There are several areas where people with depression experience cognitive deficits but one of the most prolific is depression and memory impairment. People with depression often complain of short-term, and even long-term, memory loss. This might mean that they forget the information they have just read, forget directions they have just been given or forget things they have just been told. Depression and memory impairment can affect a person's everyday life, including their performance at work and their relationships at home.

Causes of Memory Loss in Depression

No one knows exactly why depression appears to cause memory loss, but several theories have surfaced. In previous decades, it was thought that people with depression experienced memory impairment due to age, psychosis or because they weren't motivated to remember (as it is known that depression also causes a lack of motivation). However, these theories have now been mostly abandoned due to greater understanding of the brain and the specificity of the cognitive deficits present in depression.

It is now understood that the disease of depression actually causes the memory impairment. With more modern study, it has been found that some of the parts of the brain associated with memory are physically impaired in depression. It is also known that parts of the brain shrink in those with depression and this likely leads to cognitive impairment, producing problems with memory recall.

Impairments in concentration and sustained attention (also common in depression) likely also influence memory deficits.

It's also important to realize that some medications used to treat depression may also have memory impairment as a side effect. Additionally, drug and alcohol abuse can cause or worsen memory recall.

Depression and Memory Loss Effects

Depression and memory impairment can affect people in many ways. For example, an individual may:

• Forget a specific word he or she wants to use (aphasia)
• Forget the content of a conversation from yesterday
• Forget what happened in a book recently read
• Have trouble with "working memory" (when a number of things need to be held in memory at one time)
• Not be able to remember specifics about their own autobiographical history

Typically, routines are not forgotten nor are skills but verbal memory may be particularly affected by depression.

Memory impairments are seen across age groups but tend to be worse in the elderly. Depression and memory loss in seniors can sometimes be missed by doctors because memory loss is a symptom of aging and dementia as well.

Depression and Memory Loss Treatment

There is no specific treatment for memory loss in depression but three approaches are standard in the treatment of cognitive deficits common to several mental illnesses:

• Drills and exercises (remediation techniques) – an example of this would be a computer program designed to exercise and improve memory.
• Learning different ways to remember things (compensatory techniques) – such as the use of mnemonic devices.
• Changes in the environment (adaptive approaches) – an example would be a memory aid, such as a recorder onto which one can dictate items to be remembered later.

article references

How Does Depression Affect Cognition?

Depression affects people physically and psychologically and this includes effects on how you think – cognition (Depression and Cognitive Dysfunction). The effects of depression on cognitive function include impacts to memory, attention, speed of thought, decision-making and psychomotor skills (skills that require both thought and movement such as hand-eye coordination). Even when a person with major depressive disorder isn't experiencing acute depression, they can still experience cognitive deficits (cognitive symptoms in depression). The effects of depression on cognitive function can negatively impact depressed individuals and those who depend on them such as family, friends and community members.

Additionally, even with depression recovery where the emotional and physical symptoms retreat, the cognitive symptoms of depression may remain.

Video courtesy of Global Medical Education

Cognitive Effects of Depression on Work

Many aspects of cognition are critical in a work environment. For example, an office worker likely has to remember the meetings they have, concentrate on writing reports and make decisions about which action to take next. Prioritizing and multitasking are also required in many jobs and these cognitive functions can be impaired by depression.

Unfortunately, research bears out that people who experience the effects of depression on cognitive function in areas like memory, processing speed, attention and problem-solving are more likely to be unemployed or have a lower occupational status.

Cognitive Effects of Depression on School

When depression affects cognition, learning becomes more difficult and this can be seen in the teen years when mental illness often first develops. Even students who excelled may suddenly find paying attention in class and recalling new information extremely difficult due to depression. Young people may prefer to drop out of school, particularly when depression is undiagnosed because they are so discouraged.

The cognitive effects of depression on school can be seen in adults, too, and may prevent adults from obtaining the education necessary for career success.

Cognitive Effects of Depression on Relationships

While it's easy to pinpoint how cognitive functions, like memory and speed of thought, might impact work and school, cognitive deficits affect personal relationships as well. For example, if a person with depression finds focusing attention on another person difficult, that can negatively impact relationships that are built on give-and-take. Not being able to make decisions may make tackling paying bills at home difficult – making money an area of conflict in a relationship. People may appear lazy or uninterested, when, really, they are just suffering the cognitive effects of depression.

