This thing called Depression...

What Is Depression?
The term "depression" can be confusing since it's often used to describe normal emotional reactions. At the same time, the illness may be hard to recognize because its symptoms may be so easily attributed to other causes. People tend to deny the existence of depression by saying things like, "She has a right to be depressed! Look at what she's gone through." This attitude fails to recognize that people can go through tremendous hardships and stress without developing depression, and that those who suffer from depression can and should seek treatment.

Nearly everyone suffering from depression has pervasive feelings of sadness. In addition, depressed people may feel helpless, hopeless, and irritable. You should seek professional help if you or someone you know has had four or more of the following depression symptoms continually or most of the time for more than two weeks:

Noticeable change of appetite, with either significant weight loss not attributable to dieting or weight gain.
Noticeable change in sleeping patterns, such as fitful sleep, inability to sleep, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much.
Loss of interest and pleasure in activities formerly enjoyed.
Loss of energy, fatigue.
Feelings of worthlessness.
Persistent feelings of hopelessness.
Feelings of inappropriate guilt.
Inability to concentrate or think, indecisiveness.
Recurring thoughts of death or suicide, wishing to die, or attempting suicide. (Note: People suffering this symptom should receive treatment immediately!)
Melancholia (defined as overwhelming feelings of sadness and grief), accompanied by waking at least two hours earlier than normal in the morning, feeling more depressed in the morning, and moving significantly more slowly.
Disturbed thinking, a symptom developed by some severely depressed persons. For example, severely depressed people sometimes have beliefs not based in reality about physical disease, sinfulness, or poverty.
Physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches.
For many victims of depression, these mental and physical feelings seem to follow them night and day, appear to have no end, and are not alleviated by happy events or good news. Some people are so disabled by feelings of despair that they cannot even build up the energy to call a doctor. If someone else calls for them, they may refuse to go because they are so hopeless that they think there's no point to it.

Family, friends, and co-workers offer advice, help, and comfort. But over time, they become frustrated with victims of depression because their efforts are to no avail. The person won't follow advice, refuses help, and denies the comfort. But persistence can pay off.

Many doctors think depression is the illness that underlies the majority of suicides in our country. Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in America; it is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24. Every day 15 people aged 15 to 24 kill themselves. One of the best strategies for preventing suicide is the early recognition and treatment of the depression.

Depression can appear at any age. Current research suggests that treatable depression is very prevalent among children and adolescents, especially among offspring of adults with depression. Depression can also strike late in life, and its symptoms--including memory impairment, slowed speech, and slowed movement--may be mistaken for those of senility or stroke.

Scientists think that more than half of the people who have had one episode of major depression will have another at some point in their lives. Some victims have episodes separated by several years and others suffer several episodes of the disorder over a short period. Between episodes, they can function normally. However, 20 to 35 percent of the victims suffer chronic depression that prevents them from maintaining a normal routine.

Depression Triggers
Sadness at the loss of a loved one or over a divorce is normal, but these losses can also be the trigger for a depressive episode. In fact, most major environmental changes can trigger depression. Job promotions, moves to new areas, changes in living space--all can bring on depressive illness. New mothers sometimes suffer with postpartum depression. Birth brings dramatic changes to both their environments and bodies--a combination that can trigger a downward swing in mood. Depression also afflicts many poor single working mothers of young children. These women live with loneliness, financial stress, and the unrelieved pressure of rearing children and maintaining a household without another's help.

Everyone experiences variations in mood -- transitory blues, disappointments, the normal grief that accompanies the loss of someone you love. But a severe or prolonged depression that interferes with the ability to function, feel pleasure, or maintain interest is not a mere case of the blues. It is an illness. Researchers have demonstrated that it results from biochemical imbalances in the brain.

Depressive Illness, also referred to as Affective or Mood Disorder, attacks millions of Americans and is often fatal; yet few people are being properly treated or even diagnosed. The costs of this neglect, both in terms of human suffering and economic loss, are staggering.

Depressive Illness is among the most common and destructive of illnesses prevalent in the United States today. In addition to major depression, many people suffer from manic depressive illness (bipolar disorder) which is characterized by radical mood swings from severe depression to exaggerated, inappropriate elation.

An estimated 35-40 million Americans living today will suffer from major Depressive Illness during their lives. For each person directly suffering, three or four times that number of their relatives, employees, associates, and friends will also be adversely affected.

Of those 35-40 million afflicted, a substantial percentage will commit suicide if not treated with appropriate medication.

In terms of human suffering, the consequences of untreated depression are beyond measure. They include loss of self-esteem, "self-medication" with alcohol and drugs, family and career disruption, chronic disability and, in many cases, death. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents.

Those Who Suffer Blame Themselves
Even among those suffering from Depressive Illness, most do not know they have a treatable illness. Most blame themselves and are blamed by others. This leads to the alienation of family and friends who, if they knew of the illness, would be likely to offer support and help find effective treatment.

There Are Several Causes of Depressive Illness
There are probably several causes of Depressive Illness and several different types of depression. Recent research shows that depression runs in families. The most severe form, bipolar disorder, is most likely inherited.

Certain environmental situations, such as stress or breakup of important attachments, may precipitate depression, especially in vulnerable persons.

Research is underway to understand the interaction of genes and environment, and precisely what is inherited.

Symptoms of Depression and Manic Depression
The symptoms of Depressive Illness are highly recognizable, both to those affected and to those closest to them, once they are told what to look for.

Here is a checklist of symptoms of Depressive illness:

Loss of energy and interest.
Diminished ability to enjoy oneself.
Decreased -- or increased -- sleeping or appetite.
Difficulty in concentrating; indecisiveness; slowed or fuzzy thinking.
Exaggerated feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety.
Feelings of worthlessness.
Recurring thoughts about death and suicide.
If most of these symptoms last for two weeks or more, you probably have Depressive Illness. Sometimes depression alternates with "mania" and is called Manic-Depressive Illness.

Manic Depression causes mood swings creating periods with the following symptoms:

A high energy level with decreased need for sleep.
Unwarranted or exaggerated belief in one's own ability.
Extreme irritability.
Rapid, unpredictable emotional change.
Impulsive, thoughtless activity, with a high risk of damaging consequences (i.e., stock speculations, sudden love affairs, etc.).