It is not uncommon to hear of individuals who are suffering from depression. This illness is one that is affecting at least 20 million Americans and for most the feelings of depression do not go away on their own. There is a difference between being depressed about something and a true depression in the fact that one is circumstantial while the other will not seem to go away no matter how wonderful things are.
There are many symptoms associated with chronic depression illness. These include but are not limited to loss of pleasure in usually rewarding activities, feelings of unjustified sadness, problems with weights gain or weight loss for no reasons, sleeping difficulties – both not enough or too much, no energy, worthlessness and focused thoughts on death and suicide. Not all these symptoms show up in every individual cases, but are good indicators for any individual with depression concerns for their self or family members. It is also common for affected persons to be confused and not realize the need for medical attention for the illness.
Depression involves the brain and the chemicals that are being released on a daily basis. This type of depression interferes with a person’s everyday life and function. It can be genetic in cause and those who have a family history of depression or mental illness need to be more aware of their predisposition towards this illness. Depression is actually more common in women then in men and usually begins between the ages of 15 and 30, although it is not uncommon for those who are severely ill or injured to suffer from depression at any age and of course, men can and do also get depressed.
The great news is that for the most part depression is treatable with therapy and antidepressants. The importance of treatment cannot be underrated, because in all too many instances suicide begins to consume their daily thoughts as the only fix to stop all the inner pain and give the hopeless feelings a rest.
Depression can also be part of other disorders such as bipolar disorder and can also be situational as is the case of postpartum depression and seasonal affective disorder. Each of these forms of depression can be effectively treated by a psychiatrist or psychologist and it is extremely important to get help for yourself or someone that you know who is being affected by this serious health issue. They may not be able to reach out to you but if you see that they may need help try talking to them about talking to someone about the way they are feeling. You may just be able to convince them to get the help they need.