What Is Depression?

  • Depression is more than just a sad feeling
  • Depression brings intense feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness, where you cannot perform normal day to day activities
  • These feelings, can last for months to years
  • 10-20% of young people suffer from depression
  • Approx. 1 in 5 adults in the US suffer from depression one time in their lives

Facts about Depression

  • One of the most common psychiatric illness
  • Cases can b serious and sometimes can be chronic
  • Women are 2-3 times more likely to be affected than men,
  • It tends to run in families
  • Affects more than 17 million families each year
  • Frequently genetic, psychological and environmental factors contribute to the onset of depression

Diagnostic Features of Depression

If you have five or more of the symptoms listed below within a two week period you might be suffering from depression.

  • Depressed mood
  • Loss of interest or pleasure
  • Weight loss or gain
  • Poor sleep or increased sleep
  • Fatigue, decreased concentration
  • Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless
  • Thoughts of death/suicide

Treatment of Depression

  • Talk therapy or psychotherapy-Talk about your condition and related issues to your mental health professional.
  • Talk therapy(cognitive-behavioral therapy) helps to develop positive interactions with others and replace negative feelings with healthy/positive ones.
  • Medications like Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, etc are very effective in treating depression in combination with talk therapy.

The Warning Signs of Depression

  • If you experience suicidal and or homicidal thoughts please call 911 or report to the nearest emergency room
  • Adhere to the treatment plan
  • Avoid taking alcohol, illicit and or recreational drugs

Summary

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Mind and Body Health

June 30, 2020 0 Comments 2 tags

Mental health is emotional, psychological and social well being. So what affects the mind? Biological factors such as our   Genes Family history Life experiences During these trying times it