By: Jana Allemeier, LPC

Depression is a serious illness, not a harmless part of life. It is a complex disorder with a variety of causes. It is never caused by just one thing.,  It may be the result of a mix of factors including genetic, chemical, physical, emotional and sociological. It is also influenced by behavior patterns learned in the family and by cognitive distortions.

Depression affects millions of people in this country. It is always troubling, and for some people it can be disabling. Depression is more than just sadness or "the blues." It can have an impact on nearly every aspect of a person’s life. People who suffer from depression may experience despair and worthlessness, and this can have an enormous impact on both personal and professional relationship.

Depression is Pervasive

When a person suffers from depression, it can affect every part of his or her life, including one’s physical body, one’s behavior, thought processes, mood, ability to relate to others, and general lifestyle.

Symptoms of Depression

People who are diagnosed with clinical depression have a combination of symptoms from the following list:

• Feelings of hopelessness, even when there is reason to be hopeful
• Fatigue or low energy
• Much less interest or pleasure in most regular activities
• Feeling worthless
• Excessive or inappropriate guilt
• Lessened ability to think or concentrate
• Indecisiveness
• Thinking distorted thoughts; having an unrealistic view of life
• Change in appetite
• Change in sleeping patterns
• Recurrent thoughts of death
• Suicidal thoughts

When a person is suffering from depression, these symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. This mean that the person’s family an social relationships, as well as work life, are impaired. When a person is suffering from depression, symptoms such as these are not the result of a chronic psychotic disorder, substance abuse, general medical condition, or bereavement.

There are three basic ways to treat depression: psychotherapy, self-help and medication. May people respond best to a combination of two or more methods.

Psychotherapy: Exploring one’s beliefs and ways of thinking, and learning new ways of thinking and behaving, with the guidance of a professional.

Self-help: Exploring one’s beliefs and ways of thinking on one’s own.

Medication: Altering one’s brain chemistry by taking antidepressant medication.

A physician may recommend medication when four conditions exist:

1. The patients depression is severe.
2. The patient has suffered at least two previous depressive episodes.
3. There is a family history of depression.
4. The patient asks for medication only and refused psychotherapy.

There are four types of antidepressant medication available today:

• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Structurally unrelated compounds

The TCAs and MAOIs have been used for decades. The SSRIs (such as Prozac) and structurally unrelated compounds are newer and are being prescribed more and more frequently. They have fewer and less pronounced side effects than the TCAs and MAOIs.

Treatment without Medicine

one of the leading methods for treating depression is cognitive therapy.Cognitive therapists help depressed clients feel better by identifying how faulty ways of thinking are making him or her feel bad. The client analyzes his or her thoughts an beliefs, and learns to substitute more healthy ways of thinking an believing. Many mental health professionals believe that the ideal treatment of clinical depression is medication in conjunction with psychotherapy.

Prevention of Depression:

Depression can often be prevented. It is especially important to take preventive action if you are aware that you have predisposing factors such as those mentioned in the last newsletter.

1. Identify your risk factors and be aware of where you are vulnerable. Each of us has unique risk factors, such as things we were taught in our families of origin, values we have learned and the presence or absence of a family history of depression. Anything that has been learned can be unlearned and replaced with something healthier.
2. Learn to manage stress.you can learn proven techniques for calming and relaxing yourself. Consider taking a stress management class or buying a set of relaxation tapes.
3. Learn problem-solving skills. Many people who develop depression never learned problem-solving skills. They  need to develop the ability to see problems from many viewpoints and to look for a variety of solutions.
4. Build your life around things you can control. Learn to recognize that you can control and what you can’t/ Avoid spending much effort on situations that won’t pay off for you.
5. Learn self-acceptance. Instead of rejecting the parts of yourself you don’t like, learn to manage them more productively.
6. Become aware of selective perception. observe how you generate ideas and opinions about people and events. Remember that these are just your views, not necessarily objective facts.
7. Focus on the future, not the past. Depressed people tend to be focused on the past. P{eople who set goals an focus on the future tend ot be more positive about life.
8. Develop a sense of purpose.  Many depressed people lack a sense of purpose or meaning. This means they have no goals and nothing in the future drawing them forward. To prevent depression, develop your sense of purpose and meaning.
9. Strengthen your emotional boundaries and set limits.  Boundaries define your role in a social situation. They determine how you will or won’t behave in a given situation. Having clear, strong boundaries is empowering, while boundary violations make you feel victimized and helpless. Setting limits means having and enforcing rules for the behaviors you expect in a relationship.
10. Build positive and healthy relationship. think about what you need from others in relationship. Learn to read people and trust your instincts about which people are good for you.
11. Avoid isolation. Talk to others about what’s going on with you., if you keep your thoughts to yourself, you may be unaware that your thoughts are distorted. If you share them with another person, you can become more objective.