In any given year, ten percent of Americans suffer from a depressive disorder.
This type of mental disorders includes major depression. The main symptoms of
major depression are the following:
• Being uninterested in things you used to enjoy
• Feeling upset or empty
• Crying without reason "no reason"
• Feeling slowed down or feeling dissatisfied and unable to sit still
• Weight gain or loss
• Thoughts about suicide or death
• Trouble thinking, recalling things or concentrating
• Trouble making daily decisions
• Problems sleeping, particularly in the early morning or waiting to
sleep all the time
• Feeling exhausted all the time
• Feeling emotionally numb
Some people may also have headaches, other aches and pains, digestive problems
or sexual dysfunction. Older people who feel blue may also feel confused or
have trouble understanding simple requests.
Depression is thought to be related to chemical imbalances in the brain that
makes it difficult for cells to communicate with one another.
Depression can result from nerve-racking situations, such as the death of
somebody you love, a divorce or job loss. But it can also develop out of the
blue. Certain medicines, alcohol and drug addiction, or chronic diseases, such
as diabetes or cardiac problems, can cause depression.
Depression can be treated with medicines, or specialist form of counseling
known as psychotherapy, or with both. Antidepressants are drugs used to help
people who have depression.
Antidepressants work by raising the activity of chemicals in our brain called
neurotransmitters. Antidepressants help people with depression by making these
natural chemicals more available to the brain.
Usually, antidepressants are administered at least for 6 to 12 months.
Sometimes, patients and their doctors may conclude that antidepressants are
required for a longer time.
They can better your mood, sleep, concentration and appetite. It may take a few
weeks to see the results. Antidepressants are divided into a few types. You and
your physician may have to try a few before you find what works best for you.
At times medicines lead to unwanted side effects. They may vary from patient to
patient and from drug to drug. For example, when you first begin your
antidepressant you may feel tired, have problems with sleep or have upset
stomach. These side effects normally disappear after a short time.
Even after a year of treatment, there is still about a 10% probability of
depression returning as soon as treatment is stopped. Some people take an
antidepressant for a few years.
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