|
An individual with this type of depression feels a profound
and constant sense of hopelessness and despair.
Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms
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.
Who experiences major depression?
In the U.S., approximately 10 percent of people suffer from major depression at any
one time, and 20 to 25 percent suffer an episode of major depression at some point during
their lifetimes. Most people associate depression with adults, but it also
occurs in children and the elderly -- two populations in which it often goes
undiagnosed and untreated.
Approximately twice as many women as men suffer from major
depression. This is partially because of hormonal changes during a woman's life
-- during menstruation, pregnancy, miscarriage, and menopause. Other contributing
factors include increased responsibilities in both professional and home lives
-- balancing work while taking care of a household, raising a child alone, or
even caring for an aging parent. However, depression in men may also be
underreported.
Men who suffer from major depression are less likely to seek
help or even talk about their experience. Signs of depression in men are more
often irritability, anger, or drug and alcohol abuse. Repressing their feelings
can result in violent behavior directed both inwardly and outwardly, and result
in an
increase in illness, suicide, and homicide.
What factors can trigger depression?
- Grief (loss of a loved one through death, divorce, or
separation)
- Interpersonal disputes (conflict with a significant
other or a superior; physical, sexual, or emotional abuse)
- Role transitions (moving, graduation, job change,
retirement)
- Interpersonal deficits (leading to social isolation or
feelings of being deprived)
- Not everyone has a trigger for a depressive episode
How is major depression diagnosed?
If you are depressed and have had two or more of the
previously mentioned symptoms for more than two weeks, see your doctor or a
psychiatrist. Your doctor will perform a thorough medical evaluation, paying
particular attention to your personal and family psychiatric history. You may be
asked to complete a depression screening test.
There is no blood, X-ray, or other laboratory test that can be
used to diagnose major depression; however, your doctor may run some blood tests
to help detect any other medical problems that have symptoms similar to those of
depression (such as hypothyroidism).
What treatments are available for major depression?
Major depression is a serious, but treatable, illness. Your
doctor will most likely give you a prescription antidepressant medication. He or
she may also suggest that you receive a specialized form of "talking"
counseling called psychotherapy.
Certain medicines work better for some people than for others. It
may be necessary for your doctor to try different drugs at different doses to determine which medicine
will work best for you.
Can major depression be prevented?
Once you have had an episode of major depression, you are at
high risk for having another. The best way to prevent another episode of
depression is to be aware of the triggers of depression (see above), know the
symptoms of depression in you, and seek help early if you need it.
|
