{"id":12336,"date":"2013-07-05T03:52:11","date_gmt":"2013-07-05T03:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/?page_id=12336"},"modified":"2017-10-14T19:12:07","modified_gmt":"2017-10-14T19:12:07","slug":"depression","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/depression","title":{"rendered":"Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><em>Clinical Depression is a common, real and treatable illness.<\/em><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #c1dbab;\">Basic Facts About Clinical Depression:<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Clinical depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 19 million Americans each year.\u00a0This includes major depressive disorder, manic depression and dysthymia, a milder, longer-lasting form of depression.<\/li>\n<li>Depression causes people to lose pleasure from daily life, can complicate other medical conditions, and can even be serious enough to lead to suicide.<\/li>\n<li>Depression can occur to anyone, at any age, and to people of any race or ethnic group.\u00a0 Depression is never a &#8220;normal&#8221; part of life, no matter what your age, gender or health situation.<\/li>\n<li>Unfortunately, although about 70% of individuals with depression have a full remission of the disorder with effective treatment, fewer than half of those suffering from this illness seek treatment.\u00a0Too many people resist treatment because they believe depression isn&#8217;t serious, that they can treat it themselves or that it is a personal weakness rather than a serious medical illness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #c1dbab;\">Treatments for Clinical Depression:<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Clinical depression is very treatable, with more than 80% of those who seek treatment showing improvement.\u00a0The most commonly used treatments are antidepressant medication, psychotherapy or a combination of the two.\u00a0 The choice of treatment depends on the pattern, severity, persistence of depressive symptoms and the history of the illness.\u00a0 As with many illnesses, early treatment is more effective and helps prevent the likelihood of serious recurrences.\u00a0 Depression must be treated by a physician or qualified mental health professional.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #c1dbab;\">Symptoms of Clinical Depression:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Persistent sad, anxious or &#8220;empty&#8221; mood<\/li>\n<li>Sleeping too much or too little, middle of the night or early morning waking<\/li>\n<li>Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain<\/li>\n<li>Loss of pleasure and interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex<\/li>\n<li>Restlessness, irritability<\/li>\n<li>Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders)<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue or loss of energy<\/li>\n<li>Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless<\/li>\n<li>Thoughts of suicide or death<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have five or more of these symptoms for two weeks or more, you could have clinical depression and should see your doctor or a qualified mental health professional for help.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #c1dbab;\">Causes of Clinical Depression:<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Many things can contribute to clinical depression.\u00a0 For some people, a number of factors seem to be involved, while for others a single factor can cause the illness.\u00a0 Oftentimes, people become depressed for no apparent reason.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Biological<\/span> &#8211; People with depression typically have too little or too much of certain brain chemicals, called &#8220;neurotransmitters.&#8221;\u00a0 Changes in these brain chemicals may cause or contribute to clinical depression.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Cognitive<\/span> &#8211; People with negative thinking patterns and low self-esteem are more likely to develop clinical depression.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Gender<\/span> &#8211; Women experience clinical depression at a rate that is nearly twice that of men.\u00a0 While the reasons for this are still unclear, they may include the hormonal changes women go through during menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause.\u00a0 Other reasons may include the stress caused by the multiple responsibilities that women have.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Co-occurrence<\/span> &#8211; Clinical depression is more likely to occur along with certain illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, Parkinson&#8217;s disease, diabetes, Alzheimer&#8217;s disease and hormonal disorders.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Medications<\/span> &#8211; Side effects of some medications can bring about depression.<\/li>\n<li>Genetic &#8211; A family history of clinical depression increases the risk for developing the illness.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Situational<\/span> &#8211; Difficult life events, including divorce, financial problems or the death of a loved one can contribute to clinical depression.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Everyone gets down from time to time, but feelings of sadness that last two or more weeks may be a sign of clinical depression.\u00a0 It is a real and serious health condition that affects more than 20 million American adults each year.<\/p>\n<p>These are signs and symptoms of depression:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood<\/li>\n<li>Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism<\/li>\n<li>Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness<\/li>\n<li>Loss of pleasure or interest in once-enjoyable activities, including sex<\/li>\n<li>Little or no appetite and weight loss, or overeating and weight gain<\/li>\n<li>Restlessness and\/or irritability<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, or making decisions<\/li>\n<li>Loss of energy, fatigue, or being \u201cslowed down\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #c1dbab;\">Dealing with Treatment-resistant Depression: <\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #c1dbab;\">What to Do When Treatment Doesn&#8217;t Seem to Work<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Can depression be treated?<\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Depression is highly treatable with treatments such as therapy, medicine, and lifestyle changes.\u00a0 But it may not always be\u00a0<em>easily<\/em>\u00a0treated. For many people, depression may continue despite treatment. They may have\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">t<\/span><\/strong>reatment-<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">r<\/span><\/strong>esistant\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">d<\/span><\/strong>epression or TRD.\u00a0 This happens when medicine partly relieves their symptoms or does not help at all.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">How is TRD treated?<\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>If treatment hasn\u2019t yet worked for you, do not give up!