| Coping with Depression Depression is a common disorder, affecting about three to four percent of the adult population at any one time. Lifetime prevalence rates are estimated to be around 20 percent. A variety of treatments are available. Don't feel hopeless if the first or even the second approach doesn't work. Psychotherapy is one of the standard treatments for depression. Symptoms of Depression Depressed Mood Crying Suicidal thoughts Insomnia Guilt feelings Physical slowness or fatigue Difficulty concentrating or memory problems Agitated feelings or behaviors Increased anxiety or fearful feelings Bodily complaints (gastrointestinal problems, etc.) Loss of sexual desire, or pleasurable feelings Weight loss (and sometimes weight gain!) Depersonalization (everything seems "unreal") Paranoid thoughts Obsessional or Compulsive symptoms If you have had five or more of any of the above symptoms, and they have lasted more than two weeks or so, then you probably are having a serious depression or mood disorder. If any of the above symptoms are causing you noticeable distress or inability to function in your life, no matter what the time frame involved, you should seek professional assistance. If you are in an immediate, life-threatening crisis, call 911. Why Depression? Depression is usually associated with a life stressor or change in life circumstances. Four typical problems areas are: Loss or death of close relative (or friend, pet, loved or prized object) Interpersonal problems or disputes with spouse, lover, other family members, friends, co-workers Role transitions (a new job, divorce, going away to school, relocation, economic or other family stressors, moving to new stage of life) Loneliness or social isolation The causes of Depression are complex, and ultimately rooted in the experience and relationships of each human being, subject to any predisposing or underlying biological factors. Modern biopsychiatry (and popular magazines) will often tell you that depression is due to a so-called "biochemical imbalance" in the brain. There are two logical errors in this point of view. While it seems that there are biological correlates between states of mind (or emotion) in the brain (that is, changes in relative concentrations of neurotransmitters in various nerve tracts), they remain just that, correlates. The causation of such states is either unknown, or complex. [Note: recent scientific discoveries about the human genome have confirmed that purely genetic determinants for human behavior are insufficient to understand the diversity of psychological problems.] If you forgive the technical digression, the two logical errors are: 1) a reductive fallacy, or the reduction of complex or diverse causes to simplistic formulas; and 2) the fallacy of mistaking correlation for cause (otherwise known as cum hoc, propter hoc). Correlation shows whether there is any relationship between two variables, positive or negative, but is agnostic about the cause for or meaning of that relationship. But correlation by itself can never explain a cause, though it can be cited as evidence against a particular cause. This is because there never is a consistent causal relationship without some correlation. Biological theories of Depression are the rationale for the prescription of psychotropic medications. The fact that such drugs work sometimes, but not at all times, or for all people (leaving out, for the moment, the problem of side effects), I believe is ultimately rooted in the overly narrow view taken toward the view of mental illness by the psychiatric establishment. It is also important to point out here that various physical conditions or illness can mimic the symptoms of Depression. One of the most common is an underactive thyroid gland; the condition is hypothyroidism. Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, and any number of other diseases can also be responsible. You should always check your health first with a doctor (MD). Depression is also a condition that can piggy-back on other psychiatric or emotional syndromes. Some examples include eating disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse, among others. All material provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. Direct consultation of a qualified, licensed health care provider or therapist should be sought as necessary for any specific questions or problems. This web site should not be construed as offering either medical advice or professional services; no therapeutic relationship is established by use of this site. Please do not send emails to this site or anyone associated with it that may include confidential information. A link to any other web site from this site does not necessarily imply any approval, recommendation, or endorsement of such site. |