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Depression and Antidepressants
True Major Depression has a specific set of symptoms.
Depression means that you have shown the following symptoms for more than 2 weeks:
- Feeling hopeless, helpless or worthless much of the day every day
- change in sleep (too little or too much)
- change in appetite (too little or too much)
- loss of concentration and libido
- anhedonia which means inability to take pleasure in anything
- possibly suicidal thoughts or feelings.
If you have several symptoms you should have an evaluation by a psychiatrist. If any of these symptoms are affecting your ability to function, affecting your relationships or if you have any suicidal thoughts you should have an evaluation by a psychiatrist. Not all depression should be treated with an antidepressant, it depends on the severity.
Antidepressants affect different neurotransmitters in the brain. These are the chemicals that send messages between nerves and how our brain "talks to itself and the rest of the body". Some antidepressants affect the amount of serotonin, others norepinephren, and some also effect dopamine. Some newer antidepressants effect a combination of serotonin and norepinephren. The relative deficit of these neurotransmitters is believed to play a role in depression.
Some people will respond to one antidepressant and not another. Some will respond to none. We don't really know why. but a recent study found that a gene responsible for producing a protein which blocks the entrance of certain medications into the brain could be one explanation for why a person could respond to one drug and not another (that gets blocked before even crossing into the brain).
Mild to moderate depression may be treatable with psychotherapy, support and exercise alone. Moderate to severe depression is likely to require medication plus psychotherapy. The combination is proven to be more effective than psychotherapy alone. In order to benefit from psychotherapy one must possess a certain degree of ability to think through the process and have reasonable judgment. Sometimes medication is required to improve functioning enough to have psychotherapy help. In addition, if a patient is in danger due to diminished functioning or suicidal ideation, they need meds. Depression has a 15% suicide rate; it can be a deadly disease.
A recent report stated that some clinical trails of negative findings on antidepressants may have been withheld from publication. Any withholding of study results skew how professionals and people view the efficacy of a medication. Antidepressants do not always work, as much as 30% of people will not respond to any antidepressant. This does not mean they should not be tried with a person who is seriously depressed; we don't know who those 70% are going to be.
But many people are taking antidepressants for sadness and not for true depression; this is an overuse and an inappropriate use. On the other hand over 50% of people with true major depression are not getting any treatment at all. There are people who need treatment, both medication and psychotherapy, who either don't know that they have depression or feel they should be able to help themselves and are too ashamed to get the help they need.
More from Gail:
- Antidepressants are the most prescribed drug in the US. What does this mean?
- Seasonal blues
- Is it a panic attack?
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Who here feels down and depressed off and on, but doesn't think they need medical or psychiatric treatment? While sometimes it's hard to decipher whether you need actual treatment or not, especially when you're in the dumps, a lot of women I know have pulled themselves up through a book many of you know about titled 'The Secret'. Oprah did a show on The Secret, getting millions of both women and men to re-discover life in a different way (and also put it ahead of the new Harry Potter Book on the Amazon bestseller list).
I can't claim that it will solve the problems of depression and sadness, but from what I've seen it definitely has had a spiritual and uplifting impact on many around the world. A wide range of reviews on this book from readers can be read here: http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_329101_secret_reviews
I cannot believe someone used an article on depression to push "The Secret".
What a load of crap (The book and the totally inappropiate promotion of it).
Thank you for saying what I've been trying to tell people for months now. I lost my husband 4 months ago and I can't tell you how many people have suggested antidepressants. I am SAD, not depressed. I have never suffered from depression in my life and I believe my sadness is a very appropriate reaction to the tragedy of losing my husband so young.
Greatly said and it is appropriate suggestion.I also noticed the same case at many people who are wrongly diagnosing themselves.
The idea of the "The Secret", - that you think your way into right feeling - is the biggest piece of rubbish on Earth. Oh yes!!! Let's agonize in an effort to think perfectly about our lives -and hope that has some miraculous effect. "The Secret" is a soul-less book that will make those who are truly depressed feel even more hopeless.
I can't believe we, as a culture, are willing to by into such a load of malarky. I wonder if the author donated any of her books proceeds to help others less fortunate.
And, contrary to what the first comment writer states: there was no spirituality in that book. It was only about what energy your thoughts are transmitting into the universe....please!
I believe there are so many depressed people in our society because they aren’t happy with themselves. There are sooooooo many outside pressures——including the ones we let in through the media etc., that we are bombarded with how we should act, feel , work, play and so on. Come on people—-forget the status quo!!!!
Depression, The Life Destroyer.
I believe there are so many depressed people in our society because they aren’t happy with themselves. There are so many outside pressures——including the ones we let in through the media etc., that we are bombarded with how we should act, feel , work, play and so on. Come on people—-forget the status quo!!!
I have been depressed for many years. The psychiatrists that I have seen have tryed many different things and nothing seems to work for a very long time. Antidepressents don't seem to help me at all they seem to make me worse. I have chronic back and neck pain and that effects my depression. I'll tell you living with depression stinks. I continue to see my psychiatrist and social worker for counseling. The counseling seems to help some but isn't the answer to the deprssion. I wish they would come up with an answeer for depression, that would work for me. I have been hospitalized several times because my depression was out of control. I tell you it's no fun. Any more things on depression I would apppreciate it. I'm very tired of being depressed all of the time. In the winter it seems to be worse.
Margaret.
Well apart from the latest two symptoms I could say that's I comply with the rest of the symptoms. Should this be a warning? I hope I am not too close of depression because I don't think I could handle it considering that I don't trust antidepressants, they have dangerous side effect and can cause addiction...