You Can Beat Depression: A Guide To Prevention & Recovery, Fourth Edition - Softcover

WHAT IS DEPRESSION? Depression is a very common human condition affecting at least 17% of people (lifetime prevalence). Many people experience brief depressive moods (sadness, disappointment, discouragement), but most clinical depressions tend to be long lasting. Despite attempts to shake the depression, most people will continue to suffer for weeks to months, and at times, for many years (unless they are treated). Hallmark symptoms include:

-Loss of interest in normal life activities.

-Loss of enthusiasm and vitality.

-Sad, depressed, hopeless, or irritable mood.

-Low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, lack of self-confidence.

-Extreme negativity, pessimism, brooding, fretting.

-Forgetfulness and an impaired ability to concentrate.

-Physical symptoms: sleep disturbances (insomnia or excessive sleeping), change in appetite, loss of sex drive, fatigue.

-Social withdrawal.

ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPRESSION? Yes.
Some depressions are an understandable emotional reaction to very difficult life stresses (for example: serious, ongoing marital problems, divorce, being fired from a job, living with a serious illness or chronic pain, the loss of a loved one).

Five percent of the population suffer from bipolar (manic-depressive) illness, which is a genetically transmitted form of biological depression.

Five percent of the population suffer a form of mild, but chronic depression called Dysthymia. Almost everyday the person experiences a lack of enthusiasm, irritability, moodiness, and often, fatigue.

Depressions can also be caused by changes in brain chemistry and may have nothing to do with life stresses. When this occurs, the depression may seem to "come out of the blue." Common causes for these more biologically based depressions include:

-Overuse of alcohol.

-Certain prescription drugs can cause depression, such as: high blood pressure medications, steroids, tranquilizers, and estrogen (to name a few of the most common).

-Physical illnesses can directly affect the brain and cause depression. Most common are: thyroid diseases, anemia, and primary sleep disturbances (for example: sleep apnea, a disorder that is commonly seen in people who snore).

-Female hormone fluctuations: pre-menstrual, post-partum, menopausal.

WHAT TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN TREATING DEPRESSION?
-Antidepressant medications (such as Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, and others). These are non-habit forming treatments that can normalize neurochemical functioning in the brain. All antidepressants require a minimum of 2-6 weeks of daily use before the positive effects are experienced.

-Mood stabilizers (for example: lithium, Depakote) are also used in treating depression that is a part of bi-polar illness.

-Particular types of psychotherapy: cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, cognitive behavioral analysis, and psychodynamic therapy. All have research support as effective treatments for depression.

-Regular exercise (20-30 minutes per day) can be effective in treating some forms of depression.

-Bright light therapy (often effective in treating "winter depressions" or depressions seen in individuals who habitually work the night shift and are exposed to very limited amounts of sunlight).

-Electro-Convulsive Therapy (shock therapy): effective in treating very severe depressions.

-Experimental treatments include: transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION?
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that more than 80% of people who are treated for depression are significantly helped. However, this depends on receiving adequate treatment; for example, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medications. Even though depression is considered to be a very treatable disorder, only 25% of those who suffer ever seek out treatment and many who are treated do not receive what is considered to be state-of-the-art treatments.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP?
The biggest mistake is to think, "If I just try harder, I know I'll be able to pull myself out of this depression." Most true clinical depressions last a long time. Thus, if depressive symptoms have persisted for more than a month despite efforts to combat them, professional help is warranted. Treatment is especially indicated if any of the following are present:

-Severe physical symptoms: marked weight loss or gain, insomnia, noticeable fatigue.

-Increasing use of alcohol or other "recreational" drugs (which always make depression worse).

-Thoughts about suicide.

-Increasing withdrawal (for example: missing work, staying in bed all day).

HOW CAN YOU HELP YOURSELF?
You Can Beat Depression offers numerous self-help approaches that have been shown to be effective (alone or in combination with professional treatment). Many of these are difficult to describe briefly, so please check out the book. However, the following can be tremendously helpful.

-Reduce or eliminate caffeine (it destroys sleep which then often makes depression worse).

-Eliminate alcohol use (alcohol is one of the most potent depression-causing chemicals a person can use. It is, however, seductive, since the immediate effect is to cause relaxation and some easing of depressive feelings). Most people experiencing depression, who are using significant amounts of alcohol, will encounter tremendous difficulties in overcoming depression. Reducing or eliminating alcohol may be the single most important step in combating depression. The biggest obstacle is denial. Most people who overuse alcohol minimize its impact or think that it is not contributing to problems with depression. Finally, Caution: If you have been using significant amounts of alcohol on a daily basis, please do not stop "cold turkey." Acute alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. Please consult with your physician about how to conduct a safe program of withdrawal.

-Stay connected with others. Marked social isolation invariably will increase depression.

-Be decent to yourself. Ruthless self-criticism is a very common experience during depression. At the heart of healing from depression is the ability to develop an attitude of compassion for one's self.

-Don't become a couch potato. Inactivity can contribute to changes in brain chemistry that aggravate depression. At lease 10 minutes of exercise (even walking) per day can help (20-30 minutes a day is even better).

-These self-help ideas often are almost impossible for depressed people to do owing to depression's impact on energy and motivation. Thus, it may be essential for you to enlist the help of a family member or friend to provide encouragement or a kick in the rear to get you started taking care of yourself.

-If the depression has seemed to come out of the blue, it's always a good idea to see your family doctor to make sure it is not due to a medical illness or to prescription drugs.

HOW CAN FAMILY MEMBERS HELP?
Encouragement and support certainly matter a lot when a family member is depressed. However, many times concerned loved ones inadvertently become critical. "You just need to try harder"à "Just look on the bright side"à "You have nothing to be depressed about." All of these comments may come from a place of good intentions, but are almost never helpful to the depressed person. The single most important thing family members can do is to learn about clinical depression. You Can Beat Depression helps family members to understand more about depression and has a specific chapter that outlines specific, concrete ways family members can be of help.

Depression is the most common emotional disorder. It affects at least one in five of us. It is also one of the most treatable of all psychological disorders. Yet 75% of people who suffer with depression never seek help. Take action now! Learn more about depression and either seek treatment for yourself or encourage your friend or loved one to do so.