What Happens if Depression Is Left Untreated?

Physical Effects of Untreated Depression

Impact on the Brain

Depression isn’t just a state of mind; it has tangible physical consequences. Untreated depression can lead to changes in brain structure and function. 

Your brain uses chemical messengers like glutamate and GABA to regulate your mood and emotions. These neurotransmitters also affect how your brain adapts and changes over time. According to experts at Yale Medicine, 

“When you are exposed to severe and chronic stress like people experience when they have depression, you lose some of these connections between the nerve cells and the communication in these circuits becomes inefficient and noisy. Because of the noisy communication in the circuits involved in regulating mood and emotion, we think that the loss of these synaptic connections contributes to the biology of depression.”⁶

These changes in brain chemistry can cause persistent depressive symptoms, making it hard to overcome your depression without outside help. Ongoing depression can also be a “risk factor for the onset and persistence of a wide range of secondary disorders.”⁷ 

Impact on the Body

This consuming condition can prompt a range of physical symptoms, too: 

• Fatigue: Depression can make you feel persistently tired, even after rest
• Changes in appetite: Either increased or decreased appetite, leading to weight gain or loss
• Sleep disturbances: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early
• Pain: Unexplained aches in muscles or joints
• Digestive issues: Constipation, diarrhea, or upset stomach
• Changes in sex drive: Reduced libido or difficulty experiencing pleasure

The risk of heart disease⁸ can also increase significantly due to symptoms like high blood pressure and inflammation that are often associated with depression. 

Psychosocial Effects of Depression

Untreated clinical depression can profoundly impact your social and psychological well-being. People with depression often withdraw from friends and family, which only increases their isolation and loneliness. Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and problem-solving can affect your performance at work or school. Low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness chip away at your confidence. These challenges create a downward spiral, making it increasingly difficult to cope with daily life.

The Treatment Gap

Most people respond very well to depression treatment, but not enough people get the help they need. According to Mental Health America, 

While most individuals with depression have a full remission of the disorder with effective treatment, only about a third (35%) of those suffering from severe depression seek treatment⁹ from a mental health professional. People often resist treatment because they believe depression isn’t serious, that they can treat it themselves, or that it is a personal weakness rather than a serious medical condition.

The good news is that this is changing, due to increased mental health awareness and open conversations about the condition. A survey by the CDC found that “the percentage of adults who had received any mental health treatment increased¹⁰ from 19.2% to 21.6%” between 2019 and 2021. 

How Can You Treat Depression?

Depression is highly treatable. “There are clear differences between a healthy brain and a depressed brain,”¹¹ say researchers at Yale Medicine. “And the exciting thing is, when you treat that depression effectively, the brain goes back to looking like a healthy brain.”

Effective treatment for depression usually includes a combination of talk therapy, behavioral therapies, and lifestyle changes.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, often referred to as talk therapy, is a cornerstone of depression treatment. A variety of treatments for depression can be highly effective. Which one works best for you depends on what resonates best with your personal framework:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you identify and challenge negative thought patterns.
• Interpersonal therapy helps you improve your relationships and social skills.
• Psychodynamic therapy digs into the unconscious mind to uncover patterns of behavior and unresolved conflicts that may contribute to depression.
• Behavioral activation focuses on increasing engagement in positive activities.

These therapies and others can help you get to the root cause of your depression and help you develop coping strategies, problem-solving skills, and emotional resilience to fight depression in the future. 

Medication

Medication, often used in conjunction with therapy, helps many people manage their depression symptoms. Antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are commonly prescribed. These help regulate your mood by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. 

When used correctly, medication can be very effective for treating depression. One study found that about 40-60% of people who took antidepressants saw an improvement in their depression¹² symptoms within 6-8 weeks, while the same was true for only 20-40% of those who didn’t take medication.

Antidepressants take time—usually about 4−8 weeks—to work. 

Always work with a qualified professional for accurate assessment and medication management when using medication for your mental health.  

Lifestyle Changes

Changes to your habits and routines can greatly support your recovery from depression and complement the work you do in therapy. These include exercising regularly, eating a brain-healthy diet, and improving your sleep hygiene. Doing more activities you enjoy (even when you don’t feel like it), using relaxation techniques, and nurturing your social support network also strengthen your resilience. These simple yet profound changes can help you improve—and sustain—your treatment outcomes.

The National Institute of Health offers these helpful tips for depression recovery:¹³ 

• “Do what you can as you can. Decide what must get done and what can wait.
• Connect with people. Talk to people you trust about how you are feeling.
• Delay making important life decisions until you feel better. Discuss decisions with people who know you well.
• Avoid using alcohol, nicotine, or drugs, including medications not prescribed for you.”

*Depression can put you at increased risk for substance abuse. Avoid using alcohol or drugs to cope with your feelings and lean into your support network or seek professional help instead. If you can’t stop using substances, you can also get specialized help for co-occurring depression and addiction.  

The Benefits of Seeking Treatment

Seeking professional help for depression can be the first step toward reclaiming your life. As your depression lifts, you’ll be able to build back your relationships, be more productive, and feel a renewed sense of purpose. 

Improved Quality of Life

Effective treatment can significantly improve how you feel day to day. As you recover, symptoms like sadness, hopelessness, and fatigue gradually subside, allowing you to reengage in life. 

Better Relationships

Depression can strain relationships. By effectively managing symptoms through treatment, people often notice their communication and conflict resolution skills improve. Less irritability and more emotional stability mean easier interactions with loved ones. 

Enhanced Productivity

Effective treatment for depression can boost your productivity as your focus, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities increase. As your symptoms lessen, you’ll gain more energy and motivation. This renewed sense of accomplishment in your personal and professional spheres can help you feel more satisfied with life.

Importance of Early Intervention for Untreated Depression

When it comes to managing depression, the earlier you intervene, the better. Delaying treatment can allow symptoms to get worse, but addressing the issue early on empowers you to prevent more serious complications.

Depression is a health condition, and treating it can be life-changing. As Nicholle Karim of the National Alliance on Mental Illness says,

The way that we talk about mental health and mental illness is that you can just, you know, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and pat yourself on the back and you’ll be feeling better. But we know that mental illness is a brain disorder. It’s an illness just like any other.

Find Support for Depression

As you look for ways to change your situation, remember that reaching out for help is a sign of strength. Search for depression treatment programs today and start reclaiming your joy for life.