| In any given year, ten percent of Americans suffer from a depressive disorder. This category of mental health problems includes major depression. The main symptoms of major depression are as follows:
Feeling emotionally numb, crying without reason "no reason", feeling slowed down or feeling displeased and unable to sit still, weight gain or loss, thoughts about suicide or death; trouble thinking, recalling things or focusing; trouble sleeping, particularly in the early morning or waiting to sleep all the time; feeling worn out all the time.
Some people may also have bad headaches, other aches and pains, digestive problems or sexual dysfunction. Older people who are depressed may also feel confused or have trouble understanding simple requests.
Depression is considered to be related to chemical imbalances in the brain that makes it hard for cells to communicate with one another.
Depression can be caused by nerve-racking times, such as the death of somebody you love, a divorce or job loss. But it can also develop unexpectedly. Certain medications, alcohol and drug addiction, can trigger depression.
Depression can be cured with medications, or special type of counseling known as psychotherapy, or with both. Antidepressants are medicines used to help people who suffer from depression. The vast majority of people with depression get better with treatment that includes these medications.
Antidepressants work by raising the activity of certain chemicals in our brain called neurotransmitters. Antidepressants help make the chemicals more available to the brain.
Commonly, antidepressants are used at least for 6 to 12 months.
Medicines sometimes result in unexpected side effects. They may range from patient to patient and from medication to medication. For example, when you first start your antidepressant you may feel worn out, have trouble sleeping or have upset stomach. These side effects commonly disappear after a short time.
Even after 12 months of treatment, there is still about a 10% probability of depression returning when treatment is stopped. Some people take antidepressants for a few years. |
