Depression and HIV

October 2003     View PDF     En español
Reprinted from www.aidsmeds.com, US

What other problems might I notice if I’m depressed?

Besides the criteria listed above, you may experience some of the following problems if you are depressed:

• Criticizing, attacking, and berating yourself
• Skipping days of work or not going to work
• Inability to study or pursue serious intellectual or artistic interests
• Loss of interest in sex
• Avoiding friends or usual social activities, hobbies, or recreations
• Inability to enjoy activities or events in which you normally take pleasure
• Neglecting yourself physically (in terms of grooming and hygiene)
• Forgetfulness
• Crying a lot or feel like crying without knowing why
• Feeling irritable and getting into arguments easily

One of the common symptoms of depression is a feeling of hopelessness. If you are seriously depressed, you may feel that it is impossible to get help and that you will never feel better. You may feel that you have always been in this mental state. This hopelessness can lead to failure to get help. If friends comment on your depression or suggest that you get professional help, take them seriously.

Major depression can be a dangerous disorder. You may neglect to take necessary medication for HIV or skip doctor’s appointments. You may take risks sexually that would be unacceptable to you in a non-depressed period of time. At its worst, it can lead to suicide.

If someone in your immediate family has had an episode of severe depression, studies indicate that you probably face an increased risk of developing this kind of depression.

I feel depressed most of the time, but I manage to function on a daily basis. Is there help for this kind of depression?
Yes. Dysthymic disorder is a term used in psychiatry to describe an ongoing depression that may not be as severe as a major depressive disorder, but is chronic, often lasting for years and, for some people, as long as they can remember.

The symptoms may be similar to that of major depressive disorder, but milder that is, fewer and less severe symptoms. The diagnosis is usually made when the symptoms have lasted for at least two years.

Following are the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM 4 criteria for dysthymia: Feeling unhappy or “down” most of the time on most days, AND, while depressed, at least two of the following symptoms are present:

• Poor appetite or overeating
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Low energy or fatigue
• Low self-esteem
• Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions
• Feeling hopeless
• Excessive use of alcohol or other recreational drugs

People with dysthymia are able to work and generally conduct their lives, but often feel irritable, are chronically unhappy with themselves, unable to enjoy things, and may feel that life is not very worthwhile.