Depression & Other Medical Conditions
Depression and other illnesses can occur together. With the right approach, effective treatment and healing are possible.
How to manage depression alongside other illnesses
Living with depression is hard enough on its own. When you're also managing a serious or chronic health condition, it can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, many of the same self-care strategies people use to manage their mental health can also help improve their physical health.
Understanding how depression and other illnesses affect each other is the first step. With the right support and treatment plan, you can address both conditions and feel better.
Depression after surgery
Surgery can stir up many emotions. Some people notice symptoms of depression shortly after surgery, while others experience them months later. These changes may be related to anesthesia, medication adjustments, or the emotional stress of the recovery process.
If you feel unusually sad, hopeless, or lose interest in usual activities after surgery, talk with your doctor. They can evaluate whether depression is part of recovery and guide you toward appropriate treatment.
Depression & heart disease
People with depression have a higher risk of developing heart disease. For those who already have it, depression can make recovery more challenging. It often contributes to behaviors that negatively impact heart health, such as avoiding exercise, making poor dietary choices, excessive drinking, or distancing yourself from support networks.
What you can do
When heart disease and depression occur together, these approaches help:
- Connect with friends and loved ones regularly
- Keep consistent sleep routines
- Reduce or avoid alcohol and drugs
- Stay active with regular physical activity approved by your doctor
Depression & cancer
Depression can appear at any stage of your cancer journey, from diagnosis through treatment to survivorship. You may experience fatigue, poor appetite, or sleep changes that overlap with depression symptoms. Some cancer medications, like steroids, can also affect your mood.
If you have a history of depression, anxiety, or substance use, you may be more vulnerable to depression during cancer treatment.
What you can do
Are you noticing ongoing sadness, loss of interest, or hopelessness during cancer treatment? Ask your health care provider about incorporating depression care into your cancer treatment plan.
Depression & diabetes
Living with diabetes can be emotionally demanding. Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the stress of a diagnosis and the constant need to manage your condition can trigger depression. Concerns about complications can add to that stress.
Depression can also make it harder to keep up with treatment, which may lead to changes in your overall health.
What you can do
Both diabetes and depression benefit from consistent care. Strategies that may help include:
- Eating balanced meals
- Following a consistent treatment plan
- Getting regular exercise
- Managing stress through relaxation or mindfulness
Depression & chronic pain
Chronic pain is when pain lasts longer than expected for a typical injury or illness. It can also sometimes start without a clear reason. Depression and chronic pain are deeply connected.
Stomach problems, headaches, and unexplained soreness are common when you're living with depression. When you're dealing with ongoing pain, depression often follows and makes the pain feel even worse.
What you can do
Because these conditions are closely linked, they’re best treated together. Effective approaches include:
- Medication that addresses both depression and pain
- Psychotherapy (talk therapy) to learn coping strategies
- Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, or mindfulness
Sleep & depression
Sleep issues and depression often go hand in hand. In fact, about 90% of people with depression report sleep problems. You might struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or sleep too much. Poor sleep makes depression treatment less effective and increases your risk of future depression episodes.
What you can do
Early intervention is key. Improving sleep through good sleep habits, therapy, and sometimes medication can ease your depression symptoms, too.
What is depression?
Depression isn’t as simple as feeling sad. Explore the different types of depression, causes and risk factors, and when to seek help.
Stages of depression recovery
Depression recovery is a gradual process that happens in stages. Understanding each stage can help you track your progress and stay on course.
References
Doering, L. V., Chen, B., Cross, R., Magsarili, M. C., Nyamathi, A., & Irwin, M. R. (2013). Early cognitive behavioral therapy for depression after cardiac surgery. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 28(4), 370.
Farooqi, A., Gillies, C., Sathanapally, H., Abner, S., Seidu, S., Davies, M. J., ... & Khunti, K. (2022). A systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the prevalence of depression between people with and without type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Primary Care Diabetes, 16(1), 1-1.
Harshfield, E. L., Pennells, L., Schwartz, J. E., Willeit, P., Kaptoge, S., Bell, S., ... & Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration. (2020). Association between depressive symptoms and incident cardiovascular diseases. JAMA, 324(23), 2396-2405.
IsHak, W. W., Wen, R. Y., Naghdechi, L., Vanle, B., Dang, J., Knosp, M., ... & Louy, C. (2018). Pain and depression: a systematic review. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 26(6), 352–363.
Riedl, D., & Schüßler, G. (2022). Factors associated with and risk factors for depression in cancer patients – A systematic literature review. Translational Oncology, 16, 101328.
Walker, J., Hansen, C. H., Martin, P., Symeonides, S., Ramessur, R., Murray, G., & Sharpe, M. (2014). Prevalence, associations, and adequacy of treatment of major depression in patients with cancer: a cross-sectional analysis of routinely collected clinical data. The Lancet Psychiatry, 1(5), 343–350.