Depression: It is real.
I was mindful of the news story that the US Senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman had checked himself into a hospital for the treatment of depression.
Given my cynicism about politicians in general, I am torn between whether it is a political move for him to make such an announcement or an act of courageous transparency. It has been no secret that he has had multiple medical problems, and you can look at his announcement with either cynicism or admiration that he did it. Regardless, it does serve as an opportunity to talk about depression.
How common clinical depression is may surprise you. In 2005 researcher Ronald Kessler and his team did a huge survey with a good error margin and found that about 20 percent of the US population had experienced a depressive disorder in their lifetime.
In 2011 the US Centers for Disease Control had research that 1 in 10 Americans ages 12 and older were on some Antidepressant. A lot of people take Antidepressants and you probably do not know who they are.
Recent research from the World Health Organization website reports that there was a 25 percent increase in depression and anxiety due to the effects of the global covid epidemic. I did not see anything comparable to Kessler’s earlier research, but I can say that there have been a ton of publications and news features about the mental health trends on depression and anxiety due to covid.
We tend to think of depression as a form of sadness. But there are two basic types of depression: situational and clinical.
Situational depression is a form of sadness in response to a negative event that can include a death, a breakup, a loss, or some other sad situation. We can usually connect that we are feeling depressed because of something or we can clearly state there is a reason we feel that way.
Clinical depression is a “disordered mood state” that cannot be connected to a reason. I can recall earlier in my career clients crying and saying that they did not know why they were crying and feeling the way they did because logically everything else in their lives was good.
Depression is actually a syndrome or collection of symptoms. To merit a true diagnosis of depression, a person would need to evidence five of the following eight symptoms
• Depressed mood. ...
• Loss of interest/pleasure. ...
• Weight loss or gain. ...
• Insomnia or hypersomnia. ...
• Psychomotor agitation or retardation. ...
• Fatigue. ...
• Feeling worthless or excessive/inappropriate guilt. ...
• Decreased concentration.
Depression is essentially caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. There are three chemicals or neurotransmitters that can have such imbalances: Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and Dopamine.
Depression does impair a person’s ability to handle the environment. Noises are louder, smells are stronger, lights are brighter, and people may seem to be too close. People with depression tend to isolate and sleep more if not reverse their nights and days. Their ability to focus and concentrate can be impaired and reduced. They can have uncontrollable crying for no reason. Their depressive symptoms can evolve into additional anxiety symptoms that can include panic attacks. Their self-esteem as evidenced in their ability to do things and their beliefs that they deserve to have boundaries and respect can also be diminished.
Some people with depression develop more physical symptoms. It can include more digestive symptoms or general pain. One medication that was advertised years ago had the slogan “depression hurts.”
People with depression can develop depressive thinking where they are more emotional and less rational. They see things in black and white and they may jump to conclusions more frequently. They can develop feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. I think it is important to understand that not all individuals with depression become suicidal. Some do.
For many people, clinical depression is like a frog in th