Understanding Reactive Depression: Causes, Symptoms, and Care

This essay provides a detailed overview of reactive depression, also known as situational depression. It begins by defining depression as a widespread disease and a major cause of disability, highlighting the roles of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in understanding its prevalence. The essay then delves into the symptoms of depression, including mood swings, loss of interest, and social withdrawal. It explores the complex interplay of biological, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors that contribute to depression. The essay differentiates between normal mood fluctuations and depression, as well as between grief and depression. It then focuses on reactive depression, explaining its short-term nature and its connection to stressful events, such as work issues, illness, loss of loved ones, and relationship problems. The essay outlines the symptoms of reactive depression, including sadness, anxiety, fatigue, and suicidal thoughts. It also explores the causes of reactive depression, including genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors, as well as social and life events. The essay further discusses the symptoms and signs of depression, including reduced interest in activities, weight changes, fatigue, and suicidal thoughts. It also details the differences between reactive depression and other forms of depression, emphasizing that situational depression is triggered by specific events in a person's life. The essay concludes by highlighting the need for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment to help individuals cope with reactive depression.

Blog Writing- Reactive Depression

Reactive Depression
5th August 2019
What Is Depression?
Depression is one of the most common diseases worldwide and it is one of the leading causes of
disability. It has been observed that, people more than 12 years of age can be the sufferer of
depression. From a research finding as forwarded by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention CDC, it has been found that more than 7.5 % of people who are above 12 years of
age suffer from depression for almost two weeks. The scale of the issue is getting increased with
time. The World Health Organization has defined depression as one of the most common
diseases observed in people worldwide and it is one of the major reasons behind the disability.
As per the World Health Organization, more than 350 million people worldwide have been
affected by this disease. From several shreds of evidence, it has been observed that depression is
commonly observed in women as compared to men. The symptoms of depression include lack of
interest in things, joy, social interactions, and happiness. People suffering from depression can
suffer from mood swings and feel uncomfortable in social interactions. Investigations and
research have been conducted so far, but exact causes of depression not what are identified.
There can be a complex combination of biological, genetic, psychological, and environmental
factors resulting in depression. Depression is basically a mood disorder which is characterized by
persistent mood swings and low mood and feeling of lack of happiness and interest.
Depression can last for more than 6 months to a maximum of eight months. Consultation with a
medical practitioner or a doctor or a psychologist or a mental health specialist can help in
diagnosing depression. The treatment of depression also needs attention on a priority basis so
that the sufferers do not have to suffer for a longer period. If the exact causes of depression get
identified then it becomes easier for the health specialists to treat depression and help the patients
to come back to normalcy and social life quite easily. In many cases, depression is not detected
initially and the patients suffering from depression tend to become isolated and suffer because of

insufficient medical intervention. The role of family members, friends, colleagues, and
community in treating depression and the persons suffering from depression is quite significant.
Accurate differential diagnosis needs to be ensured so that the person suffering from depression
can be provided with effective and secure treatment. In treating depression, the doctors generally
ask about the case history or for the past of the patients to identify the symptoms and course and
treatment. Some doctors take the help of questionnaires in assessing the severity of depression.
The Hamilton depression rating scale is often used by the doctors in assessing depression
severity. In this rating scale, 21 questions are there with resulting scores which describe the
severity of depression condition. The Hamilton scale is considered to be one of the most
successful and widely implemented assessment instruments by the clinicians in rating depression
severity. This scale also helps the doctors in identifying the accurate reasons behind depression
and to recommend suitable treatment procedures. Sometimes people confused between
fluctuations in mood and depression. But in normal life, and an individual can suffer from
fluctuations in the mood for frequent mood changes. But it does not imply that the person is
suffering from depression. There can be emotional responses on a temporary basis which could
be the biggest challenges to regular life but these changes do not contribute to depression.
Sometimes a person suffering from grief because of death of any close one suspected to be
suffering from depression. But it is not depression rather it is a temporary emotional response to
the deaths of any close person. Bereavement can be related to depression. When a loss is
followed by depression, the psychologies term it as complicated bereavement.
Reactive Depression
Common symptoms of reactive depression include stress, fatigue, depressed mood, anxious
mood, and pain. There can be several treatments of reactive depression depending on the
similarity of the condition. Reactive depression is also termed as a situation of depression which
is a short-term type of depression where stress is the main factor. Reactive or situation of
depression can take place after an individual suffered any traumatic event or series of dramatic
events. It is a type of adjustment disorder. It can make an individual face after difficulties in
adjusting to a regular lifestyle following a major traumatic event. The events which are the main
reasons behind situational or reactive depression includes work issues, illness, death of any loved

