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Most of us have some notion of what it means to be depressed. All of us have had the experience of bad times and sleepless nights. "Everybody sings the blues" from time to time - it is universal. However, that is not the kind of depression we’ll be discussing here. These next paragraphs will discuss clinical depression - a treatable illness with defined signs and symptoms.
Clinical depression is quite common - as common as ordinary hypertension. We may be predisposed to clinical depression by family history or by gender (women are more likely to get depressed than men.) Clinical depression may be the result of chronic stress, chronic pain or alcohol or drug misuse. Or, it may strike for no particular reason at all.
An individual who is clinically depressed can not "snap out of it." In fact, it is difficult for many people sick with depression to acknowledge it at first: we are taught to "buck up," "pull ourselves up by the bootstraps" and "have a stiff upper lip." Unfortunately, the biochemical imbalances present in depression can make it tough to function at all, let alone put out an extraordinary effort. Here are some of the most common symptoms:
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day (in children and adolescents, this can be irritable mood)
- Sharply diminished interest or pleasure in nearly all activities
- Significant weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain (a change of five percent of body weight in a month)
- Insomnia or hypersomnia (too much sleep) nearly every day
- Looking and feeling either agitated or slowed down
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- Feelings or worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate or indecisiveness
- Suicidal thoughts (with or without a plan) or a suicide attempt
Not everyone has all of these symptoms. Only five are needed over a two-week period to consider the diagnosis of clinical depression. There are also sub-types of depression that are not this dramatic, yet they can be very debilitating in their own ways.
One thing is certain: depression is not the result of some type of moral weakness. It is as real and as disabling as heart disease, diabetes and other major illnesses. As recently as the early 1950s, there was little medical treatment that could be offered to people suffering from clinical depression.
Happily, that is not the case now. There are several avenues of treatment. The most common is a combination of counseling and antidepressant medication. Success rates are excellent, although it should be stated that some individuals have repeated bouts of depression. (If you have had two major episodes of depression, you are statistically more likely to have a third episode. Some individuals, particularly those with a serious family history of depression, choose to take antidepressant medication on a long term or even lifelong basis.)
If you think you are depressed, or you have a friend or relative who is depressed, you can discuss treatment options by calling the Stressline at (317) 338-4800.
Disclaimer: This material is intended for the purpose of general education. It is not comprehensive. It will not substitute for the evaluation and intervention of a mental health professional. |
