Many people with depression blame themselves or others for the way they feel. They don’t think they have a disease that can be treated, and therefore do not seek treatment. Because of their own misunderstanding, fueled by public and even health care provider misperception, many depressed people are not treated.
The pain of depression is heightened by the pain that results from keeping their condition secret. The downward spiral of depression may lead to death, often a result of suicide. This is a tragic outcome for a disease which, even in individuals with severe depression, shows improvement with treatment.
What Is Depression?
Depression is often difficult to diagnose because different people experience it in different ways. For example, some individuals withdraw and others become irritable. Some may eat or sleep too much or not enough. Depressed people cite a variety of medical disorders, most often including an upset stomach.
Depression symptoms include moodiness, loss of interest, feelings of hopelessness, fatigue and a tendency to cry at the smallest provocation. Depression makes individuals restless and irritable. Thoughts about attempting suicide are typical.
Any 2 to 5 of these symptoms which persists for at least two weeks and up to a month or years may be symptoms of depression.
Symptoms of Depression Can Snowball
Symptoms cause personality changes and changes in work habits. Many find it difficult to empathize with a depressed individual after awhile, which causes the depressed person’s symptoms to snowball, causing him or her to lose more self-esteem. Sometimes symptoms become so disabling that the depressed person can no longer function in his or her role in a family, as a friend, or at work.
Depression may occur only once in a lifetime or it may be a chronic condition. Often, a tragedy or loss may trigger depression. Depression is called “clinical depression” when it worsens and occurs in relation to another illness, which becomes more difficult to treat because of the individual’s depression.
Depression Is a Treatable Illness
Because depression involves exchanges between bodily systems it can be treated. Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are chemicals in the body that are related to depression. A family history of depression is common, but genetic research is uncertain.
In the United States, up to 20% of the population experiences depression and suicide is the ninth leading reported cause of death in the United States. Of course, many suicides are not reported as suicide, so the true number may be higher. Almost all people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental disorder which is often linked to depression. Suicide that results from overuse of alcohol or drugs results from a depressed person trying to “drown” or “escape” from his feelings of sorrow, lack of self worth, or embarrassment.
Race, Sex, Age and Depression
While there is no reported difference in race and depression or suicide, it is known that more women than men seek treatment and use medicines to control depression. On the other hand, more men than women die from suicide. Suicide occur more frequently in people over 85 years old and it is the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 24.
Teenage depression is a serious problem. If ignored, it can lead to problems at home and school, as well as drug abuse, violence or suicide. Call on a mental health professional with training and experience in treating adolescents who will pay special attention to drug interaction. Talk therapy is often a good first step in treating mild to moderate cases of depression. Antidepressants should be used in combination with talk therapy.
Depression and Suicidal Intent
When depressed individuals express an interest in ending their lives, doctors and medical professionals design a treatment plan that usually includes talk therapy and medication. They watch for the patient's decreased or increased interest in suicide and any drug reactions.
There are few diseases as devastating yet as reversible as depression. Lives are saved every day due to increased patient, caregiver, and physician understanding of depression and ability to act to reverse the debilitating effects of depression.
Depression Is Treatable
Depression is a treatable illness. It is very import for a depressed person to visit a health professional who can prescribe treatment. A good source for more information is the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
