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What is depression?

Depression feels like a dark curtain of despair coming down over your life. It’s a medical condition that can make you feel completely alone. Many people feel like they have no energy and can’t concentrate. Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel that darkness for more than two weeks, and these heavy feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be depressed. More than 14 million Americans experience depression in any given year. People who have gone through one episode of depression will eventually have another one. People with depression never seek help, even though the majority will respond to treatment. Depression is especially important because it affects you, your family, and your work. Some people with depression try to harm themselves in the mistaken belief that how they are feeling will never change. It can severely disrupt your life, affecting your appetite, sleep, work, and relationships. Depression is a treatable illness.

What are the symptoms?

• Constant sadness, irritability, or tension
• Decreased interest in activities or hobbies
• Loss of energy, feeling tired
• Significant weight loss or weight gain
• Change in sleeping patterns, not enough sleep or sleeping too much
• Restlessness or feeling slowed down
• Extreme difficulty concentrating
• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, self-hate, or guilt
• Thoughts of suicide or death

Who gets depression?

Depression can affect anyone and 16% of Americans will have it during their lifetime. Women are almost twice as likely to become depressed as men. Men are more likely to go undiagnosed and less likely to seek help. They may show the typical symptoms of depression, but are more likely to be angry and hostile or to mask their condition with alcohol or drug abuse. Men are four times more likely than women to kill themselves. Older people are at risk because they may lose loved ones and have to adjust to living alone. They also may become physically ill and unable to be as active as they once were.

What are the causes?

Depression has no single cause because it results from a combination of things. There is no reason why depression takes hold of you. However, many researchers believe it is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain that connects to an imbalance of a type of chemical that carries signals in your brain and nerves. The most significant causes of depression are:

Family history – genetics plays a huge role

Stress – hardships of daily lives

Low self-esteem and pessimism – negative outlooks causes low-level depression

Medical conditions – induces physical weakness and stress

What are the treatments?

Antidepressant Medications – Antidepressants improve the symptoms of depression by bringing certain chemicals in the brain back into balance. Because different types of antidepressants are designed to work differently, side effects associated with each type of depression medication can vary.

Psychotherapy –  Where a professional talks about what you’re feeling, is a vital tool in the treatment of depression. Talk therapy is conducted by professional counselors, social workers, nurse psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) – An electrical current sent through the body that improves the mood of severely depressed or suicidal people who don’t respond to other treatments.

Alternative Treatments – Herbs, minerals, supplements, and alternative medicines have been promoted as remedies for depression.