Understanding Depression: A View from a Sufferer

Depression is a serious medical condition. It affects almost 20% of people at some point in their life. It can affect anyone: men, women, elderly, young people and even some children.

Certainly everyone at some point in their lives has days, even a few days where they feel sad, or down in the dumps. Having these feelings for more than two weeks could signal depression. The earlier you learn to recognize symptoms, the faster you can find relief.

Depression can cause more than a long term sadness. It can cause irritability, sleeping problems, weight loss, weight gain, or difficulty concentrating. Depression can cause you to lose any enjoyment in things you had previously loved. It can make you feel worthless. Depression can also cause physical symptoms, such as chronic pain and headaches. Worst of all, depression can make you want to take your own life. Not all people will experience every symptom.

From a personal perspective, depression can make you feel like you are about to cry over anything. It makes you either not want to eat at all, or eat everything in sight to get comfort. Sometimes you realize you are acting a certain way, and can't for the life of you figure out why or how to stop it. It affects your relationships with loved ones, often leaving them at a loss as to what to do to help you.

Depression can be brought on by many different things. Some people become depressed after experiencing a traumatic event in their lives, such as a death of a loved one, a divorce or break up, or worse. This is common. It can also be brought on in women after giving birth to a child, when horomones are thrown off. Depression can be caused by physical problems and the stress of dealing with them. It can also be genetic. Some people become depressed in certain seasons. Winter is common, due to the lack of sunlight. There is also a long term depression called dysthymia. It is characterized by less severe depression type symptoms over years. It is known as a mood disorder. This is common in a lot of people, especially people with low self esteem.

Many times, people with depression do not seek help. Sometimes they even know they have it, but are too embarrassed to bring it up to anyone, including their own doctor. This is a mistake. Most people can be treated. Remaining untreated could make the condition worse, and comes at the expense of family members as well.

Generally, chemicals in the brain react and give the depressive feeling. Certain medications can right the chemical balance in the brain and make it better. There are several medications and only you and your doctor can decide which ones are right for you. some common ones are Prozac (the most common), Zoloft, Lexapro, and Paxil. Any of these can help regulate seratonin, a "feel-good" chemical in the brain.

Medications can be prescribed by a psychatrist or a medical doctor. Often family medical doctors will have samples to help you see if certain medications are right for you. Once you are established on one, if you do not have insurance, a lot of pharmaceutical companies offer programs to help you get the medications you need. Your doctor or mental health center can help you find these. Pfizer, the maker of Prozac, is one such company.

It can also be a good idea to get therapy for depression. Understanding why you became depressed to begin with and talking about it can help keep it from happening again. Most cities have places to get therapy free or discounted by income. Call your local mental health center to ask about programs near you.

The most important thing you can do for you and your mental health is to get help. There are programs to help every need. No one is there to judge, only to help, and you owe it to yourself to feel better.