Bayridge Family Center
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
by Kim Christink
Understanding DepressionWhen does Depression most often occur?
Depression can visit us at any time in our life. It can be experienced in childhood, adolescence, adulthood and in the senior years. However it is most common in adults between the ages of 18 and 44 (according to the Canadian Mental Health Association).
As you can see by the age of onset, a mood disorder often begins in ones teens. Often it is misdiagnosed as hormone swings (moodiness, irritability, anger, impulsivity and risk-taking behaviours). People over the age of 55 are also often misdiagnosed with 'growing old', instead of 'Late-Onset Depression'. In most cases, those who experience 'Late-Onset Depression', have a prior history of depression whether they were treated or not.
How common are Depression, Manic Depression and Anxiety Disorders?
Mood Disorders
Depression is viewed as a medical illness. Research suggests that genetic influences appear to influence depressive patients in only about 16 % of the cases. For many individuals life influences appear to trigger their depressive periods
In the United States the National Institute of Mental Health indicate that over 10 million will suffer a major depression and that between 10-15 percent of the population will experience at least one episode of major depression. This does not take into account the many individuals that do not seek medical help. Many religiously devoted individuals often tend to grind out life no matter how hard it gets.
In other parts of the world where poverty, mal-nutrition and poor medical care are prevalent, it is believed that these statistics would be much higher.
Recent evidence reveals that anxiety disorders account for 30% of annual USA expenditure for psychiatric illness. This tallies to over $ 46 Billion US every year.
Myths About Mood Disorders
- Depression is a spiritual problem!
- Depression is about not having enough will power or character!
- Depression is about letting your emotions control you!
- Depression is about you being weak!
- Depression is your fault!
- Depression is not a MEDICAL illness!
The TRUTH is : IT IS A MEDICAL ILLNESS AND IT IS TREATABLE!
Frequently Asked Questions About Depression
How long does Depression last?
Depression, depending on its nature and the individual, can last for several months or for a very long time. Some may experience severe symptoms and some less severe. It is possible that you may only experience one episode of depression, and/or anxiety, in your whole life. You and your doctor cannot know this because they cannot read the future. What we do know is that you have experienced it at least once, and therefore, may experience it once again. It could happen in a year or it may be in a decade. What we do know is that if someone is prone to depression or anxiety, the more they maintain a preventative program, the less severe the symptoms will be when it reoccurs.
Will I be on Medication all my life?
Your doctor will diagnose your medical illness based on the DSM -IV (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Disorder, Fourth Edition) criteria for your disorder. Because there are many reasons why you may be experiencing depression and manic depression, there are also many ways that you can take ownership to relieve these symptoms. When your symptoms are such that they are significantly affecting your ability to function or perform, your doctor may suggest drug therapy.
It is not possible to take a test to see if your serotonin levels are low, or how your neurotransmitters are working. There is no scientific method to measure this as of yet. Your doctor assesses your symptoms based upon your self-disclosure, to see if you need to be on an anti-depressant or a mood stabilizer. If your doctor believes that medication will be helpful for you, you may experience a difference in 3-4 weeks after taking the prescribed anti-depressant.
Your doctor is to work with you, through trial and error, to find the best medications to work with your system. If your body does not need the extra chemical help to bring balance, your doctor may deduct that it is not needed. Most often, the medication will enhance wellness.
In the reverse manner, after you have stabilized your mood for at least one year, you may choose to work with your doctor to see if you no longer need the help of medication. This should always be done working with your doctor. In most cases, it is assumed you may be able to come off medication if you have adequately worked through the other areas of your life, via. counseling, life style changes, exercise, diet, biofeedback and or spiritual growth.
This can only be known through trying it. I have had many clients that feel they do not want to be reliant upon drugs for the rest of their life, despite the good history of many of the new medications on the market. For these individuals, they commit themselves to faithfully doing the work of recovery using the other strategies available to them.
Still, for other clients, they become anxious to come off medication, knowing how they felt before taking medication. For these clients they want to feel as good as possible, so they are happy to supplement their drug therapy with the other therapeutic strategies as well.
Will you be on medication for the rest of your life? No one can really say. What you must decide is, what do you want? What is scientifically proven by research is, that there are several strategies, and the integration of several allows for the greatest percentage of recovery. I will remind you again that this is not a sprint, or a short trip to the corner store. This is journey of skill development that will take time and commitment. However we usually are willing to make a long journey for things that are worth it. You, feeling good again is worth it.
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