Suicide and Depression Claim More Celebrity Victims

Late Friday evening, Marie Osmond's son, Michael Blosil killed himself by jumping to his death. Michael apparently had been suffering for the past 3 years, since age 16, with severe depression.

Only the day before, the body of "Growing Pains" 41 year old actor Andrew Koenig was found in off a bridle path in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

While this is obviously a tragedy for family and friends who are left behind to deal with this horrific event, it does shed light on an all too familiar mental illness: depression.

People who do not suffer from depression tend to think that those who do can just be happy if they wanted to. But that is not the case. Depression is simply not just about "having the blues." According to the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health "Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It's more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. If you are one of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life."

There are also different types of depression: Clinical depression, Dysthymic disorder, Major depressive disorder, Unipolar depression. Each of these types of depression has its own diagnostic criteria.

Our hearts go out to the Osmond/Blosil family and to the Koenig family. What we can learn from this is how to help those we know, or ourselves, if depression is suspected.

Depression can only be diagnosed by a doctor so it is important not to self-diagnose. The National Library of Medicine has a wealth of information for those affected by depression. This information also includes they different types of treatment available, including prescriptions, and information on bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression).

When in comes to depression, things will not get better on their own. The depressed person must get help in order to recover and get back to living their lives.

Symptoms of depression include:

Sadness

Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy

Change in weight

Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping

Energy loss

Feelings of worthlessness

Thoughts of death or suicide

If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately so that you can get help. If someone you know is showing these symptoms, learn all you can about depression and encourage them to talk to someone. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it.

Sources:

Marie Osmond's Son Commits Suicide

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20347551,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontent

"Growing Pains" Actor Andrew Koenig Found Dead

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20347136,00.html

National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health on Depression

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/depression.html