Productive & Unproductive Depression

Depression is usually thought of as a negative thing. It's viewed as a mental disorder that must be conquered with counseling, medication or a combined approach. Otherwise the sufferer might remain trapped in an unproductive state as the depression keeps her from normal functioning. However, Dr, Paul Keedwell, a psychiatrist and mood disorder expert at King's College in London, believes depression serves a purpose and can be productive when it is handled properly.

Definition

• Depression is a "down" mood that goes beyond normal sadness and persists for many weeks or months. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates it affects more than a quarter of American adults annually. It may have a physical cause like an imbalance in brain chemicals or hormones. It may be triggered by an emotional event like death, divorce or another type of loss. Sometimes it happens due to a combination of these factors. For example, hormonal problems might put someone at greater risk for depression, and a life event might push her over the edge.

Symptoms

• Depression has certain distinct symptoms, according to Help Guide. It causes sadness, irritability and anxiety. It can keep a person from falling asleep or make him sleep excessively. It causes problems with concentration, negative thoughts and self-imposed isolation. It impairs appetite or leads to overeating. Eventually, it leads a person to feel trapped and hopeless as the feelings get worse.

Purpose

• Depression often has a productive purpose, according to Dr. Keedwell. It calls attention to life circumstances that may require attention and a change. For example, a woman who is being physically or emotionally abused by her spouse might develop depression. The symptoms will be apparent to her and may be recognized by others around her. This may cause her to examine her life and may trigger others to get involved. The depression may lead her to get outside help or to leave the situation. Dr. Keedwell also believes depression may force a person into internal examination that can lead to insights and spurts of creativity.

Treatment

• Depression is traditionally treated with cognitive therapy or antidepressant medication. These two methods may also be combined. Unproductive depression with a physical cause may need drug treatment. Productive depression responds well to cognitive counseling, according to Psychology Information Online, because this method helps clients identify underlying causes of their problems. It then teaches them how to take power over the situation and how to use thought-based techniques to change the way they see and do things and to live more effectively.

Warning

• Depression can be unproductive when it results from chemical or hormone imbalance or when a person does not seek treatment or address it in another healthy way. Unproductive depression can severely impact a person's life, keeping him from functioning at work or having a healthy relationship with family members and friends. He may lose his job, and other people may back away from him, removing his support system. He could become suicidal if the depression continues to worsen. Unproductive depression needs to be evaluated and treated as soon as possible to prevent it from destroying the sufferer's life.