forms of family issues include:
Parent/child conflict: In part because our parents often play such a large part in our
earliest development, issues between parents and children can be especially emotional
and deeply rooted. These family problems are evident in foster families and adoptive
families as often as they are seen in related family life.
Issues with siblings: Competition, comparison, different relational styles: all of these
(and many other factors) can lead to conflict with siblings.
Conflict around culture, religion, or lifestyle: Families often have set notions of the
kinds of lives members should live, especially when a particular religion or culture plays
a prominent role in the family’s life. When one member of the family goes against these
established norms, conflict can follow.
Caregiver stress: Taking care of children, supporting a family member with a health
condition, navigating the family’s money management or caring for an elderly parent are
all examples of situations that can cause caregiver stress.
Communication issues: You don’t feel heard; you wonder whether the other person
understands you; you struggle to say what you mean. These are all forms of
communication issues, a common setback in many family relationships.
Violence, abuse, and gaslighting: When any family issue turns into emotional or
physical violence or intimidation from one or more other family members, the
relationship(s) can be considered abusive. Abuse is usually far more dangerous and
stressful than the other family issues described here.
What to do if you’re experiencing family issues
If you’re experiencing any form of stress, conflict, or danger in a family relationship, you have
several options. Some of them include:
Therapy: Find a therapist who can help you address your family problems and give
professional advice to work toward resolving them. You might work with a therapist with
individual therapy, or you might attend couples’ or family therapy, in which multiple
people participate in sessions with a therapist.
Meditation or mindfulness practices. Making space for quiet reflection can help you
gain perspective on your family issues and give you a way to approach them calmly, and
it may also reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety that these issues can cause.
Journaling. Taking time out of your day to keep a written record of your thoughts and
feelings around your family problems and personal challenges may help you clarify your
perspective on these issues and their role in your life.
Connect with other friends and loved ones. When a family relationship is stressful, it
can be helpful to rely on the other important people in your life. They may be able to help
you understand your family issues and can also reduce the pressure on the stressful
relationship(s) by reminding you of the other people you love and rely on.
Existential Crisis
Feeling uncertain about the course of your life is normal, and even rational to a certain extent.
We've all wondered at times whether we're making the right choices about our careers and
partners, or wondered about the meaning of life and whether we may be living up to our
potential. Depending on your stage in life and circumstances, asking deeper questions on aspects
of life is expected.
However, when these uncertainties pose difficulties in your everyday life, or feel especially
urgent or persistent, they can become overwhelming. An existential crisis refers to the point
when our depressed, unsatisfied, or negative thoughts may have manifested themselves as
anxiety or another true mental health issue that may require professional help.
Existential crisis in Philosophy
Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, both influential philosophers, explored existential
crises in their works. They believed that grappling with profound questions of existence and
meaning leads to a state of crisis. Confronting this crisis is essential for personal growth and
developing an authentic self. Embracing uncertainties and complexities can lead to spiritual
transformation and forging one's unique path in life. These ideas challenge traditional notions of
morality and encourage a self-affirming approach to life, inspiring individuals to confront their
existential struggles and find their authentic paths in a world without predetermined meaning.
While philosophically, an existential crisis may be inspiring for people to face down challenges,
but in the everyday life of current human experience, it may be crippling — even Barbie worries
that her life has a lack of meaning in the new Hollywood blockbuster!
Symptoms of an existential crisis
How can you tell whether what you're experiencing is, in fact, an existential crisis? Symptoms
may be emotional, cognitive, or have behavioral components. Here are common signs that you
may be experiencing an existential crisis:
Feeling overwhelmed or panicked about death is a common experience during
existential crises, which often involve a heightened awareness of the challenges of life
and the inevitability of death. Your own mortality can be overwhelming to contemplate.
Your thoughts might be like "What's the meaning of life if I'm doomed to die?"
