Show Me Health - Depression

Depression.  To say it’s a real drag is the understatement of the century.   Most people have periods in their lives where they feel overwhelmed, sad, grouchy and despondent—but they usually pass when the circumstances of life improve.

This is not true of clinical depression.  With depression, the black cloud hanging over your head follows you everywhere and doesn’t go away on its own.  Sometimes you are bombarded by an emotional downpour of epic proportions that makes you wonder if you really are going to survive this black period in your life. 

I say this because I know firsthand.  I have struggled with periods of depression--first diagnosed in my twenties-- throughout my life.  The depression hasn’t been constant since that age, but it has reared its ugly head more than once in the past twenty years.

I would like to share a couple of things with you from my experience.  First of all, having depression doesn’t mean you are ‘weak-minded,’ or a ‘cry baby’ or seeking attention.  It is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry.  Second, don’t ignore or brush off treating the disorder because of some stigma attached. Imagine if you were diagnosed with high blood pressure.  You wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) ignore doctor’s advice to control that condition with medicine or other treatment would you?  While you may be resentful or feel so bad you don’t even care if you get better or not, you just have to take the steps to care for yourself.  You owe that to the people in your life, and you owe it to yourself.

Clinical depression keeps a person from leading a normal life, and can interfere with sleep, appetite, and energy. The depression symptoms include:

•     Feeling extremely sad or empty
•     Feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty
•     Feeling very fatigued and slow or anxious and irritable
•     Loss of enjoyment in things, which were once pleasurable
•     Lack of energy
•     Difficulty concentrating, thinking, or making decisions
•     Changes in appetite that lead to changes in weight
•     An increase or decrease in the need for sleep
•     Thoughts of death or suicide, or attempting suicide (if you are thinking of acting on ideas about suicide, it is important to get help or call your local 24-hour suicide hotline right away).

Depression is classified as major if the person has at least five of these symptoms for two weeks or more. However, there are several types of depressive disorders. Someone with fewer than five of these symptoms who is having difficulty functioning should still seek treatment for his or her symptoms. Tell your doctor how you are feeling. He or she may refer you to a mental health care specialist.

No one knows for sure what causes depression, but research tells us several factors contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or difficult life circumstances. 

Treatment choices for depression depend on how serious the illness is. Major depressive disorder is treated with psychotherapy (counseling, or talk therapy with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed counselor), medications, or a combination of the two.

The most effective treatment for depression is often a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Drugs tend to work more quickly to decrease symptoms while psychotherapy helps people learn coping strategies to prevent the onset of future depressive symptoms.

Some of the most effective types of psychotherapy for depression are cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. With cognitive-behavioral therapy, patients learn to change negative thinking patterns that are related to feelings of depression. Interpersonal therapy helps people to understand how relationship problems, losses, or changes affect feelings of depression. This therapy involves working to improve relationships with others or building new relationships.

If you’ve made it to the bottom of this article and think you or someone you love may be suffering from depression, give yourself the gift of self-care.  This is your one shot at life, and you deserve to be in a mental place where you can experience and enjoy it.  It may take awhile to get better, but things will improve with treatment.  Trust me.

Source: Mayo Clinic