Depression is a serious medical illness that affects how you feel, how you think and how you act. The American Psychiatric Association indicates that depression affects nearly one in ten adults each year with woman being diagnosed nearly twice as often as men. Depression does not discriminate and affects people of all ages, races and economic levels. There are several symptoms common in depression. If you find yourself experiencing more than five of the following symptoms for more than two weeks you may be experiencing depression.
• feeling blue, sad, empty or numb
• fatigue or lack energy and motivation,
• no longer enjoying the things that used to bring you joy and pleasure,
• feeling worthless, hopeless or having excessive guilt
• restlessness or irritability
• aches and pains that don’t respond to treatment (such as headaches,
digestive problems and chronic pain)
• difficulty thinking, concentrating and making decisions
• difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• significant change in appetite and/or weight without dieting
• isolating yourself from friends and/or family members
• having thoughts about death or suicide
Depression is more than sadness. Feelings of sadness will generally reduce
over time, while depression hangs on and often gets worse. It can last for
months or years if not properly treated. Depression is a condition that is
disabling, making it difficult to go to work, care for family or meet responsibilities.
Depression is a common, serious illness. It is not a weakness or failure, but rather can be caused by many factors including genetics, biochemistry, or environment and can be successfully treated by a mental health professional.
Children and teens can be affected by depression too and experience many of the same symptoms as adults. Young people often tend to show increased irritability as one main symptom of depression.
Depression is treated in several different ways. Many people benefit from psychotherapy or counseling where they can learn new coping skills to manage depression. There are medications available which help to reduce depression by adjusting the neurochemicals in the brain. Many people benefit from a combination of both of these options.
Remember depression can and does improve with treatment. You don’t need to suffer in silence. Call your primary care physician, List Psychological or any mental health agency for assistance.
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take a confidential assessment to determine if you may be suffering from depression.
Depression
: a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide.
