Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is a medical disorder characterized by extreme feelings of sadness, lack of self-worth and dejection. It disrupts your daily life by affecting your thoughts, feelings, behavior and physical health.

Depression has many causes. It can be triggered by other illnesses or medications, the use of drugs or alcohol, a history of abuse, a chemical imbalance in the brain or genetics. Some people experience depression even when life is going well, while in others the disorder is brought about by extreme stress or grief. Sources of stress may include:

  • Trying to balance tasks at work and home
  • Having a stressful job
  • Being a single parent
  • Having money problems
  • Divorce or death of a partner

Depression may also worsen around times such as menstruation, pregnancy, loss of a baby, birth of a baby, infertility and menopause. When these situations improve, you may feel better. However, if your feelings of sadness do not improve, you should be treated for depression.

What are the symptoms?

Women who are depressed will experience at least 5 of the following symptoms (including at least 1 of the first 2) nearly every day, all day, for at least 2 weeks:

  • Lacking interest in things they used to enjoy
  • Feeling sad, blue, or “down in the dumps”
  • Slowing down or acting restless and not able to sit still
  • Feeling worthless or guilty
  • Having a change in appetite or losing or gaining weight
  • Having thoughts of death or suicide or trying to commit suicide
  • Having problems concentrating, thinking, remembering or making decisions
  • Sleeping too much or not being able to fall asleep or staying asleep
  • Lacking energy and feeling tired all the time

How is depression diagnosed?

Depression is diagnosed by the types of symptoms a woman experiences, how often they occur and how severe they are. Questions about your medical history, drug or alcohol use and thoughts of suicide will be asked by your doctor to determine your treatment.

What treatments are available?

Treatment of depression may include antidepressant medication, psychotherapy or both based on your condition. When talking to your doctor about treatment options, be sure to ask the following questions:

  • How long will it take for me to get better?
  • What are some risks and side effects?
  • What are my costs and what will my insurance cover?

Antidepressants
Antidepressants are medications used to treat depression and relieve symptoms in more than half the people who take them. Their effects usually experienced within a few weeks by balancing the chemicals in the brain. Several different antidepressants are available and it may take a few trials to find the one that works for you with the fewest side effects.

Any antidepressant can cause some side effects, usually within the first 2-3 weeks, but most effects disappear after time. Side effects may include:

  • Nausa
  • Dizziness
  • Constipation
  • A skin rash
  • Feeling sleepy or having trouble sleeping
  • Gaining or losing weight
  • Feeling restless
  • Sexual problems, including loss of libido

Your doctor will require frequent visits when starting treatment to monitor your dosage, side effects and improvements. You may continue taking the medication after feeling better to prevent the return of depression, or in more serious cases, continue long-term treatment.

Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a type of treatment involving discussion with a therapist to overcome your depression. A therapy session may be one-on-one , in a group or include family members. Psychotherapy alone has improved half the people with mild to moderate depression, but may be combined with antidepressants for more severe depression.

Psychotherapy plus Antidepressants
Combining both psychotherapy and antidepressants relieves symptoms of depression in most women. These treatments may require several months to work and are suggested for women with long-term depression, people with with symptoms between more severe episodes or for those that do not respond fully to psychotherapy or antidepressants alone.

Light Therapy
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a depression experienced during seasons with shorter days and may be treated with light therapy. During light therapy, women are exposed to broad-spectrum light for about 20 minutes every morning.

Hospital Treatment
Patients who do not respond favorably to treatments from their doctor or therapist may need to stay in a hospital for a few days or longer. A hospital stay removes the patient from daily stress and offers more intense treatment.