Demystifying Major Depressive Disorder – You’re Not Alone

“Sorrow makes us all children again,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. Anyone who has ever experienced the ravages of sever depression understands exactly what that statement means. when a person is in the throes of a clinical major depression, few words can adequately explain the turbulent darkness in which the person travels…alone. It is a feeling of almost going back to childhood when everything seems out of control and beyond our understanding. The author, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, William Styron, described the darkest days of his battle with clinical depression as a “brain storm.” His experience of the disease was that it gave him no peace, no escape, and no mercy.

Depression is known as the common cold of mental illness. President Abraham Lincoln, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, journalist Mike Wallace, and actress Vivian Leigh all suffered from depression. Depression is an equal opportunity mental illness, cutting across race, gender, age, and educational lines. It is estimated 20% of us will at sometime in our life suffer from major depression. Of that number, only 5% of us will seek treatment.

Knowing the signs of clinical major depression is your best tool for early detection, and thus early treatment. According to the clinician’s bible for mental disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (IV), a person has to have at least five of the following during the same two-week period in order to have a diagnosis of Major Depression, excluding symptoms from a medical condition:

• Depressed or irritable mood most of the day, almost daily.
• Diminished interest or pleasure in all or most activities.
• Significant change in appetite or weight in the absence of intentional effort to lose weight.
• Insomnia (little sleep) or hypersomnia (too much sleep).
• Feelings of restlessness or being slowed down.
• Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt.
• Poor concentration or indecisiveness.
• Recurrent thought of death or suicide.

A red flat that separates major depression from everyday “blues” is that the person may feel a profound sense of hopelessness, as though they can’t foresee ever feeling good again.

The silver lining of this disease is that the treatments have improved dramatically. the vast majority of depressed individuals will have significant reduction of their symptoms if they are treated by a physician with anti-depressants and engage in supportive therapy sessions with a trained mental health worker. Generally, the full effects of the medication require 2-6 weeks before the depressive symptoms begin to subside. However, if left untreated, depressed individuals may deteriorate until they become suicidal or decline into a vegetative state. At this point, hospitalization is required.

Many people don’t seek treatment because they may believe that having a mental illness is an indication of a character flaw or weakness within them. IT’S NOT. Major Depressive Disorder is a disease, resulting from a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is no more shameful than having diabetes. The only shame is to be on the threshold of treatment, and not cross over.

If you’re concerned over depression symptoms getting worse, seek treatment immediately with a therapist who may be able to assist with mood regulations prior to trying medicines. If you’re in Dripping Springs or the greater Austin area, I welcome you to schedule a 15 minute free consult to determine if counseling with me will be a good fit. Please contact me today to schedule your free introduction.