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Recognizing And Treating The Symptoms Of Depression
By Anna White, Thu Dec 8th
Nearly 20 million American adults fall ill from eachyear--that's almost one-tenth of the entire adult population.This devastating condition is not to be ignored: it influencesnearly every part of a person's life, from sleeping patterns toappetite to mindset to activities. And unlike a bad mood, whichpasses almost as quickly as it comes, is long-lastingcondition that can persist over months or years.Sufferers fromdepression feel persistently sad, empty, hopeless, and restless.They are prone to irritability and get irked even by smallproblems. They may no longer enjoy activities they once loved,and they may oversleep in the morning or have trouble getting tobed at night. But the disease is not just mental. It canmanifest itself in physical forms, too: chronic pain, digestiveailments, and even self-inflicted wounds. Also, doctors canactually see chemical and structural changes in the brains ofpeople with major depression. Depression can strike anyone, at any time. It may afflict theelderly, children,
men or women, without regard to race, age,gender or background. However, there is some evidence to suggestthat the condition may be genetic, especially with severedisorders such as manic-depressive disorder. But it is criticalto note that genetic disposition does not automatically causethe disease. Often, external factors (such as stress,life-altering events, trauma, and so on) can trigger a latentpotential condition. It's important to recognize that doesn't just come inone form, and doesn't have just one set of symptoms. Like anyother category of diseases, like cancer or heart problems,depression is a heading that covers many individual conditions.You may have heard of some of the more well-known types. Bipolardisorder, or manic-depression, is a relatively rare butdangerous condition in which a patient has dramatic mood swingsbetween "mania" and a severe depressed state. Major depressionis a long-term condition that is characterized by such symptomsas inability to concentrate, not wanting to take part inpleasurable activities, feeling tired or unenergetic, and beingunable to complete work or make decisions. A less severe butmore prolonged form of the disease, dysthymia, involveslower-grade but chronic symptoms that interfere with quality oflife while not completely disabling the sufferer.Depression canhave devastating consequences, both for the sufferer and his orher friends and family, but fortunately it is a treatablecondition. Of the 20 million adults who suffer from depression,some cases are severe and require intensive treatment andintervention, but most can be more readily treated and theharmful effects of the disease alleviated. Many people withdepression are hesitant to seek out professional help, but it isimportant to know that your symptoms are treatable. Doctors andpsychologists have a great deal of experience using medicationand therapy in combination to produce very effective results andgreatly improve the quality of life for people with depressivedisorder. Learn more about and how to get help inDepression: Part 2
About the author:Anna White is chief-editor and researcher in charge ofSelfHelpCorner.com, a website dedicated to providing you 100%free self-help information that's practical, cutting-edge, andimmediately useable in your life. To read part two of Anna'sarticle visit SelfHelp Corner
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