patients feel loved and they have hope and self-esteem. David D. Burns
Are you one of those people that have lived with depression for so many years that you don’t even know what life would be like without it? Rest assured, you are one of a crowd of fellow-sufferers. Its important to understand that depression is a common malady around the world. It can happen to anyone and it is not a sign of character weakness or even something that a person can “snap out of.”
If you posed the question on the internet “How many people suffer from depression?” You will find 15,800,000 answers. On report suggests that “At any point in time about 1 in 5 adults are suffering from significant levels of depression and about 1 in 8 people get severe enough depression to require some form of treatment.” Wiki Answers reports “Statistics of American depression is 9 million people and rising. 340 million people in the world suffer from depression and rising.” Other sources report numbers as high as 12 million people in America, claiming that many sufferers do not seek medical solutions and therefore are not quantified or represented in the statistics. Yes, there are a lot of people who experience depression. You are not alone.
WHO ARE THEY
It has been noted that 1 in 4 women will suffer from depression while 1 in 10 men will suffer from depression (this statistic is not absolutely correct because more women are apt to see their doctor for depression than men do.) Depression strikes all races, rich and poor. Many report that depression is a significant negative factor in their lives and in our society.
Depression seems to be one of those common maladies that have grown resistant to correction, even in the face of significant attempts to overcome it. Many people seek help year after year and yet continue to face serious bouts of depression.
SOURCE: SOME CAUSES
LIFE EVENTS
Depression can be a normal reaction to the problems and heartaches of life. It is the normal feeling a person experiences following the loss of a loved one. It also occurs normally following other losses such as the loss of good health when sickness strikes, the loss of peace after a car accident, or the loss of a job along with the financial and social losses associated with that. The difficulties in life are many and it is normal to feel sadness when considering loss.
PHYSICAL
Often times our physical bodies malfunction, that is, they fail to function properly in some way. This may be due to an accident in which a person is physically hurt and the body needs repair. It may be life events have been such that the body has been overcome with the stress it is facing and takes a “time out” to mend itself. Very often we just don’t know. It is quite common to hear the phrase “due to unknown causes” even among medical professionals.
Researchers have been unable to specifically identify the root cause of depression. Experts in various fields of study may hold to beliefs that pertain to their field of study. Biologists might suggest that it is caused by chemical or hormonal imbalances in the body. Environmentalists might claim that it is a direct result of our ingesting all the toxins that are in our food and drink from our environment. Neurologists may point to a problem of the circuitry in the brain. Psychiatrists may infer that wrong beliefs and wrong thinking play an important part.
MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE
In Psychiatry depression is a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal, sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. It is usually experienced as negative emotions or feelings of sadness, gloom, and dejection that a person may feel intermittently or on a regular basis.
Although there is no blood test to diagnose depression, the American Psychiatric Association has developed a set of guidelines called the DSM-IV®, that health care professionals use to diagnose a major depressive disorder.
If in doubt or if you have not been professionally diagnosed I recommend that you seek medical direction prior to reading this book. Self-diagnosis and therapeutic remedies adopted without medical supervision can sometimes prove detrimental to your health.
According to the DSM-IV, a major depressive disorder (or “depression”) is diagnosed when five or more of the following symptoms are present for most of the day, or nearly every day for at least 2 weeks:
• Constant sadness • Irritability • Hopelessness
• Fatigue or low energy • Trouble sleeping
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Feeling guilty for no reason
• Significant weight change
• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Significant weight change
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Difficulty concentrating
Be sure to tell your health care professional if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms as described by the DSM-IV. Also, consult your health care professional if your symptoms are affecting your ability to function at home, at work, or with family, friends, or colleagues.
Call a health care professional right away if you or your family member has any of the following symptoms
• Thoughts of suicide or dying
• Attempts to commit suicide
• New or worse depression
• New or worse anxiety
• Feeling very agitated or restless
• Panic attacks
• Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• New or worse irritability
• Acting aggressive, being angry or violent
• Acting on dangerous impulses
• Extreme increase in activity and talking (Mania)
• Other unusual changes in behavior.
SYMPTOMS
On a more personal level, people often report their symptoms as follows:
Physically: They have trouble sleeping, lose interest in sex, loss of appetite, perhaps weight loss (some gain weight), and a general lack of energy.
Emotionally, people may experience hopelessness, a gloomy outlook, “the blues,” fear, guilt, irritability, crying, and sad feelings.
Mental thought patterns decline and corresponding difficulties occur such as lack of concentration, poor memory and decision-making abilities. The might be increased self-criticism, pessimism and even thoughts of suicide or death.
Activities: Many people have difficulty performing tasks, are disorganized, lazy,
