Depression

Depression is a common illness that can affect anyone. About 1 in 20 Americans (over 11 million people) get depressed every year. Depression affects twice as many women as men.

Virtually all adult human beings will experience a tragic or unexpected loss, romantic heartbreak, or a serious setback and times of profound sadness, grief or distress. Indeed, something is awry if the usual expressions of sadness do not accompany such situations so common to the human condition...death of a loved one, severe illness, prolonged disability, loss of employment or social status, or a child's difficulties, for example.

Depression, however, differs both quantitatively and qualitatively from normal sadness or grief. These latter emotions are typically less pervasive and generally run a more time-limited course. Moreover, some of the symptoms of severe depression, such as the inability to experience pleasure, hopelessness, and loss of the ability to feel a mood uplift in response to something positive only rarely accompany "normal" sadness. Nevertheless, many other symptoms commonly associated with depression are experienced during times of stress or bereavement. Among them are sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, poor concentration, and ruminations on sad thoughts and feelings. When a person suffering such distress seeks help, the therapist's task is to differentiate the normal from the non-normal and, when appropriate, to recommend treatment.

More specifically, you are probably depressed in a clinical sense if you have a number of symptoms nearly every day, all day, for at least two weeks. These always include at least one of the following:

	Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy.
	Feeling sad, blue, or down in the dumps.

You may also have at least three of the following symptoms:

	Feeling slowed down or restless and unable to sit still.
	Feeling worthless or guilty.
	Increase or decrease in appetite or weight.
	Thoughts of death or suicide.
	Problems concentrating, thinking, remembering, or making decisions.
	Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
	Loss of energy or feeling tired all of the time.

Depression is often accompanied by physical or psychological symptoms, including:

	Headaches.
	Other aches and pains.
	Digestive problems.
	Sexual problems.
	Feeling pessimistic or hopeless.
	Being anxious or worried.

There are many forms of psychotherapy used to help depressed individuals, including some short-term (10-20 weeks) therapies. As with all psychotherapy, the therapist helps clients gain insight into and resolve their problems through verbal" give and-take" with the therapist. By focusing on the client's behaviors, the therapist can help the client learn how to obtain more satisfaction and rewards through his or her own actions and how to unlearn the behavioral patterns that contribute to the depression. In addition, so-called interpersonal therapy focuses on the client's disturbed personal relationships that both cause and exacerbate the depression. And cognitive behavioral therapy helps clients change the negative styles of thinking and behaving often associated with depression.

Modern antidepressant medications are often used to highly successful effect in conjunction with psychotherapy to help lift clients out of their depression and bring them back to normal functioning.