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What
is Depression?
APA Let's Talk About... Series
Depression is more than just feeling sad or a little
under the weather. Depression is a mental illness that can
seriously affect a person's feelings, thought patterns, behavior
and quality of life. More than 5 percent, or 15 million Americans,
suffer from depression. At least one in six people will suffer
from a depressive illness at least once in their lifetime.
Experts believe that there are many factors that cause depression.
Chemical and nerve cell disturbances within the brain, sometimes
genetically inherited, play an important role in depression.
Other factors can include losing a relationship or a loved
one, stressful life events, another medical illness, drinking
too much alcohol or abusing drugs.
Depression has also been linked to changes in the seasons.
This type of depression, which usually occurs in the fall,
is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Researchers believe
SAD may be caused by decreased sunlight as the days shorten.
WHAT
ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION?
Symptoms
of depression include:
- Ongoing
sad, anxious or empty feelings
- A
loss of interest in activities that normally are pleasurable,
including sex
- Appetite
and weight changes (either loss or gain)
- Sleep
problems (insomnia, early morning wakening or oversleeping)
- Irritability
- A
loss of energy and a sense of fatigue, or being "slowed
down"
- Feelings
of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness
- Feelings
of hopelessness and pessimism
- Difficulty
in concentrating, remembering and making decisions
- Thoughts
of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
- Ongoing
body aches and pains or problems with digestion that are
not caused by physical disease
HOW
IS DEPRESSION TREATED?
Depression often is treated with medication, psychotherapy
or a combination of both. People with SAD are treated with
light therapy. In the most severe cases of depression, when
the person cannot function and safety is an issue, a brief
hospital stay may be necessary.
There are many antidepressant medications that work
to restore the balance and effectiveness of chemicals and
nerve cells in the brain. These medications help people feel
and function better. Some of the newer antidepressants (called
serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs) have fewer side effects
than older kinds (called tricyclic antidepressants, or TCAs),
and they can begin to work after two or three weeks of use.
Psychotherapy is a series of private talks with a psychiatrist
where a person discusses the feelings, thoughts and behavior
that cause difficulty. The goal of psychotherapy is to help
people understand and master their problems so they can function
better. It can help a depressed person change negative thought
or behavior patterns.
Whether caused by chemical and nerve cell imbalances, emotional
events or seasonal changes, depression can be diagnosed and
effectively treated.
FIND
MORE INFORMATION…
©
Copyright 2001 Medem™, Inc. and the American Psychiatric
Association
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