Could You Be Depressed?

You know something is wrong but you can’t quite put your finger on it. You just do not seem to have as much as used to have and everything that you used to enjoy seems dull. You seem to not smile as much and maybe you have even noticed that you cry more easily. Even your food does not seem to taste as good as it used to and you notice that your clothes fit more loosely now. Even though you know that you should not, you have been isolating yourself from others, not going out or talking on the phone as much. What on earth is going on? It is possible that you are suffering from depression. Also referred to by doctors and therapists as a Major Depressive Episode, depression can occur when it is least expected. Its onset can be fast or gradual and depression can occur in those with no known predisposition. However, the usual course of depression is gradual and it is much more likely to occur in someone who has a history of depression in themselves or their family. What exactly is depression?

Depression is clinically described by psychiatrists in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, 4th Edition Revised (DSM IV-TR) as either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure for at least two weeks along with several other symptoms. The other commons symptoms and signs are:
-significant weight loss or weight gain due to markedly increased or decreased appetite
-insomnia or sleeping too much nearly every day
-moving unusually slowly or quickly for no apparent reason
-fatigue or loss of energy
– Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
-problems concentrating or focusing
-recurrent thoughts of death including suicidal thoughts or attempts.

One of the biggest problems with being depressed is that it may be difficult for you to seek help. You may feel hopeless, like things will never get better. You may not believe that there is any help for you because you feel so miserable. You may tend to have a negative view of the ability of psychiatrists or therapists to help you because you are not even sure of what exactly is happening to you. Also, because the depressed person tends to isolate himself or herself, even friends and family may not be able to help because they do not know what troubles you are having. You may feel ashamed of being depressed and you may judge yourself harshly because of your illness.

What can you do if you think that you are depressed and having a Major Depressive Episode? First and foremost, you must immediately reach out and let a trustworthy, supportive person know what is happening to you. Depression is a very common illness and you may find that the person you confide in knows more than you may have thought about it! Hopefully, once you have shared your depression symptoms with at least one person close to you, you will be able to see more clearly how to get additional help to treat your depression. Allow that person to help you in whatever way that they can. Perhaps they can help you to find a psychiatrist or therapist that you can work with. They can also serve to remind you of all that you have to live for and to remind you that depression will lift so that you do not remain in a hopeless place.
Yes, it is true that depression is very treatable. What are some of the common treatments available for depression? Medications are an increasingly common method of treating depression. Newer medications, mostly created within the past 20 years, are known to be fairly safe and well-tolerated by most. Fluoxetene (brand name Prozac) was the first in a line of medications called serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications are widely used around the world for the treatment of depression. Common side effects may include sexual problems, dry mouth, stomach upset or tremors. Of course, many people may experience either mild or no side effects and that is important to keep in mind. In more recent years, other medications have been added to the arsenal as depression treatments. Researchers continue to investigate better treatments and new treatments have even been released in the past few years. Therefore it is important to understand that there are many options for treating your depression with a medication. Medication can be obtained either from your psychiatrist or from your primary care doctor. The majority of patients with uncomplicated depression are treated by their primary care doctors who will issue them a prescription for an antidepressant medication.

Talk therapy or counseling is another important treatment available for depression. Studies have found that talking about the depression and issues that may be causing problems in your life can sometimes be beneficial. Seeking counseling can be the first step towards ending the isolation that can be deadly in depression. Many persons with depression may see counseling as the first time in their lives that they have someone listen carefully to them without judgment. Specific types of therapy include those that have been proven to be effective in the treatment of depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been recently shown to be as effective as medication in some cases of depression. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on stopping the negative thoughts and assumptions that usually accompany depression. These negative thoughts include ruminations on being worthless, helpless or unlovable. CBT helps you to challenge these thoughts and replace them with more realistic thoughts. Once the depressed person learns the simple methods of CBT, he or she can use them at home and hopefully help to prevent another depression.

The most important fact you should remember if you think you are suffering from depression is that you are not alone. Please seek help from a qualified doctor or therapist right away. You deserve to feel better.