Recognizing and Treating Depression
Depression exists in several forms. The form of depression I have been diagnosed with is Bipolar Disorder, sometimes referred to as Manic Depression. This type of depression usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. Because it is, by nature, episodic, this form of depression is often not recognized as a psychological problem and many people will suffer needlessly for years without treatment.
Without treatment, clinical depression in all its forms can result in marital breakups, job loss, alcohol and drug abuse, legal difficulties, and suicide.
Recognizing Depression
At one time or another, everyone has felt “depressed”. In common conversation, we refer to our blue mood as “being depressed”. Ordinarily, this is just a normal reaction to loss, life’s struggles, or coping with one’s self-esteem. What is terribly misunderstood is that true “depression” doesn’t last for a day or two. The intense feeling of sadness, an overwhelming black emptiness, lasts for weeks or months at a time and actually interferes with a person’s normal life. This is true depression, a mental illness believed to be caused by chemicals in the brain. Left untreated, depression can rapidly worsen, lasting for years and possibly result in suicide.
Some of the most common signs and symptoms of depression include:
*Sadness
*Loss of enjoyment from things that were once pleasurable
*Loss of energy
*Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
*Difficulty concentrating
*Uncontrollable crying
*Difficulty making decisions
*Irritability
*Insomnia or excessive sleep
*Unexplained aches and pains
*Stomachache and digestive problems
*Sexual problems (for example, decreased sex drive)
*Consistent pains and aches (for example, headache)
*Extreme change in appetite, causing weight loss or gain
*Thoughts of death or suicide
*Attempting suicide
Medical professionals will not diagnose a person as having clinical depression until these symptoms have lasted for at least 2 weeks, and it is important to remember that there are other things which can cause similar symptoms. If you or someone you know has the above symptoms, consult a physician to make sure that you don’t have a physical illness.
The following warning signs are serious. They indicate that something is seriously wrong and should be dealt with by a mental health professional. If intentions or plans to commit suicide seem forthcoming, the person suffering should go to the emergency room for immediate treatment. All mentions of suicide or violence must be taken seriously – someone who is suffering from depression and not receiving treatment will hit a point that they do not feel they can continue living. Secure immediate help when you see or hear:
*Recurring thoughts or talk of death or suicide.
*Recurring thoughts or talk of self-harm or harm to others.
*Aggressive behavior or impulsiveness.
Treating Depression
Depression will affect nearly every person either through personal experience, or through depression in a family member. In America, over 17 million adults experience a period of clinical depression every year. The cost in human suffering is beyond estimation, interfering with normal functioning and causing problems with work, social, and family adjustment. Suffering is not limited to just the person with the disorder, but to those who care about them as well. Serious depression can effectively destroy the lives of the depressed person as well as their families.
Depression can, literally, affect anyone. Once identified, most people diagnosed with depression are successfully treated. Thus, the first step in treating depression is to recognize that it is depression, and not a weakness or laziness on the part of the depressed person.
The next step in treating depression is to receive counseling. Several mild forms of clinical depression can be successfully treated in this way, without the use of prescription drugs. However, it is essential for even the more severe cases of depression to be treated with counseling. Not only can a certified counselor help you better cope with your disorder, they are specifically trained to help pinpoint the form of depression you have and lead you into treatment plans that are right for you.
Clinical depression is a very common psychological problem, but most people never seek proper treatment or, when they do seek treatment, they are misdiagnosed with physical illness. This is extremely unfortunate because, with the proper treatment, more than 80% of those with depression can make life-altering improvements.
The Human Cost of Ignorance
Social stigma causes many people suffering from depression to avoid needed treatment. Many of these same people self-treat their mental illness and become addicted to alcohol or illegal and prescription drugs.
On February 2nd, 2001 I received the news that my father had committed suicide. It was a devastating blow to my small family, as well as the community that he meant so much to. A seven-gun salute paid homage, and acted as the final irony, to the man who had fought in Vietnam, suffered through and recovered from alcoholism, and finally found himself caught up in addiction to prescription drugs from which he was released on the day he shot himself.
There is no way of estimating the cost of his actions. The unbelievable amount of suffering it caused friends and family, this final act of desperation. Had someone paid attention, there were blatant signs that led to his suicide, including six months in emergency room bills for a man who had visited twice a week with symptoms ranging from severely upset stomach to the belief that he had cancer.
Depression may be genetically linked, and it may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Until further research shows better what causes depression, those affected by it struggle under the weight of social misunderstandings. Please, find help for yourself or your loved ones. Absolutely any threat of suicide must be treated as serious – never make the mistake of thinking it will just “go away” or that the person talking is being overly dramatic.
Help stop this silent killer before you must reckon yourself among the human costs of depression.
