Depression
Depression is not just "the blues."
Depression is one of the most serious and common of all mental
disorders. It is also one of the most treatable--provided the
victim seeks treatment. At any time, more than nine million
Americans may be suffering from depression. More than 15
percent of Americans are attacked by depression at some time in
their lives.
While we've all felt sad at times, we
usually get up, go to work, and try to overcome our general
discouragement with life. But when these overwhelming feelings
of sadness persist--even if for only a few weeks--you may be
suffering from a clinical depression, which means you need some
professional treatment. Besides a depressed mood or loss of
pleasure, symptoms of clinical depression may include appetite
and sleep changes, apathy, fatigue, hopelessness, guilt, loss
of concentration, and thoughts of suicide.
There are two major kinds of depression:
bipolar and unipolar. In bipolar depression, the patient rides
a roller coaster of emotions from high to low, leading to the
term "manic depression." Unipolar depression, also known as
clinical or major depression, lacks bipolar's "highs."
Next:
Treating
Depression
Major Depression
(The PDR® Family Guide Encyclopedia of
Medical Care)
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
If you find yourself overcome by uncontrollable
feelings of sadness, guilt, and low self-esteem that you
can't shake off for 2 months or more, you're probably
suffering from major depression, a serious illness that
afflicts more than 15 per cent of Americans at some point in
their lives. Fortunately, there's no need to be resigned to
this problem. A variety of medications are available to bring
your mood back to normal and let you get on with your
life.
Causes
Ordinary bouts of depression
come and go, but a major, unshakable depression seems to be
the result of a change in brain or body chemistry. It can
start spontaneously, or be triggered by a devastating event
such as loss of a loved one, loss of a job, an assault, or a
rape. Your odds of developing major depression are higher
if:
-
You're a woman.
-
Someone else in your family
has had a mood disorder.
-
You are between the ages of
25 and 44 years.
-
You abuse drugs or
alcohol.
Signs/Symptoms
Depression can start very
slowly, and become noticeable to other people before you
recognize it yourself. It's often accompanied by irritability
and anxiety. In addition to feelings of hopelessness, you may
suffer:
-
A loss of pleasure in
life
-
Trouble eating and
sleeping
-
Apathy
-
Fatigue
-
Trouble concentrating
-
A lack of interest in
sex
Thoughts of suicide are not uncommon.
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