Can Depression Make You Sick?

Part of our Depression articles. For evaluation and medication management, see depression care at Ridge Way.

[Image: A man stirring a pot of soup in a bright kitchen. Can depression make you sick?]

Depression is often seen as a condition that affects only emotions and behavior. It can also affect the body. Depression can cause physical symptoms, and it is linked to a higher risk of some long-term diseases. Understanding this link can help you recognize depression and get the right care.

In this post, we look at how depression can make you feel sick, why it happens, and what treatment involves.

Can Depression Make You Sick?

The short answer is yes. NIMH lists physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps and digestive problems without a clear physical cause among the symptoms of depression. Fatigue, sleep changes and appetite changes are also on the list.

People who have depression are also at higher risk of developing certain chronic diseases. These include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, pain, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

How Depression Affects Your Physical Health

1. Stress Hormones and Inflammation

NIMH describes changes in how the body functions in depression. These include increased inflammation and abnormalities in stress hormones. Researchers think changes like these may help explain the link between depression and other diseases.

2. Fatigue

Fatigue, lack of energy, or feeling slowed down are common symptoms of depression. This is more than ordinary tiredness. It can make everyday tasks harder to finish, including tasks that are good for your health, such as eating well and exercising.

3. Nausea and Stomach Problems

Depression can cause digestive problems that have no clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment. People may notice problems such as nausea, stomachaches, cramps, or diarrhea or constipation.

4. Aches and Pains

Depression does not only hurt emotionally. Many people with depression report aches and pains, such as headaches, back pain, and muscle or joint pain. Vague aches and pains are often the first symptoms people with depression bring to a doctor. The brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine are involved in both pain and mood.

5. Appetite and Weight Changes

Depression can change appetite or cause unplanned weight changes. Some people lose interest in food. Others eat more than usual. Over time, depression is linked to a higher risk of diabetes.

6. Heart Health Risks

People who have depression are at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. NIMH notes that depression can reduce blood circulation and heart rate control. Treating depression is part of looking after your overall health.

7. Sleep Problems

Sleep problems are common in depression. Some people have trouble sleeping or wake too early in the morning. Others oversleep. Poor sleep can add to fatigue and make it harder to keep a daily routine.

8. Symptoms Without a Clear Medical Cause

Depression can cause physical symptoms that have no clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment. These include aches, headaches, cramps and digestive problems. The symptoms are real, even when tests do not find a physical reason for them.

Certain medications and medical conditions, such as viruses or thyroid disorders, can cause the same symptoms as depression. A provider can rule these out with a physical exam, interview and lab tests.

Why Does Depression Make You Sick?

The physical effects of depression come from the close link between the mind and body. NIMH describes several reasons.

• Stress hormones. Depression is linked to abnormalities in stress hormones.
• Inflammation. Depression is linked to increased inflammation in the body.
• Circulation and heart rate. Depression can reduce blood circulation and heart rate control.
• Harder self-care. Symptoms like fatigue can make it hard to complete tasks that are good for health, such as eating well and exercising.

Depression cannot be reduced to a simple chemical imbalance. Research suggests genetic, biological, environmental and psychological factors all play a role.

Treatment Options for Depression

Treatment for depression typically involves psychotherapy, medication or both. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps people challenge and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Interpersonal therapy (IPT) focuses on relationships and life events that affect mood. We do not provide therapy. When therapy would help, our medical team can refer you to a therapist.

What we do provide is psychiatric evaluation and medication management, with ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Antidepressants work by changing how the brain produces or uses certain chemicals involved in mood or stress. You can read more about how antidepressant medication is used.

Research also suggests a “collaborative care” approach, where mental health and medical providers work together, can improve the overall health of people with depression. Keep your primary care provider informed about your treatment.

Final Thought

Depression can affect your physical health as well as your mental health. The answer to “Can depression make you sick?” is yes. Depression is treatable, even if you also have a chronic disease.

When to Get Help

Consider an evaluation when changes in mood, interest, sleep, appetite, energy or focus last two weeks or longer. The same is true when physical symptoms like aches, fatigue or digestive problems come with low mood, or when symptoms get in the way of everyday life. You can take our depression screening as a starting point.

Ridge Way provides psychiatric evaluation and medication management for adults, teens and children age six and older, in Sugar Hill and by telehealth across Georgia. We do not provide therapy. When therapy would help, our medical team can refer you to a therapist.

You do not need a referral unless your insurance plan requires one. Request an appointment and we will usually call you back within one business day.