Depression 101
I get this question a lot: What exactly is Depression? Followed by: Should I Take Medication?
Did you know that Depression is the number 1 most diagnosed Mental Health disorder in the US? According to the Mayo Clinic every year more than 3 million adults in the US are treated for depression. Depression is a relatively treatable condition and benefits from a variety of methods of treatment. Depression is typically treated by medication, therapy, or a combination of both. Treatment options vary depending on the individual and no one person with depression should be treated the same.
Depression is often episodic, sometimes chronic, and/or comes and goes. Depression looks different in everyone and there are a variety of types of depression. Typical symptoms of depression include ongoing feelings of sadness, sleeping difficulties (typically oversleeping), loss of interest or pleasure in things you normally enjoy, feeling tired/fatigued daily despite adequate/excessive sleep, weight loss or gain, feelings of worthlessness, and/or hopelessness, trouble focusing and being productive and possibly thoughts of death or feeling like the world would be better off without you.
Many people will experience short-term depression at least once or twice in their life due to situational factors and/or prolonged grief. Many, however, will experience numerous episodes of depression that come and go or last for long periods of time. Sometimes it will be moderate depression and then get worse or better. Some people will be knocked down while others manage to “power through.” It is important to note that just because someone seems to have it all together on the outside, doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering on the inside. Depression also isn’t a “choice” and definitely doesn’t care if you have all the things you could ever want. Depression doesn’t discriminate so no, your depression isn’t any less important than another’s. Stop beating yourself up because you “have no reason to be depressed.”
Depression is believed to be a chemical imbalance in the brain due to a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have a way to find out exactly what is going on in everyone’s brain and this imbalance can look different in everyone which is why not everyone responds to various medications the same. It’s also unclear if the “imbalance” is the cause or side effect of depression. This is also another reason why some people respond one way to medication while others respond a different way.
Speaking of medication, there are all sorts of medications. I won’t go into detail about how they all work because you don’t really need to know that but I will give a brief overview of the options which typically include: SSRI’s, SNRI’s, Atypical antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants, and MAOI’s.
SSRI’s are typically the first line of defense, SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, meaning it targets the neuro-transmitter serotonin. You will most commonly see Zoloft and Prozac as the go-to choices. That is because these medications are the most effective with the least amount of side effects, are well known even by non-psychiatrists, and are easily obtained. SNRI’s are another form of medication, typically tried if SSRI’s haven’t been effective. They work similar to SSRI’s but they target the neuro-transmitter norepinephrine, another neuro-hormone linked to depression.
Medication is a very personal and helpful form of treatment in conjunction with therapy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking medication. No, it’s not going to cause permanent damage to your brain, and no it’s most likely not going to make it worse. There are instances where that has happened, but it is very rare, and an important thing to talk to your doctor about. I once heard a patient say that medication is like a “bridge” over a river, it helps you to get across the flood water and prevents you from drowning. Many people take anti-depressants once and are fine, others take them and then don’t need them again for a long period of time and sometimes people always need them. Again, this isn't because you are broken, it just means that your brain isn’t working exactly how it should. It’s not a personal failure, weakness, or character flaw.
Therapy is another way to treat Depression. Pills don’t teach skills but it’s also important to note that sometimes it’s hard to learn the skills without medication. So, figure out what works best for you. Therapy can include a combination of individual sessions to target a variety of issues along with conjunctive skills classes and/or groups. I currently work in a setting where I provide individual therapy and we have a variety of various groups/classes in the clinic. My preference is to have patients focus on coping skills in the groups/classes so we can focus on a patient’s specific needs/situation as well as ways to implement the skills they are learning to their individual situations.
Exercise and diet are also an important part of treatment. These are the things that are often the first to go when someone begins to struggle with Depression. But they are also some of the best things you can do for yourself when you’re feeling down. Exercise is a natural anti-depressant and will actually help your brain process the medications you may be taking more effectively. There is also a direct connection between your gut and your brain, so if you’re not nourishing your body it’s going to make it very hard to nourish your brain.
I hope you found this blog helpful and that it may have given you some insight and perspective as to the best ways to treat your depression. Or helped you gain more understanding of what someone in your life may be experiencing if they’re struggling with depression. If you have any specific questions feel free to reach out to me at Colleen@ScatteredPotential.com, subscribe to my blog or my newsletter by filling out the form below. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
If you’re wanting more information regarding medication, reaching out to a psychiatrist and/or your doctor would be a better option.
Check out my resources page as well for helpful information regarding the management/better understanding of yours or someone else’s depression.