\u00a0 Try to stay hopeful that you will get well and even recover. Consider these options and talk to your doctor about which treatments may be right for you.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Medicine.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0Medicine can ease depression symptoms.\u00a0 But the first medicine you take may not be the right one for you.\u00a0 If you still have symptoms after initial antidepressant treatment, you should not give up. \u00a0It may take some time for the medicine to start working, or it might help to change the amount you take.\u00a0 Or you may need to try several different medicines, take more than one medicine, or add other forms of treatment, such as psychotherapy. \u00a0Keep in mind that finding the right medicine(s), or combination of treatments for TRD, can take some time.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Psychotherapy.<\/span>\u00a0A trained mental health professional helps you talk about your moods and behaviors. Therapy can offer you new ways to manage stress and avoid negative events that can set off depressive symptoms.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Support Groups.<\/span>\u00a0Talking with other people who also have depression may help you feel less alone and more informed about your illness and treatments. There are many local support groups for people with depression.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\">Neurostimulation.<\/span>\u00a0Neurostimulation is becoming an option for people who have tried a variety of antidepressants, but they didn\u2019t work, only partly worked, or stopped working.\u00a0\u00a0<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\"><em>Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)<\/em><\/span>\u00a0is one type of neurostimulation that has been approved as an additional treatment for long-term or recurrent depression in adults who have not had success with four or more antidepressant medicines. A device is put into the chest and sends an electrical current to the brain.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #addbb6;\"><em>Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)<\/em><\/span>\u00a0is another type of neurostimulation. ECT can be helpful for people whose depression is severe or life-threatening and for people who cannot take antidepressant medicine.<a name=\"_ftnref2\"><\/a>\u00a0Electrodes are placed on the head to deliver electrical impulses. ECT has been controversial, but has improved in recent years.\u00a0 It can help when antidepressant medicines do not work well enough. \u00a0Researchers are also looking at other neurostimulation treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), magnetic stimulation therapy (MST), and deep brain stimulation (DBS).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #bedba4;\">Research Update<\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, are looking at the effectiveness of different treatments for people who still have symptoms from depression after they have already tried an antidepressant.\u00a0 The study has multiple phases.\u00a0 So far, they have released these results:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One in three people were symptom-free with the first medicine they used.<\/li>\n<li>One in three people became symptom-free with the help of an additional medicine.<\/li>\n<li>One in four people became symptom-free after switching to a different medicine.<a name=\"_ftnref5\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li>For those people who tried switching to a second medicine and still had symptoms, one in five of them then became symptom-free when they switched medicines again.<a name=\"_ftnref6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The study shows that people who have tried antidepressants, but still have symptoms from depression, have a variety of medication options.\u00a0 For more information specific to depression, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/topics\/depression\/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #bedba4;\">Tracy\u2019s Story<\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>For many weeks, I felt tired but couldn\u2019t sleep.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t feel like eating and felt sad all of the time.\u00a0 I stopped seeing friends and felt hopeless about my life.\u00a0 I knew something was wrong and talked to my doctor, who gave me a prescription for an antidepressant and suggested counseling.\u00a0 I started taking medicine and was in counseling, but after four months, I still didn\u2019t feel a lot better.\u00a0 But I continued to work with my doctors, and as a team, we found a medicine that helped me.\u00a0 Gradually, I began to feel better.\u00a0 It was a long process, but with help, I was able to get through it.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #c1dbab;\">Remember<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If treatment doesn\u2019t work right away, don\u2019t give up.<\/li>\n<li>You may need to change the amount of medicine you take, take more than one medicine or switch medicines, or try more than one treatment.<\/li>\n<li>If you\u2019re taking medicine, don\u2019t stop taking it on your own. Talk to you doctor first.<\/li>\n<li>Work closely with your doctor to find the best treatment for you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c1dbab; font-size: 1.4em;\"><em>References<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>National Institute of Mental Health: &#8220;The Numbers Count: Mental Illness in America,&#8221;<em>Science on Our Minds Fact Sheet Series<\/em>. Accessed August 1999. Netscape:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/publicat\/numbers.cfm<\/p>\n<p>Rupp A, Gause E, Regier D: &#8220;Research Policy Implications of Cost-of-Illness Studies for Mental Disorders,&#8221;\u00a0<em>British Journal of Psychiatry Suppl<\/em>\u00a01998; 36:19-25.<\/p>\n<p>National Institute of Mental Health, D\/ART Campaign, &#8220;Depression:\u00a0 What Every Woman Should Know,&#8221; (1995). Pub No. 95-3871.<\/p>\n<p><strong>National Institute of Mental Health\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\nPhone: (866) 615-6464<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/\">www.nimh.nih.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance<\/strong><br \/>\nPhone: (800) 826-3632<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dbsalliance.org\/\">www.dbsalliance.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Families for Depression Awareness<\/strong><br \/>\nPhone: (781) 890-0220<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.familyaware.org\/\">www.familyaware.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clinical Depression is a common, real and treatable illness. Basic Facts About Clinical Depression: Clinical depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 19 million Americans each year.\u00a0This includes major depressive disorder, manic depression and dysthymia, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/depression\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12336","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12336"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39488,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12336\/revisions\/39488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}