The Vicious Cycle Of Depression And Insomnia

Something in modern society is pushing more and more people to experience clinical depression. The statistics differ, but a rough estimate of 20% is considered accurate for the population of the US. The time period for the depression is generally not very long, but that does not mean it is not a danger. The number of people who have experienced clinical depression has never been this high before. The fact that depression brings about a number of dangerous side effects, such as insomnia, only makes the numbers that much more worrying. There are studies focused on finding the cause of the increasing number of clinically depressed people, but are comparatively less studies focused on finding ways to alleviate the problem.
Perhaps the lack of studies dedicated to treating depression stems from the fact that there are already anti-depressants on the market that are effective. At least, they're effective according to the statistics. As for the common side effects, there are sleeping pills that can help with insomnia. There are also drugs that can be used to treat most of the physical side effects associated with depression. However, these drugs tend to be difficult to obtain over-the-counter, which puts things into an interesting situation. Most people tend not to recognize by themselves that they are experiencing depression, which means that while they might treat the side effects, they're ignoring the heart of the matter. In addition, not all of the side effects of depression are treatable by medications, such as the changes in body temperature.
Another problem is that the side effects have a tendency to form a vicious cycle that makes prolonged depression worsen. For example, one of the common causes of depression comes in the form of anxiety disorders, typically social anxiety. It has been documented that social anxiety can worsen with the onset of depression, sometimes resulting in total social withdrawal for short intervals. In another tangent, insomnia – another common side effects – can also worsen a person's depressed state. As the lack of sleep starts to interfere with the patient's already shaky ability to perform socially and professionally, the already-fragile self-confidence starts to fracture even more. This can cause the person's already shaky state of mental health to be damaged to the breaking point, possibly resulting in a total nervous breakdown.
However, some people have also made the mistake of connecting insomnia directly to depression. While being depressed can have physical effects on the body that can trigger insomnia, it is by no means the absolute cause. According to most studies on the matter, insomnia is a physical condition, one that is more likely to be affected by factors such as a person's diet than an anxiety disorder. However, the popular perception that insomnia is linked to depression can sometimes cause a person to develop the latter. There are several factors that have to be considered, such as whether or not the insomnia has caused a dip in the person's social standing, but the connection is a possibility.
A common effect of both depression and insomnia is the unusual body temperature that both conditions cause. In a normal human body, the body temperature rises and falls depending on a number of factors. Physical activity, environmental factors, and even intense mental activity can cause changes in the body temperature of a normal person. However, depression and insomnia patients both exhibit signs that their body temperatures remain flat regardless of internal or external factors. This only furthers the connection that people make between the two conditions, which can sometimes make one problem lead to another.