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Depression is not just "the blues." Depression is
one of the most serious and common of all mental disorders. It is also one of the most
treatable--provided the victim seeks treatment. At any time, more than nine million
Americans may be suffering from depression. More than 15 percent of Americans are attacked
by depression at some time in their lives.
While we've all felt sad at times, we usually get up, go to
work, and try to overcome our general discouragement with life. But when these
overwhelming feelings of sadness persist--even if for only a few weeks--you may be
suffering from a clinical depression, which means you need some professional treatment.
Besides a depressed mood or loss of pleasure, symptoms of clinical depression may include
appetite and sleep changes, apathy, fatigue, hopelessness, guilt, loss of concentration,
and thoughts of suicide.
There are two major kinds of depression: bipolar and
unipolar. In bipolar depression, the patient rides a roller coaster of emotions from high
to low, leading to the term "manic depression." Unipolar depression, also known
as clinical or major depression, lacks bipolar's "highs."
Next:
Treating Depression
Major Depression
(The PDRŽ Family Guide Encyclopedia of Medical Care)
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
If you find yourself overcome by uncontrollable feelings of
sadness, guilt, and low self-esteem that you can't shake off for 2
months or more, you're probably suffering from major depression, a
serious illness that afflicts more than 15 per cent of Americans at
some point in their lives. Fortunately, there's no need to be resigned
to this problem. A variety of medications are available to bring your
mood back to normal and let you get on with your life.
Causes
Ordinary bouts of depression come and
go, but a major, unshakable depression seems to be the result of a
change in brain or body chemistry. It can start spontaneously, or be
triggered by a devastating event such as loss of a loved one, loss of
a job, an assault, or a rape. Your odds of developing major depression
are higher if:
- You're a woman.
- Someone else in your family has
had a mood disorder.
- You are between the ages of 25 and
44 years.
- You abuse drugs or alcohol.
Signs/Symptoms
Depression can start very slowly, and
become noticeable to other people before you recognize it yourself.
It's often accompanied by irritability and anxiety. In addition to
feelings of hopelessness, you may suffer:
- A loss of pleasure in life
- Trouble eating and sleeping
- Apathy
- Fatigue
- Trouble concentrating
- A lack of interest in sex
Thoughts of suicide are not uncommon.
Care
Treatment with one of the many antidepressant medications
currently available is the standard approach to this problem. However,
if the drugs don't do the job---or you begin to feel suicidal---a
hospital stay may be necessary.
At first, you will probably need to visit a clinic or doctor's
office 1 to 4 times a month. Before treatment begins, the doctor may
order blood tests, an x-ray, EKG, or a CT scan to rule out other
illnesses. Once drug therapy is underway, you'll need additional blood
tests to monitor the effects of the drug.
IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE
HOSPITAL...
What to Expect While You're There
Treatment for severe depression can require full-time
hospitalization in a locked inpatient unit, or a partial care program
in which you are able to return home after each day's therapy.
Inpatients may wear their own clothes, but are customarily searched
for sharp objects such as scissors or nail files, which are held in a
staff office. Patients who present a danger outside the hospital can
be involuntarily hospitalized for up to 3 days by the police or a
doctor. While hospitalized, you may encounter the following
procedures.
- Group Therapy: These
meetings are somewhat like a support group session, allowing
patients to share coping strategies. The meetings are run by medical
staff.
- Individual Therapy: This is
a time for you to meet alone with your therapist to discuss ways of
dealing with the illness.
- Family Meetings: In these
sessions, medical staff will prepare you and your family for your
return home.
- Time Out: If you become
unable to control yourself, the staff may separate you from the
other patients, either in your own room or---if you seem
violent---in a "safety room."
- Restraints: Patients who
pose a danger to themselves or others may be physically restrained
with leather bands.
- Electroconvulsive (e-LEK-tro-kun-VUL-siv)
Therapy: If medication doesn't work for you---or isn't fast
enough---this form of treatment can be very helpful. Also known as
ECT or shock therapy, it applies a mild electric current to the
brain. Although the treatment temporarily disrupts the memory, full
recall typically returns within two weeks.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
Be
sure to take your prescribed medication regularly, even if it seems
to have no effect at the start. It takes as long as 4 to 6 weeks for
some medications to become effective. Since some antidepressants can
make you drowsy, be cautious when using machinery or driving until
you know how the drug affects you. Check with your doctor before
taking any other drugs, either prescription or over-the counter.
- Avoid alcohol and recreational
drugs while taking an antidepressant. They may interact with it
badly.
- Since it's hard to avoid stress,
learn to control it with such techniques as deep breathing, relaxing
muscles, meditation, or biofeedback. Try not to bottle-up your
feelings; talk to your doctors, family, or friends and let them help
you. You may also want to join a support group.
- Encourage those close to you to
talk to your doctor. He can give them tips on how to respond to the
situation.
Call Your Doctor If...
- You feel your mood getting worse.
- You're unable to sleep well or
find that you are sleeping more than usual.
- You undergo a change in appetite.
- Your medicine makes you drowsy,
dizzy, or sick to your stomach.
Seek Care Immediately If...
- You begin to have thoughts of
suicide or homicide.
- Your medicine causes an allergic
reaction (swelling or trouble breathing).
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