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Depression-You Are Not Alone
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Was thi information helpful?
Once again reading through H&R i must find at least one or 2 new threads on depression popping up per day. This thread is not to discourage that, if you need to vent or ask for help then you can do so, but instead provide some information on depression and how to cope with it.
Lets start with the basics...
What is depression?
Web deifnition: Depression
Many people feel like they have no energy and can't concentrate. Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel "down" for more than two weeks, and these feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be clinically depressed. Most people with depression never seek help, even though the majority will respond to treatment. Treating depression is especially important because it affects you, your family, and your work. Some people with depression try to harm themselves in the mistaken belief that how they are feeling will never change. Depression is a treatable illness. It may not seem liek you will ever overcome depression, yet many people can overcome it and its importnant to not give up hope
Types of depression
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.
Do you have the signs of depression?
When someone has five or more of these symptoms most of the time for 2 weeks or longer, that person is probably depressed. Sometimes people go through bouts where these symptoms are really intense; other times these same feelings could be present at a lower level all the time for years. Some people have just one episode of depression, or they may go on to have more than one after being better for a while.
When a person has had more than one bout with major depression, a doctor will diagnose the person as having major depressive disorder.If you have been feeling down, or out-of-sorts, your thoughts can easily turn to whether you are depressed or not. However, whether you 'fit' the depression diagnosis or not is unimportant. If you are feeling so down that you need to do something about it, that is enough. Generally most people will report one or more of the following:
* depressed mood or sadness most of the time (for what may seem like no reason)
* lack of energy and feeling tired all the time
* inability to enjoy things that used to bring pleasure
* withdrawal from friends and family
* irritability, anger, or anxiety
* inability to concentrate
* significant weight loss or gain
* significant change in sleep patterns (inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get up in the morning)
* feelings of guilt or worthlessness
* aches and pains (even though nothing is physically wrong)
* pessimism and indifference (not caring about anything in the present or future)
* thoughts of death or suicide
You do not have to have all of these to feel "depressed". But what symptoms you do have can contribute to whether you will be diagnosed as having depression.
What causes depression?
There is no single cause for depression. Many factors play a role including genetics, environment, medical conditions, life events, and certain thinking patterns that affect a person's reaction to events.
Research has revealed that depression runs in families and suggests that some people inherit genes that make it more likely for them to get depressed. But not everyone who has the genetic makeup for depression actually gets depression. And many people who have no family history of depression have the condition. So, although genes are one factor, they aren't the single cause of depression.
Life events - for example, the death of a close family member or friend - can go beyond normal grief and can sometimes lead to depression.
Family and social environment also play a role. For some teens, a negative, stressful, or unhappy family atmosphere can affect their self-esteem and lead to depression.
Social conditions like poverty, homelessness, and community violence can make it more likely for people to become depressed.
For some teens, undiagnosed learning disabilities may block school success, hormonal changes may affect mood, or physical illness may present challenges or setbacks. With or without the genetics for depression, any of these can set the stage for depression.
Substance abuse can cause chemical changes in the brain that affect mood - alcohol and some drugs are known to have depressant effects. The negative social and personal consequences of substance abuse can also lead to severe unhappiness and depression.
Certain medical conditions can affect hormone balance and therefore have an effect on mood. Some conditions, such as hypothyroidism, are known to cause a depressed mood in some people. When these medical conditions are diagnosed and treated by a doctor, the depression usually disappears.
How do people feel when they are depressed?
Generally, not good. Depression affects a person's thoughts, outlook, and behavior as well as their mood. In addition to a depressed mood, a person with depression may also experience other symptoms like tiredness, irritability, and appetite changes.
When a person has depression, the world looks bleak, and the person's thoughts reflect the hopelessness and helplessness they feel. People with depression tend to have negative and self-critical thoughts. Sometimes, despite their true value, people with depression can feel worthless and unlovable.
Depression can cloud everything, making even small problems seem overwhelming. People who are depressed can't see a bright future ahead and feel powerless to change things for the better. They may feel like giving up. They may cry at small things or cry for no apparent reason at all.
