Depression
In any given 1-year period, 9.5 percent of the
population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a
depressive illness. The economic cost
for this disorder is high, but the cost in human suffering cannot be
estimated. Depressive illnesses often interfere with normal functioning
and cause pain and suffering not only to those who have a disorder, but
also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy
family life as well as the life of the ill person. But much of this
suffering is unnecessary.
Most people with a depressive illness do not seek treatment,
although the great majority-even those whose depression is extremely
severe-can be helped. Thanks to years of fruitful research, there are
now medications and psychosocial therapies such as
cognitive/behavioral, "talk" or interpersonal that ease the pain of
depression.
Unfortunately, many people do not recognize that depression is a
treatable illness. If you feel that you or someone you care about is
one of the many undiagnosed depressed people in this country, the
information presented here may help you take the steps that may save
your own or someone else's life.
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WHAT IS A DEPRESSIVE DISORDER?
A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood,
and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one
feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive
disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of
personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away.
People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves
together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for
weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most
people who suffer from depression.
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TYPES OF DEPRESSION
Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as is the case
with other illnesses such as heart disease. This pamphlet briefly
describes three of the most common types of depressive disorders.
However, within these types there are variations in the number of
symptoms, their severity, and persistence.
Major depression is manifested by a
combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere with the
ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable
activities. Such a disabling episode of depression may occur only once
but more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime.
A less severe type of depression, dysthymia,
involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable, but keep one
from functioning well or from feeling good. Many people with dysthymia
also experience major depressive episodes at some time in their lives.
Another type of depression is bipolar disorder,
also called manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as prevalent as other
forms of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by
cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression).
Sometimes the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they
are gradual. When in the depressed cycle, an individual can have any or
all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. When in the manic cycle,
the individual may be overactive, overtalkative, and have a great deal
of energy. Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior
in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, the
individual in a manic phase may feel elated, full of grand schemes that
might range from unwise business decisions to romantic sprees. Mania,
left untreated, may worsen to a psychotic state.
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