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Depression is more than just "feeling
blue" or "down hearted." It is even more
than being sad or feeling grief after a loss. Depression
is a medical disorder that day after day affects the thoughts,
feelings, physical health, and quality of life for millions
of Americans.
Depression can be caused by things
such as:
Family history and genetics
Certain medicines
Drugs or alcohol
Other psychiatric conditions
Depression is not your fault. It
is not a weakness. It is a medical illness. Depression
is treatable.
The Illness
of Depression
by Ronald L. Warnell, M.D.
Most of us have
felt sad or blue for a brief period of time. These
feelings are often
triggered by a stressful event. Fortunately, normal feelings
and
function return quickly. In contrast, people who develop
a Major Depressive Illness find that the sad or blue
feelings don’t disappear but continue despite the
person’s
efforts to return to a normal routine or in spite of
the admonitions of well-meaning people to not give in
to the
symptoms. As the symptoms continue beyond two weeks,
the threshold for marking the beginning of a major depressive
episode, additional symptoms are also present. These
include
lack of energy, decreased ability to concentrate, sleep
disturbances, a change in appetite, decreased ability
to enjoy everyday activities, an increase in negative
thinking, and some times suicidal thoughts.
Major depression is common in the general population.
In a 12-month time period, about 10% of adults will experience
an episode of major depression. And approximately 17%
of
adults will have an episode of major depression during
their lifetime. If left untreated, depression can lead
to considerable dysfunction in one’s life. In fact,
worldwide, major depression is the 4th leading cause
of disability and it is estimated to become the 2nd leading
cause of disability by 2020. Clearly, identifying depression
and adequately treating it is vital.
While a brief bout of depressed feelings may respond
to support from a friend or a professional, major depression
requires more specific treatment. This includes various
psychotherapies, which may be helpful, and/or antidepressant
medications. Antidepressants are, as a
whole, quite effective
in reducing the symptoms of depression but not everyone
responds to the medications that are currently available.
When a person suffers from major depression, research
shows that brain functioning changes in many ways.
These changes
in brain functioning have opened the door to studying
many different medications, which affect different
brain systems.
The ultimate goal of these studies is to produce effective
antidepressants which, because they work on different
systems, will help people who do not now respond to
antidepressants. Another goal is to produce antidepressants
with fewer
side
effects so that more people will be able to remain
on them and receive adequate treatment.
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