About Mental Depression

Everyone feels down and melancholic at some point, with most being able to recover by themselves. About 9.5 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 18 experiences a mood disorder, with seven out of 10 due to Major Depressive Disorder in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Mental depression can be caused by a variety of factors, and for some cases if left untreated, the depression may spiral to the point of causing self-harm. There are a variety of treatment options that will effectively help sufferers, and preventative steps to stop the progression of depression.

History

• Mental depression has been well-documented throughout history. The book Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, thought to have been written during the Han Dynasty between 206 BCE and 220 CE, divided mental states into different sections. Depression was thought to be an imbalance of the body's energy or fluids and can be separated into different categories, such as depression attributed from grief, anger, over-thinking, mania or fear. The Greek scholar Hippocrates (460-377 BC) proposed that "melancholia" was due to an imbalance of the four humours termed black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood versus an infliction by a god. Preferred treatment was for a lifestyle change as it was believed that lifestyle habits and environmental factors were the cause of the imbalance.

Cause

• Mental depression may be due to one or more of the following factors.

  Experience with a traumatic event in life including divorce, death, loss of a valuable item, poverty or physical/sexual abuse may trigger depression due to associations with loss or disability. Depression may continue if the person is unable to adopt a mind-frame to move on.

  Chronic or debilitating medical conditions may lead to depression. These conditions include cancer, HIV/AIDS, stroke and Parkinson's Disease; depression can result from limited ability to function or low quality of life. Depression may also be a symptom of other medical conditions that may be relieved when the condition is treated. These conditions include epilepsy, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Lyme disease and brain trauma.

  The likelihood of becoming depressed is greater if you have a family history of depression. Research is being conducted on a "depression gene" that may be inherited.

  Certain medications or drug and alcohol abuse have been linked with depression.
  Depression occurs in 13 percent of women after delivering a child, frequent enough that the term is coined postpartum depression. One reason attributed to this is hormonal imbalance, similar to the mood changes that women experience before their period.

Signs and Symptoms

• Sufferers of mental depression have two tell-tale signs: a continuous mood of sadness, anxiousness or "lost" feeling; and the lack of interest in activities or items that were previously enjoyed. Other symptoms may be insomnia, oversleeping, loss of appetite, overeating, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of helplessness, low energy and chronic fatigue, inability to concentrate, body aches and pain, digestive problems and suicidal thoughts or attempts. Physical signs that can be observed are self-neglect such as hygiene, weight loss or weight gain due to diet and lack of exercise. On the severe end, look for signs of self-inflicted wounds of cuts or burns.

Treatment

• Consult a therapist or doctor for help if you are experiencing the aforementioned symptoms of depression. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants to help relieve the depressive mood. Antidepressants help to increase certain brain chemicals, such as serotonin, to help increase "good feelings." Doctors recommend that eight weeks of regular antidepressant intake will help stave away depression, and that stopping before that may cause relapse into depression.

  Psychotherapy is recommended in conjunction with antidepressants. One type of therapy, called interpersonal therapy, concentrates on the personal relationships that may be causing the depression in the patient. Cognitive/behavioral therapy is used to help change the patient's negative actions and thoughts usually associated with depression.

  Alternative therapies that depression patients have used include acupuncture, energy therapies, meditation, music therapy and art therapy.

Prevention

• One way to prevent depression is to keep a support network of friends and family. Having someone to talk to during times of stress will help relieve frustration and loneliness. Exercising regularly will help improve your mood naturally by releasing endorphins in the body and improve overall health of vascular, respiratory and digestive systems. The efficient body functions and increased energy will inspire more of a "can-do" attitude. Practice positive thinking and gratitude. Instead of focusing on negative aspects and what can go wrong, focus on the good things in life. Appreciate what you have and do activities that you enjoy to reduce mental stress and help you to feel better.