Overcoming depression

Depression is a common illness that affects many people throughout the world.

In fact, about 10 to 15 percent of the population will suffer from depression during their lifetime. It occurs more frequently in women and elderly.

The good news is that there are a number of treatments available for depression, and it can be successfully treated in the majority of people.

No doubt you are already familiar with at least some of the symptoms of depression, and have experienced its debilitating effects on your life.

By knowing more about the disorder, you will be able to get the maximum benefit from your treatment.

What is depression?

Depression is an illness that can seriously impair all aspects of a person’s life, including personal relationships, performance at work and enjoyment of leisure activities.

Depression is ultimately caused by an imbalance of special chemical substances in the brain, called transmitters, through personality and life events resulting in stress that may have contributed to the imbalance.

One of the features of depression, which can make it difficult to diagnose, is that no two people will have exactly the same symptoms associated with the illness.

A number of symptoms are, however, commonly seen and they include irritability, feelings of guilt and helplessness, feelings of anxiety, the inability to concentrate or make decisions, reduced appetite, loss of interest in personal appearance, loss of interest in favourite activities, difficulty sleeping, difficulty getting up in the morning, constant feelings of tiredness and lack of energy, changes in weight and physical symptoms such as headaches and backache.

These symptoms will, typically, develop over a period of several weeks or months and several may be present at the same time.

Many people think that depression will go away if the sufferer just makes an effort to go out and enjoy him or herself.

Unfortunately, they do not understand that depression is an illness that requires specific treatment, just as every other illness does.

This lack of understanding can itself make the depressed person feel even more helpless and isolated.

It also means that people with depression are often reluctant to tell their friends and colleagues about their condition.

Sometimes, people become depressed following a particularly stressful period in their lives, such as the death of a close relatives or friend, or after losing their job, and there is also evidence that at least some people inherit an increased risk of becoming depressed.

By visiting your doctor and having your depression diagnosed, you have already taken the first step on the road to recovery. Read on to see how you can get the most from your treatment.

Treatment

Effective treatment of depression usually requires a combination of drug therapy and counselling or psychotherapy.

A large number of effective drugs are available for the treatment of depression, but they can be subdivided into four main categories which are Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin- norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Your doctor will have given careful consideration to choosing the individual drug that will be the most appropriate for your treatment.

It is important to realise that antidepressant drugs do not act immediately, in the way that, for example, antibiotics do.

It may take about four to six weeks of treatment before you notice a significant improvement in your symptoms. In addition, you will have to continue taking your medication for four to six months, or possibly longer, to ensure your recovery is complete.

What to do

Professional healthcare workers, including your general practitioner (GP), a counsellor or psychotherapist, will be involved with your treatment but you are also an important member of your care team.

The most important thing you can do is to remember to take your medication regularly, following the directions from your doctor.

Antidepressant drugs can produce a range of side effects, including dry mouth, blurred vision and altered bowel function (diarrhoea or constipation). If any of these are a particular problem, or if you think you have developed any other symptoms as a result of medication, do not stop taking your medicine, rather tell your doctor as soon as possible about your symptoms.

Even if you are feeling much better, you should continue to take your medication and attend regular follow-up consultations with your doctor.

What can you doctor do

Your general practitioner (GP) will make the initial diagnosis of depression and will start treatment with one of the antidepressant drugs. The choice of drug will be influenced by the particular types of symptoms that you have described, the side-effects of the different drugs available, and also your GP’s knowledge of other aspects of your health.

It is important that you take your medication regularly and that you discuss any concerns about your illness or its treatment with your GP. Your GP may also refer you to other healthcare professionals, such as psychotherapist or a psychiatrist, depending upon your symptoms and your response to treatment.

Your GP will want to see you regularly throughout your treatment.

What your family and friends can do

It is important for your family and friends to understand that depression is a serious illness, but that it can be treated successfully.

They also need to be aware that it can take some time for you to make a full recovery and that, contrary to popular belief, depression is not something that you can just ‘snap’ out of.

If you have difficulty talking about your illness to family and friends, you may decide that you would like your GP to explain your condition and its treatment to them. Once they understand the nature of your illness, your family and friends can help by reminding you to take your medication and encouraging you to go to your counselling sessions. As you begin to recover, you will want to start building up your social activities again and your friends should accept that you need to do things at your own speed. They will understand this better if you talk to them openly about your illness and the way you feel.

Depending upon the nature of your symptoms and the response to treatment, your GP may decide to refer you to another healthcare specialist, such as a psychotherapist or a psychiatrist.

A psychotherapist will work with you to identify particular areas in your life that may have contributed to the development of your depression.

DepRelief™ Programme

International medical experts, working with Lund beck, have developed the DepRelief™ Programme.

It is designed to improve the quality of life of the many millions of people who suffer from depression.

The programme includes a comprehensive range of support materials for doctors, and for suffers and their families, encouraging optimal care for every patient.

•  Compiled by Mrs Dangor, Clinical Psychologist, Shifa Private Hospital.