Monday, March 25, 2024

Does Depression Make You Cold

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The Many Causes Of Cold Sensations

What Anyone Who Hasn’t Had Depression Should Know | MedCircle

Cold sensations and chills are known to occur when you have a fever or ill health, and may even occur when you have low blood pressure or poor circulation. Only a doctor can test you for these conditions.

But that shouldn’t stop you from learning more about anxiety, because anxiety genuinely causes not only cold chills, but also a host of different physical sensations that can easily disrupt your life.

What Does It Feel Like To Be Bipolar

Some people with bipolar experience bursts of energy, where everything feels like its exciting and new. Others may have extreme bouts of depression, where everything feels bleak and hopeless. No two people have the exact same bipolar experience, but it is definitely an interesting and unpredictable one. It can feel like a roller coaster ride, with ups and downs that you never knew existed.

Can Depression Make You Feel Physically Cold

This article has been fact checked by a third party fact-checking organization.

Depression can make people feel very cold. This is because the person is not feeling any pleasure or happiness, which is what usually makes people feel warm. This means that the person is not pulling any energy from anything, including loved ones. This can lead to a kind of zombie-like behavior where the person barely responds to anyone and seems distant or uninterested. This can be very difficult for loved ones to deal with, as it can make them feel like their loved one is cold and uncaring.

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Can You Get Fever From Depression

Depression can cause a number of physical symptoms, such as fever. It is not clear whether anxiety symptoms cause fever, but it is possible.If someone has both depression and anxiety, it is important to seek medical attention if their fever increases. If a person has depression, it is important to seek medical attention if their fever is high and does not go away with treatment. If a person has anxiety, it is important to seek medical attention if their fever is high and does not go away with treatment.

Can Cold Water Really Improve Your Mental Health

No studies have shown that the Wim Hof method or cold water immersion alone boosts mental health, but some research suggests that cold-water swimming can improve mood and well-being. Several teams of researchers, especially in Europe, have explored the psychological effects of cold-water swimming and seen encouraging results. A 2020 study conducted in Britain found that 61 people who took a 10-week course to learn to swim in cold seawater experienced greater improvements in mood and well-being than 22 of their friends and family members who watched them from shore.

Some scientists also suspect that a dip in frigid water might help treat mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. A 2018 case study, also in Britain, describes a 24-year-old woman with depression and anxiety who undertook cold-water swimming and, after four months, no longer required medication. Since then, researchers have followed up with a larger trial, but the results have yet to be published.

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Two Different Ways Of Administering Light Therapy

1. A light box delivers light that with up to ten times the intensity of normal domestic lighting. In most cases, you simply sit about 12 inches in front of a 10,000-lux light box for 15 to 30 minutes each morning. The light box emits a controlled amount of white light, with harmful ultraviolet rays filtered out.

While the light needs to enter the eyes, you shouldnt stare directly at the light box, but rather continue your morning routine, such as eating breakfast, reading the newspaper or working at the computer. Most people notice an improvement in their SAD symptoms after a few days and experience the full antidepressant effect in about two weeks.

You can buy a light box without a prescription, although you may want to work with a professional to monitor the benefits of the treatment. While light therapy carries few side effects, consult your doctor about any eye or skin problems before using a light box. Also, beware that light therapy may trigger a manic episode if you have bipolar disorder.

How To Tell If You Are Depressed Or Just Tired

With both depression and fatigue, symptoms include low energy, low motivation, and anhedonia, or a loss of interest in pleasurable activities, Dimitriu says.

One distinguishing factor can be the desire to engage in activities people who have fatigue wish to do things, but lack energy, whereas people with depression have lower interest in activities, he says.

“Another important consideration is the duration of the low mood and if it improves with sleep,” Dimitriu says. A single good night’s sleep can improve a tired person’s mood, he notes.

But depression-related fatigue permeates every facet of a person’s life, says Ricke. The effect is felt:

  • Physically: Everyday tasks eating, showering, getting dressed, and so on may become difficult. “The body can feel heavy, slow, and stiff due to depression,” Ricke says.
  • Cognitively: Due to depression, you may experience “difficulty sustaining focus, concentrating, and processing information,” Ricke says. Of course, lack of sleep can have a similar cognitive impact, making it challenging to concentrate.
  • Emotionally: Here is where the effects may be most profound. “Fatigue makes it more difficult to weed through the already confusing thoughts and feelings that are part of depression,” Ricke says. Forming emotional connections with friends, family, and the people around you may be more challenging when you’re fatigued, she says. And that, in turn, “can perpetuate feelings of aloneness and hopelessness,” Ricke says.