Mediating the Effects of Depression on Cognition

While the effects of depression on cognition may seem difficult to negotiate, it's important to know that people develop strategies to compensate for cognitive dysfunction. An example of this is setting alarms for appointments throughout the day and keeping electronic lists of things to do. More information on treating cognitive deficits in depression can be found here.

article references

The cognitive symptoms (deficits) in depression can be debilitating. Many people with depression find that not only are their physical and psychological experiences changed because of depression, but so is the way that they think (cognition). The negative effects of depression on thinking are known as cognitive dysfunctions and are common. In fact, one such cognitive symptom of depression, the diminished ability to think or concentrate; indecisiveness, is noted in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the book that defines how mental illnesses are diagnosed. (Take cognitive symptoms (deficits) depression test to measure your level of severity. Instantly scored.)

There are more than just the cognitive problems with depression that are listed in the DSM-5, however. There are five main areas where people experience the cognitive symptoms of depression:

1. Memory
2. Concentration
3. Physical and psychological actions (psychomotor skills)
4. Speed of thought (reduced brain processing speed)
5. Decision-making

Cognitive Symptom of Depression: Memory Loss

Depression and the cognitive symptom of memory loss is well established. Remembering verbal information may be particularly difficult. More severe depressions and psychosis tend to result in greater memory impairment and the elderly tend to have particularly impaired memories.

It has been shown that not only do people who are actively depressed suffer from the cognitive problem of memory loss, but some memory loss (to a lesser degree) is even present when people are in remission.

Cognitive Symptom of Depression: Problems Concentrating

Often, people with major depressive disorder find it hard to concentrate, or pay attention, when others are speaking or during a sustained task such as reading. Problems with concentration may be particularly apparent when many things are happening at once. In that situation, a person with depression may not be able to concentrate on anything or they may focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others. This can drastically impact one's ability to multitask.

Perhaps most unfortunately, while people with depression experience trouble concentrating on the world around them, they often have no trouble concentrating on the negative thoughts caused by depression. One theory is that because so much effort is spent processing these negative thoughts, there is less energy available to deal with other types of thoughts.

Cognitive Symptom of Depression: Psychomotor Skills

Psychomotor skills are those skills that require thought and action together. Psychomotor agitation or retardation in depression are specifically mentioned in the DSM-5. In psychomotor agitation, the person with depression feels a sense of inner restlessness and this often presents itself in a purposeless, repetitive, physical gesture such as hand-wringing. In psychomotor retardation, the opposite is true. Movements may become slow or difficult to produce. Psychomotor skill impairment may also present itself as a lack of coordination.

Cognitive Symptom of Depression: Speed of Thought

People with depression often experience the cognitive problem of reduced brain processing speed (depression and slow thinking). Some people may refer to this, combined with other cognitive symptoms, as "brain fog." For example, problem-solving may take a long time for someone with depression while they think through all the choices.

Cognitive Symptom of Depression: Indecisiveness

People with major depression also often feel the cognitive symptom of indecisiveness. Decision-making is often more of a problem when making emotional decisions rather than intellectual ones. Decision-making is often delayed or even avoided altogether in people with depression.

Handling the Cognitive Problems with Depression

While all that may seem overwhelming, remember that there are ways of handling the cognitive problems with depression. See the article: Treating Cognitive Deficits in Depression for more information.

article references

Depression with psychosis is a very real experience. Of people with major depressive disorder, psychosis affects anywhere from 14 to almost 50 percent (Black, 2019). Psychosis is included in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a specifier, or feature, of major depression and is officially known as major depressive disorder with psychotic features. It’s important to know if someone has depression with psychosis because this illness carries dangerous risks. Here, you can learn more about the illness, including what you should look for.

What is Psychosis?

Psychosis refers to difficulty distinguishing what is real, factual, and tangible from what is not. It involves hallucinations, delusions, or both. Hallucinations are sensory, and people perceive things with their sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste that aren’t there. Delusions are faulty beliefs.

Psychosis is caused by impairment in a specific part of the brain that is involved in distinguishing between external and internal happenings (what’s actually occurring versus our thoughts about ourselves and the world). Psychosis is a symptom or feature of specific mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression. Let’s look at psychosis as it occurs in depression.

