| Psychology |
| Depression |
| Psychopathology |
Summary
Summary
Depression affects 14.8 million American adults every year.
How do I know if my sadness is actually depression? What conditions often coexist with depression? How can I help a family member or friend who is depressed?
Depression is not merely a bad day or a blue mood--it's a serious disorder that affects people both mentally and physically, and can become debilitating and even fatal if not recognized and properly treated. If you suspect that you or a loved one might be suffering from depression, or if you've recently been diagnosed, The Depression Answer Book can answer all the questions you have about how to get back to yourself.
Written by an experienced psychiatrist, The Depression Answer Book covers such pressing topics as:
How many types of depression are there? Couldn't everyone be diagnosed with depression at one time or another? What should I do in a crisis? What can I do on my own to help my depression? Do I really need therapy and medication? How do I know a medication is working?At a time when individuals are overwhelmed with confusing and often conflicting information and emotions, The Depression Answer Book explains confusing medical lingo and provides straightforward answers to pressing questions.
An important new addition to Sourcebooks' Answer Book series, The Depression Answer Book is a must-have shelf reference written in our easy-to-read question-and-answer format.
Author Notes
Wes Burgess, M.D., Ph.D. is a psychiatrist in private practice, specializing in the treatment of mood disorders. He has an office in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Dr. Burgess received his psychiatry training at Stanford University and he has taught at Stanford University Medical School, UCLA Medical School, and the University of California Davis, Department of Psychology. He was a Stanford University Fellow and member of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. Dr. Burgess has lectured around the globe and he is the author of The Bipolar Handbook and The Bipolar Handbook for Children, Teens and Families.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Excerpt from Chapter 1: Depression Basics
What's a simple definition of major depression?
Major depression is a condition of the brain and nervous system that causes a loss of both pleasure and interest in life. It is usually characterized by sadness, pessimism, and hopelessness. However, depression is more than just a change in emotions; it is a real
medical illness with physical symptoms such as disturbed sleep, loss of appetite, change in weight, decreased energy, slowness, and difficulty focusing.
Is major depression a medical disease or just a bad attitude?
Medical, biological, and psychological factors are all at work in major depression. The physical symptoms--mental slowing, poor concentration, intrusive thoughts, disturbed sleep, change in appetite, decreased energy, decreased sexual interest, body pain, and disrupted body rhythms--demonstrate that depression is a physical process. The depressive thoughts of pessimism, worry, self-criticism, distortion, and death are clearly psychological.
It is unfortunate that the word "depression" is used to describe both a medical disease and a bad mood. Some people confuse the two and think that the significant physical, mental, and emotional deterioration caused by major depression is no more serious than a bad mood. Anyone who has suffered from the disease of major depression knows that there is little similarity between the two. This linguistic mix-up contributes to some myths surrounding major depression. After all, if you're just in a bad mood, people wonder why you cannot exert some effort and pull yourself out of it. However, you usually cannot pull yourself out of major depression; it can be severely debilitating and too often results in death by accident or suicide. People do not kill themselves because they are in a bad mood.
There are even other, different medical conditions that have the word "depression" in the title, like bipolar depression, organic depression, etc. To keep everything straight, in this book we will often use the correct term "unipolar major depression" so there is no question of what we mean.
Is depression a fad diagnosis?
Major depression has been recognized by physicians since the beginning of written medicine, and during that time, depression symptoms have not changed. The Greek godfather of medicine, Hippocrates (who authored the Hippocratic Oath sworn by most doctors), described major depression symptoms in 400 BC: sleeplessness, despondency, irritability, restlessness, and an aversion to food. One of the first English-language books on depression was published in 1621 (The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton). Depression is no trendy diagnosis; we have known about it and been aware of its seriousness for a long time.
How many people are affected by clinical depression?
Every year major depression affects well over 18 million people, 6 percent of the total population of the United States. Counting spouses, significant others, parents, children, grandparents, doctors, nurses, psychotherapists, and friends, depression touches the lives of about 200 million people in the United States right now. These figures are similar for other developed countries.
Does depression cause physical problems?
Major depression can disrupt the normal functions of your body, causing decreased sexual interest and hormonal changes, as well as an increase in headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, stomachaches, and digestive problems. Major depression alters the biochemistry of your brain, and every episode of depression makes the illness worse. Your thoughts are slowed, your concentration is impaired, and intrusive thoughts come into your mind and repeat over and over. Your mind is taken over by worries, self-criticism, guilt, and thoughts of death. During an episode of major depression, your perception of the world is distorted. Good situations look worse than they are, and bad situations look hopeless. Wherever you look, there is no satisfaction and no peace from your dark, negative emotions and thoughts.
