Hey all,
Since Depression is a part of our every days lives I thought I would collect some information on it from other sites for you. I will put the links there for you, so that you can access the ones that interest you.
Topic Overview
This topic covers depression in adults. For information on depression in young people, see the topic Depression in Childhood and Adolescence. For information on depression following childbirth, see the topic Postpartum Depression.
What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that causes you to feel sad or hopeless for an extended period of time. More than just a bout of "the blues" or temporary feelings of grief or low energy, depression can have a significant impact on your enjoyment of life, your work, your health, and the people you care about.
Depression affects people differently.
Some feel down for extended periods of time; for others the feelings of depression come and go. If you have short episodes of mild depression, you may be able to continue to work and take care of daily activities. However, if you do not seek some form of treatment for your depression, you are at risk for getting more depressed or becoming physically ill. In severe cases, depression can cause people to become incapable of communicating, unable to do routine activities, or suicidal. In these cases, it is essential to seek medical attention.
People with depression may be reluctant to seek help because they feel that it is a sign of personal weakness or a character flaw or that they should be able to "pull out of it" on their own. We now know that depression, like other medical conditions, has a chemical and biological basis. Treatment for depression is safe and usually effective even for severely depressed people.
If you think you may have depression, take a short quiz to evaluate your symptoms:
What causes depression?
Depression may be triggered by stressful life events, other illnesses, certain drugs or medications, or inherited traits. Although causes of depression are not entirely understood, we know it is linked to an imbalance in brain chemistry. Once the imbalance is corrected, symptoms of depression generally improve.
What are the symptoms?
Depression is more than just the normal, temporary feelings of sadness and hopelessness associated with difficult life events. The symptoms of depression are often subtle at first. It can be hard to recognize that symptoms may be connected and that you might have depression. Common symptoms include:
Depressed mood.
Inability to enjoy activities.
Problems concentrating.
Changes in eating habits or appetite.
Weight gain or weight loss.
Changes in sleeping habits.
Difficulty going to work or taking care of your daily responsibilities because of a lack of energy.
Feelings of guilt and hopelessness; wondering if life is worth living (common).
Slowed thoughts and speech.
Preoccupation with thoughts of death or suicide.
Complaints that have no physical cause (somatic complaints) such as headache and stomachache.
All of these symptoms can interfere with your quality of life. Even if you don't have major depression, if you have experienced a few of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks you may have a less severe form of depression that still requires treatment.
How is it treated?
Depression is usually treated successfully with professional counseling, antidepressant medication, or a combination of the two. Often a combination of the two is most effective. People with depression usually can be treated as outpatients, but in severe cases a period of hospitalization may be necessary.
If you have mild or moderate depression, you may be diagnosed and treated by your family health professional and a therapist or psychologist. If you have severe depression or other psychological disorders or do not respond to treatment, a psychiatrist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems, may be helpful.
Let your health professional know if you suspect that you have depression, because it is often overlooked. If you are diagnosed with depression, you and your health professional can decide on the best treatment. The earlier you are treated, the more quickly you will recover.
1 How common is depression?
If you have symptoms of depression, you are not alone. In the United States, an estimated 15% of people will have depression at some point in life, and chances of becoming depressed are even higher for certain people. For example:
Women experience depression twice as often as men, although men are more likely to commit suicide as a result of depression.
2 Separated or divorced individuals, especially men, are more likely than married people to become depressed.
People who have a serious illness are more likely to suffer from depression.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning about depression:
What is depression?
What are the symptoms of depression?
Am I depressed?
What causes depression?
Who gets depression?
What happens when depression develops?
What increases my risk?
How is depression treated?
Interactive Tool: Are you depressed?
Special concerns:
How can I treat depression during pregnancy?
Being diagnosed:
How is depression diagnosed?
What is a mental health assessment?
Who should I see if I think I have depression?
Getting treatment:
What kind of treatment is available?
Are there medications I can take to treat depression?
Should I take medications to treat depression?
What is electroconvulsive therapy?
How can I prevent depression?
Should I take St. John's wort to treat depression?
Are there other treatments for depression?
Ongoing concerns:
Can depression cause other health problems?
Can other medical conditions trigger an episode of depression?
Can medications cause depression?
Living with depression:
Are there lifestyle changes I can make to reduce depression?
What are the warning signs of suicide?
Author:
Stuart J. Bryson
http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthwise/hw30709
Depression http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/depressionmenu.cfm
What is Depression?