The Nature of Depression with Psychosis

People can experience two different types of psychotic features with their depression: mood-congruent and mood-incongruent. Their hallucinations or delusions (delusions are far more common in psychotic depression) might match the experience of depression, or they might be completely unrelated to the other symptoms of depression. Sometimes, people experience a mix of the two; however, this isn’t an official specifier in the DSM-5.

Mood-incongruent psychoses aren’t as common as those that fit depression. They don’t follow typical depression themes like guilt or hopelessness. Instead, someone who has mood-incongruent symptoms might excessively fear losing their home to fire because they believe their house doesn’t meet the fire code or that firefighters wouldn’t want to come to their house to help if there was a fire. While such delusions are unrelated to depression symptoms, they can deepen depression.

Usually, someone’s delusions match the thought and emotional patterns of depression. Symptoms typically follow one or more of these themes:

• personal inadequacy, guilt, and deserved punishment
• health and disease
• death
• poverty
• nihilism (the sense that once-held morals, convictions, or ideals no longer have value and life is hopeless, worthless)

In depression, someone turns these beliefs, deeply held and unrealistic (or out of proportion with reality), against themselves. They fuel the self-loathing that is already a part of depression and can further zap energy and motivation, interfere in sleep that’s already a problem, and more.

Depression with psychosis can be devastating. The suicide rate is five times higher than in depression without psychotic features (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, 2011). It’s important to know what to look for in yourself or a loved one so you can get help.

What to Look for in Depression with Psychosis: A Checklist

To get the proper treatment, it’s necessary to look for symptoms of depression and symptoms of psychosis. The symptoms are intertwined, so also look for how they impact each other and your life.

Use this list as a checklist to help determine whether you are experiencing depression with psychotic features and how severely it’s affecting you. Are you or a loved one experiencing:

• Low mood and prolonged sadness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue and general lack of energy
• Irritability
• Changes in appetite, weight
• Changes in sleep (significantly more or less than what’s usual for you)
• Lack of motivation, apathy
• Psychomotor agitation (feeling keyed up, restless) or slowing down
• A sense of guilt for what you think you’ve done, not done, or who you perceive you are
• Repetitive thoughts and fears about your health, such as a strong belief you have cancer, despite doctors and medical tests proving otherwise
• A strong belief that you deserve to be punished or that your depression or other conditions happened to punish you
• Seeing or hearing things that aren’t there

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (2011) reports that certain depression symptoms, if severe enough, can point to depression with psychosis:

• more pronounced or extreme psychomotor agitation or slowing down than what is often seen in depression
• more severe cognitive impairment (difficulties with thinking, processing, memory, etc.)
• co-occurring anxiety disorders
• co-occurring sleep disorders

Depression with psychotic features has risk factors. If these apply to you, you may want to watch closely for the other symptoms listed above:

• Childhood trauma (For example, did you lose a parent? Experience abuse? A disaster?)
• Age (Older age, above 60, is a risk factor for psychotic depression)

Knowing what to look for to spot depression with psychosis can be lifesaving. Treatment is available, and with proper depression treatment, the prognosis is excellent (2019). You can recover from this illness and live a quality life.

article references

A depression relapse is the return of depression symptoms after they had significantly diminished or disappeared altogether. Relapse refers to depression returning within the first four months following an episode of major depression, while recurrence is used to define the return of depression after four months. Often, though, the term relapse is used for depression’s return at any time, even years later. Here, we’ll use the term “relapse” broadly. No matter when they happen, depression relapses are disappointing and upsetting. Are they inevitable? Read on to see if you should expect to have a depression relapse.

How Often Do Depression Relapses Occur?

Depression relapse is common, with about half of people who have recovered from depression experiencing another episode; Once you’ve had one relapse, your chances of another are greater (Burcusa & Iacono, 2007). Men and women appear to have an equal chance of having more than one episode of depression.

Numbers don’t lie. There’s a good chance that your depression might recur. Consider the whole meaning of the numbers, however. There is an equally good chance that you won’t have to deal with a return of depression symptoms. This means that while you don’t have to expect to have a depression relapse, you can be aware of your own chances so you can take action to keep depression at bay.

Why Does Depression Relapse Happen?