Because of their deep feelings of sadness and their low energy, people with depression sometimes pull away from people around them or from activities they once enjoyed. This only causes them to feel more lonely and isolated, making the depression worse.
Depression can be mild or severe. At its worst, depression can create such feelings of despair that a person thinks about suicide.
Depression can cause physical symptoms, too. Some people have an upset stomach, loss of appetite, weight gain or loss, headaches, and sleeping problems when they're depressed.
Types of help availiable
There are many different toyes of treatment avalible. Its really important to remember that depression can be treated. Most commonly the options are counselling/therapy or medication.
Counselling/Psychotherapy: If you are adivsed to seek this kind of treatment then its important to be honest. But also to remember that is your time to talk to them about whatever you want. Take it at your own pace. You do not have to tell them everything at once. Please remember that anything you tell themis CONFIDENTIAL. They will not (cannot) tell your parents etc (unless in the situationthat the think you are a dnager to yourself or others-then they are obliged to tell someone). Counselling gives you the chance to maybe look into your past and see what possibly triggered your depression. You can talk about what happened, how it made you feel and why it led you to be depressed. Or you can focus on what makesyou feel down in the here and now, and set up ways to cope. It also helps knowing there is someone there when you need the support.
Medication: When a doctor prescribes medicine, he or she will carefully monitor the person to make sure he or she gets the right dose. The doctor will adjust the dose as necessary. Medicines can take a few weeks before the person feels the medicine working. Because every person's brain is different, what works well for one person might not be good for another. Also meds don't cure depression, but they do relieve the symptoms making life more bearable for sufferers. They wor differently and are split into differnt types.The main ones are:
*n.b. recently newer antidepressants have been developed. Several of them are called "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors" (SSRIs). Some examples of SSRIs are fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). (Luvox has been approved for obsessive-compulsive disorder , and Paxil has been approved for panic disorder.) Though structurally different from each other, all the SSRI antidepressant effects are due to their action on one specific neurotransmitter, serotonin.
*older antidepressents like Benzodiazepines eg. Valium. They are believed to act on the GABA receptor GABAA, the activation of which dampens higher neuronal activity. They have sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnestic and muscle relaxant properties. Benzodiazepines are often used for short-term relief of severe, disabling anxiety or insomnia. However becuase of its addictive qualties and side effects this type of anti-depressent is no as commonly used.
*The first useful antidepressants belonged to a group called Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and were discovered in the early 1950s.
*The next group were the Tricyclic antidepressants.
[B]Useful Links
Lets start with the basics...
What is depression?
Web deifnition: Depression
Many people feel like they have no energy and can't concentrate. Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel "down" for more than two weeks, and these feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be clinically depressed. Most people with depression never seek help, even though the majority will respond to treatment. Treating depression is especially important because it affects you, your family, and your work. Some people with depression try to harm themselves in the mistaken belief that how they are feeling will never change. Depression is a treatable illness. It may not seem liek you will ever overcome depression, yet many people can overcome it and its importnant to not give up hope
Types of depression
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.
Do you have the signs of depression?
When someone has five or more of these symptoms most of the time for 2 weeks or longer, that person is probably depressed. Sometimes people go through bouts where these symptoms are really intense; other times these same feelings could be present at a lower level all the time for years. Some people have just one episode of depression, or they may go on to have more than one after being better for a while.
When a person has had more than one bout with major depression, a doctor will diagnose the person as having major depressive disorder.If you have been feeling down, or out-of-sorts, your thoughts can easily turn to whether you are depressed or not. However, whether you 'fit' the depression diagnosis or not is unimportant. If you are feeling so down that you need to do something about it, that is enough. Generally most people will report one or more of the following:
* depressed mood or sadness most of the time (for what may seem like no reason)
* lack of energy and feeling tired all the time
* inability to enjoy things that used to bring pleasure
* withdrawal from friends and family
* irritability, anger, or anxiety
* inability to concentrate
* significant weight loss or gain
* significant change in sleep patterns (inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get up in the morning)
* feelings of guilt or worthlessness
* aches and pains (even though nothing is physically wrong)
* pessimism and indifference (not caring about anything in the present or future)
* thoughts of death or suicide
You do not have to have all of these to feel "depressed". But what symptoms you do have can contribute to whether you will be diagnosed as having depression.
