Can depression cause insomnia?

Asked by Anonymous
Answered
05/03/2021

A chemical imbalance causes depression in the brain, which causes an individual to feel emotional distress that can cause psychological issues that can affect an individual personal, social, mental, and emotional well-being. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects an individual’s ability to sleep. This inability to sleep can affect an individual in many ways that can cause issues with their day-to-day functioning based on the onset, frequency, duration, and severity of insomnia.

Depression can cause insomnia, and as well as insomnia can cause depression. If an individual is depressed, they can experience the following symptoms that can include but are not limited to the following: sadness, isolation, withdrawal, numbness, crying spells, loneliness, overeating, oversleeping, feelings of low self-worth, lack of interest in past activities or hobbies that you used to find pleasure in before feeling depressed. Depression and insomnia can affect an individual’s personal, social, mental,l, and emotional well-being. With an individual’s personal, social, mental,l, and emotional well-being is affected, depression and insomnia can ultimately lead to an individual dealing with physical and or emotional symptoms that can manifest due to feelings of depression and insomnia that are left untreated and or managed by a professional counselor and or professional therapist who can refer the client for medication evaluation for their symptoms of depression and insomnia. Depression and insomnia that are severe and or left untreated need to be seen by a psychiatrist and medical provider to get a proper medication evaluation to manage and or alleviate symptoms of depression and insomnia.

Research studies shared that 75 % of individuals who have been diagnosed with depression can also be diagnosed with insomnia or some other sleep-related disorder that causes problems with the individual being able to function successfully daily. Therefore, professional counselors and therapists need to inform individuals who suffer from depression to discuss how well they sleep to determine if they have insomnia or other sleep-related disorders. A professional counselor and or professional therapist can assess the client to recommend the necessary treatment plan for an individual dealing with depression and insomnia.