Some people have two or more episodes of major depression because they are either genetically vulnerable or have certain risk factors that increase their chances of developing depression again. Having a first-degree relative (a parent or sibling) that has had their own depression recur increases your chances that you will experience depression more than once. If you do have a close relative who has had more than one episode of depression, you still don’t have to expect to have your own relapse. Your chances are higher, but it’s not guaranteed.

Depression relapse can happen for reasons other than a genetic link. Risk factors include:

• The severity of your first depression—the more symptoms you had, the longer they lasted, and the more bothersome they were, the greater your chances of their return
• Stopping depression treatment, especially medication, on your own without the help of a doctor
• Having a personality trait known as neuroticism, which is characterized by strong self-doubt, a tendency to be anxious, and experience generally negative thoughts and feelings
• Experiencing multiple stressful life events
• A lack of social support
• Serious health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity
• Life-changing events such as a move, divorce, empty nest syndrome, losing a job, and others
• Loss, including the death of a loved one or failure to accomplish an important goal
• Experiencing trauma (past or present)
• Traumatic events locally, nationally, or internationally
• Hormonal fluctuations in women, especially in puberty, pregnancy and afterward, and perimenopause
• Addictive behaviors

It’s the cumulative effect of these risk factors that increases your chances of depression returning. The more these stressors pile on, the more likely the mood disorder is to recur.

You’re Not Doomed to Have a Depression Relapse

Even if your risk is high for having more than one depressive episode, you don’t have to sit back and let it come. You can be proactive and build protective factors to buffer yourself from the risk factors of depression relapse. Some ways to do that:

• Work with a therapist regularly to build coping skills, reduce negative thoughts, and address problems
• Stay connected to others. Having even one or a few social connections helps stave off depression
• Be active, doing activities you find enjoying and meaningful
• Exercise regularly
• Practice mindfulness to increase calm and reduce negative thoughts
• Get enough sleep by having a nightly routine that includes a regular bedtime, wind-down activities, and staying away from electronics at least two hours before bed
• Eat nutritious foods and avoid unhealthy ones

Depression relapses can happen, but they’re not inevitable. You don’t have to expect to have one. Minimizing your risk factors and taking steps to prevent a recurrence can help you remain mentally healthy.

article references

Many causes of brain fog are at work when you feel like you’re unfocused and confused, stuck in a thick cloud, everything—including your own thoughts—just out of reach (Symptoms of Brain Fog: What Does Brain Fog Feel Like?). Brain fog isn’t an illness by itself; instead, it’s a condition that can occur with many different mental- and physical health problems. The biggest factor in brain fog is brain fatigue. Knowing what exhausts your brain enough to cause brain fog will help you understand the reasons for your brain fog.

Brain fog causes are numerous and can include such things as:

• Medical conditions
• Psychological conditions
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Too much sleep
• Hormonal changes
• Diet
• Some medications
• Chemotherapy
• Alcohol consumption
• Exposure to toxins
• Allergies
• Inflammation in the body
• Caffeine withdrawal

Let’s explore what causes brain fog a bit more closely.

Causes of Brain Fog: Psychological and Medical Conditions

When something isn’t right in the body or brain, you might experience brain fog as part of the condition you’re dealing with. Both mental illness and physical illness can cause brain fog.

Numerous mental health challenges or mental illnesses can muddle thinking, lead to disorientation, confusion, and memory loss, and cause difficulties in focusing and concentrating.

While this list isn’t exhaustive, some of the biggest mental health causes of brain fog are

• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Unprocessed trauma from the past
• Emotional shock (an acute stress reaction to an upsetting event or situation)
• Adult ADHD

Any of the above experiences can tax the brain. Some cause chronic stress on the physical brain, while others cause sudden, acute stress. Stress is wearing on the brain. It has difficulty dealing with extreme or chronic stressors and becomes fatigued. You feel this fatigue as brain fog.

Medical conditions (physical illnesses) can exhaust the brain just as much as mental health struggles. Among the most common causes of brain fog that relate to physical health:

• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, etc.)
• Hypothyroidism
• Migraines
• Alzheimer’s diseases
• Anemia
• Cancer/Chemotherapy

Brain fog causes can involve hormonal fluctuations, especially in women. Pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause all can cause upheaval and contribute to brain fog.

