What Are The Physical Effects Of Depression?

Depression is a common mental health condition that causes various emotional symptoms that can impede daily functioning. Due to its label as a mental illness, some people may believe that depression cannot cause physical symptoms. However, there are several physical symptoms and impacts of depression that are common. 

Understanding the physical symptoms of depression can help you know when a symptom might be due to a depressive disorder diagnosis. However, if you're concerned that something might be a physical symptom of depression, you might consult a doctor before making conclusions, as some symptoms are similar between depression and physical health conditions. A doctor may be able to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for what you’re experiencing.

Physical effects of depression 

Below are some of the most common physical symptoms of depression that people might experience. 

Sleep disturbances

A lack of sleep caused by depression can also negatively impact mood and cognitive performance. Insomnia is often closely related to depression and can be a side effect or a precursor to the condition. Insomnia can severely reduce a person's quality of life and increase their risk of suicide.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Support is available 24/7.

Individuals living with bipolar disorder can experience sleep disturbances during mania and depression. In manic or hypomanic episodes, overactivity can lead to a lack of sleep. During episodes of depression, a person can experience insomnia or hypersomnia. These challenges with sleep can leave someone vulnerable to missing class, work, and other necessary appointments. 

Sleep disturbances in depression are often attributed to disrupting and desynchronizing the circadian and homeostatic processes. To manage sleep challenges, a client might work with a doctor to try a combination of prescribed medication and therapy to address sleep habits that cause insomnia or hypersomnia.

Changes in eating habits

Depression is often connected with how people choose to consume food, which can also have various physical health implications.

A common depression effect is the tendency to overeat unhealthy foods. Binge-eating disorder (BED) is an eating disorder listed in the DSM that is defined by eating a significant amount of food within two hours and experiencing a lack of control over how much is eaten, often accompanied by shame and embarrassment. Individuals with BED may also exhibit behaviors such as eating rapidly, eating past full, overeating when not hungry, and eating alone. 

While BED is a separate condition from major depression (major depressive disorder), they can be comorbid with one another. Approximately 50% to 70% of people with depression also have an eating disorder. Overeating due to depression can be dangerous because of the likelihood of adverse health effects like cardiovascular conditions and diabetes.

Conversely, people may experience a loss of appetite due to depression. They may not finish their meals, push back their eating times, or skip meals entirely, which can result in unplanned weight loss and malnutrition.

For individuals who overeat or undereat, brain imaging suggests that the reward circuitry may be responsible. For example, when presented with food stimuli, those with higher appetites have increased activity in this area, whereas those who struggle to eat have a reduced response to these cues.

Digestive symptoms 

Those with clinical depression might be at risk for digestive challenges. The brain and the gut are closely connected and can send signals to one another, sometimes called the gut-microbiome-brain axis. For example, when individuals feel nervous, they may experience a sensation called "butterflies in the stomach."

Furthermore, there appears to be a bidirectional relationship between digestive issues and mental health, meaning that experiencing digestive issues can worsen mental health and vice versa. Factors like stress, anxiety, and depression can all negatively affect the movement and contractions of the GI tract, make inflammation worse, and make you more prone to infections.

Multiple studies have linked psychological disorders like depression to chronic digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In addition, those with these conditions have higher rates of depression and anxiety. However, because of the connection between the gut and the brain, people may find relief for their digestive challenges by managing stress and treating their depression and other possible comorbid conditions, like anxiety.

Multiple studies have suggested that those who tried psychological-based approaches, such as therapy, demonstrated significant improvements compared to only medicine. However, not attending therapy and participating in unhealthy lifestyle activities can result in poorer outcomes and worsen these conditions. 

Body pain and discomfort

Some people with depression may experience muscle aches and chronic pain in their joints. These depression effects sometimes get overlooked because they tend to be associated with somatic illnesses. Because of this impact, it can also make the condition hard to diagnose. 

In a study performed by the World Health Organization, 1146 patients from 14 countries met the criteria for being diagnosed with depression, and 69% of them reported their physical symptoms only when visiting the doctor. Despite its tendency to go undiagnosed, visiting the doctor and reporting a high number of physical symptoms can indicate a mood disorder. The more painful they are, the more severe the depression may be.

Pain can have a biological component and is not limited to external causes. Serotonin and norepinephrine are not only neurotransmitters that affect one's mood but can also influence pain. When these chemicals are dysregulated, depression and physical symptoms can arise. 

Antidepressants are often prescribed to those who have depression because they can improve mood and provide relief to body pain simultaneously. However, consult your doctor before starting, changing, or stopping a medication for any condition or symptom. 

How to find support for depression 

Depression is not confined to the mind. Those with this condition commonly report physical effects like stomach upset and pain. If you are experiencing primarily physical symptoms, visit your doctor or a psychiatrist for a diagnosis and a treatment plan. First-line treatment for clinical depression often consists of antidepressant medication. However, when medication is combined with therapy, you may achieve better outcomes and manage the long-term effects of depression. 

In some cases, barriers to in-person care can arise. With online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp, you can work with a licensed therapist to cope with your depression symptoms. Counselors cannot prescribe medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, but they can assist you with strategies for tackling depression and other mental health conditions. When you choose online mental health services, you can attend sessions from the comfort of your home. This may be helpful if you’re experiencing a loss of interest in leaving home due to depression.

Research shows that online therapy is effective for a number of mental disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder. One study found that people participating in online treatment for depression and anxiety saw significant and clinically meaningful improvements in depression and anxiety scores relative to baseline observed post-intervention at 12 weeks and sustained at program month six.