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Medication And Psychotherapy For Seasonal Affective Disorder

While light therapy is often a highly effective treatment for SAD or the winter blues, it doesnt work for everyone. If thats the case, dont despair, there are other effective treatment options available and plenty of self-help techniques to help you feel better.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be highly beneficial for people with seasonal depression. The right therapist can help you curb negative thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that make the disorder worse and help you learn how to manage symptoms and deal with stress in healthy ways. For many people, CBT can be as effective at treating seasonal affective disorder as light therapy or antidepressants, but without any risky side-effects.

Medication. If light therapy doesnt work for you, your doctor may suggest antidepressant medication. SSRI antidepressants work by acting on serotonin levels in the brain to reduce SAD symptoms. In the U.S., the FDA has specifically approved the drug bupropion to treat seasonal affective disorder. However, as with all antidepressants, there may be adverse side effects, including a number of safety concerns specific to children and young adults. Its important to weigh the benefits against the risks before starting on medication.

Whatever treatment plan you settle on, its important to combine it with self-help techniques to help manage your depression symptoms and even help prevent seasonal affective disorder returning next year.

Can Depression Make You Feel Short Of Breath

Fight Depression and Burnout in 2 Minutes a Day: 3 Good Things Activity

Depression and anxiety may cause shortness of breath and other respiratory symptoms. Multiple studies have found that these symptoms are more common in people with depression and anxiety, even after adjusting for other factors.This suggests that depression and anxiety may play a role in causing respiratory problems. If you have depression or anxiety, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms and how they may be affecting your health.

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Seek Support For Symptoms Of Depression

Depression is often not recognised and can go on for months or even years if left untreated. Its important to seek support as early as possible, as the sooner a person gets treatment, the sooner they can recover.

Untreated depression can have many negative effects on a persons life, including serious relationship and family problems, difficulty finding and holding down a job, and drug and alcohol problems.

There is no one proven way that people recover from depression. However, there is a range of effective treatments and health professionals who can help people on the road to recovery.

There are also many things that people with depression can do for themselves to help them recover and stay well. The important thing is to find the right treatment and the right health professional for a persons needs.

When Should I Go To The Emergency Room

If you or a loved one has suicidal thoughts, get help. Call your provider, go to an emergency room, call 911 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800.273.8255. This national network of local crisis centers provides free, confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Its available 24/7.

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Your Head Is In The Clouds

Daydreaming a lot lately? About becoming a movie star, falling madly in love, how your friend’s kid is smarter than yours, or the boss has it in for you? Psychologists from Harvard University have shown that we’re happiest when our minds are firmly rooted in the present moment, and when our minds wander, it can make us wistful, anxious, and unhappy. While daydreaming can help find creative solutions to problems, more often than not it’s linked to low mood.

In The Meantime Heres How To Deal

Though professional help is the most effective way to treat physical symptoms of anxiety, therapy and/or medication arent always accessible. In that case, it might be helpful to know some of the common ways people with anxiety practice self-care and help themselves feel better. Like we mentioned earlier, deep breathing is a big one for anxiety symptoms, since hyperventilation can exacerbate many of the symptoms on this list.

Beyond that, our Anxiety Center is full of helpful, expert-recommended tips to make living with anxiety a little easier. Here are a few specific articles to get you started:

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Symptoms And Causes Of Depression

Symptoms of depression can be very different from person to person. However, as a general rule, if you are depressed you feel hopeless, sad and lacking interest in things that used to make you feel happy.

Depression symptoms are bad enough to interfere with work, social life and family life, and can persist for weeks or months.

Doctors describe depression in one of three ways, depending on how serious it is:

  • mild depression it has some impact on daily life
  • moderate depression it has a significant impact on your daily life
  • severe depression this makes it nearly impossible to get through your life day to day

A few people with severe depression may have symptoms of psychotic depression.

Below is a list of depression symptoms it’s unlikely that one person would have all of them.

You Might Have A Heart Condition

Peripheral artery disease is a condition that causes plaque to build up in the arteries. Youre a little more prone to have a decrease in the blood flow to certain areas, Bidey says, and this creates coldness, numbness or tingling in the hands, feet or legs. Blood clots, high cholesterol or other conditions that clog your arteries can have the same effect.

If youre always feeling cold, but also have muscle pain or cramps in your legs and arms, commonly after physical activity, you should get it checked out. You may be prescribed a blood thinner, or your health provider may suggest you take an aspirin each day.Sometimes, lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, quitting smoking and cutting out saturated fats that lead to high cholesterol, can lessen the conditions hold on your health.