You're sad or remorseful about things you cannot change. You might find yourself
dwelling on the life or career path you have taken so far and feeling sad that things have
not gone differently, or fear you are living a meaningless life. For example, you may wish
you had taken a different career path or ended up with a different romantic partner. This
may lead to, or correspond with, mental health concerns like depression.
You're worrying much more than you normally do. You may be unusually
distracted with worry about the loss of meaning in your life, and/or self-doubt about the
choices you have made. This may lead to emotional pain, lack of motivation, panic
attacks, severe anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health conditions.
Causes of an existential crisis
Not sure what might have prompted your existential crisis? It could be related to many aspects of
life like a major life event or shift in your personal life. An existential crisis is akin to an identity
crisis, which is a period of inner conflict and confusion experienced by people, often during
adolescence or significant life transitions, involving questioning and exploring their sense of self,
values, and beliefs.
Often balancing self-imposed critiques and the expectations of modern society can lead to
conflicted emotions and an unclear perspective whether you have followed a typical path of
human experience or made mistakes along the way. An existential crisis involves questioning
the meaning of life from an individual's perspective.
Here are a few reasons that people experience existential crises:
You recently entered a new life phase. People often change or ask deeper questions of
life as they approach a new stage in life. The following are all examples of individuals
who might find themselves asking existential questions about who they are, and what is
their meaning in life.
1. Sophomore or teenage crisis — A teenage crisis refers to a period of identity
exploration, uncertainty, and stress experienced by some individuals during their teenage
years or sophomore year of high school (sophomore crisis). It often involves questioning
one's identity, future goals, and social belonging, leading to emotional challenges and a
search for self-discovery.
2. Quarter-life crisis — A quarter-life crisis is a period of uncertainty and anxiety
experienced by some individuals in their mid-20s to early 30s, often related to career,
relationships, and life goals. This often goes with finishing college.
3. Midlife crisis — A mid-life crisis is a phase of self-doubt, reflection, and emotional
turmoil that some individuals experience typically around their 40s or 50s, often triggered
by feelings of aging, mortality, reassessment of making choices in life, and what may
give them more meaning to life going forward.
You experienced a change in social relationships or family roles. Significant relational
changes and aspects of life, such as the following, might lead to an existential crisis:
getting married, going through a breakup, having a new baby, having one's children leave
home (empty nesting), the death of a family member or loved one.
When individuals question their career path, whether it involves leaving a current job,
pursuing a new one, or exploring an entirely different career, the search for meaning and
a sense of belonging in work often becomes a significant aspect of an existential crisis.
You're living in a new place. Particularly for those immigrating to a new country, the
process of moving and adapting to a new community might connect to crises around
identity and finding meaningful life.
Certain life events like battling cancer or a serious illness or life choices like coping with life-
threatening illness like substance abuse may also be a cause of existential anxiety and concern
for immediate help.
What to do if you’re experiencing an existential crisis
Existential crises can affect an individual's behavior in unusual ways and sometimes lead to
positive effects, helping them transition to a deeper understanding of life. If you are currently
facing challenges, you may want to consider the following options:
Existential therapy for depression
Find a therapist who can help you navigate challenging changes and life circumstances. By
investigating your concerns, you can gain a better understanding of your existential despair,
those aspects that may trigger feelings of anxiety (or other mental health issues), and how to
overcome an existential crisis. See more tips below on selecting a therapist.
Journaling
Keeping a written record of your thoughts and feelings around your existential dilemma or
challenges may help you clarify your questions about your identity, obsessive thoughts or
pessimistic ideas, and how to find inherent meaning in your life. Through a gratitude journal, you
may expose admirable qualities that have a positive impact on your inner joy.
Meditation or mindfulness practices
You can experiment with meditation or other mindfulness practices through classes or apps.
Studies have shown that these practices can help reduce the symptoms of stress and the personal
sense of existential anxiety/depression that may accompany existential crises.
Anxiety
What is anxiety disorder?
Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that entails excessive, repeated bouts of worry,
anxiety, and/or fear.