What causes depression?
There is no single cause for depression. Many factors play a role including genetics, environment, medical conditions, life events, and certain thinking patterns that affect a person's reaction to events.
Research has revealed that depression runs in families and suggests that some people inherit genes that make it more likely for them to get depressed. But not everyone who has the genetic makeup for depression actually gets depression. And many people who have no family history of depression have the condition. So, although genes are one factor, they aren't the single cause of depression.
Life events - for example, the death of a close family member or friend - can go beyond normal grief and can sometimes lead to depression.
Family and social environment also play a role. For some teens, a negative, stressful, or unhappy family atmosphere can affect their self-esteem and lead to depression.
Social conditions like poverty, homelessness, and community violence can make it more likely for people to become depressed.
For some teens, undiagnosed learning disabilities may block school success, hormonal changes may affect mood, or physical illness may present challenges or setbacks. With or without the genetics for depression, any of these can set the stage for depression.
Substance abuse can cause chemical changes in the brain that affect mood - alcohol and some drugs are known to have depressant effects. The negative social and personal consequences of substance abuse can also lead to severe unhappiness and depression.
Certain medical conditions can affect hormone balance and therefore have an effect on mood. Some conditions, such as hypothyroidism, are known to cause a depressed mood in some people. When these medical conditions are diagnosed and treated by a doctor, the depression usually disappears.
How do people feel when they are depressed?
Generally, not good. Depression affects a person's thoughts, outlook, and behavior as well as their mood. In addition to a depressed mood, a person with depression may also experience other symptoms like tiredness, irritability, and appetite changes.
When a person has depression, the world looks bleak, and the person's thoughts reflect the hopelessness and helplessness they feel. People with depression tend to have negative and self-critical thoughts. Sometimes, despite their true value, people with depression can feel worthless and unlovable.
Depression can cloud everything, making even small problems seem overwhelming. People who are depressed can't see a bright future ahead and feel powerless to change things for the better. They may feel like giving up. They may cry at small things or cry for no apparent reason at all.
Because of their deep feelings of sadness and their low energy, people with depression sometimes pull away from people around them or from activities they once enjoyed. This only causes them to feel more lonely and isolated, making the depression worse.
Depression can be mild or severe. At its worst, depression can create such feelings of despair that a person thinks about suicide.
Depression can cause physical symptoms, too. Some people have an upset stomach, loss of appetite, weight gain or loss, headaches, and sleeping problems when they're depressed.
Types of help availiable
There are many different toyes of treatment avalible. Its really important to remember that depression can be treated. Most commonly the options are counselling/therapy or medication.
Counselling/Psychotherapy: If you are adivsed to seek this kind of treatment then its important to be honest. But also to remember that is your time to talk to them about whatever you want. Take it at your own pace. You do not have to tell them everything at once. Please remember that anything you tell themis CONFIDENTIAL. They will not (cannot) tell your parents etc (unless in the situationthat the think you are a dnager to yourself or others-then they are obliged to tell someone). Counselling gives you the chance to maybe look into your past and see what possibly triggered your depression. You can talk about what happened, how it made you feel and why it led you to be depressed. Or you can focus on what makesyou feel down in the here and now, and set up ways to cope. It also helps knowing there is someone there when you need the support.
