Depression..A Deadly Disease
" 'A symptom of the bad times is that you think that they will never abate. You convince yourself that you are doomed forever to a state of half-life. You awake to a sighing gloom and an inordinate effort of will is required to leave your bed. You know that you should get up to arrest the feeling of despair, but the listlessness which is a characteristic of the condition holds you there, gazing upwards in static stare, musing over the endlessness of the day ahead. Everything is an effort and is carried out in slow motion. The smallest task is a weight on you...Minor problems become issues of magnitude. Decisions are deferred and avoided. Simple tasks are shelved. Worst of all is the disintegration of your self-confidence. You fumble in speech and in action. The ringing of a telephone assaults you and you shrink from answering it.' ...given by the famous writer W. Styrone, in his book entitled Darkness Visible, providing us with an in-dept description of his own personal experiences when he suffered from depression Over the course of the year, 17.6 million American adults suffer from a depressive illness. That is 10% of the population. (Pfizer, Dealing) Depression is a whole-body illness, including mind, mood, body, and though
And making true what once was false, and what was bitter, sweet. There are three approaches to treatment which are the use of psychological therapies, the use of antidepressant drugs, and the combination of both. The right choice of treatment depends on a variety of factors, such as severity, symptoms, age, etc. (Baldine, 104) The most common forms of psychotherapy are cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a short term structured therapy which aims to help the depressed person replace the negative thoughts and attitudes with more positive thoughts and a realistic view of themselves and the world around them. Interpersonal therapy focuses more on past and present relationships and examines how they affect the patients current functioning. (Tally, Questions) In general, though, these depressive illnesses can not be cured totally without the help of medication. Antidepressants are the medication used to cure the illness. There are three main groups of these antidepressants, which are tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and lithium. Their job is simply to work within the brain to either increase the levels of noradrenaline, serotonin, or both. Once this happens, the person returns to normal and can function responsibly again. (Kiev, 106) In the first two weeks of treatment most antidepressants do not show full affect on all the symptoms associated with the disease. At first there is a noticeable improvement in sleep habits or less feelings of anxiety. Next, come improvements in mood. After that, a slow increase in energy levels and the return of interest in things comes about. In time, all feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and suicide gradually subside. (Author Unknown, Why) Studies show that more than 70 percent of people with depression respond to treatments. (Pfizer, Unmasking) Antidepressants are not habit forming, however, they need to be carefully monitored to see if the person is getting the correct dosage. With some medications, the depressed individual will have to stay away from certain foods. There are other side effects also. Dry mouth, constipation, bladder problems, sexual problems, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, nausea, nervousness, and agitation may occur. (Pfizer, Dealing) Their side effects, though, are in no way a problem compared to the disease they are curing and can usually be resolved somehow. For instance, dosage reduction, drinking lots of water, or eating certain foods will usually help these. (Pfizer, Unmasking) As you can see there is hope and there are better times ahead. There is a serious problem in the world today. Every 20 in 100 people suffer from some form of depression. Twenty-five percent of the population will suffer from depression in their lifetime. Suicide is the most common cause of death in Indian teenagers and black urba
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Approximate Word count = 1940
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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