Feeling nervous or apprehensive is normal – even healthy at times. After all, that “fight or flight”
feeling is what incentivizes you to prepare for a test or presentation, or makes your palms sweaty
before a first date. But when anxiety runs deeper and feels unshakeable, it can potentially stand
in the way of a healthy lifestyle.
When worrying becomes the go-to response to everyday situations, it becomes debilitating. H
Prevalence of anxiety disorder
Anxiety is very common in the United States. According to the ADAA, anxiety disorders are
cumulatively the most common mental illnesses in the United States.
Life Transitions
Change is tough, and life transitions – such as moving to a new area, transitioning into or out of a
relationship, adjusting to parenting for the first time, or changing careers – can be difficult. It’s
normal, even adaptive, to feel a certain amount of stress in the midst of a transition. Our bodies
and minds are adjusting to a new way of being, and that period of change may feel unsettling and
uncomfortable. Sometimes, however, the period of transition gets in the way of one’s daily life
and a healthy lifestyle. In such instances, the feelings that accompany transitions can become
serious enough to call for further examination.
Effects on mental health
While “life transitions” is not a clinical diagnosis itself, troubles adjusting to the transitions can
prove difficult and changes can lead to diagnosable mental health conditions, including:
Adjustment disorder - An emotional or behavioral reaction to a stressful event or
change in a person's life. The reaction is considered an unhealthy or excessive response to
the event or change within months of it happening.
Major depressive disorder - When feelings of sadness or hopelessness become
especially frequent, intense, or long-lasting, they can interfere with one’s daily life
activities.
General anxiety disorder - Anxiety disorder entails excessive, repeated bouts of worry,
anxiety, and/or fear. When worrying and anxious mood becomes the go-to response to
everyday situations, it becomes debilitating.
Adjustment disorders might be diagnosed in someone who becomes more distressed by a change
than they might have expected, especially if this stress gets in the way of their relationships, jobs,
schoolwork, or life goals for months after the transition has resolved.
Identity Development
Identity development, often called identity construction or identity formation, refers to the
process of defining your own beliefs, lifestyle, and sense of self. A primary psychosocial task of
developmental psychology, our modern notion of this concept is based largely on the work of
psychologist Erik Erikson, who theorized that identity formation is the key developmental task of
adolescence; and James Marcia, who recognized the four identity statuses.
Identity versus role confusion, theorized by Erikson, that questions of one’s identity will occur
throughout their lifespan in eight stages whereby one must resolve their issues before moving on
to the next stage. The most important stage takes place in adolescent identity development when
young adults engage in active exploration of their personality traits, gender differences, racial
identity, and find identity achievement by considering and accepting values and goals that define
their individual identity. At this point in the identity exploration process, the emerging adults can
move into the next stage of Intimacy versus Isolation developing friendships and intimate
relationships in late adolescence to continue defining their identity.
In Marcia’s Theory of Identity Status, identity formation is classified into one of four identity
categories or ego identity status:
Identity Diffusion – This status can be likened to Erikson’s role confusion, there is no
resolution to adolescent identity.
Identity Foreclosure – This happens when young adults choose an identity without
exploring identity options.
Identity Moratorium – College students or military recruits often use the moratorium
identity status to postpone identity achievement status and explore different peer
relationships, social contexts, cultural factors to continue per their personality
development.
Identity Achievement – Identity achieved status occurs when the adolescent’s identity
formation process has been resolved. At this point an individual’s identity is confirmed
by the values they choose to accept and nurture.
The process of identity formation can change and develop at any point during one's life; for
many of us, our ideas of who we are and what we believe are an ongoing process, evolving
constantly over our lifespan. For instance, one’s political identity may change from youth to
middle age depending on socioeconomic factors or one’s chosen peer groups, or having a
positive self-concept may support your racial identity over time.
Identity development can be exciting and fulfilling, but it can also be a source of stress or pain.
It’s not easy to question who we are and what we believe, especially when our answers might go
against social, cultural, or family norms. When worry over identity becomes especially urgent or
persistent, it can lead to mental health symptoms and interfere with day-to-day life.
