What is depression?
The Merriam-Webster Dectionary defines it as:
1:an act of depressing : a state of being depressed 2:a pressing down : LOWERING 3:a state of feeling sad 4:an emotional disorder marked by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, anf feelings of dejection 5:a depressed area or part 6:a period of low general economic activity with widespread unemployment
Which one is the depression that I'm talking about?
If you picked number four, you are today's lucky winner
Yet that definition is only somewhat right. A dictionary can only partly describe the extremes of emotion that one affected by depression may feel. For millions across the world, it is characterized by deep sadness that won't leave, suicidal feelings, and just a general feeling of "I don't care anymore".
How do I know if I or someone else might have it?
Here's a list of symptoms:
- Lack of/more than usual amount of sleep
- Lack of/more than usual amount of appetite
- Persistant feeling of sadness, with or without explanation
- Lack of will to do things that normally bring pleasure
- Suicidal thoughts and/or actions
- Apathetic feelings
- Being easily irritated
- Chronic fatigue
- An inexplicable feeling of guilt
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
This does NOT mean that if you have some of these symptoms that you automatically have depression, and if you have depression that you have these symptoms. Depression affects everyone differently.
What do I do if I think I or someone else has it?
TELL SOMEONE NOW. Tell someone you trust and you know cares about your/their well-being, whether they be a friend, relative, teacher, priest, youth minister...whoever. Get yourself to a doctor as soon as possible, and/or convince your friend to see a doctor. If someone is depressed, most psychiatrists will rearrange their schedule to fit in an emergency evaluation.
If think that you or someone else may hurt themselves, call a help line NOW. Such places are open 24/7 and will be more than happy to help you. Two such lines are:
ACT Now Crisis Line: 1-800-969-4357
Youth Crisis Line: 1-800-448-4663
If you, for some reason, do not have access to a phone, TELL SOMEONE NOW. Tell your parents/guardians; if they realize that this is serious, they will get you help. Same with friends/clergy...the list goes on. Guidance counselors are particularly helpful if you have access to one. Though the only one who can truly diagnose and treat you is...you guessed it, a psychiatrist.
Is it really a disease?
YES. People with depression need treatment just as much as people with cancer. Just like them, we will die without help. I'm not trying to dis cancer patients or anything, but that was for sake of example.
If you're in a situation where your parents will not let you get help because they think it's just "teenage hormones" or *gasp of horror* people will think you're not perfect, they desperately need to wise up. Absolutely nobody is perfect, no matter how much people would like to think. If parents try to make their kids perfect, the depression only worsens. Trust me, I've been in that situation. Call a help line and THEY WILL HELP YOU.
HOWEVER, do not make the same mistake that many have, including myself. Cutting is not the answer. I was already getting help at the time, but it made my parents realize just how much I needed help. It is NOT a good idea to hurt yourself. One, I have lost much of my parents' trust and though I thought they were overprotective before, the overprotectiveness has reached new heights. And two, I now have scars. I have scars that will last the rest of my life. Talk to your parents in an adult, respectful way. Give them solid facts and examples as to why you need to get help. DON'T throw a fit or hurt yourself. You will only end up screwing everything up.
Well, what exactly IS depression?
Well, well, well, what a good question! Depression is a disease of the mind. It is caused by a shortage of serotonin, which is the chemical in your brain that triggers happy feelings. Chocolate contains serotonin, which is why you may feel all happy after eating a Hershey's bar. Remember the serotonin thing. It'll be looked at more in detail later on. Anywho, back to the point. Depression affects over seventeen million Americans each year. It IS a treatable, curable disease. Yet treatment and eventual curing takes much time and effort. Understandably, a depressed person doesn't have much of a will to keep going. That will is one of the first things to go when the darkness known as depression hits.
Medication...what a controversial topic. On one hand, there's the group that feel that medication should be prescribed before one's personal issues are explored. Yet on the other hand, there are those that feel that after issues have been sorted out, medication should be prescribed. And there are many in the middle. Yet medication CAN and normally WILL bring you to the place where you can function pretty normally. It will not cure you, but it will help you work to cure yourself. The medications that are used are called antidepressants, yet I find that a bit of a mouthful. "Happy pills" works just as well.
What exactly causes depression? Well, it's caused one of two things:
1. a tragic experience which triggers a drop in serotonin levels
2. a general lack of serotonin, either due to genetic reasons or a brain that uses too much just for the heck of it (No offense to anyone. I'm one of these people, too, y'know.)
As I stated earlier, serotonin triggers happy feelings and also is a component of mood regulation. If you don't have enough of it, you're not gonna be too chipper.
Is that it? Is there only one kind?
Nope. There's a bunch of different kinds, which include:
- Dysthymic Disorder: This is chronic depression, longer lasting yet milder than major depression. Many people who have this don't realize that they do and go through life not seeking help. It's characterized by general apathy and fatigue and usually lasts about two years or so.
- Major Depression: THIS is the suicidal depression. Major depressive episodes do not last as long as dysthymia, yet are much more intense and dangerous. Episodes can last as long as two weeks, with recurring episodes. It's characterized by suicidal thoughts/tendencies and self-mutilation along with the symptoms listed earlier.
- Bipolar Disorder: More commonly known as "manic depression". People affected experience about two weeks of major depression followed by a week or so of extreme hyperness.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Depressed feelings during winter, due to lack of sunlight. Get help anyway, even thought it may not seem very bad.
- Postpartum Depresson: Guys don't have to worry about this one. This affects women who have just given birth. While it's normal to feel sad following delivery, if you feel sad for an extended period rather than a few days, you have postpartum depression.
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: What a mouthful! Guys don't have to worry about this one either. It's NOT your typical PMS. Unfortunately, many women mistake it for just "normal PMS". Your usual PMS-y feelings, but pile on the symptoms of clinical depression and you've got this. This is more severe than PMS and does have different symptoms.
- Double Depression: When someone has both dysthymia and major depression. FUN!!! I believe that I have this, though my shrink hasn't told me yet.
Just because your depression may not be very intense doesn't mean that it's not a valid disease. Some people may think so, but they're WRONG!
And that pretty much wraps up my page on depression info. Muchas gracias to Becki and Andrew, whose sites I used to get the information for this. The format is based on Becki's page. Thank you for taking the time to read this. And please, if you're depressed, get help. If you want to contact me, sign the guestbook and I'll email you. I *may* add an email link, but I haven't decided yet.
<--Back to Depression main