Mental Health - Depression
Minding your Mental Health
Minding your Mental Health
Depression is more than just the blues or the blahs. It makes a person less able to manage life. It affects a persons mood, mind, body, and behaviors. Depression can be as much an illness as diabetes, etc.
Causes
- Brain chemical imbalances
- Life changes, such as going away to military or college, the ending of a relationship, retirement, loss of a job or death of a loved one. (See "Grief/Bereavement".)
- Concern about one's grades and/or workload
- Worrying about money
- Medical illness, surgery, or disability
- Abuse of alcohol, drugs, and some medications
- Lack of natural, unfiltered sunlight between late fall and spring in some sensitive people. This is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
- Holiday "blues"
- Low self-esteem
Symptoms
- Ongoing feelings of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, guilt, or worthlessness. Crying.
- Loss of interest in activities that used to bring pleasure, including sex
- Fatigue. Loss of energy or enthusiasm.
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Anger, anxiety, or irritability
- Physical symptoms, such as headaches or digestive problems that don't respond to treatment and don't let up
- Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
Whatever the cause, depression can be treated. Treatment includes medication, psychotherapy, and other therapies specific to the cause of the depression, such as exposure to bright light (similar to sunlight) for depression that results from SAD.
Questions to Ask
| Have you just attempted suicide, are you making plans for suicide or do you have repeated thoughts of suicide or death? |  |
|
|
| Have you noticed a loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities most of the day, nearly every day for at least two weeks? |  |
|
|
|
Have you been in a depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day and have you had any of these problems for at least two weeks?
|
|
|
|
| Has depression interfered with daily activities for more than two weeks? Have you withdrawn from normal activities during this time? | |
|
|
|
Has the depression occurred with any of the following?
|
 |
|
|
|
Are you depressed now and do any of the following apply?
|
|
|
|
| Does the depression come with dark, cloudy weather or winter months and does lift when spring comes? |  |
|
|
| During holiday times, do you withdraw from family and friends or dwell on past holidays to the point that it interferes with your present life? |  |
|
|
|
Self-Help
- Take medications as prescribed. Get your doctor's advice before you take over-the-counter herbs, such as St. John's Wort, especially if you take other medications.
- Don't use illegal drugs. Limit alcohol. These can cause or worsen depression. Drugs and alcohol can also make medicines for depression less effective. Harmful side effects can happen when alcohol and/or drugs are mixed with medicine.
- Eat healthy foods. Eat at regular times.
- Exercise regularly.
- Try not to isolate yourself. Be with people you trust and feel safe with, even though you feel down.
- Do something you enjoy.
- Relax. Listen to upbeat music. Read a good book. Take a warm bath or shower. Do relaxation exercises.
- Talk to a friend, relative, co-worker or anyone who will let you express the tensions and frustrations you're feeling.
- Keep an emergency number handy (e.g., crisis hotline, trusted friend's number, etc.) in case you feel desperate.
- If suicidal thoughts are present, remove any weapons, pills, etc. that could be used for suicide and get medical help.
What You Can Do for a Friend or Relative
- The most important thing you can do is to get your friend or relative to seek professional treatment. Their illness, especially if it is severe and has persisted for a long time, will not go away on its own. Try to give positive feedback to the person about seeking help.
- Help them get treatment. You may need to make the initial appointment with a professional. You may need to take them to the appointment.
- Be observant. Do not ignore suicide references. These should be reported to the person's therapist or physician immediately.
- Know their medication. You should alert their physician about any side effects that you notice when they take medication.
- Be supportive. Depression requires the patience, understanding, love and encouragement of the person's loved ones and friends.
- Talk to them. Encourage the depressed person to talk about their feelings. Helping them see that they have succeeded at something or are "worthwhile" in other matters can help give them the confidence they need to continue with treatment.
- Encourage the person to go out and do things with you or with others, such as to see a movie or attend a social event. Do things the depressed person enjoyed in the past.
- Seek support from organizations and self-help groups that deal with depression. (See "National Resources".)
This page last updated on February 25th, 2009.
Content last reviewed on February 24th, 2009.
Content last reviewed on February 24th, 2009.