All about Incidence & Prevalence
What you should know about depression
Depression is a disease that affects 14.8 million Americans*. For many people depression is experienced as an extended emotional low point. Some people call it 'the blues', others refer to it as being 'down in the dumps'.
From time to time all of us experience brief 'low' points in our moods -- because disappointing or upsetting things happen - we call this situational depression -- but we 'bounce back to normal' relatively quickly. However, with clinical depression the emotional 'down' period lasts longer - usually more than two weeks - and we have real difficulty getting back to our normal mood without making use of therapy, or medication, or both.
When people become clinically depressed, joy seems to leave their lives, and, nearly every day, they find no pleasure in activities that used to make them happy. They tend to withdraw from their families and friends, and may experience insomnia, feelings of hopelessness, lack of energy -- even crying spells or lack of interest in sex.
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
- Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings
- Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness
- Irritability, restlessness
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
- Fatigue and decreased energy
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
- Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
- Overeating, or appetite loss
- Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
- Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
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*NIMH: Mental Health Disorders in America / Statistics
Dealing with Treatment-resistant (or Refractory) Depression
For many patients, psychotherapy and medications can alleviate depressive symptoms in a period of weeks or just a few months. However, when depression lasts for a more extended period of time, patients may experience a profound frustration over their chronic (long-term) lack of symptom relief. Overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and despair can arise out of years of incomplete symptom relief from commonly used antidepressant drugs, and a depressed person's long-term avoidance of social contact can lead to a social-anxiety disorder that keeps him or her from trying to get back to a normal life.
When a patient's symptoms are not responding to different prescribed antidepressant medications, that condition is referred to as 'treatment-resistant'. But there is hope for these patients:
Please see Full Prescribing Information including BOXED WARNINGS regarding increased risk of suicidality in children and adolescents. MAO-Inhibitors are contraindicated with certain drugs. Potential hypertensive crises may occur with foods that contain tyramine. As with all antidepressants, patients should be observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the initial few months of treatment.
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