Understanding Depression I. Misunderstanding of depress

Understanding Depression
    Good morning, everyone. Today we’ll talk about the topic of depression. As we all know, depression is very common and affects people of every color, race, economic status, or age.  Unfortunately, not everyone recognizes depression when it happens to someone they know.  [1]Some people have the mistaken belief that depression comes from weakness or is a character flaw. Some people don’t really understand about depression. People who don’t understand may react to a depressed person’s low energy with criticism, yelling at the person for acting lazy or not trying harder. [2]Some people mistakenly believe that depression is just an attitude or a mood that a person can shake off. It’s not that easy.
    In today’s lecture, in order to erase these misunderstandings and draw a rough picture of this issue, we will cover three domains of depression. They are causes, symptoms of depression and the way to get over it.
    Firstly, let us begin with the causes of depression. Actually there is no single cause for depression. Many factors play a role including genetics, life events, environment, and medical conditions.
    Research shows that depression runs in families and that some people inherit genes that make it more likely for them to get depressed. Not everyone who has the genetic makeup for depression gets depressed, though. And many people who have no family history of depression have the condition. So although genes are one factor, they aren’t the single cause of depression.
    The second factor is some upset life events. [3]The death of a family member, friend, or pet can go beyond normal grief and sometimes lead to depression. Other difficult life events, such as when parents divorce, separate, or remarry, can trigger depression. Even events like moving or changing schools can be emotionally challenging enough that a person becomes depressed.
    Family and social environment also play a role. For some people, a negative, stressful, or unhappy family atmosphere can affect their self-esteem and lead to depression. [4]This can also include high-stress living situations such as poverty; homelessness; and violence in the family, relationships, or community.
    Substance use and abuse also can cause chemical changes in the brain that affect mood—alcohol and some drugs are known to have depressant effects. [5]Certain medical conditions can affect hormone balance and therefore have an effect on mood. When these medical conditions are diagnosed and treated by a doctor, the depression usually disappears.
    Secondly, let us take a look at the symptoms of depression. Although depression varies from person to person, there are some common signs and symptoms. Here are some major symptoms that people have when they’re depressed.
    1. Depressed mood, a person may report feeling “sad” or “empty” or may cry frequently.
    Children and adolescents may exhibit irritability.
    2. Weight changes, significant changes in weight when not attempting to gain or lose may be indicative of depression.
    3. [6]Sleep disturbances, insomnia or sleeping too much may be a symptom of depression.
    4. [7]Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, a depressed person may feel that they have no value or they may feel inappropriately guilty about things they have no control over.
    5. “Brain Fog”, it means a depressed person may have a diminished ability to think, concentrate or make decisions.
    6. [8]Thoughts of suicide, a depressed person may have recurring thoughts of death, especially thoughts of suicide, with or without a specific plan.
    When someone has five or more of these symptoms most of the time for two weeks or longer, that person is probably depressed. Depression is more than occasionally feeling blue, sad, or down, but a strong mood involving sadness, discouragement, despair, or hopelessness that lasts for weeks, months, or even longer. It interferes with a person’s ability to participate in normal activities.
    Next, let’s turn to the next main point, how to get help if someone gets depressed. Depression is one of the most common emotional problems. The good news is that it’s also one of the most treatable conditions. There are professionals who can help. In fact, about 80% of people who get help for their depression have a better quality of life—they function better and enjoy themselves in a way that they weren’t able to before.
    Treatment for depression can include talk therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
    [9]Talk therapy with a mental health professional is very effective in treating depression.
    Therapy sessions help people understand depression and what they can do about it.
    Sometimes, doctors prescribe medicine for a person who has depression. When prescribing medicine, a doctor will carefully monitor patients to make sure they get the right dose. The doctor will adjust the dose as necessary. It can take a few weeks before the person feels the medicine working. Because every person’s brain is different, what works well for one person might not be good for another.
    One more suggestion I want to give to the friend of a depressed person is that friends need to step in if someone seems severely depressed and isn’t getting help. Although it’s important to be supportive, trying to cheer up a friend or reasoning with him or her probably won’t work to help depression or suicidal feelings go away. [10]Depression can be so strong that it outweighs a person’s ability to respond to reason. Even if your friend has asked you to promise not to tell, this is a situation where telling could save a life. The most important thing a depressed person can do is to get the right treatment.
    Up till now, we’ve got a general idea of depression, including causes, and symptoms of depression and the way to survive depression. In our next lecture, we’ll continue to discuss another health problem, obesity.