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You Have Anxiety Or Panic Attacks

Anxiety is more often associated with feeling sweaty than feeling cold, but sometimes it can cause a chilly feeling as well. When people are very anxious, their hands can feel cold and clammy, Dr. Besson says. And if you have panic attacks, you might experience full-body chills, according to the National Institute of Mental Health . These sensations are all due to that stress-induced fight-or-flight response that skews your bodys normal functioning so you can escape or combat a threat.

As with some of the other conditions on this list, a cold sensation is only one of the symptoms youd be inclined to experience with anxiety or panic attacks. More prominent ones include an overwhelming sense of worry or fear, a rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing. Read more about physical symptoms of anxiety, plus when they might indicate a panic attack, and when to see a mental health professional for your anxiety. They can help you nail down treatment, which may include anti-anxiety medications and therapy.

The Next Step: Getting Help

What Happens After 30 Days of Cold Showers

If you notice any of these serious depression symptoms in yourself or someone you love, reach out and get help. In most people, even major depression is a very treatable disorder, with a wide range of medications and therapies that have been proven to work, according to the APA.

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Where Does The Depression Come From

  • Life events can be the cause of depression.

  • Different causes can often combine to trigger depression.

  • Some people may be more prone to developing depression.

  • Depression can be treated with medication and/or therapy.

  • There is no single cause of depression, but it can be treated with medication and/or therapy.

  • What Do I Do If Im Worried That A Relative Or Friend Has Depression Or Anxiety

    If you think a friend or relative is experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, try to talk to them about it.

    You may feel uncomfortable bringing up a sensitive topic, especially if the person you’re concerned about doesn’t often talk about their emotions. Explain why you are concerned but avoid diagnosing their problem or forcing solutions.

    They may be unwilling to talk about it, but let them know that you’re willing to listen when they’re ready.

    There are various ways you can help them, such as:

    • Offer your support, listen and reassure them that how theyre feeling can be improved.
    • Stay in touch, call or visit regularly. The risk of depression increases when people feel alone and unsupported.
    • Encourage them to make an appointment with their GP or another health professional. Offer to go with them to appointments.
    • Encourage them to keep active and healthy. Plan occasional outings to get them out of the house.

    Supporting a relative or friend with depression can be both rewarding and stressful. There is information and support for carers where you can get help for the difficulties you experience. Contact Carers Direct, Carers UK and the Carers Trust for more information.

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    So Is It The Flu Or Depression

    To meet diagnosis criteria for depression, one must experience intense feelings of despair, a loss of interest or pleasure, and at least three other symptoms , for two weeks or longer. Fever is not a symptom of depression. That said, the line that exists between the flu and depression can still appear blurry. And in either case you need to receive proper treatment. So, if youre experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms, go see a licensed medical or mental health provider for an accurate diagnosis. Determining the root cause of something is always best left to the professionals, says Backe. Self-diagnosing and self-medicating could be an issue with a subject matter this sensitive and fragile, so it is advised to seek care from a qualified provider.

    If youre still unsure about getting that depression screening, heres a list of factors that signify a need for doing so, as determined by Backe:

    • When those around them are showing genuine concern for their mental wellbeing, due to your loss of interest, or your irritability
    • When you find yourself unable to function properly due to your negative emotions, whether at work, outside, or at home
    • When youre not sleeping or eating right and are experiencing an empty and vacant feeling regularly
    • When youre having persistent thoughts of self-harm or suicide

    Tip : Eat The Right Diet

    Eating small, well-balanced meals throughout the day, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, will help you keep your energy up and minimize mood swings.

    • While the symptoms of SAD can make you crave sugary foods and simple carbohydrates, such as pasta and white bread, complex carbohydrates are a better choice. Foods such as oatmeal, whole grain bread, brown rice, and bananas can boost your feel-good serotonin levels without the subsequent sugar crash.
    • Foods rich in certain omega-3 fatssuch as oily fish, walnuts, soybeans, and flaxseedscan also improve your mood and may even boost the effectiveness of antidepressant medication.

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    You Might Be Totally Overwhelmed With Family Obligations Or Stressed About Your Finances After A Month Of Big Spending

    The month of December often leads to spending sprees, due to all of the vacations, gift-giving, potlucks, and traveling to visit family and loved ones. Plus, being with family can be just plain tough in general. No one would judge you if spending 10 days with extended family made you a little more moody than usual.

    For these issues, January is the ultimate month to take your life back into your own hands. Because it’s so damn cold almost everywhere , January is a great month to reassess your spending, prioritize what you want to spend money on over the next few months, and maybe even do a social media or phone detox where you can have a few days of silence after non-stop small talk since Thanksgiving.

    There are countless reasons for why it can get a little bit harder to see the light during this time of year. But the good news is that all of these struggles are treatable, in one form or another.

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