Understanding Depression
Your Guide to Understanding Depression
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Depression disability is finally recognized in the western world as serious ailment. It seems that as our civilization progresses more and more Americans each year are diagnosed with some form of depression. Depression can be a serious and sometimes life threatening condition. Everyone at some point has experienced a bout of depression. Perhaps you have lost a love one or been fired from your job. It is normal to feel depressed every now-and-then, it is part of the human condition. However, cyclical and extreme bouts of depression are often deemed clinical depression. Clinical depression is a serious matter that affects thousands of Americans. For many, psychological counseling or psychotherapy is highly recommended.
There are treatments for clinical depression. The most common are prescription medications (also known as antidepressants), which are aimed at reducing the highs, and lows normally associated with depression. There are also herbal supplements for depression that can be used in less severe cases.
Treatments for Depression
- Zoloft is safe and effective for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Why? It's the #1 doctor-prescribed brand of its kind. Zoloft has treated millions of people with more types of depression and anxiety than any brand.
- Wellbutrin XL is another medication which has been prescribed by doctors around the country for treating depression.
- Effexor XR is believed to work by affecting the levels of 2 naturally occurring chemicals in the brain - serotonin and norepinephrine. Because Effexor XR works on these 2 chemicals, it is known as an SNRI, or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.
What is Depression?
Depression is a reoccurring phenomenon that can leave some feeling lost and hopeless. Many people feel like they have no energy and can't concentrate. Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel "down" for more than two weeks, and these feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be clinically depressed.
Depression is usually cyclical therefore, most people who have gone through one episode of it will, sooner or later, have another one. Often times you begin to feel some of the symptoms of depression several weeks before you develop a full-blown episode of it. Learning to recognize these early triggers or symptoms and working with your doctor will help to keep the depression from worsening.
Men are more likely to experience undiagnosed depression, even though men's chances of getting one are lower than their female counterparts. They may show the typical symptoms of depression, but are more likely to be angry and hostile or to mask their condition with alcohol or drug abuse. Suicide is an especially serious risk for men with depression, who are four times more likely than women to kill themselves.
Women are almost twice as likely to become depressed as men. The higher risk may be due partly to hormonal changes brought on by puberty, menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy.
Aging can be a difficult process. As our health deteriorates and we lose those around us, depression can sometimes set in. Physical ailments and a lack of mobility can also lead to depression. Loved ones may attribute the signs of depression to the normal results of aging, and many older people are reluctant to talk about their symptoms. As a result, older people may not receive treatment for their depression.Demographics of Depression