What Is Depression?
Depression is a common mental illness which affects everyone at
some point in their lives. It's more than the blues, yet much of the population still views it as
a 'personal weakness' or a 'character flaw'. Depression is an illness which is characterised by a prolonged low mood which affects the ability to carry out day to day activities. It affects about
5 to 20 per cent of the population at some time in their lives and is more common in women.
 They say a picture paints a thousand words. This detail from "The Tragedy" by Picasso goes some way in showing what it can feel like to experience the symptoms of depression. |
Depression: A 'Whole Body' Illness
Depression affects mood, thought, body and behaviour. Some people have one episode in a lifetime; others, recurrent episodes. For some, depression is a chronic illness. Others have ongoing, chronic, milder symptoms. And still others have bipolar disorder, in which episodes of terrible
'lows' alternate with inappropriate 'highs'. |
Why do people become depressed?
There are both predisposing and precipitating factors contributing to someone becoming depressed. Predisposing factors are features of one's personality or lifestyle that make one susceptible to depression. These may be related to genetic factors or to early lifetime experiences or to social circumstances. Precipitating factors are triggers which directly lead to the episode of depression. For example, stressful life events such as the loss of a job or the end of a relationship can trigger depression. Depression can also be a side effect of certain medications.
In depression the metabolism of the brain is affected. Levels of certain brain chemicals are altered. The purpose of antidepressant medication is to rectify any imbalance in the levels of these brain
chemicals.
What does depression feel like?
Depression is characterised by a persistent low mood which affects the ability to carry out everyday activities. It is more than just feeling 'down' for a short while.
Symptoms of Depression
- persistent sad, anxious, or 'empty' mood
- loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
- restlessness, irritability , or excessive crying
- feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
- sleeping too much or too little, early-morning awakening
- appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- decreased energy, fatigue, feeling 'slowed
down'
- thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
- difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive
disorders and chronic pain
Some people mistakenly try to reduce their depressive symptoms through alcohol or other mood-altering drugs. While such drugs may provide temporary relief, they will eventually complicate the depressive disorder and its treatment, and can lead to dependence and the life problems that come with it. It is estimated that as many as half of all people with alcohol and drug problems suffer from mood disorder, especially bipolar disorder.
To be diagnosed as suffering from a major depressive disorder you must have had a depressed mood consistently for at least two weeks. This must represent a change from your normal mood and negatively affect your life in a major way. If your depressed mood is caused by drugs, alcohol, medications, etc., then it is not considered a major depressive disorder, nor is one which is caused by a general medical condition.
'Britons said to be the most miserable people in Europe'
2001-10-01Sarah Westcott
BRITONS are the most miserable people in Europe, a study has found.
Cities in the UK and Ireland top a European league table for rates of depression, scientists said.
The findings, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, reveal the lowest depression rates are enjoyed by the Spanish.
The report - the first from a major European study of depression - found women are more likely to be depressed than men. It found an overall prevalence of depressive disorders across Europe of
10.05% for women and 6.61% for men.
Researchers used randomly selected samples of adults living in urban and rural areas in the UK, Ireland, Norway, Finland and Spain.
They were chosen as good representations of northern and southern Europe.
The British rural research site was in Clwyd and in Ireland the county of Laois. Dublin and Liverpool were used as the urban areas sampled.
The highest prevalence was urban Ireland and the UK with
12.8% and
17.1% respectively.
Lowest was urban Spain, where the rate of depression was just
2.6%.
The authors, including Dr Christopher Dowrick and Dr Greg Wilkinson of the University of Liverpool said, "Depression has an impact on the community greater than that of many chronic physical diseases.
"This confirms that depressive disorder is a highly prevalent condition among working age adults in Europe, particularly in urban centres."
They conclude that the study should be used to implement fair and effective policies across the continent to address this "public health challenge". |
How can doctors recognise depression?