person, moving, and relationship issues. The normal symptoms of situation or reactive
depression includes sadness, lack of enjoyment, hopelessness, regular crying, feeling anxious,
constant working, stressed out, sleeping this difficulties, disinterest in food, trouble in daily
activities, trouble focusing, feeling overwhelmed, avoiding social interactions and situations, not
taking care of vital aspects of life, and thoughts at suicide. Situational or reactive depression can
take place because of certain stressful events or traumatic incidents in life. Stressful events can
be positive or negative. But any kind of stressful events can give rise to a situational or reactive
depression. Relationship issues such as marital problems or divorce or regular altercations can
give rise to a reactive depression.
Causes of Depression
The major causes behind depression include genetics biological factors environmental and
psychological factors. There are certain social factors which are also responsible for depression.
People can suffer from depression because of, biological factors, environmental and
psychological factors, and social factors. There can be certain risk factors which are included in
depression such as life events including work-related issues, divorce, bereavement, relationships
with family and friends, financial issues, acute stress, and medical concerns. The persons
suffering from several personality-related risk factors such as life trauma or less effective coping
strategies become more susceptible. Genetic factors include first-degree relatives with similar
depression can increase the risk in the members of the same family. Childhood trauma also gives
rise to depression. Recreational drugs including abuse of alcohol and other drugs like
amphetamines can impact depression to a great extent. An individual can also suffer from
depression if any head injury has taken place in the past. Chronic pain syndromes in the case of
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease depression can be
highly observed.
Symptoms and Signs Of Depression
The main symptoms and signs of depression includes at different modes, reduce interest in
activities or pleasure in in social activities, unintentional weight loss, low appetite, psychomotor
agitation, pacing up and down, restlessness, delayed psychomotor skills, slowed speech, fatigue

loss of energy and enthusiasm, feeling of guilt, feeling of guilt, worthlessness impaired ability to
concentrate or thing for making decisions, and recurrent thought of suicide or death. There are
several cases where the person suffering from depression has been observed to have attended
result reactive depression is one of the categories of clinical depression. It is an inappropriate
depression state which is precipitated by any events in an individual's life arising as a result of
severe life events. Reactive depression is observed in the case of any abnormal grief.
Causes of Reactive Depression
Situation changes like having a baby or retirement or going away to school can also give rise to a
reactive depression. Financial issues like negative financial condition or monetary issues for
unemployment can also lead to a reactive depression. In the majority of the cases, the death of
any loved person gives rise to reactive depression to a great extent. Social issues also contribute
to this illness. Life-death experiences such as natural disaster, physical assault, come back, etc.
can also increase reactive depression chances. Chronic medical illness such as diabetes can also
give rise to a reactive depression. A person living in an endangered location on the neighborhood
can also become quite vulnerable to a reactive depression. Past life experiences sometimes
impact the way an individual is dealing with stress level. A person can be at higher risk of
reactive depression is he or she has gone through substantial stress during childhood. Any kind
of existing mental health issues also leads to a reactive depression. Difficult life circumstances
also give rise to a reactive depression. Biological factors such as abnormal structures in the brain,
hormonal abnormalities, and changes in genetics can also lead to severe reactive depression.
Symptoms of Reactive Depression
Some other symptoms of reactive depression include behavioral or emotional symptoms which
develop within 3 months following a stressful event. An individual can feel more stress after that
stressful life event. The stress can cause severe issues in interpersonal relationships. The stress
can also impact work or education negatively point depression symptoms which are not caused
by any kind of mental health disorder, can also be symptoms of reactive depression. The normal
grieving process cannot be considered as a symptom of reactive depression. These symptoms
have been highlighted by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the

