Depression is defined as a complex and serious medical issue impacting nearly 30 million Americans every year. Depression can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, race or socioeconomic background. Depression causes individuals to lose interest in life, withdraw from those that they care about, and stop participating in activities they once found enjoyable. In its severest form, untreated depression can lead to suicide (Heilman, 2015). Even with family and friend support, individuals can still suffer from depression when dealing with kidney disease. A family member of mine was introduced to kidney disease at a very young age but at the time I too were young, causing me to not understand her range of emotions. At only nineteen my cousin was diagnosed with kidney disease. It was hard for me to grasp why someone who was once full of so much energy, life, and kindhearted, was now constantly crying, standoffish, and negative to those closest to her. My cousin was involved in church activities and went to work daily but the kidney disease took such a toll on her body that she was unable to work. She even moved in with her mother due to not being able to care for herself. Fortunately, moving in with her mother strengthened their bond and gave her the courage to fight the disease. Being around someone every day, having their love and support was better than living miserably alone. Depression should never be taken lightly and as soon as it becomes noticed is when the individual should seek treatment. Two common approaches for treating depression are the use of antidepressants, and psychotherapy or counseling. Each approach has benefits, but it is clear using an antidepressant and counseling together is most likely to provide individuals with the greatest relief from their depression (Heilman, 2015). .
High blood pressure and kidney disease can also be linked to one another. High blood pressure is the leading cause to kidney disease due to causing lots of damage to the kidneys and alter the way they function.