Gelman, D, et al. (1987, May 4). Depression. Newsweek.

OVERVIEW

DESCRIPTION

• A terrifying aloneness.
• A sense of being outside yourself.
• Unable to feel any human warmth.
• A same smothering heaviness day after day.
• A full-scale tumble into a void.
• Paralyzed by the blues.
• Weepy, whiny, and wailing.
• Running out of gas.

SYMPTOMS

• Feelings of sadness, hopelessness.
• Insomnia, early wakening, difficulty getting up.
• Thoughts of suicide and death.
• Restlessness, irritability.
• Low self-esteem or guilt.
• Eating disturbance, usually loss of appetite and weight.
• Fatigue, weakness, decreased energy.
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate.
• Loss of interest and pleasure in activities once enjoyed.
• Chronic pains that fail to respond to typical treatment.

(Note: For major depression one must have four of the above, for chronic depression only three.)

STATISTICS

• Thirty to forty million Americans will experience depression at least once (it is called the common cold of mental illness).
• Thirty to forty percent of those experiencing depression will have more than one bout.
• Twice as many women as men experience it.
• Around 6% of the adult population will be in the throes of depression at any given time. (Adolescents: 6-7%. Children: 2%.)
• Only one in five victims seeks help.
• The age of onset has dropped dramatically: the average age is now mid-20s to early 30s.
• Sixty percent of all suicides are victims of depression.

THEORIZED CAUSES

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Unprecedented social upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.
• Increased use of drugs and alcohol.
• Disruption of the traditional family ties.
• Loss of faith in social institutions.

BIOLOGICAL

• New viruses.
• Changes in diet patterns.
• Nutrition deficiencies.
• Innate susceptibility to the disease.
• Genetic link (born with either a predisposition or a predetermination for the disease).

TREATMENT

MEDICAL

• Lithium (for manic depression).
• Anti-depressants (e.g., Elavil, Parnate, Desyrel).

ELECTRICAL

• Sunlight simulator for those suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) only for those suffering from severe depression that is unresponsive to other forms of treatment or psychotherapy.

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC

• Psychoanalysis rids the patient of repressed and painful childhood memories by exposing them.
• Cognitive therapy attacks the false belief system of the patient and replacing it with a more rational one.
• Interpersonal therapy forces the patient to recognize his or her complex feelings of anger, fear, and sadness and devise strategies for handling them.

(Note: Generally the most successful treatment involves both medical treatment and some form of psychotherapy.)

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

IMPLICATIONS

• What is the difference between feeling "blue" and true depression?
• What is the best approach one can take with a friend who seems to have the disease?
• Why is there such a dramatic increase in the incidence of depression in teenagers?
• Are there ways one can avoid depression?

1. Clinical depression is a disease needing medical attention.
2. The earlier symptoms are recognized and treatment is initiated, the better the chances to prevent reoccurrence or severity of illness.
3. Lifestyle affects the onslaught and severity of symptoms, especially in the area of stress management, diet, exercise, and mental attitudes.
4. While there is evidence that depression has a genetic link, early treatment can lessen the symptoms.
5. We need to be aware of depression in adolescents if we are working with them. Their answer to depression is often suicide. What they do not seem to realize is that successful suicide is permanent. There is no second chance. We cannot afford to let depression kill our kids today.