Depression is a serious medical illness; it’s not something that you have made up in your head. It’s more than just feeling "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. It’s feeling "down" and "low" and "hopeless" for weeks at a time. more>>
Signs & Symptoms
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed more>>
Treatment
A variety of treatments including medications and short-term psychotherapies have proven effective for depression.
Treatment choices for resistant depression – STAR*D trial
Getting Help: Locate Services
Locate mental health services in your area, affordable healthcare, NIMH clinical trials, and listings of professionals and organizations. more>>
Related Information
Information on coping with traumatic events
Occurrence in:
Children and adolescents
Older adults
Women
Men
Occurrence with other serious illnesses: Depression may coexist with other serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.
Information about medications
Depression Information and Organizations from NLM's MedlinePlus (en Español)
Some mental illnesses also carry an increased risk for suicide.
News
Bipolar Disorder Exacts Twice Depression’s Toll in Workplace, Productivity Lags Even After Mood Lifts
Experimental Medication Kicks Depression in Hours Instead of Weeks
Obesity Linked with Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Publications/Resource Materials
Read, print, or order NIMH booklets, fact sheets, and other publications on depression such as:
Stories of Depression An introductory easy-to-read booklet describing signs, symptoms, treatment options, how to get help, and how to help someone who may have depression.
Depression A detailed booklet that describes major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder (manic-depression); lists symptoms; reviews possible causes; tells how depression is diagnosed; and discusses available treatments.
More Publications>>
Depression Research
Clinical Trials: Current Studies on Depression
Search MEDLINE's PubMed for recent research articles on depression.
Life is full of good times and bad, happiness and sorrow. But if you've been feeling "down" for more than a few weeks or are having difficulty functioning in daily life, you may be experiencing more than just the "blues." You may be suffering from a common yet serious medical illness called clinical depression.
The good news is clinical depression is highly treatable.
Most people with depression, however, do not seek the professional help they need -- often because they don't know the symptoms, think depression will go away on its own, or are embarrassed to talk about how they're feeling.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you have symptoms of depression is by taking a free, confidential depression-screening test. Screening tests, such as the one on this web site, are not intended to provide a diagnosis for clinical depression. But they may help identify any depressive symptoms and determine whether a further evaluation by a medical or mental health professional is necessary. As with any other illness, you should see your doctor if you think you might have symptoms of depression.
The depression-screening.org web site is sponsored by the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) as part of NMHA's Campaign for America's Mental Health. The mission of this web site is to educate people about clinical depression, offer a confidential way for people to get screened for symptoms of the illness, and guide people toward appropriate professional help if necessary
Taking a depression-screening test is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of clinical depression. The depression-screening test on this site is completely anonymous and confidential.
The depression-screening.org web site is NOT designed to respond to suicide crisis. If you believe you are at risk for suicide, dial "911" or go immediately to the nearest hospital Emergency Room for an evaluation. To locate a suicide crisis center in your area through the American Association of Suicidology web site, click here. For additional information about suicide, click here for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention web site..
http://www.depression-screening.org/screeningtest/screeningtest.htm
I hope that the above helped Depression is a serious thing, though I wish it wasn’t so that people could get over it quicker but we are not so lucky I guess.
Anyway, The last time I wrote was the 21st and I said that I would be watching “Coyote Ugly” which I did loved it to bits. 22nd-24th nothing much happened just relaxed and chilled.
25th was a public holiday watched “Step Up” was good but like so many other dance movies- pictures are below if you want to see.
26 and 27 was usual working days but extremely buzy. On the 28 watched “Save the last Dance” which was a good dance movie. Mix of break-dancing and ballet. “Missing” is back on now on Thursday’s yeh!
29th was just the usual work day. 30th I sanded kitchen cupboards and then painted them a new colour and that is the end of the 1st month of Spring!
1st October went out to lunch with my aunt had breyani was nice. 2nd “Prison Break” finally on the series channel, I mean hello I waited long enough. Kind of also got hooked to “3rd Watch” so good and the 1 follows the other which makes it even better. Haha I sound like a TV addict. 3rd and 4th were pretty much normal working days as well.
If you do need help with depression of any sort, please get help it is a serious matter. And those of you that have sought help, keep taking your meds. There will always be someone there to help you, if you just shout out “Help me”. Trust me! There is someone out there that loves you.
Keep well,
Silver :)