Brain fog can be a side-effect of medication. If you are experiencing brain fog and taking medication for any reason, even if it’s not on one of the above lists, you might consider checking in with your doctor or psychiatrist. Eradicating your brain fog could be as simple as switching medications or adjusting dosages.

Brain Fog Causes: Stress

Stress is a big contributing factor to brain fog. Whether it’s acute or chronic, stress overstimulates the brain. It can overwhelm the nervous system. Stress can negatively impact all systems of the body. Given that the organ responsible for governing the entire body is the brain, stress can leave the brain fatigued.

In response to stress, the brain orchestrates the production and release of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. These hormones, though, are more brain fog causes. They contribute to the difficulty with focusing, concentration, thinking, speech, and memory that are all part of brain fog.

Something else that can be a cause or an effect of stress, mental health conditions, and medical conditions is sleep. The brain needs the proper amount of sleep, especially given that so many things we deal with can cause brain fatigue. Too little sleep, as well as too much sleep, make it difficult for the brain to function well. Sleep problems are one of the most significant causes of brain fog.

Managing stress and practicing good sleep hygiene can drastically reduce brain fog. Learn stress management techniques, with self-help books or with a mental health therapist, to blow away brain fog and increase the quality of your life.

Causes of Brain Fog: Improper Nutrition

Nutritional deficiencies and dehydration are frequent culprits of brain fog. The brain requires nutrients to function properly, and without them, it will suffer and become tired. You’ll experience brain fog.

Brain fog causes involving diet include:

• Processed junk food
• Sugary drinks like sodas and coffee drinks
• Refined sugars in desserts, other sweets
• Fast food
• Refined breads and pastas
• Trans fats
• Additives (like MSG, sucralose, aspartame, etc.)
• Overeating
• Unstable glucose levels that spike and crash (usually due to simple carbohydrates like sugars and refined foods)

Eating foods to which you are allergic, sensitive, or intolerant can cause brain fog, too. Plain yogurt with probiotics, for example, is healthy for the brain, but if you are sensitive to dairy, this healthy food could cause brain fog. Opt for other brain-friendly foods instead (Brain Fog Supplements, Vitamins, Remedies: Hoax or Real Deal?).

Brain fog reasons are numerous. Knowing what they are can help you make lifestyle changes to get rid of brain fog and feel like you’re part of your world again.

article references

Can Depression Cause Cognitive Impairment (Thinking Problems)?

Most people think of depression as causing emotional changes, but can depression cause cognitive impairment too? Studies show that not only does depression cause emotional and physical symptoms, but it also causes cognitive dysfunction (problems with thinking). Cognitive dysfunction is also seen in bipolar disorder and quite markedly in schizophrenia. If you're wondering, "Do I have cognitive dysfuction because of depression?", take our Cognitive Symptoms (Deficits) of Depression Test. It's free and instantly scored.

What is Cognitive Dysfunction?

Cognitive function refers to thinking and intellectual skills that allow you to perceive, acquire, understand and respond to information. These skills include things like memory, the ability to pay attention and solve problems and communication as well as the ability to organize, recognize and act on information. When the terms "cognitive dysfunction" or "cognitive impairment" are used, they indicate that there are problems in one or more of these areas. Everyone is born being better or worse at certain cognitive skills but whether affected by depression or not, these cognitive skills can be strengthened and improved over time.

Depression and Cognitive Deficits

Cognitive deficits refer to the specific areas in which cognitive dysfunction is seen and depression is associated with five areas of cognitive deficits:

• Memory
• Attention, Concentration
• Psychomotor skills (relating to muscular activity associated with thought)
• Brain processing speed (slow thinking)
• Decision making

Not all studies show the same cognitive impairment levels or areas, but what does seem consistent throughout research studies is that:

• Not all people suffer from cognitive dysfunction in depression (but the vast majority do)
• Not all people with depression experience cognitive dysfunction in the same ways
• More severe depressions produce greater cognitive dysfunction
• More incidences of depression cause greater cognitive dysfunction
• Older individuals with depression suffer from greater cognitive dysfunction
• Psychotic depression produces greater levels of cognitive dysfunction

Video courtesy of Global Medical Education

Does Depression Cause Cognitive Dysfunction?

