What illness is predicted to become the second most common health problem in the world by the year 2020? Depression. According to a fact sheet from PBS, about 15 million American adults, or about 8% of the adult population, will experience depression in a given year. About 80% of people with depression are not currently being treated, although 80-90% of people who obtain treatment find relief.
If depression is so treatable, why do so few people seek treatment? There are a number of possible reasons. Some people believe that depression is a weakness or a moral failing rather than the legitimate medical illness that it is. Many people with depression think that they’re just unhappy, so they believe that they should just be able to “get over it” without help. When a person is depressed, everything can feel like an effort, and the idea of seeking help can seem overwhelming. People with depression tend to feel hopeless, too, so they may believe that treatment cannot help them.
How can you tell if you’re depressed?
Symptoms of depression include:
1) depressed mood
2) loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
3) significant changes in weight or appetite
4) sleeping too little or too much
5) restlessness or feeling “slowed down”
6) fatigue or loss of energy
7) feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
8) diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
9) recurrent thoughts of death, or suicidal thoughts*
Not everyone who is depressed experiences all of these symptoms, and people experience them to varying degrees. If you think you may be depressed, you can take an online depression screening test.
Some people have a long-term, less severe form of depression called dysthymic disorder or dysthymia. Because dysthymic disorder is a “low-grade” form of depression, it can easily go undiagnosed. People with dysthymic disorder may be seen as “Eeyore types,” never really happy. They may believe that this is their personality; they’ve always been this way and always will. In that case, there’s no point in trying to change, right?
Wrong! Although the symptoms of dysthymic disorder are less dramatic than those of major depression, they should not be minimized or ignored. People with dysthymic disorder are just as deserving of treatment as are people with major depression. Dysthymic disorder does respond to the same treatments that are used for major depression, namely “talk therapy” and, when appropriate, medication.
There is also a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. SAD occurs each year at the same time, usually starting in fall or winter and ending in spring or early summer; between 10 and 20 percent of the U.S. population may suffer from symptoms of the disorder. This mood disorder is often attributed to the lack of light during the colder months of the year.
So, if you’ve been unhappy for a long time and think there’s nothing that can be done about it, think again. You can lead a happier life. Make an appointment, contact me, or call me at 443-458-4221 today.
*If you or someone you know is in danger of self-harm (including suicide), call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
645 Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd.
Suite 107
Severna Park, MD 21146
Phone: 443-458-4221
Toll-free: 877-426-9272
Fax: 443-458-0422
info@beallpastoralcounseling.com