At one time or another, we have all felt blue. This is usually brought on by the loss of someone close to us, a reversal or disappointing event. The reaction is normal and our mood lifts relatively quickly. But for some people, things do not improve so easily. Depression will persist and become a significant health problem for about 10 to 25 percent of people. Women experience depression about twice as often as do men.

Depressive disorders vary in severity and number and type of symptoms. The two most common versions of depression are major depressive illness and dysthymia, or low-grade depression. Major or clinical depression results in a significant decrease in overall functioning for the individual; their emotional state is abnormally low and cannot be raised independently. Dysthymia has less severe symptoms but can last several years. While not as severe as major depression, it can interfere with a person’s ability to function on a daily basis.

Other common depressive disorders include Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Seasonal Depression which is triggered by weather and time of year. Its symptoms usually occur in the fall and winter when there is a decrease in sunlight hours. Post-partum depression follows the birth of a child and may be related to biochemical and hormonal changes, emotional issues and social circumstances.

The symptoms of depression may include change in appetite, problems with sleep — too much or too little, loss of interest in work, hobbies or people, feelings of uselessness, inadequacy or guilt, a preoccupation with failures and a loss of self-esteem. Other symptoms might be decreased sexual drive, a tendency to cry easily or having the urge to cry but not being able to, and slowed thinking, forgetfulness, trouble concentrating and making decisions. Suicidal or occasionally, homicidal, thoughts can also arise.

Having five or more of these symptoms for two weeks or longer usually describes a major depressive episode. For many people, a struggle with their depression goes on for weeks, months, even years before they visit their doctor or a mental health professional. Fortunately, treatment is successful 80-90% of the time.

The options for treating depressive disorders include both medication and psychotherapy, or a combination thereof. For medication, the most widely prescribed anti-depressants are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs. They help to increase the level of serotonin in the brain which results in uplifting a depressed mood. While medication and psychotherapy are the mainstays of treatment, it pays to also consider diet and exercise as both can help.

Many sufferers of depression function acceptably every day. They may even appear perfectly happy to coworkers and friends, even to family. They are in fact suffering from an invisible illness, one that remains stigmatized in our society. Seeking treatment is an important step in recovery, one that can take a long time to initiate.

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Call-out:
“The Internet has many excellent sources of information about depression. One such resource is <www.thereishelp.org>.”