What Does Depression Mean To Me Essay

Most people benefit from taking antidepressants to some degree, but research suggests that antidepressants may not be as effective as previously thought in cases of mild depression.

Having depression since middle school, I have always had issues coping and keeping my emotions under control. In high school I finally got the help I thought I needed. Going to my doctor and having her prescribe me pills that, I hoped would help, made me feel like I was finally in control of my sadness. Depression makes you feel hopeless, unworthy of life, and many other emotions. You feel as if you are never good enough and you would be better off if you just ended your sad story of a life. Once I started taking my daily dosage of the medication I noticed that they were not working. My doctor gave me higher dosages in hopes I would start feeling them work.

When antidepressant medication is advertised, benefits and negative side effects are provided, but what is not informed to the consumer is how it actually works. The truth behind antidepressant pills is that they don’t kick in right away and may take four to six weeks before they reach their full therapeutic effect. Many also find that it takes several trials before finding the one that works (Smith). This process can be long, strenuous, and costly. Additionally, a large portion of those who try pills in the end find that they are treatment-resistant to the medication, meaning all their efforts were a waste. There exists another form of resistance as well considered “depressive breakthrough” which is defined as the return of depressive symptoms

Depression is quite common nowadays-statistics say that nearly 10% of people in the United States suffer from it each year, and 30% of women are depressed. Many of these people suffer in silence, so to speak, never talking to their doctors about their problem, let alone their friends and family. Some are able to find the courage to talk to their regular doctors, though they may feel awkward and shy discussing the problem. And it does take courage to speak up, trust me-I know because I suffer from this condition and it took me quite awhile to get the nerve to speak to my doctor. But, talking with a regular doctor about depression really may not take care of the problem in the best way. Sure, the doctor will likely write a prescription for you, but with so many depression medications on the market it can be difficult to find the right one for each person-and, chances are your regular doctor probably isn 't familiar with all of the differences in the various depression medications. It generally takes someone who specializes in this type of study to really understand how all of these medicines work. So, what should someone with depression do? It was probably hard enough summoning the strength to go to the doctor in the first place and then here I am telling you that a regular doctor really doesn 't suffice. I suggest that you find a therapist-a counselor, a psychiatrist, or psychologist-basically someone with whom you can make an appointment to just talk. How can you find a

Often times people experiencing depression find themselves on pharmaceuticals. For some, this method works successfully without any sort of difficulty. For others, these medications can cause increased symptoms which can send the patient on a wild goose chase looking for other medications that will work without causing worse symptoms. If you find yourself in the latter category, you may consider trying a few natural methods that are known to be effective for combating symptoms of depression. These natural options can many times be all it takes to help people with depression stay off of medications they are finding difficult to be on. B Vitamins While I owned and operated my own health food store, I learned from a local nutritionist in my area, that countries with socialized medicine were obligated to first try B vitamins prior to prescribing anti-depressants. This spoke loudly to me as to just how powerful B vitamins can be for our mental well being. The B vitamin niacin in particular, is often used by holistic practitioners in higher doses to help alleviate symptoms of depression. Dr. Andrew Saul, an advocate of vitamin therapy, in a film called "Food Matters", speaks of using niacin in doses of 3,000 milligrams and above, until symptoms of depression subside. This may seem extreme, however it is quite effective for many who 've tried it. Exercise Aerobic exercise can be a powerful tool to use in preventing depression. Either running, biking, swimming, or other aerobic

I absolutely understand that my depressive thoughts are not entirely true. After all, they are a result of electro-chemical activity of my disrupted brain, which can be restored to proper function with treatment. Nonetheless, after trying for a long time to restrain these dysfunctional, falsely rational thoughts, I am worn-out. I remember that at the very beginning of the treatment I was willing to try many approaches in order to improve my condition, but nowadays I consider

This was an important revelation. Before their work, depression was thought to be cured solely by increasing the level of deficient neurotransmitters as evidenced by the monoamine theory. Although this had some efficacy in treating depression it did not explain why antidepressant drugs took a while

Some doctors prescribe antidepressants to help minimize or cure a clinically depress person. Many therapist study that antidepressant aren’t a cure for depression. They believe if a person change their habits along with mindset, they can overcome the many emotions

Depression is an illness that no one enjoys talking about, and that is because of what the disease is itself. Since I have been clinically depressed, I understand first-hand the sinking feeling that comes with it. Imagine a leech on your body permanently sucking enjoyment and happiness instead of blood, or imagine being stranded within a bottomless pit with no sight of the sun. That is how I describe depression. However, there are ways to get through it and kick off that leech or climb out of that pit. There are many options to assist in overcoming depression, including medication or therapy, and although it is much easier said than done, many people, including myself, overcome the hopelessness that is depression.

