Help Can depression get worse permanently?

[HappiestAngel]

My depression has been gradually getting worse all my life but there have always been periods where it got a lot worse and i struggled to do anything. I've been in one of these periods for about 5 months now which is way longer than it has lasted in the past.
Not only have I lose all passion and drive but now I also dont miss friends or family anymore.
I used to care a lot about them but now I just dont. And i'm so apathetic that it doesnt even concern me that much. I'm honestly more concerned about the apathy itself.
Anyhow is there a chance that this is just permanent now? Because it really does feel like it. Almost like some switch in my brain has been flipped and then broken.
I've been prescribed new meds so I hope that those might change something but I don't have much hope for it.

 

[Dot]

Honstly fr an answr lke tht = prbbly bettr t/ ask doctr or m.h profssnls

Bcse u mght fnd sme1 on sasu sy tht thrs = permnnt whn ur stuatn mght b dffrnt 2 thrs & tht belif cld affct ur own treatmnt etc

Also depnds wht = causng ur deprssn 2 b wrse

Slf persnl opinn wld b tht if smethng hs changd thn cld b wrth lookng in2 deffrnt therpis etc if ur currnt therpst = nt helpng

 

[ForgottenAgain]

I agree with @Dot , it can be very damaging for us to say that it is permanent when it may not be. None of us is qualified to make that assessment, even if someone is a mental health professional here, it would be very negligent to assess you based on an forum post.

I wonder a similar thing myself and it's funny that you mentioned that it has lasted for 5 months now, that much worse phase. My worst phase latest 5 months too and it has kind of been like that as the years have gone by, lasting longer. However, the past several months have been slightly better for me so I don't see a pattern.

It's really hard to tell when people live such different lives and our brains can work so differently.
Are you considering seeing a psychologist?

 

[theater]

I have bipolar disorder (BD). I have type 2 BD. It's a progressive disease. It continues to get worse over the lifetime. Suicide is 1100% higher for BD population than the normal population. Suicide is the primary cause of death for BD. My depression has continued to get worse over the last 13+ years. We also know through medical research that depression and other diseases like BD cause cell death within the brain that is significant enough to greatly shrink various areas of the brain via neuron death. It's a big problem in our society where untreated or under-treated illnesses progressively get worse and worse.

That said, apparently people can get effective treatment and feel better and that helps to manage the illness. But illnesses like bipolar are not curable.

 

[HappiestAngel]

I agree with @Dot , it can be very damaging for us to say that it is permanent when it may not be. None of us is qualified to make that assessment, even if someone is a mental health professional here, it would be very negligent to assess you based on an forum post.

I wonder a similar thing myself and it's funny that you mentioned that it has lasted for 5 months now, that much worse phase. My worst phase latest 5 months too and it has kind of been like that as the years have gone by, lasting longer. However, the past several months have been slightly better for me so I don't see a pattern.

It's really hard to tell when people live such different lives and our brains can work so differently.
Are you considering seeing a psychologist?

I am. Have been taking an anti depressant for 2 years now and got prescribed another recently. Too soon to comment on if it will help or not, so far it has just made me impulsive again. I hope it'll help but I am not confident, the first anti depressant helped for quite a while but things got worse regardless.

 

[Lookingtoflyfree]

I have bipolar disorder (BD). I have type 2 BD. It's a progressive disease. It continues to get worse over the lifetime. Suicide is 1100% higher for BD population than the normal population. Suicide is the primary cause of death for BD. My depression has continued to get worse over the last 13+ years. We also know through medical research that depression and other diseases like BD cause cell death within the brain that is significant enough to greatly shrink various areas of the brain via neuron death. It's a big problem in our society where untreated or under-treated illnesses progressively get worse and worse.

That said, apparently people can get effective treatment and feel better and that helps to manage the illness. But illnesses like bipolar are not curable.

Same for autism - I feel like it gets worse and worse as you get older, and there's such a problem around CTB and autism. I feel like the past year I've dealt with severe burnout and worry it's permanent. I can't think as well as I used to, can't be motivated except out of fear, and that everyone wants a sunny, perfect me. There would only be one person to check in on me and even then it's just because of family.

 

[yowai]

Same for autism - I feel like it gets worse and worse as you get older, and there's such a problem around CTB and autism. I feel like the past year I've dealt with severe burnout and worry it's permanent. I can't think as well as I used to, can't be motivated except out of fear, and that everyone wants a sunny, perfect me. There would only be one person to check in on me and even then it's just because of family.

So many autists on this site lol. I feel so seen

There's treatment resistant depression and they use different drugs and solutions for that. Can't really say if it's permament without trying all that various stuff first

 

[HappiestAngel]

So many autists on this site lol. I feel so seen

There's treatment resistant depression and they use different drugs and solutions for that. Can't really say if it's permament without trying all that various stuff first

I have autism too +_+
anyway i'm just really scared of getting worse.
just found out that I can't do a sit up anymore even with my arms in front of me T_T

 

[ShatteredSerenity]

I have autism and bipolar disorder. My suicide risk must be through the roof.

My BD wasn't diagnosed until this year because I never had any obvious manic/hypomanic episodes before. I just kept getting depression repeatedly, and it continued to get worse each time. Meds never helped, either. It kept getting harder and harder to work during depressed episodes, untill finally I got laid off. At my next job I got so depressed I could barely get out of bed and I had to quit. My current depressed episode is even worse, it has completely killed my will to live.

It makes sense to get checked out, because as @theater said these diseases can cause brain damage and get progressively worse over time. If you can find treatement that works you may prevent more damage. In some cases treatment only slows an inevitable progression, but it's still better than nothing.

Unfortunately finding treatement that works can be difficult. I tried many antidepressants over the years, they never helped because it turns out bipolar depression requires a completely different class of medications. Now I'm on the right meds and they actually do help. Unfortunately my entire life is already ruined so depression is only a fraction of my problems, but if only I'd been properly diagnosed earlier I'd probably be so much better off right now.

 

[-Link-]

None of us is qualified to make that assessment, even if someone is a mental health professional here, it would be very negligent to assess you based on an forum post.

Strongly agree here!

Anyhow is there a chance that this is just permanent now? Because it really does feel like it. Almost like some switch in my brain has been flipped and then broken.

There is a lot about depression and its effects on the brain that science has yet to learn.

I would distinguish "depression as an illness" from "depression's effects on the brain," where even in the hypothetical scenario that depression has caused permanent changes (damage) to the brain, this wouldn't automatically condemn someone to a lifetime of "permanent depression." With intensive treatment (and perhaps lifelong maintenance treatment), they could theoretically learn to live a contented life in spite of this, even if it takes a greater effort and energy to function than if that damage had not occurred in the first place.

I would also consider that it's in the nature of depression to make someone believe their situation is hopeless and permanent, even when this isn't necessarily a reflection of reality.

I am. Have been taking an anti depressant for 2 years now and got prescribed another recently. Too soon to comment on if it will help or not, so far it has just made me impulsive again. I hope it'll help but I am not confident, the first anti depressant helped for quite a while but things got worse regardless.

You sound like a fighter.

I hope you give yourself credit for doing this, and I hope you're able to find some relief.