Do You Suffer from Depression

The word "depression" is often used to describe a person's mood. We associate the word with a person being in a bad mood, or feeling "blue." The word is also used to describe an illness that is actually quite common. Depression is not always easy for doctor's to diagnose. There are no special blood tests or scans that can be done to diagnose this illness, therefore; doctor's must look at the signs and symptoms to determine if a person ahs depression.

One of the things that doctor's look for is a person being in a "blue" mood for two or more weeks to the extent that it effects the person's daily life. This symptom along with a person having three or four more symptoms will warrant a person being diagnosed with depression..

Other symptoms that doctors look for include, the person being unable to enjoy things that they would normally enjoy, loss of interest in hobbies, normal activities, and life in general, constant tiredness and lack of energy, problems going to sleep, or waking up very early in the morning, trouble getting out of bed to face the day, lack of appetite, lack of interest in food, overindulgence in food, significant weight loss or gain, loss of interest in sexual activity, inability to concentrate, trouble keeping thoughts straight, irritability, low self-confidence or self-esteem, avoidance of social situations, or people in general, feelings of guilt for just being oneself, feeling hopeless, and thoughts of suicide.

Depression is very common. It is estimated that between 5 and 10 percent of the population, at any given time, suffers from depression to some extent. Each person has a 20 percent chance of going through a period of depression in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men, though it is also thought that men suffer from depression more than what is documented because they tend not to seek treatment.

Depression is NOT a sign of weakness, as is commonly thought. It does not pick and choose who to affect; depression can affect anyone, with any background, from any walk of life, at any given time. With that said, there are some risk factors that can make a person more likely to acquire depression. There are some genetic factors, such as having other family members, parents, grandparents, that suffer from depression. There are also other factors such as having a parent die when a person is very young, or other early life traumas.

The causes of depression are not entirely clear. There has been a genetic link, as well as a the link of past traumas causing depression. Stressful situations or events , illness, divorce, death of a loved one, and many other things are known to be things that can cause a person to go into a depressive state.

There are treatments to help a person through depression. Sometimes, treatment is not needed and a person can get through it alone. Other times, a person needs counseling and/or medication to help them through it. When taking a medication to treat depression, it is important that a person takes the medication regularly, even if they feel like it isn't helping. Medication often takes up to four weeks to show signs of improvement, but once it begins to help, there should be slow and continual improvement. Medication should not be stopped until it is discussed with a doctor, because often times, stopping the medication too soon leads to relapse of depressive symptoms. When trying to stop taking an antidepressant, it is best to do it gradually to avoid relapse.

If one medication does not help, doctors may prescribe others. Occasionally, medication will not help at all, and further treatment is necessary. One alternative is called electroconvulsive therapy. It is used on people with very sever depression. With this treatment, a person is put to sleep for 10 to 15 minutes. While asleep, the person is given a muscle relaxant and small electrical currents are passes through the brain for only a fraction of a second. Most of the time, this treatment is given twice a week, and it usually takes 6 to 10 treatments to treat the depression.

If you suspect that a person is suffering from depression, there are things that you can do to help them. The simple act of listening can be very helpful. Often times, people feel better just because they talk about things. Try not to tell the person that he or she needs to just "get over it", or "pull themselves together". These comments can do further harm and make the person feel like it is their fault that they fell the way they do. If a person doesn't seem to be feeling better in a week or two, suggest that he or she visit's the doctor. Reassure the person that no one will think less of him or her, and he or she is not weak because of needing help. Try not to pressure the person into doing things. This causes the person to feel even worse .Remind the person that they have an illness that is medically treatable, and it is not their fault. Help the person to avoid turning to alcohol and/or drugs for comfort. Remind the person that it will not make the situation better. If the person talks about suicide or hurting themselves, talk to them about it, and insist that they seek medical assistance. Talk to the person about his or her feelings, and listen to how he or she responds. If at any time, you witness a suicide attempt, or a person trying to harm themselves, call 911 immediately to get the person the help he or she needs.

Realizing that depression is not at all uncommon, and that it is not a sign of weakness may help many people in this world seek the help that is needed to treat depression. Many people will not seek treatment because of the thought of how others will look at them. If you know someone with any symptoms of depression, or just think they may be suffering, talk to them. Your words could help a person get through depression much faster.