Depression affects approximately 14 million adults in America today
- Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (i.e., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite
- Insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) nearly every day
- Feeling restless or sluggish to the point that others notice
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
- Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal thoughts without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
Of course, depression is more than just a collection of symptoms: it's a common and serious medical condition that can feel overwhelming and interfere with your ability to function. It may occur once, but for some people it can occur several times in their lives. It is estimated that depression affects about 14 million Americans in a given year, or approximately 1 out of 6 adults over a lifetime.
A diagnosis of depression and treatment should only be given by a healthcare professional. Recovering from depression is an ongoing process. That's why you and your healthcare professional need to keep working together.
Living with depression
There are many challenges to living with depression. Even after going on antidepressant treatment, many people still experience symptoms of depression. Sometimes these unresolved symptoms may prevent people from enjoying the things they used to.
When you have unresolved symptoms of depression, the result is the same. You're looking for additional relief from your symptoms so you can continue to do the things you need to do as well as the things you enjoy doing.
These symptoms must be dealt with and cannot be overlooked. People frequently believe that these symptoms will magically disappear, when they can get through a particular struggle in their lives. It is not uncommon for depression to have cycles, and some people suffer from a bi-polar disorder, when they revert from high anxiety to lower states of depression. This cycle is brought on by a variety of "triggers" that the person is unaware of or how to deal with them. Seeking professional help is the first step in combating these disorders.
Please let me know any questions you might have related to this issue. I'll be glad to help!
"No success in public life can compensate for failure in the home."
Benjamin Disraeli
