Often, we think of medical issues as being “the other guy’s concern.”    

Why, for instance, would we bother spending our time thinking about arthritis if we feel comfortable and limber? 

 Why would we stew over tuberculosis when we are able to breathe freely and clearly?

The logic behind this line of thinking is understandable. 

If it doesn’t affect us, there doesn’t seem to be a compelling reason to care a great deal about the problem. 

Sure, we want to have some knowledge about preventing the onset of some diseases and disorders, but we are not apt to spend a great deal of time considering or researching maladies for which we lack a diagnosis.

There are exceptions to this rule, however, and one of the most notable is the matter of depression.

Depression is an illness about which we all should care and to which we should all pay close attention.

What makes depression unique among all of the other illnesses and diseases? 

There are at least three very good reasons for even the most mentally healthy among us to keep up to date about depression.

The significance of the three reasons outlined in this article is amplified by one fact:  there is a depression epidemic underway. 

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has projected that by the year 2020, depression will be the world’s second most dangerous and devastating disease, second only to heart disease.

The rate of increase in depression diagnoses among children is increasing at a frightening clip—every year sees at least an additional twenty percent increase in the incidence of depression among young people.

Some estimates assert that nearly a quarter of all people will some day suffer from depression. 

To make matters even worse, none of these trends are abating. 

Depression continues to grow at an alarming rate with no end in sight to the problem.

The sheer magnitude of the depression problem may be impressive in and of itself, but it also amplifies the need for all of us to track and understand the disease.  This is true for three primary reasons.The first justification for concern is the near certainty that depression will touch each of our lives in a very direct way.  The statistics recounted above make it almost impossible to avoid having a loved one, friend or close associate who suffers from depression. Depression is an illness that will enter all of our lives indirectly, at the very least.  Whether it is a spouse, parent or best friend, you will someday encounter the devastating impact of depression upon someone you know well.
Secondly, the increasing prevalence of depression increases the likelihood that you may eventually experience the problem.  Although depression is more likely among those with a family history of the problem, it does strike others unexpectedly, too.  And, contrary to widely held beliefs, it does not require a certain trigger or dramatic event to develop.  Depression is unbiased and indiscriminate.  It impacts people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, races and gender.  Working with the assumption that depression does impact twenty-five percent of the population, ask yourself a simple question:  “Is there any other disease you would ignore if you knew you had a one in four chance of contracting it?” The answer is obvious.  We even make sure to immunize ourselves against far less likely maladies.

Finally, even if one was somehow able to escape dealing with a depressed acquaintance and was able to avoid contracting the disorder themselves, they are still sure to feel its impact. 

Depression is a huge drain on the economy, costing literally tens of billions of dollars annually due to medical treatment costs, work absenteeism and an overall drop in productivity. 

From the viewpoint of civics alone, one should have an interest in the disease and its treatment.

It’s easy to ignore many medical conditions—especially if one is healthy.  Depression, however, does not make the list of diseases any of us can fail to understand.  This growing epidemic affects all of us and warrants a high level of attention. Three Kinds Of Depression:
 
The concept of depression is broad and encompasses a number of different phenomena. The term is used in the vernacular to refer to a simple “blue” mood.  In a medical sense it can label anything from a long-lingering feeling of hollowness to a critical situation ending is a suicide.The simple “down mood” or “bad hair day” really isn’t depression at all.  It’s merely the experience of normal human emotions in response to external and internal factors. 

Every case of being sad or lonely is not an example of depression. 

Low feelings are normal and even healthy.

Depression refers to more severe cases where those negative feelings take hold and have a more serious or lasting influence on one’s well-being or ability to function.

There are three types of depression, all of which share that similarity. 

One is known as dysthymia.

Dysthymia is a chronic, low-grade depression that lasts over a long period of time. 

This type of depression is “sneaky” and may not be spotted easily. 

Its long-lasting nature allows one to “adjust” to its symptoms somewhat, making a depressed mood seem like the normal every day nature of things.

Dysthymia sufferers have the overall quality of their lives undermined by depression, often without realizing it. 

They may think they are simply dour people or that life is inevitably something less than enjoyable. 

Those with dysthymia are able to function with a high degree of normalcy, but are constantly nagged by feelings of sadness, despair, loneliness and related emotions.

Situational depression can have more severe symptoms. 

This is the form of depression that rears its head in direct response to external circumstances. 

Any number of traumas or trying events can trigger a bout of situational depression. 

The death of a loved one, or the loss of a job, for instance, may produce intense and temporarily debilitating depressive symptoms.

The key to differentiating situation depression from its clinical counterpart is the temporary nature of the symptomology and the fact that it can often be traced back to a specific cause.  One should note that traumatic events can also herald the onset of clinical depression, however.Those suffering from situational depression may find life very difficult for a period of time.  They may feel agitated or nervous, have disruptions in sleeping habits, or experience other common depressive symptoms.  However, the problem usually passes as the individual learns to cope with the problems that triggered the episode.

