Depression afflicts about ten percent of the population in the United States — almost 20 million adults. A medical condition often linked to brain functioning and chemical imbalance, depression interferes with a person’s ability to function. Like any medical condition, when a severe case goes untreated, it creates disruption and suffering. Depressive episodes may occur only once, but more often they take place several times in a lifetime. However, in many instances, these episodes are unnecessary, treatable, and preventable with appropriate care.
Depression affects many aspects of a person — his/her mood, body, thoughts and overall functioning. One’s sleeping, eating, self-esteem, and hope for the future fall under its cloud. Depression influences the ways that people think and perceive just about everything.
Having depression does not mean that a person is weak or is deficient in some way. It is not a condition that can be wished or willed away. People with depression are unable to simply “pull themselves together” and get on with things. Without treatment, depression can last for months or years, regardless of what else is happening in a person’s life. Yet experience shows that depression is treatable when a person follows a carefully designed treatment plan.
Symptoms of Depression
- Being sad much of the time; feeling persistently anxious or “empty”
- Ongoing feelings of hopelessness and pessimism
- Feeling guilty, worthless and helpless
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities, including diminished sex drive
- Having less energy, feeling tired often
- Problems concentrating, memory loss, difficulty making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or sleeping too much
- Weight loss or weight gain, loss or increased appetite
- Restlessness and irritability
- Physical symptoms with no apparent cause, including stomach problems, headaches, and chronic pain