Issues with depression and cognitive dysfunction have been acknowledged for a long time but previously, it was often thought to be secondary to the other symptoms of depression. For example, due to lack of motivation (common in depression), it was thought that people with depression simply weren't motivated to accomplish the cognitive tasks asked of them. (Do you have cognitive dysfunction? Take our cognitive symptoms of depression test.)

Now, however, researchers believe this not to be true. Not only do we know of the cognitive deficits present during acute depressive episodes but we also know that some cognitive deficits do not completely go away even when depression is in remission. Impairments in memory are one such deficit that has been shown to be present even when the person is in recovery, independent of medication status.
Additionally, through brain scans, it is now known that depression negatively affects brain volume in some areas and that may be one reason people experience impaired functioning in cognitive areas.

Other Causes of Cognitive Dysfunction in Depression

Of course, it's also important to remember that improper dosing of depression medication can also cause cognitive impairment in depression. If someone is taking too high a dose of an antidepressant or antipsychotic, for example, they may exhibit similar, or worsening, symptoms of cognitive deficits. Careful work with a doctor can prevent this from occurring.

Drug and alcohol abuse can also cause, or worsen, cognitive deficits and this, unfortunately, is all too common in people with major depressive disorder.

Finally, cognitive deficits also appear to be more pronounced the more an individual with depression focuses on their depression (ruminates). This is often seen when people are under greater than usual amounts of stress.

article references

Memory loss is a common complaint among people with depression. Far from absent-mindedness or “flightiness,” depression memory loss is a very real phenomenon—and science is proving it. Increasing studies are showing that depression does affect memory and why it disrupts it (Westman, 2019). The more we learn about why depression and memory loss are connected, the more we appreciate the truth that depression is a real, biological illness with far-reaching effects on those who live with it. The following information will shed light on how and why depression impacts memory.

The Nature of Depression Memory Loss

Memory loss is a complex problem. Depending on the illness at work in the brain, people can experience different deficits. Depression memory loss typically involves:

• Difficulty recalling details, such as remembering that friends came over for dinner but having no recollection of what you ate
• Problems with prospective memory, which involves planning and remembering to complete the plans; struggles with this type of memory explain why forgetting to take daily medication isn’t unusual for people with depression

Depression typically affects short-term memory. Memories of the past are often left as complete (or incomplete) as they were before depression hit. Also, depression causes frustrating and stressful experiences in daily life such as losing keys and other objects, remembering where you parked your car, or recalling what you just read.

While everyone has this type of memory loss from time to time, it’s a regular occurrence in depression that can significantly disrupt life. Because of this memory loss, people often describe an inability to function well. Memory loss and feeling unable to function can deepen depression, which in turn can worsen memory problems.

Understanding what is happening in the brain when you have depression can help you be less hard on yourself for your memory issues.

Depression, Stress, the Hippocampus, and Memory Loss

The hippocampus is an important area of the brain involved in depression memory loss. This complex structure:

• Is involved in learning and remembering
• Is sensitive to stress, in part because it contains a lot of glucocortisol (stress hormone) receptors, so when the adrenal glands flood the system with damaging cortisol, it makes its way to the hippocampus
• Atrophies, or shrinks, in people with depression by up to 20 percent (the longer and more severe the depression, the more volume is lost)
• Atrophy involves less new neural growth as well as loss of existing neurons

Depression is often worsened by stress, and depression itself is a stressor. Stress, depression, and the hippocampus have a toxic relationship that can result in memory loss.

In addition to the biological causes of depression memory loss are cognitive contributors. The thoughts people have and the way they think when they have major depression are other factors that cause memory problems.

Cognitive Causes of Memory Loss and Depression

An annoying effect of depression is difficulty concentrating. Brain fog is a real experience for people with depression, and being unable to focus causes frustrations. To commit something to memory requires concentration, so when depression interferes in that ability, memory can suffer.

The quality and content of thoughts affect memory, too. Ruminating is part of depression. When people ruminate, they fixate on negative thoughts and problems, thinking about them repeatedly. The repetition of negative thoughts can commit them to memory, just as repeating information when studying helps with recall.