Clinical depression is more severe.  If one experiences symptoms that interfere with regular functioning for a period longer than two weeks in length, they may be suffering from clinical depression.  Clinical depression can last indefinitely and can be quite devastating.

The hallmark of clinical depression is the inability to enjoy almost any aspect of life. 

In some cases, the sufferer may even begin to consider suicide as an alternative to continuing on in their depressed state. 

Symptoms can run the gamut from a vague sense of unease to utter and complete hopelessness. 

Interventions are usually required for one to overcome clinical depression. 

These can involve the use of psychotherapy, prescription antidepressants and other strategies aimed at solving the problem. 

Those who do not seek treatment for this condition may find the problem literally fatal in the long run.

Fortunately, these methods can often be successful in helping one overcome the dreaded symptoms of clinical depression.

Depression is a growing problem ,and as the epidemic continues to grow, it only makes sense for all of us to gain a better understanding of the disease. 

The World Health Organization posits that by the year 2020 depression will be second most devastating disease facing humanity, second only to heart disease in its impact. 

Depression touches the lives of most everyone and all of us should develop a stronger appreciation of what separates depression from simply having a “lousy week.”

Although the term “depression” may encompass many things in popular use, in a strict sense it refers to one of the three variations mentioned in this article.  Dysthymia, situational depression and clinical depression represent the three primary types of depression. They share a great deal in common, but can be differentiated from one another by the severity of their symptoms and their longevity.Popular Arguments Against Antidepressants:
 
As depression continues to increase, so does the use of antidepressant medications. These prescription drugs are widely lauded for their ability in treating the disorder and are immensely popular.  Many attribute their ability to conquer depression the antidepressant medications they were prescribed.

However, support for these drugs is not universal. 

There are many who argue that the use of antidepressants does not represent an optimal intervention for depression and that other means of treating the disease should be preferred.

There are some in the anti-medication crowd who will argue that research and opinion supporting the use of prescription antidepressants is so tainted by the vested financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry that it must be approached with a great deal of suspicion. Those sharing this viewpoint will argue that antidepressants are wildly over-prescribed and that the number of people diagnosed with depressive disorders includes many who probably need no intervention whatsoever. 

Even those who do not share this hard-line perspective, however, still find occasion to critique the use of antidepressants.Critics of antidepressants often begin their attack on the drugs by noting that no one is absolutely certain why the medications work at all in successful cases.  They are naturally suspicious of these “wonder drugs” because there is a lack of certainty about exactly why the drugs tend to produce the desired results in many patients. Additionally, those who are “not sold” on antidepressants will often argue that they primarily serve to mask depression’s symptoms while leaving the underlying causes of the disorder intact.  Some, for instance, will point to research that indicates depression could be the result of significant emotional trauma earlier in life.  It is possible, they argue, to deal with those issues and to redirect ways of thinking after making that realization as a means to ending depression. Medication, in their estimation, leaves the underlying problem intact while failing to solve the problem created by these underlying problems.Antidepressants, critics will argue, are too rife with possible negative side effects to justify their use in light of those observations. 

 All prescription medications, it seems, carry with them some risk of unintended consequences and antidepressants are not an exception to that rule.

 Patients taking the medications can suffer from a variety of side effects ranging from the merely inconvenient to the severe. 

In some cases antidepressants can actually spur a wholesale increase in depressive symptoms.

Those who disagree with the growing trend toward increase antidepressant use say that performing a cost/benefit analysis regarding the drugs demonstrates a reason to seek out alternatives.  They maintain that the risk of improvement, when viewed in the context of the uncertain nature of the drugs and their potential detrimental side effects, should compel one not to seek treatment from depression in the form of a pill.What alternatives to antidepressants do critics provide?Generally, their alternative treatments focus on a combination of more natural solutions and therapy. Improved nutrition and diet, for instance, may be offered as a means of reducing depression. 

Some also call for the use of particular herbal supplements in order to balance nutrition and to deal with depression’s symptoms.

In conjunction with such alternatives, critics of pharmaceutical solutions also support the use of therapy as a means of dealing with depression. 

As noted, many believe that underlying emotional problems cause depression and that it can be best dealt with by recognizing and “healing” those root causes.

Behavioral therapies focusing upon the development of new skills and ways of approaching problems are offered as an alternative to drug use. 

It should be noted, of course, that many proponents of prescription “solutions” also support the use of therapy in conjunction with medications.
   

Antidepressants are widely used and there is no evidence to suggest that use will decrease in the immediate future.

On the contrary, it appears as if the use of antidepressants as a mental health tool will actually continue to accelerate. 

The level of criticism about these drugs, however, is substantial enough to warrant attention. 

Anyone considering the use of antidepressants should at least be familiar with some of the arguments posited against them to insure that they will be making a fully informed decision regarding their mental health.

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