Medication: When a doctor prescribes medicine, he or she will carefully monitor the person to make sure he or she gets the right dose. The doctor will adjust the dose as necessary. Medicines can take a few weeks before the person feels the medicine working. Because every person's brain is different, what works well for one person might not be good for another. Also meds don't cure depression, but they do relieve the symptoms making life more bearable for sufferers. They wor differently and are split into differnt types.The main ones are:
*n.b. recently newer antidepressants have been developed. Several of them are called "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors" (SSRIs). Some examples of SSRIs are fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). (Luvox has been approved for obsessive-compulsive disorder , and Paxil has been approved for panic disorder.) Though structurally different from each other, all the SSRI antidepressant effects are due to their action on one specific neurotransmitter, serotonin.
*older antidepressents like Benzodiazepines eg. Valium. They are believed to act on the GABA receptor GABAA, the activation of which dampens higher neuronal activity. They have sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnestic and muscle relaxant properties. Benzodiazepines are often used for short-term relief of severe, disabling anxiety or insomnia. However becuase of its addictive qualties and side effects this type of anti-depressent is no as commonly used.
*The first useful antidepressants belonged to a group called Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and were discovered in the early 1950s.
*The next group were the Tricyclic antidepressants.
[B]Useful Links
Reply 1
Ahh, someone talking sense. 
I've been depressed before and I agree with everything said here, being depressed is awful and someone saying "Shut the **** up, there are kids dying in _______, stop being so selfish" is so unhelpful it's unbelievable. These people don't know what it's like. I don't know one person who's been depressed before who acts like this, and yet loads of people who haven't been depressed (but might think they have because they broke a nail or their pet amoeba died) are like this, including some of my (former) best friends. To hell with them all. Depression can be beaten, but not with their sort of "help". xXMessedUpXx, thank you for posting this.
Edit: actually, I am still (clinically) depressed. Just nowhere near as badly. I'm so much happier than I used to be it's amazing. And I still feel like crap occasionally. And that's fine because I've learnt to ignore those who think they have a right to call me 'lucky' and so on... as someone on this forum recently said, I can't imagine anything worse than losing the will to live.
I've been depressed before and I agree with everything said here, being depressed is awful and someone saying "Shut the **** up, there are kids dying in _______, stop being so selfish" is so unhelpful it's unbelievable. These people don't know what it's like. I don't know one person who's been depressed before who acts like this, and yet loads of people who haven't been depressed (but might think they have because they broke a nail or their pet amoeba died) are like this, including some of my (former) best friends. To hell with them all. Depression can be beaten, but not with their sort of "help". xXMessedUpXx, thank you for posting this. Edit: actually, I am still (clinically) depressed. Just nowhere near as badly. I'm so much happier than I used to be it's amazing. And I still feel like crap occasionally.
And that's fine because I've learnt to ignore those who think they have a right to call me 'lucky' and so on... as someone on this forum recently said, I can't imagine anything worse than losing the will to live.Reply 2
10
A small correction: benzodiazepines are not antidepressants. They are sometimes coadministered with antidepressants or given before antidepressants because the patient has severe or disabling anxiety. There are also several classes of antidepressant omitted: dopamine reuptake inhibitors (DRIs); SNRIs (serotonin-noradrenline reuptake inhibitors), which are often newer than the SSRIs and more effective; noradrenaline (or norepinephrine if you prefer) reuptake inhibitors (NRIs); and tetracyclics. Newer antidepressants are being developed in most of those categories, e. g., duloxetine in the SNRI category and mirtrazapine in the tetracyclic. Probably worth mentioning that SSRIs are generally first-line treatments; and that tricyclics tend to be used when they don't work (or SNRIs, like Efexor (venlafaxine). Imipramine (a tricyclic), incidentally, is as effective for anxiety as the benzodiazepines. And also, strictly speaking, bipolar disorder is not a type of depression, it's a type of mood disorder, as is depression itself.
Otherwise, it looks fine.
Otherwise, it looks fine.
Reply 3
Yeah, the information isn't very technically accurate, but meh, it's a start. Better than "depressed people are just ungrateful" and some of the crap I've heard before.
Reply 4
Thank you for this. x
Reply 5
14
Thank you
Reply 6
Didn't we have a thread like this already? I swear it was on sticky.
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