Because they’re rehearsed, bad memories and negative thoughts stick. Positive thoughts and experiences take a back seat and are forgotten. The same happens with functional thoughts, such as the inability to recall where the car keys are. This isn’t by conscious choice. If you are living with depression, chances are you’re not ruminating on purpose or intentionally remaining in a state of chronic stress. It’s the nature of this very complex disorder and the even more complex human brain.

Managing Depression Memory Loss

Memory loss with depression is usually temporary. As depression lifts, the hippocampus can recover, thinking shifts, and sharper memory returns. You can do things to make this happen:

• Work with a therapist to improve thoughts
• Actively manage stress with such things as exercise, diet, calming activities, mindfulness, meditation, social support, having a sense of purpose and fun, getting enough sleep
• Talk with your doctor about antidepressants; some have been shown to help the hippocampus, but medication isn’t right for everyone
• Also discuss electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with your doctor, as some studies have linked ECT with neural growth and decreased atrophy in the hippocampus (again, ECT isn’t suitable for all)

Depression and memory loss are very real, brain-based experiences. Things going on in the brain—largely the hippocampus—because of stress and depression help explain why you might have memory loss with your depression.

article references

There is a strong relationship between depression and alcohol. The two can contribute to each other in a dance that quickly becomes a vicious circle. When someone is struggling with depression, the idea of turning to alcohol for some relief, known as self-medicating, can be tempting. Conversely, drinking alcohol can lead to depression symptoms in someone who hadn’t previously experienced them, or it can worsen depression symptoms in someone already living with depression. The nature of the relationship between alcohol and depression does indeed run deep. It’s also intricate. Let’s look at what is known about the nature of their connection.

One caveat to keep in mind as we examine the intertwined relationship between depression and alcohol is that researchers haven’t determined the degree to which one directly causes the other. Substance use and depression are each too complex and multifaceted to assert a causal relationship between them. It is known, however, that each one is a contributing factor to the other, working with other elements to be part of the cause. They also cause increased problems for the person who lives with depression and uses alcohol.

The Relationship Between Depression and Alcohol: Facts and Statistics

Depression rates are high among people who abuse alcohol. Between 30 and 40 percent of alcoholics experience a depressive disorder while they are struggling with drinking (Shivani et al., 2002).

Citing numerous studies, Fabian (2018) notes that:

• Living with either alcohol abuse or depression doubles the chance of developing the other
• Alcoholism can cause a depression relapse
• Depression and alcohol worsen each other’s symptoms and effects
• Alcohol use and depression make each other’s treatment more difficult

Both men and women can become stuck in the cycle of depression and drinking, but they tend to jump into that cycle differently. Women often develop depression first and then begin to use alcohol. Men, on the other hand, often begin to develop alcohol dependency first and then develop depression.

Clearly, the connection between alcohol and depression is very real. What is the nature of the relationship?

An Unhealthy Relationship Between Depression and Alcohol: Alcohol Worsens Depression Symptoms

Using alcohol exacerbates symptoms of depression, especially during times of intoxication and during withdrawal. Among the depression symptoms that are especially aggravated by alcohol:

• Sleep problems, whether insomnia or sleeping too much
• Fatigue, lack of energy, and difficulty functioning
• Lethargy and decreased motivation
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Appetite changes and related weight loss or gain
• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
• Hopelessness and helplessness
• Pessimistic, negative thoughts

Many times, people self-medicate with alcohol in an attempt to escape these disruptive symptoms. Unfortunately, when they do, their symptoms just intensify.

Alcohol, Depression, and the Brain

The brain seems to be the reason for the relationship between these two illnesses. Depression is largely brain-based. Alcohol affects the brain in ways that negatively impact someone’s life, overall health, and mental health. Regarding depression, alcohol:

• Dampens mood and affects thoughts
• Depresses neurotransmitters implicated in depression, like mood-regulating serotonin and norepinephrine
• Slows down functioning throughout the brain and nervous systems
• Decreases levels of folic acid; folate deficiency has been tied to depressive disorders
• Can activate a gene that has been tied to depression
• Often sets anxiety mechanisms in the brain in motion; anxiety and depression frequently co-occur

Alcohol leads to more problems when someone is taking medication for depression. Alcohol doesn’t mix well with antidepressants and other medications used for depression. It can cause dangerous reactions and decrease the effectiveness of these medications. Antidepressants, in turn, can intensify the negative effects of alcohol.

