Dealing With The Depths Of Depression
Q: Imagine attending a party with these prominent guests: Abraham Lincoln,
Theodore Roosevelt, Robert Schumann, Ludwig von Beethoven, Edgar Allen
Poe, Mark Twain, Vincent van Gogh, and Georgia O'Keefe. Maybe Schumann
and Beethoven are at the dinner table intently discussing the crescendos
in their most recent scores, while Twain sits on a couch telling Poe
about the plot of his latest novel. O'Keefe and Van Gogh may be talking
about their art, while Roosevelt and Lincoln discuss political
endeavours.
But in fact, these historical figures also had a much more personal
common experience: Each of them battled the debilitating illness of
depression.
A:It is common for people to speak of how "depressed" they are. However,
the occasional sadness everyone feels due to life's disappointments is
very different from the serious illness caused by a brain disorder.
Depression profoundly impairs the ability to function in everyday
situations by affecting moods, thoughts, behaviours, and physical
well-being.
Twenty-seven-year-old Anne (not her real name) has suffered from
depression for more than 10 years. "For me it's feelings of
worthlessness," she explains. "Feeling like I haven't accomplished the
things that I want to or feel I should have and yet I don't have the
energy to do them. It's feeling disconnected from people in my life,
even friends and family who care about me. It's not wanting to get out
of bed some mornings and losing hope that life will ever get better."
Depression strikes about 17 million American adults each year -- more
than cancer, AIDS, or coronary heart disease -- according to the
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). An estimated 15 percent of
chronic depression cases end in suicide. Women are twice as likely as
men to be affected.
Many people simply don't know what depression is. "A lot of people still
believe that depression is a character flaw or caused by bad parenting,"
says Mary Rappaport, a spokeswoman for the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill. She explains that depression cannot be overcome by
willpower, but requires medical attention.
Fortunately, depression is treatable, says Thomas Laughren, M.D., team
leader for psychiatric drug products in FDA's division of
neuropharmacological drug products.
In the past 13 years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved
several new antidepressants, including Wellbutrin (bupropion), Prozac
(fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine), Effexor
(venlafaxine), Serzone (nefazodone), and Remeron (mirtazapine).
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), 80 to 90
percent of all cases can be treated effectively. However, two-thirds of
the people suffering from depression don't get the help they need,
according to NIMH. Many fail to identify their symptoms or attribute
them to lack of sleep or a poor diet, the APA says, while others are
just too fatigued or ashamed to seek help.
Left untreated, depression can result in years of needless pain for both
the depressed person and his or her family. And depression costs the
United States an estimated $43 billion a year, due in large part to
absenteeism from work, lost productivity, and medical costs, according
to the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association.
Three Types
The three main categories of depression are major depression, dysthymia,
and bipolar depression (sometimes referred to as manic depression).
Major depression affects 15 percent of Americans at one point during
their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Its effects can be so intense that things like eating,
sleeping, or just getting out of bed become almost impossible.
Major depression "tends to be a chronic, recurring illness," Laughren
explains. Although an individual episode may be treatable, "the majority
of people who meet criteria for major depression end up having
additional episodes in their lifetime."
Unlike major depression, dysthymia doesn't strike in episodes, but is
instead characterized by milder, persistent symptoms that may last