Depression. Real but Treatable
[A] Depression is nondiscriminatory (一视同仁), affecting all ages, es and races, local health professionals say. It is a disease—not a weakness—that consumes the brain of the chemical serotonin, and it rarely goes away by itself. However, people with symptoms of diabetes or other physical problems see their doctors for treatment. Those with depression more often than not try to duke it our alone, according to southwest Minnesota mental health professionals, who say the anxiety is prevalent in the region. Depression affects more than 19 million Americans annually, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Yet only one in three people seeks medical treatment.
[B] The Surgeon General estimates that one in five people will experience a depressive episode during their lifetime. "It is much more common than people realize," said Johnson, a licensed marriage and family therapist. "Sometimes people get so depressed that they’re unable to function at all, or they become depressed and self medicate with alcohol, and then another problem is created." Depression is one of the main reasons people come to the Southwest Mental Health Center. However, far greater numbers rely on family doctors to sort them out and probably just as many or more go untreated. "They don’t want to cross over into the mental health field," Johnson said. "They worry about what others will think, or about the cost. It’s more difficult in rural areas because everybody knows you and there is a shame of asking for help."
[C] Females suffer from depression and seek treatment twice as often as males, according to data from the NIMH. Hormones play a role, as do a combination of genetic, psychological and environmental factors. The institute also reports that although depression is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in both es, only men suffer a high death rate.
[D] Treatment takes time. People who do seek help often expect a quick fix, but medication helps the body replace serotonin slowly. It is subtle improvement that you almost have to be watching for, or you have to look back to how you were a month ago, or six weeks ago. Improvement comes gradually, as does the disorder. How long it takes depends on how well people can change s in their lives, how they interpret things. It depends on what skills you develop to manage the next stressors that come your way. Many s will take antidepressants for the rest of their lives and some won’t. With kids, it can be more of a short-term treatment, but again it depends on the intensity and longevity of the disorder.
[E] One of the most common treatments for depression is medication, but different drugs have different effects on different people. Each medication can cause various side effects including, but not limited to, dry mouth, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, dizziness, ual dysfunction, apathy, heart palpitations, and headaches. Some people may experience several side effects while others experience none. The more recently developed antidepressants typically produce fewer side effects. Usually, side effects dissipate in a few weeks after the body has become adjusted to the medication. Consumers are advised to start at the lowest dosage with small increments over a period of time until improvement is noticed. An antidepressant’s effect may take several weeks before a positive result is noticed.
[F] Psychotherapy or counseling is another common treatment for depression. Oftentimes, medication and psychotherapy are used together for optimum results. Group therapy is another avenue of treatment for people with depression. There are also support groups available to help those with depression. Such groups allow members to openly share their feelings and receive acceptance from other group members. There is no leader (professional of otherwise) to direct such groups and there is no maximum number of sessions that one can attend. Some people have also found reading various self-help books to be of benefit in overcoming their depression. And one cannot separate the mind from the body and treat them individually. Instead, a thorough treatment regimen should examine all aspects of a person’s life. Sometimes lack of exercise is also associated with depression. So depression may be caused by one or combination of factors and can take many forms.
[G] According to Terry Pankow, a licensed independent clinical social worker in Montevideo, the elderly are among the hardest to diagnose because their symptoms often take the form of physical complaints for which no medical cause or ideology exists. The Centers for Disease Control reports that as many as three out of every 100 people over 65 suffer from clinical depression.
[H] Children and adolescents also are special cases, and they can carry depression into hood before getting treatment. One of the things that make depression so hard to diagnose or sort out with children is that they don’t have the verbal skills, knowledge and sophistication to talk about "I feel sad or this is me miserable." So many times what you see in children is rather than them describing their feelings, they act their feelings out in terms of behavior. And so, lots of kids who are labeled as naughty are really depressed.
[I] The NIMH estimates that up to 2.5 percent of children and up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the U. S. suffer from depression. A study of 9 to 17 year-old found that more than six percent experience some depression in any six-month period and nearly five percent have major depression.
[J] Depression affects different age groups and people within each age group differently. It falls into two categories. Endogenous depression comes from a chemical imbalance within the body, and exogenous depression arises from difficult situations and circumstances. Symptoms include, difficulty concentrating, remembering or decisions; feeling angry or moody, crying easily or worrying a lot; alcohol or drug use to mask feelings; fatigue or loss of energy; loss of interest in ordinary activities; eating and sleeping disorders; feeling sad, empty or numb; feeling hopeless, helpless, guilty or worthless; thoughts of suicide, suicide plans or attempts; frequent doctor visits without relief in symptoms; all tests negative. Children and adolescents might exhibit some of the same symptoms, as well as aggression, frustration, marked disobedience, extreme self-consciousness, fluctuating energy levels, a fascination for guns and knives, and a preoccupation with music, movies and literature with death themes. They also might complain about dizziness, headaches, stomachaches and body aches.
Depression. Real but TreatableNot fully realizing the commonality of depression, some people try to handle their depression with heavy drinking, only to make things worse.