Depression: It Is Real, and It Is
Treatable Depression and the Americans
People with symptoms of diabetes or other physical problems see their
doctors for treatment. Those with depression more often than not try to duke it
out alone, according to southwest Minnesota mental health professionals, who say
the anxiety is prevalent in the region. Depression affects more than 19 million
Americans annually, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Yet only one in three people seeks medical treatment.
Defining Depression Depression is nondiscriminatory
(一视同仁的), affecting all ages, sexes and races, local health professionals say. It
is a disease -- not a weakness -- that consumes the brain of the chemical
serotonin (含于血液中的复合胺) , and it rarely goes away by itself. Depression and Sex Females suffer from depression
and seek treatment twice as often as males, according to data from the NIMH.
Hormones play a role, as do a combination of genetic, psychological and
environmental factors. The institute also reports that although depression
is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in both sexes,
only men suffer a high death rate. Commonality of
Depression The Surgeon General estimates that one in five
people will experience a depressive episode during their lifetime. "It is
much more common than people realize," said Johnson, a licensed marriage and
family therapist (治疗专家). "Sometimes people get so depressed that they’re unable
to function at all, or they become depressed and self medicate with alcohol, and
then another problem is created." Depression is one of the main reasons people
come to the Southwest Mental Health Center. However, far greater numbers rely on
family doctors to sort them out and probably just as many or more go untreated.
"They don’t want to cross over into the mental health field," Johnson said.
"They worry about what others will think, or about the cost. It’s more difficult
in rural areas because everybody knows you and there is a shame of asking for
help." Long Treatment Treatment takes
time. People who do seek help often expect a quick fix, but medication helps the
body replace serotonin slowly. It is subtle improvement that you almost have to
be watching for, or you have to look back to how your were a month ago, or six
weeks ago. Improvement comes gradually, as does the disorder. How long it takes
depends on how well people can change events in their lives, how they interpret
things. It depends on what skills you develop to manage the next stressors
(紧张性剌激) that come your way. Many adults will take antidepressants for the rest
of their lives and some won’t. With kids, it can be more of a short-term
treatment, but again it depends on the intensity and longevity of the
disorder. Medication as a Common Treatment
One of the most common treatments for depression is medication, but
different drugs have different effects on different people. Each medication can
cause various side effects including, but not limited to, dry mouth, nausea,
anxiety, insomnia, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, apathy, heart palpitations,
and headaches. Some people may experience several side effects while others
experience none. The more recently developed antidepressants typically produce
fewer side effects. Usually, side effects dissipate in a few weeks after the
body has become adjusted to the medication. Consumers are advised to start at
the lowest dosage with small increments over a period of time until improvement
is noticed. An antidepressant’s effect may take several weeks before a positive
result is noticed. Other Ways of Treatment
Psychotherapy or counseling is another common treatment for depression.
Oftentimes, medication and psychotherapy are used together for optimum
results. Group therapy is another avenue of treatment for people with
depression. There are also support groups available to help those with
depression. Such groups allow members to openly share their feelings and receive
acceptance from other group members. There is no leader (professional of
otherwise) to direct such groups and there is no maximum number of sessions that
one can attend. Some people have also found reading various self-help books to
be of benefit in overcoming their depression. And one cannot separate the mind
from the body and treat them individually. Instead, a thorough treatment regimen
should examine all aspects of a person’s life. Sometimes lack of exercise is
also associated with depression. So depression may be caused by one or
combination of factors and can take many forms. Depression
and the Elderly According to Terry Pankow, a licensed
independent clinical social worker in Montevideo, the elderly are among the
hardest to diagnose because their symptoms often take the form of physical
complaints for which no medical cause or ideology exists. The Centers for
Disease Control reports that as many as three out of every 100 people over 65
suffer from clinical depression. Depression and the
Children Children and adolescents also are special cases,
and they can carry depression into adulthood before getting treatment. One of
the things that make depression so hard to diagnose or sort out with children is
that they don’t have the verbal skills, knowledge and sophistication to talk
about "I feel sad or this is making me miserable". So many times what you see in
children is rather than them describing their feelings, they act their feelings
out in terms of behavior. And so, lots of kids who are labeled as naughty are
really depressed. NIMH Statistics about
Adolescents The NIMH estimates that up to 2.5 percent of
children and up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the U.S. suffer from
depression. A study of 9 to 17 year-olds found that more than six percent
experience some depression in any six-month period and nearly five percent have
major depression. Types of Depression
Depression falls into two categories, Back said. Endogenous (内因的)
depression comes from a chemical imbalance, and exogenous depression arises from
difficult situations and circumstances. Depression affects
different age groups and people within each age group differently. Symptoms
include: ·difficulty concentrating, remembering or making
decisions ·feeling angry or moody, crying easily or worrying a
lot ·alcohol or drug use to mask feelings
·fatigue or loss of energy ·loss of interest in ordinary
activities ·eating and sleeping disorders
·feeling sad, empty or numb ·feeling hopeless, helpless,
guilty or worthless ·thoughts of suicide, suicide plans or
attempts ·frequent doctor visits without relief in symptoms; all
tests negative Children and adolescents might exhibit some of
the same symptoms, as well as aggression, frustration, marked disobedience
(不服从), extreme self-consciousness, fluctuating energy levels, a fascination for
guns and knives, and a preoccupation with music, movies and literature with
death themes. They also might complain about dizziness, headaches, stomachaches
and body aches. In addition to the fear of being known by others, in rural areas fewer people go to see the doctor for depression because they do not have as much money as the city people.