Depression Research and Information

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Contents

index
General Info.
what causes it?
Prozac myths
my story
dep. letter
depression is...
meds (SSRIs)
the risk of suicide
books
stigma and myths
poetry
famous people
depress. essay
article: "My Turn"
friends/family

about the author
depression links
awards
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Black Days, Blue Nights: Depression Information, Research, and Experience

This is my research on depression as well as my own personal experience with the evil beast. If this information prevents even just one person from suicide, then this page will be well worth my time and effort. I am not a doc or counselor, if you are depressed; please get help IMMEDIATELY!!!

Depression Overview	If Someone you know is depressed, help them immediately.
Is Depression a mental illness?	Getting through depression on a day-to-day basis
Are The "Blues" a Form of Depression?	How/where to get help
Is it possible to be depressed and not know it?	Why do I still feel depressed? // The healing process
Common symptoms of depression	Some final thoughs on depression
Antidepressant medication: the Prozac myth

Depression Overview

Most people do not understand depression. The term "Depression" gets abused often. Depression is not the feeling one gets when one is "just having the blues," having a bad day, or having some bad luck. Depression affects the body first, then when it wears down one's immune system, it attacks one's brain; i.e.; one's thoughts. Negative thoughts take over the mind. The depressed person is not inventing all of the emotional stress and turmoil. It is very real. True depression is a disease of the central nervous system; just like epilepsy or Parkinson's disease are diseases of the central nervous system. Depression usually seems to begin with sleep disturbances(as it was with my case also). At first it is manageable, but as lack of sleep builds up over time, other symptoms such as having no appetite appear as well. Chemical changes begin to appear in the brain. A chemical called Serotonin is lacking in depressed individuals. This chemical regulates a person's mood. When this chemical is in short supply, it causes mood swings and emotional instability; which leads to difficulty in effectively dealing with life's problems. The depression then begins to eat a person alive. It is all consuming, one loses the ability to function properly. Happiness becomes a fading memory.

Is Depression a mental illness?

Depression is called a "mental" illness because it affects the thinking patterns of the brain. Depression is a neurobiological illness; i.e. the disease has a biological basis in that chemicals are not properly balanced in the brain.

Are "The Blues" A Form Of Depression?

Yes, although they are a very minor form. They are the body's way of regulating immune function and forcing us to rest. But, the blues are NOT the same as major clinical depression.

Is It Possible To Be Depressed And Not Know It?

Yes, very much so. In fact, it's common. Depression dampens our awareness of feelings. Not only that, but the low mood, the sadness we normally associate with depression, is often a minor aspect of depression. The low mood comes after the other symptoms have already been there for a while. It's quite possible for people not to realize they're depressed when the sadness component is missing and all they feel is lethargy and lack of interest.

What, then, are some common symptoms of depression?

Sleep disturbances such as insomnia, early morning waking, or oversleeping
Eating disturbances (either loss of appetite and weight or gain in appetite and weight)
Resltessness, irritability, and violent mood swings
Difficulty in concentrating, remembering, and in making decisions
Decreased energy, fatigue, being slowed down.
Loss of interest or pleasure in favorite activities, including sex. (some, however, become overly promiscous in sex)
Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, pessimism, or helplessness (Depressed people may burst out crying for no apparant reason)
Thoughts of death or suicide, even suicide attempts
Physical symptoms such as headaches, chronic pain, or digestive disorders that do not respond to treatment

In nearly all depression there is a state of fatigue. That's one of the essential symptoms. There's also a general lack of interest in life and of energy to perform usual duties or to engage in normal activities. The sufferer becomes lethargic, lying around a lot, refusing to get out of bed, or escaping into television watching, alcohol, drugs, or other activities that make no demands.

Antidepressant medication: the Prozac myth

Prozac is one of many new antidepressants (classified as a SSRI), and is the most widely known and criticised. Many more are out there, such as Zoloft, Serzone, Neurontin, and Paxil. If you are taking antidepressant medication, you have nothing to be embarassed or ashamed of. They are not "happy pills" as is the popular misconception of the media and millions of people not educated on the subject. Yes, they DO make people feel better. But feeling better takes time. All antidepressant medications take at least 2-3 weeks to properly build up in the body. These medications do not change one's personality or make one feel "high." They simply help that person to get back to feeling like his/her "old self". For more information, see the relationship between prozac and suicide.

