About Depressive
Illness
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More than 12 million
Americans suffer from depressive illness each year. The cost in human suffering cannot be
estimated. Depressive illnesses impact
everyday functioning and cause pain not only to those who have a disorder, but also to
those who care about them. Depression can be
devastating for families, but it also has a profound effect on society at large. Lost workdays, impaired performance on the job,
and the cost of psychological and medical treatment are estimated at costing $43 billion a
year.
A depressive
disorder is a "whole body" illness, interfering with the way you eat and sleep,
the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about the world. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a
condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot
merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Causes include one or more of
these factors: shortage or imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain, stressful life
changes (negative or positive), family history of depression, major illness or injury, and
drugs (including alcohol and over-the-counter, used alone or in combination). Without
treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years.
Among all
psychiatric conditions, depressive illnesses are the most responsive to treatment. Yet, sadly, only about a third of those who have
them are receiving treatment. Family members and friends can learn to recognize depressive
symptoms and then seek help for themselves or their loved ones. Anyone who has several of the following symptoms
for two weeks or longer may have a depressive disorder and should seek assessment
immediately from a qualified mental-health professional:
· Persistent
sad, "empty" or numb feelings most of the day, nearly every day
· loss
of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
· significant
changes in weight or appetite
· sleep
disturbance (insomnia, night waking or sleeping too much)
· fatigue
or loss of energy
· feelings
of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
· poor
personal care
· problems
thinking, concentrating, remembering or making decisions
· restlessness,
irritability
· feelings
of hopelessness
· persistent
physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive
disorders, and chronic pain
· recurrent
thoughts of death or suicide
Depression
in young people may have some of the same symptoms but may also look different than it
does in adults. Because of emotional and
cognitive immaturity, children are less able to talk about their internal experiences in
ways other people can understand. They are
more likely to act out their feelings of distress than to be able to talk about them
directly. This makes it easier for parents to minimize their depression or miss it
completely. When adults address oppositional
behavior but ignore the emotional distress underlying such behavior, the problems may get
worse instead of better. Children may appear
to be sad, cry frequently, lose interest in activities and express feelings of
worthlessness. However, particularly with
younger children, such symptoms may alternate with periods of play and normal appearing
behavior. Irritability, hyperactive behavior,
falling academic performance, and use of alcohol or drugs are frequently seen in depressed
youngsters. Prolonged depression can lead to
suicide, the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds, and the sixth for 5 to
15-year-olds. When a child's mood or behavior interferes with his functioning at home or
at school and persists beyond a few weeks, an evaluation is needed.
The
best treatment for depression is usually a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy helps people understand some of the
reasons for the depression and helps identify ways to cope and change. Medications, when recommended by a physician, can
help relieve the symptoms of depression. Such
medications are not addictive and can serve as a chemical "crutch" while the
person heals. |