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Learn to Understand Mental Illness
Modern research has led to significant advances. Today there are extremely effective treatments for depression. Between 80 to 90% of those with depression can be successfully treated. Many experience relief from symptoms within three to six weeks. Treatment is generally necessary – people with depression cannot snap out of it on their own, nor will it go away.
How do you Know if a Person has Depression?
- Sleeping too much or too little;
- Frequent wakening in the middle of the night;
- Eating too much or too little;
- Inability to function at work or school;
- Headaches, digestive disorders, nausea, pain with no medical basis;
- Excessive crying;
- Thoughts of death or suicide;
- Lack of energy, constant fatigue;
- Slowed thinking;
- Difficulty in concentrating, remembering, making decisions;
- Loss of interest in daily activities;
- Loss of sex drive;
- Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness;
- Restlessness, agitation, irritability; or
- Feelings of inappropriate guilt or worthlessness.
What Causes Depression?
We now know that depression results from an interaction of several factors – environmental, biological, and genetic.
Environmental Factors: Stress resulting from the loss of a job, death of a family member, divorce, or ongoing health of family problems can trigger depression.
If you or a person you know has exhibited four or more of the following symptoms for more than two weeks, professional help should be considered:
Depression is more than a day of feeling low. It is a long lasting, often recurring illness as real and disabling as heart disease or arthritis. Adults who experience clinical depression may feel an oppressive sense of sadness, fatigue, and guilt. Performing on the job may be difficult…going out with friends may be unthinkable…merely getting out of bed may be impossible. The person who has depression feels increasingly isolated from family and colleagues – helpless, worthless, and lost.
Depression is a very common emotional illness. It affects about 10% of the population or more than 17.6 million people every year. One in four women and one in ten men will experience a depressive episode in their lifetime.
Biological Factors: Depression may also be tied to disturbances in the biochemicals that regulate mood and activity. These biochemicals, called neurotransmitters, are substances that carry impulses or messages between nerve cells in the brain. An imbalance in the amount or activity of neurotransmitters can cause major disruptions in thoughts, emotion, and behavior.
Some people develop depression as a reaction to other biological factors such as chronic pain, medications, hypothyroidism, or other medical illnesses.
Genetic Factors: Because depression appears to be linked to certain biological factors, people can inherit a predisposition to develop depression. In fact, 25% of those people with depression have a relative with some form of this illness.
There is Help…
Doctors know more about depression than perhaps any other emotional illness. Because of research and medical advancements, 80 to 90% of those with a depressive disorder can be treated successfully.
Evaluation: A complete evaluation with a qualified professional is the first step in seeking treatment. Only a licensed physician or psychologist can diagnose a person with a psychiatric disorder. During the diagnostic evaluation, the physician or psychologist will determine if any other factors are contributing to or even causing the depressive symptoms.
Professional Counseling: Various psychotherapies or “talk therapies” commonly used in the treatment of depression focus on the causes and effects of the illness. Interpersonal therapy helps people deal with problems in personal relationships. Cognitive therapy helps patients change negative thoughts or perceptions, such as high achievers who are convinced they are failures.
Medication: Sometimes used in combination with psychotherapy, medication can correct the biochemical imbalances that may cause depressive episodes. When carefully prescribed and monitored by a physician, medications can relieve symptoms in three to six weeks.
Who May be at Risk for Depression?
• People who have a family member with depression.
• People who have experienced a stressful or traumatic life event.
• People who lack the social support of a spouse, friends, and extended family.
• People who abuse drugs or alcohol.
• People who have chronic medical illnesses or persistent pain.
If You Think You Have Depression…
• Remember, your depression is not your fault and it can be effectivelytreated.
• Seek treatment. Don’t let misconceptions about emotional illness or the discouragement of your depression stop you. Either on your own, or by asking a friend or family member, contact your family doctor, community mental health center, or local medical or psychiatric hospital for help.
• In the weeks until treatment becomes effective, you can take some simple steps to help you deal with life on a day-to-day basis: break large tasks into small steps; set easily managed priorities; participate in light exercise and relatively undemanding social activities, such as attending a movie or visiting a friend. Simply begin with other can be helpful.
If Someone You Care About Has Depression…
- Encourage treatment. Remember that the symptoms of depression may prevent a person from trying to get help. Your personal physician, mental health center, or local psychiatric hospital will be able to help you find a treatment specialist.
- Adjust your expectations and offer support, understanding, and encouragement.
- Demonstrate that you know the person is in pain.
- When the person says or does something upsetting because of the depression, try to put our reaction into calm, reasonable words. This will help the person understand how his or her conduct affects others, and help you better cope with a trying situation.
Depression and Suicide
Thoughts of death and suicide are a typical symptom of depression. An estimated 15% of those with depression commit suicide over a lifetime, and depression is considered to be the underlying cause in half of all suicides. Because depression can have fatal consequences, treatment should not be delayed. Any mention of suicide – such as “I wish I were dead,” or “Everyone would be better off without me.” - should be taken seriously.
There is hope in learning more.
Reach out for help…because the more you learn about depression, the better you will understand that it has specific causes and effective treatments. And like any illness, depression can affect anyone at any time.
By reaching out for information you can recognize the signs and symptoms of depression. That knowledge may someday allow you to help someone get the treatment he or she needs to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
This information was provided for use with
National Depression Screening Day
by Charter Behavioral Health Systems.
Lighthouse Counseling Center
4728 Jefferson Highway
Jefferson, Louisiana 70121
504-734-0501
504-734-3707 fax
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