If someone you know is depressed, help them IMMEDIATELY

If a person you know is depressed, DO NOT avoid your friend; this is the WORST POSSIBLE thing you could do, especially if he/she is suicidal. Your friend needs somebody to talk to, some cheering up. Please help him/her. Your mere presence is a powerful theraputic tool for your friend. Simple things such as going for a walk or calling on the phone will help tremendously. Depression is a very dangerous disease in that a person's life becomes clouded with negativity, so much so that suicidal thoughts and attempts are common. DO NOT let this person be alone when he/she needs your friendship. Help salvage your friend's life. BE THERE for them.

Getting through depression on a day-to-day basis

If you might be a danger to yourself, don't be alone. Find people. If that is not practical, call them up on the phone.
Hug someone or have someone hug you.
Remember to eat. Feed yourself nourishing food.
Phone a friend.
Try to be with other people, it is usually better than being alone.
Exercise, sports.
Mess around on the computer. (This one has personally helped me greatly).

Many of the things that depressed people want to do because of their depression (staying in bed, not interested in doing anything) wind up making the depression worse because they end up causing depressed people to feel like they are screwing things up more and more. It is extremely important to try to understand if something that you can't seem to accomplish is something you simply CAN'T do because you're depressed (do good at work, be charming on a date), or whether its something you CAN do, but it's going to be hell (cleaning the house, going for a walk with a friend, getting out of bed). If it turns out to be something you can do, but don't want to, try and do it anyway. You will not always succeed, but try. And when you succeed, you can look back afterwards and say, "I felt like such shit, but look how well I managed to...!"

How/where to get help

If you feel that you are suffering from depression, you have a few options for help. One is to call your regular doctor and go in for tests to determine if you have an under-active thyroid. If the thyroid test comes back o.k., your doctor may be able to refer you to a psychologist and/or psychiatrist. Also, be sure to check your health insurance policy. Most medical aid plans now provide assistance for psychological problems, if only for a limited number sessions. Ask your agent about specific coverage of psychotherapy for depression. In most communities, counseling services are available that charge on a sliding scale related to income. The fees in such cases may be nominal, although few will provide free service. Don't be ashamed to go to the local mental health center. These places are your/my tax dollars at work. Another good resource is a nearby church. Some pastors are trained in counseling; but they do have limitations in training and time.

Why do I still feel depressed? The healing process

( taken from "Dark Clouds, Silver Linings" pg.101 )

A mild depression may motivate us to generate ways of resolving it, but the deeper depressions seem to suck all the ambition from us and leave us with a growing difficulty in maintaining any sense of perspective on our own problem. Depression is not just in your head. It's not just a psychological experience. It may be triggered psychologically, but it affects the whole body. A fairly massive biological shift takes place when you become depressed. Glands, muscles, and many other parts of the body respond with changes. In fact, the low, sad mood and lethargy you feel are all a result of those biochemical changes. Primarily the depression is designed to slow you down and remove you from your environment.

When the cause of the depression is removed or resolved, the feeling does not immediately go away. It may hang on for days, weeks, or months, depending on how long you have been depressed. Your biological system needs time to restore itself. The disturbed chemistry has to "burn" itself out and pass from your system. Then the feeling of depression will disappear. It's important not to become impatient and react to the lingering feeling. That will only chain other emotions and prolong the depression.

Some final words on depression

The negative thinking that accompanies depression may lead to horribly wrong decisions. Remember that you are not seeing yourself, the world, or the future in an objective way when you are depressed. While people may tell you to "snap out" of depression, that is not possible. Feeling better takes time.You cannot simply make yourself "snap out" of depression. Depression is a neurobiological disease. Asking you to "snap out" of depression makes as much sense as asking someone to "snap out" of diabetes or an under-active thyroid gland.

SouthPark_on_Prozac

Hey, I might be depressed, but my sense of humor is intact. I might not be here without it. This picture is in no way meant to depreciate the seriousness of depression or my message contained in this page. Depression is extremely serious and should be treated in a proper and professional fashion. I'm just trying to get all of those SouthPark fans out there to smile. Besides, when one learns to laugh at one's self, one will feel better about themself and the world around them.

If you have questions, comments, input, or simply want to chat about depression,feel free to e-mail me at
� taylor29@usa.net. I will reply as soon as I possibly can. Or sign the guestbook.

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