Depression

Everyone experience depression. We have all experienced a period of helplessness and hopelessness at some point in our lives. The difference is we snap out of the depressive state by establishing  effective coping skills and as time goes on,  things got better. What ever the problem or situation, it did not cripple our everyday functioning. In other words, we were able to maintain our jobs, take care of our homes, our children, shop, eat, take care of our daily business, and our selves. When depressive episodes prevent us from obtaining a level of functioning in every day life, it is time to get intervention from a mental health professional. It is best to go to a mental health professional for help, as opposed to your primary care physician. If you are having heart problems, would you go to a foot doctor? Depression is a mental disorder, and a person should seek help from a trained medical professional, i.e., psychologist, and/or licensed therapist.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, if you have at least five of these depressive episodes, which are not attributed to a general medical condition and/or substance issues, you have Major Depression. Your depression symptoms may be recognized as clinical depression if your depressive episodes last at least two weeks. The signs of depression may include the eight depressive episodes listed below:

1. Do you feel sad, tearful, empty, most of the day and nearly ever day? You are always tearful, disappointed about how things are going in your life.
2. Have you lost interest in most, if not all of the activities which were once pleasurable to you? You may have enjoyed reading, sewing, bowling, and etc…, and now you have diminished interest in these things.
3. Have you experienced recent weight loss, or weight gain? Increase or decrease in appetite? Food has become comfort food or eating is a chore.
4. Do you sleep too much (hypersomnia) or hardly sleep at all (insomnia)?
5. On a daily basis, do you feel worthless? Empty? Helpless? Guilty?
6. Do you feel tired every day? Do other people recognize these depressive episodes in you? You may not realize that you have symptoms but your family and friends recognize the symptoms of depression.
7. Have you lost your ability to concentrate, or experience indecisiveness, nearly every day? You simply can not concentrate, your mind is racing, and you lack the ability to make decisions.
8. Are you preoccupied with death and dying? Suicidal thoughts? You start dreaming of people who have died. Preoccupied with death and dying. You may have started giving away personal belongings to friends, and entertaining suicide.

There may be various causes of depression: economic loss, death, finances, illness, stress, relationships, divorce, separation, anger, panic attacks, anxiety, etc… Depression is a treatable disorder and overcoming depression is a daily feat. Fighting depression is an ongoing process and one does not have to cope with depression, alone. There is help for depression: Method of treatment can involve anti-depressants, therapy, and support groups. If you are diagnosed with depression, expect to be treated with antidepressant mediation to relieve your depressive episodes. Anti-depressants are not a cure all for depression, but it is a start toward effective treatment. Anti-depressants can have side effects. Treatment is more effective with psychotherapy to explore the underline cause or problems that lead to your depression and to explore what is keeping you in a prolonged depressive mood. Psychotherapy helps you to face underline problems, change negative cognitive thinking/behaviors and learn effective coping skills. To supplement therapy, one can include exercise, meditation, relaxation techniques, stress management, join a depression forum, and attend a support group. The key thing to remember is that depression is treatable.