Depression
Wednesday,
13 October, 1999, 17:16 GMT
BBC
Depression
is a common mental illness which is estimated to affect up to one in five
Britons at some point in their lifetime and to cost the UK about £8bn a year in
medication, benefits and lost working days. It can strike at any age and the
feelings of hopelessness and helplessness attached to it can make it difficult
for people to carry out their normal activities. It can be more or less severe
and symptoms are often varied, making it often hard to diagnose. It is thought
that some individuals may be more prone to depression, whether because of life
experiences, their body chemistry or genetically inherited conditions. Those who
have suffered from depression include Sir Winston Churchill and Florence
Nightingale.
What
is depression?
Anyone
can suffer from depression. The most common symptoms include:
·
Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
·
Feeling useless, inadequate, bad
·
A sense of self hatred, constant questioning of
thoughts and actions and a constant need for reassurance
·
Feeling vulnerable and being oversensitive to
criticism
·
Sense of guilt
·
Loss of energy and the ability to concentrate and be
motivated to do even the simplest tasks
·
Harming oneself
·
Sudden loss or gain in weight
·
Sleep disruption or a need to sleep very long hours
·
Agitation and restlessness
·
Loss of libido
·
Physical aches and pains
Most
people only suffer two or three of these symptoms at any one time.
People
with severe depression may also experience suicidal feelings, stop eating or
drinking and suffer from delusions or hallucinations.
Many
people who need treatment for depression suffer further bouts later in life.
Women
are twice as likely to suffer from depression, but three times as many men
commit suicide.
Experts
say this could be because women are more likely to admit to depression because
of the stigma attached to mental illness
.
Different
types of depression
There
are many different types of depression, including clinically diagnosed
depression, manic depression and post-natal depression.
Manic
depression is marked by extreme mood swings, between highs when a person
experiences excessive energy and optimism and lows when they may feel total
despair and lack of energy.
It
is often treated with lithium or, in extreme cases, electro-convulsive therapy.
Post-natal
depression can occur from about two weeks after the birth of a child to two
years after and differs from the mood swings suffered by many in the first few
days after the child is born.
Other
forms of depression include Seasonal Affective Disorder which is thought to be
associated with the approach of winter and may be linked to lack of sunlight.
Causes
of depression
Depression
can be caused by a combination of factors.
It
often runs in families, suggesting a genetic component, but it may be triggered
by stressful events.
Major
depressive illness is usually linked to some form of chemical imbalance in the
brain.
It
is also thought that people with low self-esteem, a pessimistic outloook on life
and difficulty coping with stress are more prone to depression.
Life
events which may trigger depression include bereavement, chronic illness,
relationship problems and financial difficulties.
Treatment
In
recent years, the market has been saturated by a range of new drugs called
anti-depressants.
These
include Prozac which is thought to correct chemical imbalances in the brain.
Other
types of drugs may also be used to treat depression.
Many
positive claims have been made for anti-depressants, but some patients
experience bad side effects.
Other
ways of treating depression include psychotherapy, which aims to uncover the
reasons for depression and help the patient to find ways of overcoming them.
Self
help groups may also offer people a forum for talking about their condition and
sharing it with others so that they do not feel isolated and alone.
In
extreme cases, a person with depression may need to be treated in hospital, for
example, if they are threatening or have attempted to commit suicide.
If
the person is deemed a risk to himself or others, he may have to be committed to
hospital.
Besides
psychotherapy and a course of anti-psychotic drugs, people in hospital may be
offered or forced to undergo electro-convulsive therapy.
This
involves applying electric currents to the brain. The treatment is
controversial, but safety procedures have been improved in recent years.
Some
psychiatrists are against its use, particularly without the patient's consent,
but others believe it can be effective in dealing with life-threatening
depression.
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