Prevalence of identity development challenges
Virtually everyone faces challenges related to identity development, particularly in adolescence
and young adulthood. That said, the shapes these challenges take can vary enormously, and it’s
hard to know exactly how prevalent different forms of these issues are. Additionally, some
studies show that concepts of identity may be becoming increasingly complex as technology
makes all our personal lives more public and transparent. For example, the Pew Research Center
found that a group of experts was split on the question of whether increased digital transparency
leads to positive or negative impacts on personal identity.
Specific obstacles and conditions can impact identity processes. Gender and sexual identities can
be shaped by sexual abuse or trauma in childhood, but a positive relationship with extended
family from a diverse ethnic background can shape one’s bicultural identity.
Identity development Symptoms
Symptoms associated with issues around identity development vary, but some common examples
are as follows:
Anxiety or worry: You may think frequently about your concerns around your identity
and find it difficult to focus your attention elsewhere.
Sadness or depression: Struggling with some aspect of your identity might lead to
sadness or hopelessness, especially if you are uncertain of steps you can take to resolve
your concerns. Self-esteem issues may arise when dealing with identity confusion.
General stress: You may have trouble sleeping or experience physical symptoms
including muscle tension, headaches, and digestive troubles. Over time these factors may
lead to higher health risks.
Social or interpersonal challenges: Feeling unsure of who you are and what you believe
might lead to difficult social interactions, conflict with family, friends, or loved ones.
You may also experience a general sense of not fitting in and wondering how to feel
socially at ease.
Struggles at school or work: Especially if your worries center around your professional
or academic identity, you might see negative impacts on your performance at school or
work.
Challenges related to identity development
Again, identity development processes involve a wide range of factors, but a few areas in which
people commonly experience challenges with their identity exploration include:
Social identity: Social identity formation is based on who you are in terms of the groups
to which you belong. These groups are usually defined by characteristics that the
members share, whether physical, mental, social, or otherwise. Social identity theory
posits that belonging to a group you identify with will drive self-esteem. Challenges arise
because you may be unsure where you fit in or feel that your friendships are unstable.
Some people worry that their social circles may not be accepting of who they truly are.
Professional identity: Trying to align your responsibilities and values with your career
development, job role, and ethical standards may have you wondering if the professional
path you have chosen is the one you really want or feel as if your identity at work is
misaligned with your identity at home. Especially for people who consider themselves
creative or artistic, it’s also common to have difficulty balancing professional identity
with creative identity.
Family identity: Family identity is usually shaped by family structure, generational
hierarchy, and character. Where you fit into the collective identity of the family may
make you confused when you feel as if your values and desires do not match those of
your family and wonder how to reconcile the two.
Cultural, ethnic, and racial identity, or religious identity: Cultural identity is deeply
rooted in the common thread of ethnic identity — belonging to the same ethnic group and
having a shared ethnic heritage. Ethnic identity development may include issues of race
identity development, religious beliefs, religious practices, as well as family identity.
When the norms and expectations of your background don't seem to align with your
personal values, or you're navigating multiple identities that conflict with each other at
times H— it can exacerbate stress, along with pressures relating to social context, and
discrimination against marginalized identities.
Gender or sexual identity: You may be facing questions about your gender identity or
sexual orientation, or feel unsure about these aspects of your identity. Social norms,
family, and cultural contexts around gender binary and sexuality can add to these
challenges, as can discrimination against sexual and gender minority groups.
Addiction
What are addictions?
Addictions refer to a broad group of conditions in which an individual is regularly involved with
a substance or activity in a way that is compulsive, hard to control, and often has harmful
consequences.
Addictions are most often defined by using a substance like drugs or alcohol (commonly called
substance use disorders), but some definitions of addiction also include compulsive engagement
in behaviors such as sex, gambling, or shopping.
