Depression
Everyone has the blues from time to time, or reacts to stressful life events with feelings of anxiety, sadness or anger. Normally these feelings go away with time but when they persist, and are present almost all of the time, and affect your work, your personal life, and your relationships, then it is very likely that they are a sign of major depression.
Symptoms of Depression
- Little interest or pleasure in doing things.
- Feeling down, depressed or hopeless.
- Trouble falling or staying asleep/sleeping too much.
- Feeling tired or having little energy.
- Poor appetite/overeating.
- Feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down.
- Trouble concentrating on things.
- Moving or speaking slowly/being fidgety or restless.
- Thoughts of being better off dead or of hurting yourself.
Causes of Depression
Depression is not a personal weakness, a personality or character flaw, or laziness, and while sometimes it does go away by itself with time, it can't be cured or controlled by pulling yourself together or just snapping out of it. It is a medical illness, and it can be triggered by biochemical, hereditary, physical, medical and emotional causes.
Treatment of Depression
People who are suffering from major depression are often reluctant to seek treatment. They may feel hopeless, and the idea of getting professional help may seem embarrassing. Their family and friends may think it's something they should be able to overcome themselves and the person with depression may think this also. But it is important to remember that major depression is a medical illness, and like other medical illnesses, it is not fully within the control of the sufferer. Also, like many other medical illnesses, it is treatable.
Treatments:
- Psychotherapy, useful in treating mild to moderate depression, in which the patient sees a mental health professional (e.g., social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist) at regular intervals to understand and learn to change self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
- Antidepressant medications, always a necessary part of therapy for severe depression and usually effective in treating mild to moderate depression as well.
- A combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medications.
There is Hope for Depression, by Dr. Jeff Virant, Family Medicine, Stillwater Medical Group
DIAMOND (Depression) Program at Stillwater Medical Group
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