Consider this: Elizabeth Wurtzel has struggled with depression throughout her life. She has a history of suicide attempts, self-mutilations, and serious mood swings. She took numerous antidepressants and medications in an attempt to regulate her irregular behavior. She quit using the medications due to the multiple side effects the drugs had on her. The result was chaos; after Elizabeth quit taking her medication her body experienced episodes of withdrawal. Despite her continued attempts to combat her illness, she experienced nervous breakdowns and alienation from her friends and family. Elizabeth Wurtzel reluctantly went back to taking medication despite the potentially serious side effects of taking so many drugs (Kim 46).

Therapy is obviously the oldest cure for depression, and while it has no ‘side affects,’ it is not foolproof. A therapist or psychologist may not cure a person, as this happens very often, and then another suggestion may be implemented. Drug prescription would probably be the next step. Depression can be helped with anti-depressants. The three main categories of anti-depressants are tricyclics (TCA’s), monoamine oxiduse inhibitors (MAOI’s), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s). TCA’s raise the level of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain .They slow the rate of absorption by the nerve cells . TCA’s have been prescribed since the 1950’s. Tricyclics are made up of a triple carbon ring The most popular brand names of TCA’s are Imipramine (Tofranil), Amutruptyline (Elaurl), and Nortriptyline (Pamelor) (Miligan 126). Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil are all commonly known anti-depressants, and all basically affect the patient the same way. Prozac is used by six million people in the United States and by eleven million worldwide. Prozac is an antidepressant that produces neuron chemicals that depressed people are missing. Many complaints have been issued about such drugs, as they often induce severe side affects. Side affects vary person to person. If they are taken at high

Depression is a feeling that everyone has experienced once in his or her lifetime. There are numerous causes of depression in a person’s life and it is very difficult to jump to conclusions about what the person is going through. This saddened feeling gradually becomes a burden if the person suffering from depression does not seek help of any kind. The severity of depressive disorders can cause many serious turn of events such as deaths or suicides. People have different causes for different types of depression. The first key step for treating depression would be identifying and understanding the causes of depression. Thoroughly understanding what the person is going through during their depressive episode is a difficult task, yet it is very much possible. Understanding the causes can lead us to identify the steps that are necessary for the betterment of the person suffering from depression. Treatments involve therapy, guided counselling, motivation and help from friends, family, personal talking sessions with licensed psychologists etc. Clinical methods are also there to help reduce depression accordingly. Depression is a common problem that will grow in severity if not handled with care and proper seriousness at the right time. Through simple intervention, recognition of causes and proper treatment, it has been seen that people have been successful in overcoming depression, along with that, they have prevented these depressive disorders to return in the near possible

The two major drugs that are used to treat depressive disorders are tricyclic/tetracyclic antidepressants and the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. The last one requires the patient to follow a special diet because the drugs react to tryamine.

As for keeping depression away, there are plenty of useful tips and tricks. Here’s 5 ways to prevent depression from taking over your

Antidepessants are a blessing for me. I have been taking an antidepressant for 16 years, and have no bad side effects. My problem was caused mostly by a lack of seratonin and some events that were occuring in my life. The major event was the fact that my daughter had terminal cancer, and the doctors had given up on her. This news about my daughter 's illness actually helped me to find out I was depressed. I can call this a blessing also because she miraculously recovered from the cancer eventually. As I look back over my life, I recall incidents that possibly proved I may have been depressed for most of my younger years. I remember days when I felt down and wanted to die. Or I would lose my composure, become angry and cry with no good