Many people engage in substance use or potentially addictive behaviors without these habits
becoming addictions. For example, looking forward to getting a drink at happy hour doesn’t
mean you’re addicted to alcohol, and one evening at a casino doesn’t equal a gambling addiction.
However, when you frequently seek out a substance or behavior in a way that feels difficult to
cut back, control, or disengage from even when it interferes with your day-to-day life, it may be
worth considering whether you’re struggling with an addiction.
Different types of addiction
Addictions can come in many forms. A few of the most common addictions include:
Alcohol Use Disorder: A person regularly consumes alcohol in a way that is compulsive,
and has harmful consequences at least some of the time.
Drug Use Disorders: This category includes addictions to, among other substances:
amphetamines, cocaine, heroine, prescription drugs, and opioids. Tobacco addiction falls
under this category of addiction.
Behavioral Addictions: These are addictions to activities, rather than substances. Some
common activities that can be addictive include sex, gambling, shopping, working,
exercising, and using the Internet.
Prevalence of addictions
Addictions are considered to be very common.
According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health [1]:
About 21.5 million people in the United States ages 12 and older had a substance use disorder
Of these, nearly 80% had an alcohol use disorder specifically
More than 7 million individuals had a drug use disorder
American Addiction Centers indicate that substance use disorders are more common in men than
in women [2].
In particular, men are about twice as likely as women to have alcohol use disorder
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health also indicates that many people struggle with drug
and alcohol use disorders simultaneously.
Additionally, nearly eight million adults in the United States in 2014 had both a substance use
disorder and a diagnosed mental health condition [3]. This is what’s known as co-occurring
disorders.
Symptoms of an addiction
Symptoms of addiction can vary, but the most common indicators are as follows:
Compulsive use of a substance or engagement in a behavior: Individuals struggling
with addictions may wish to stop or decrease use of a substance or behavior, but they find
it difficult to do so. Cravings for the substance or behavior may be intense enough to
interfere with other activities or even thoughts.
Risky use and/or harmful consequences: If you have an addiction, you might continue
to use a substance or engage in a behavior even when it is dangerous—driving a car after
drinking, for instance—or has a negative impact on you or those around you. Examples
of such consequences might include problems at work, conflicts with friends or family, or
excessive spending.
Lack of enjoyment: Substances or activities that once provided happiness or
entertainment are now sources of stress, pain, or conflict.
Tolerance: You might need to use more of the substance or engage in the activity more
frequently to experience the same effects you once did from a lesser amount.
Withdrawal: If you stop using the substance or engaging in the activity, you experience
painful physical and/or psychological symptoms.
Depression
Depression is a mental health condition that entails persistent feelings of sadness, apathy,
hopelessness, loss of energy, and/or lack of interest in life.
Mild versions of these feelings are normal parts of day-to-day life. It's common, and even
healthy, to feel sad or hopeless in reaction to stressful life events, the state of the world around
you, or just to go through a period where things feel off. But when these emotions become
especially frequent, intense, or long-lasting, they can interfere with daily life activities.
Prevalence of depression
Major depressive disorder, also called major depression, is the most common diagnosis, which
affects around 21 million adults in the United States each year - that's roughly 8.4% of all the
adults - and nearly 280 million people globally. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted these
numbers up considerably with a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide. Some
sources estimate that up to 15% of the adult population internationally will experience clinical
depression at some point in their lives.
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance notes that women are twice as likely to be
diagnosed than men, and the symptoms between genders differ. Many women experience
postpartum depression or episodes of depression during pregnancy.
A wide range of risk factors play a role in depression, including genetic predisposition,
psychological stress, environmental, and psychological factors. A person's family history and
genetics, chronic stress, history of trauma, gender, nutrition, unresolved grief or loss, personality
traits, and use of medication and substances may all contribute to an increased risk for
depression. It is important to consider these factors when seeking treatment and support from a
mental health care provider.
If you're struggling with a mood disorder or mental health condition, you may find it difficult to
seek help. Data from the ADAA shows that nearly 40% of all individuals with severe depression
did not contact a mental health care provider to receive treatment.
