HEALTH NEWS
Improving Health Through
Research
|
About Depression Depression 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. Depression 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 depression 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. Types of Depression 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. 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 depression, 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. Symptoms Not everyone who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some people experience a few symptoms, some many. Severity of symptoms varies with individuals and also varies over time. The following are signs of depression:
Causes Some types of depression run in families, suggesting that a biological vulnerability can be inherited. This seems to be the case with bipolar disorder. Studies of families in which members of each generation develop bipolar disorder found that those with the illness have a somewhat different genetic makeup than those who do not get ill. However, the reverse is not true: Not everybody with the genetic makeup that causes vulnerability to bipolar disorder will have the illness. In some families, major depression also seems to occur generation after generation. However, it can also occur in people who have no family history of depression. Whether inherited or not, major depressive disorder is often associated with changes in brain structures or brain function. People who have low self-esteem, who consistently view themselves and the world with pessimism or who are readily overwhelmed by stress, are prone to depression. Whether this represents a psychological predisposition or an early form of the illness is not clear. Treatment The first step to getting appropriate treatment for depression is a physical examination by a physician. Certain medications as well as some medical conditions such as a viral infection can cause the same symptoms as depression, and the physician should rule out these possibilities through examination, interview, and lab tests. If a physical cause for the depression is ruled out, a psychological evaluation should be done, by the physician or by referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Treatment choice will depend on the outcome of the evaluation. There are a variety of antidepressant medications and psychotherapies that can be used to treat depressive disorders. Natural Remedies St. John’s wort extract has been compared to the prescription tricyclic antidepressants imipramine (Tofranil), amitriptyline (Elavil, fluoxetine (Prozac), and maprotiline (Ludiomil). The improvement in symptoms of mild to moderate depression was similar, with notably fewer side effects, in people taking St. John’s wort. In a double-blind trial using standard amounts of fluoxetine (Prozac)-20 mg per day-St. John’s wort extract in the amount of 400 mg twice daily was equally effective at relieving depression in people aged 60-80 years. References for Depression Symptoms Article
|
DISCLAIMER
|
Medical Research
Medical Discoveries Animal Research
Health Topics
Find A Specialist
Chiropractor
Dentist
Dermatologist
Eye Doctor
Gynecologist
Massage Therapist
Optometrist
Orthopedic Surgeon
Physical Therapist
Plastic Surgeon
Rheumatologist
Skin Doctor
Speech Pathologist
Travel Nurse
Podiatrist
Neurologist
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Ear Nose and Throat
Infectious Disease
Drug Rehab
Apply For
WIC
Apply Food Stamps
©2005-2011 iifar.org. All rights reserved.
|
|
|
|