Alcohol also can worsen existing health conditions, both mental and physical. This makes depression much harder to treat.

Whether it is intensifying depression, making treatment harder, or both, alcohol does affect depression. Depression can lead to alcohol use and even abuse. The pattern can be detrimental to health and quality of life. This, happily, can be temporary. Once alcohol is stopped, depression symptoms begin to respond well to treatment. With professional help and support, the relationship between depression and alcohol can become nonexistent.

article references

Depression crying is something that is all too familiar for many people living with major depression. Crying so often can be so frustrating that it brings people to (more) tears. Living with this often-debilitating mood disorder can also cause emotional upset and upheaval. Depression crying makes sense, but there may be other reasons for crying than sadness and other strong feelings. Crying just might be one of your body’s ways of coping with depression.

How to Know if Depression is Causing You to Cry

It’s important to note that crying is part of being human and everyone experiences bouts of crying from time to time. Some people are more tearful than others by nature, but that doesn’t automatically point to depression. Signs that crying might be related to depression include:

• Crying without fully knowing why
• Easily crying over little things
• Crying more often or for longer periods than what’s typical for you
• Difficulty stopping your tears once they start

As miserable as it can be, depression crying serves useful functions. Understanding them can help you give yourself, and your tears, a break.

Crying and Depression: Many Reasons You Can’t Stop Crying

Researchers have been studying crying and depression. Some study results are mixed and further studies are necessary, but they are discovering that people cry because it’s a natural act that can play a helpful role in managing depression. Multiple purposes for crying are becoming evident:

• Emotional
• Social
• Cognitive
• Physiological

Emotionally, crying can provide catharsis, a release of pressure and negative energy. This can bring tremendous relief. While it doesn’t eliminate the problem, it does provide someone with an emotional reset and a chance to use other coping or self-care activities. Depression crying is understood to be a form of self-soothing; as such, it regulates emotion, induces a state of calm, and might improve mood. Some studies have found that a high percentage of people benefit from a better mood after crying. Others, though, indicate that less than a third of people with depression felt better after crying. Still, it’s clear that depression crying could potentially lift the mood and lead to a brief reprieve from negative emotions.

Crying with depression also serves a social purpose. In humans, crying can elicit empathy and bring people together. It fosters soothing behavior and deeper connections as people reach out to help and be helped. Crying with others can segue into an opportunity to talk. This does not mean that people with depression use crying for attention. Genuine crying is spontaneous and not chosen. Crying is a helpful form of communication that can bring people together.

Crying even has cognitive effects. It helps the brain think and process by increasing awareness of the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors underlying this mood disorder. This leads to new insights and perspectives that can then be used to forge a pathway out of depression.

Researchers have tentative theories about the physiological benefits of depression crying. It appears that the body flushes out depression-aggravating stress hormones with tears. Crying helps the body in other ways. It:

• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, nicknamed the “rest and digest” system
• Releases endorphins and enkephalins, the body’s natural pain relievers
• Stimulates the production and secretion of oxytocin, a hormone involved in social bonding and love
• Has detoxifying effects throughout the body
• Releases a protein found in tears called nerve growth factor (NGF), which limited studies have linked to anti-depressant effects—logical given that NGF levels can be lower in people with depression

Ways to Stop Crying with Depression if You Need to Do So

While crying can help depression and the way you feel, there are times when you can’t or don’t want to cry. It’s possible to bring your tears to a halt or prevent them from starting. If you must do so, try these techniques:

• Focus on your breath to pull your mind away from depression’s negative thoughts.
• Inhale slowly, feeling your breath inflate your belly. Hold for a few counts, and then exhale slowly. Repeat.
• Engage in progressive muscle relaxation. Tense and relax the muscles in your face all the way down to your feet. Repeat the process in reverse.
• Think about something random and repetitive, such as a nursery rhyme, a poem, or song lyrics to shift your thoughts and emotions.
• Remove yourself from a bothersome situation by taking a break to walk and breathe.
• Visualize positive images.

Tools such as these can provide a shift so you can gather your thoughts and emotions and be how you need to be. If you need to cry later, in a different space, give yourself permission to do so.

It seems that depression crying is vital. If you have depression and can’t seem to stop crying, your body may be working to help you heal.

article references