The doctor will make a diagnosis based on the symptoms you describe. It is therefore important to tell the doctor if you have been suffering with any of the symptoms of depression. In some cases you may also be asked to complete a short questionnaire asking you about these symptoms.
The doctor will also conduct a physical examination and in some cases arrange for blood samples and other investigations to be done in order to exclude other causes for the symptoms. For example some symptoms of depression can also be caused by disorders such as anaemia or lack of thyroid hormone.
What is the course of the illness?
Some episodes of depression may resolve spontaneously without treatment. However, this is not always the case and treatment is often required. Treatment can shorten both the duration and the severity of a depressive episode.
Most people only get a single or a few depressive periods during their lives. But in a few cases there can be frequent relapses and preventive (prophylactic) therapy may be necessary.
The risk of relapse is reduced if antidepressant medication is continued for six months after recovery from an episode of depression.
How is depression treated?
Treatment of depression needs to be tailored to the individual. Most episodes of depression are managed in primary care or by psychiatrists in out-patient clinics. People with more severe depression sometimes need to be admitted to hospital for inpatient treatment.
Research studies have shown that the following treatments are effective for mild or moderate depression:
- antidepressant drugs (including tricyclic anti-depressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
- certain types of psychological therapy, specifically cognitive therapy and interpersonal therapy
- research also suggests that St John's Wort and problem solving therapy are effective treatments for some people with mild or moderate
depression
- other treatments include light therapy and electro convulsive
therapy (ECT)
Other Facts
The rate of clinical depression for women is about double that of men; in bipolar
disorder (in which episodes of terrible 'lows' alternate with inappropriate
'highs.'), the rates are about the same.
The highest overall age of onset is between 25 - 44, with an increasing rate among those born after 1945, perhaps related to psychosocial factors such as single parenting, changing
roles and stress.
Depression may be associated with life events such as significant losses (spouses, children, jobs) or major
fin ancial reverses. Personality factors such as undue dependency and low self-esteem may also be associated with a vulnerability to depression.
There's a risk for developing depression when there is a family history, of these illnesses, with a somewhat higher risk for those with bipolar disorder. Where a genetic vulnerability exists, onset probably results from a combination of vulnerability and life experience.
Married people and those in ongoing intimate relationships have a somewhat lower rate of clinical depression than those living alone. Unhappily married people have the highest rates; happily married men, the lowest.
There are no differences in rates of depression among ethnic/racial groups.
Depression often co-occurs with medical,
psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. When this happens, the presence of both illnesses is frequently
unrecognised and may lead to serious and unnecessary consequences for patients and families.
For example, physical illnesses (e.g., stroke, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.), abnormal hormonal functioning, and certain medications (e.g., antihypertensive drugs) are risk factors for depression. A higher than average co-occurrence with other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and eating disorders has been documented. Recent studies show that
about 32% of depressed people also suffer from some form of substance abuse or dependence.
Message of Hope: Depression Is Treatable!
With treatment, up to 80% of those suffering from depression can improve and return to daily activities, usually in a matter of weeks, with treatments generally on an outpatient basis. Unfortunately, nearly 2 out of 3 depressed persons do not seek treatment. In fact, a majority of depressed people are seen initially in primary care setting, where their depression is not diagnosed and its symptoms frequently are inappropriately treated.
The information given here is general advice
obtained elsewhere from other sources. In case of doubt, or where
you need to discuss the points raised in relation to yourself and in
greater depth, always see your own GP or a qualified medical
practitioner.
 'I was walking along the road with two friends.
The sun was setting.
I felt a breath of melancholy -
Suddenly the sky turned blood-red.
I stopped, and leaned against the railing, deathly tired -
looking out across the flaming clouds that hung like blood and a sword
over the blue-black fjord and town.
My friends walked on - I stood there, trembling with fear.
And I sensed a great, infinite scream pass through nature.'
Edvard Munch - The Scream |
|
GayCruz
- Health