majority of the cases, the death of any loved person can cause reactive depression. But it is very
important to identify whether it is normal grief or reactive of depression because symptoms of
grief and depression very often overlap each other.
Most commonly observed symptoms of reactive depression include agitation, anxiety, sadness,
and hopelessness. Weight fluctuations are also commonly observed. Digestive issues along with
headaches are also common symptoms in case of reactive depression. A person suffering from
reactive depression can lose every kind of faith in life. Life becomes meaningless and hopeless
for that particular individual. Individuals with reactive depression lose enthusiasm in doing
regular work like attending office or school for paying bills. People with reactive depression also
feel hopeless and do not develop the feeling of joy and happiness and participation in any kind of
social activities. There can be some serious symptoms of reactive depression. People with
reactive depression at a severe level can become addicted to drugs or any other substance abuse
or can also develop thoughts of suicide.
Some of the most potent symptoms of reactive depression are a feeling of despair, anxiety,
sadness, and short-temper. The other symptoms are sudden fluctuations in the weight of the
victims and headaches or digestive problems. A person suffering from reactive depression feels
that there is no meaning in his or her life and there is often a suicidal or self-hurting tendency in
some of the victims of situational depression. In this regard, we have been able to learn that there
is no exhaustive list of symptoms arising out of reactive depression as these symptoms are often
manifested in the case of grief or other types of depressions.
Differences between Reactive Depression and Other Forms Of Depression
Depression that is caused by stress and is of short-term in nature is referred to as a situational or
reactive depression. This can occur after a person has gone through a trauma in his or her life. It
is often counted as an adjustment disorder. Let us imagine that we are currently going through a
difficult stage in life. At this stage, we might feel that we are not able to move ahead with our life
normally. We might feel as if we are tired and we do not have hunger and we are constantly
fatigued and there is a feeling of emptiness in us. These are the symptoms of reactive depression
which is also known as situation and depression. It is not to be confused with grief which is
something different and it is quite different from other types of depression though some of the

symptoms are common. One of the major differences between reactive depression and other
forms of depression is that situational depression occurs out of a typical situation that has
happened in the life of a person. For other types of depression, they can occur due to a variety of
factors and not just due to a particular situation. Often, various biological factors might lead to
depression and it does not necessarily have to occur due to something happening in a person's
life. Situational depression generally does not last very long like other types of depression that
can go on for years if not effectively controlled and managed. Reactive depression can be
considered as a form of clinical depression that generally lasts for a few months. However, it can
traumatize the person or the victim quite severely. Reactive depression is quite different from
other types of depression as it is caused solely by a specific agent that encompasses an event that
is extremely painful and successful to bear with for the victim.
Grief versus Reactive Depression
Stressful incidents in life that might lead to reactive depression can be referred to as any incident
that changes or threatens to change the normal lifestyle or expectations of a person. People
handle stress differently and therefore, the manifestation of reactive depression will also vary
from person to person. Some of the most common events that might lead to situational or
reactive depression can be the demise of a loved one, termination of a relationship, an accident, a
sudden job loss or rejection. People are different from one another and therefore, it is difficult to
predict which situation will cause reactive depression in a person. It might be observed that a
person can cope up with an unfortunate incident such as the death of a close relative more
effectively than another person who might be impacted so much by the death of a close relative
that he or she might fall victim to a reactive depression. We should bear in mind that grief is an
emotion that is completely different from reactive depression.
Many situations in life lead to grief but do not lead to a reactive depression. Some symptoms of
grief and reactive depression often overlap each other. This often makes it difficult to distinguish
between grief and more concerning reactive depression. When people go through the grief they
demonstrate some symptoms such as irritability, detachment, headaches, sore muscles, fatigue,
numbness, and even digestive problems. These symptoms can also be observed in persons going
through reactive depression. So, how can we distinguish between a grief experience and

experiencing a reactive depression? When a person is going through a situation of normal grief
then it might make it difficult for the person to carry on the daily activities. But normal grief can
be resolved with time as a person normally adapts with the situation as time goes on. But, in the
case of the person continuing to remain in a state of grief for a substantially long period then it
can indicate that the person might be having reactive depression.
Treatment of Reactive Depression
It is quite difficult for medical practitioners to identify whether an individual having normal grief
experiences or reactive depression symptoms. In the case of normal grief, symptoms like
bitterness, numbness, irritability, detachment, sore muscles, digestive problems, fatigue, and
headaches are normal symptoms. There can be a person suffering from reactive depression with
similar symptoms and experiences. Hence, it is very important for a medical practitioner to
investigate whether an individual having similar symptoms is suffering from normal grief or
reactive depression. In the case of normal grief, individuals also face difficulties in carrying out
normal daily life activities. However, normal grief does not last for longer. But reactive
depression if not diagnosed and treated timely can be a severe illness which can last for longer.
There are several therapy sessions which are needed in curing reactive depression because an
individual with such depression cannot combat the illness by self-diagnosis. In treating reactive
depression, supportive psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapies are effective.
Medications including selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or dopamine reuptake
blockers can be effective.