Symptoms of depression
The severe symptoms of depression can vary and may sometimes seem to contradict each other.
Common symptoms in men tend toward anger, irritability, and fatigue, while women's symptoms
are more related to feelings of guilt, worthlessness and sadness. Likewise, there are some
differences in symptoms between adults and children. Generally, some of the most common
emotional and physical symptoms include:
Persistent intense sadness or feelings of hopelessness: These feelings might occur
without an obvious cause and may not improve when external circumstances improve.
Lack of energy: Those struggling with depressed mood may find it difficult to get out of
bed and complete daily activities.
Irritability or restlessness: Some presentations of depression may include excessive or
agitated activity, rather than (or alternating with) a lack of energy.
Difficultly concentrating: You might feel a general sense of mental fogginess, and/or
find it harder to focus and think things through.
Loss of interest in pleasurable activities: Experiencing apathy is common when the
things that usually bring you joy (social activities, hobbies, sex) may seem dull and
uninteresting.
Changes in sleeping or eating habits: Feelings of sadness and negative emotions can
cause you to sleep or eat too much or too little, often resulting in rapid weight gain or
significant weight loss.
Thoughts of suicide or death: These feelings of worthlessness and negative thoughts
may be persistent, involuntary, and disruptive to your daily life.
It is important to rule out other mental disorders or medical illnesses and diseases, like
hypothyroid problems, diabetes, anemia or other chemical imbalance when looking for a
diagnosis.
Different types of depression
Several different conditions fall under the umbrella of mood disorders. The diagnosis of
depression comes from a medical health care provider after the completion of a physical and
mental evaluation. With prolonged and severe symptoms, the most common forms are:
Major Depressive Disorder: This is the most usual form of depression. Those struggling
with major depression experience several of the above symptoms most days, to a degree
that clearly affects their day-to-day lives. These symptoms persist for at least two weeks
and are generally not related to specific life stressors (loss of a job, death of a loved one,
etc.).
Persistent Depressive Disorder: People with this form of depression experience milder
versions of the same symptoms described above. These indications are still present most
of the time, but they are less severe symptoms and those people struggling with chronic
depression may be able to hide these symptoms from most people in their lives.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Also known as PMDD, this form of depression is an
extension of PMS. Its occurrence is linked to a woman's menstrual cycle and usually
involves the onset of depressive symptoms about seven to 10 days before the start of a
menstrual period.
Substance-Induced Depressive Disorder: Here, depressive symptoms are connected to
the patient's substance use disorder or abuse of alcohol or other substances.
Depressive Disorder due to Another Medical Condition: Certain medical conditions
can cause depressive symptoms. In this type, the medical condition physiologically
affects the individual's brain chemistry to cause the symptoms; it is not a psychological
response to being sick.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Often equated to the 'winter blues,' SAD is a more
severe with increased symptoms that can resemble those of Major Depressive Disorder.
Typically triggered by a lack of sunlight or changes in seasons, SAD tends to occur
during the winter months and is often treated with light therapy.
It is not uncommon for depressed people to also suffer from co-occurring disorders, like anxiety
or bipolar disorder. A medical condition or physical illness like heart disease or cancer can
sometimes be an underlying cause as feelings of hopelessness often are part of dealing with
major illness.
It's important to understand that depression and anxiety disorders are not the same thing, even
though they can share similar symptoms. Anxiety disorders have their own distinct causes and
symptoms. Interestingly, many people who experience anxiety have also struggled with a history
of depression, although there is no proven link between the two. It's clear, though, that both
conditions can be challenging to manage and can greatly affect a person's well-being.
Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is also a chronic mood disorder, with
periods of low or depressed mood and/or major depression symptoms, but also includes periods
of mania. Depression and bipolar disorder are serious mental disorders, though they present with
different diagnostic criteria. Medical and mental health professionals have effective treatment
plans for both.
