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Depression
| Reasons | Treatments | New Approach |
Depression can often cloud thinking and even interfere with the desire to seek help. If you have at least four of the following symptoms, there is a good chance that you are depressed.
- Sad or empty mood most of the day
- Loss of interest in most activities
- Significant weight gain or weight loss without dieting
- Inability to sleep well or sleeping too much
- Feeling restless or feeling slowed down
- Loss of energy, fatigue
- Feeling worthless or excessive guilt
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
- A lack of ability to concentrate or think clearly
If you or someone you love is concerned about depression, it is important to learn as much as possible about the condition. Most people in treatment for depression use antidepressants, but they do not know how antidepressants work or the risks involved. They are not aware of other forms of treatment for depression or the relationship between medical disorders and depression.
What is depression?
Although many people describe themselves as depressed, one person's experience may be entirely different from another's. In the fields of psychiatry and counseling there are several different types of depression that vary according to their nature, magnitude and duration. For example, major depression is quite severe but is often characterized by specific episodes, while dysthymia is less severe but more chronic. There are also bi-polar disorders that include manic and depressive symptoms. A good intake interview by a knowledgeable professional and sometimes psychological testing is required for a professional to make an accurate diagnosis.
How widespread is depression?
The National Institute of Mental Health reported that 9.5% of the United States population, 17.4 million people, are known to suffer from some form of depression. Most people who suffer from mental conditions never seek professional help; therefore, the number of depressed people is estimated to be much greater. About one in every three depressed women cope by overeating, and one in every five men cope by drinking alcohol. Marital discord is greater when one spouse is depressed. It is clear that depression has an interpersonal component. The number of depressed people is not limited to the 17.4 million; it only begins there.
Surprisingly, research of the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound has now revealed that the medical costs of people diagnosed as depressed are twice as high as the non-depressed. When money is spent on mental health services, the cost of medical services is substantially reduced. The relationship between a variety of medical conditions and depression is highly correlated. When depression improves, so do a variety of medical conditions. Nonetheless, insurance companies continue to cut more and more of these mental health services.
Depression usually has serious consequences, not only to the person depressed, but also to those closest to him or her. For example, research verifies that there is a strong impact upon children when a parent is depressed. In fact, the risk for child disturbance is the same with both schizophrenic parents and depressed parents. Several studies on children of depressed parents show that these children have higher levels of psychiatric disturbance, higher levels of functional impairment, higher deficits in social competence and poorer physical health. These children also show lower academic competence, even though they are not limited intellectually. Today, they are said to have learning disabilities.
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