There are several questions and answers about the illness called depression. Please read all of these carefully, since it is very important that you understand this illness as thoroughly as possible:

What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that affects most of the activities of daily living. The most common effects are on sleep, eating, energy, and sex drive. We have been able to identify many of the chemical changes in depression. Depression does the same thing to our mood and lifestyle whether the cause is internal or external in nature.

What causes depression?
Scientists can now identify a over 400 neurotransmitters in the brain. When we are under prolonged stress, depression often results in a shortage of one of these chemicals. Most often the chemicals are seritonin, dopamine, or non-epinephrine. The most common medications replace and enhance these neurotransmitters. We do know that depression is one of the most common diseases, and that left untreated, has a mortality rate of the 18% (1/6). This is a disease that strikes every generation of normal, healthy people.

Does having a depression mean that a person is mentally ill or going crazy?
No, but it will very often make people think they are.

Is it a common illness?
Yes, it is the most common illness seen in all of medicine; however, it is often confused with other illnesses. For example, many people who think or are told they have "low blood", vitamin deficiency, sinus headaches, low sugar, menopause, "the change," "burnout," and "all run-down and need rest," actually have a depression causing their troubles.

What symptoms can a depressed person exhibit?
People with a depression can experience the following symptoms:

• They will feel very tired all the time, even when they have not even worked or exerted themselves very much. They will be just as tired on days when they have rested as on days when they have worked hard.

• Their sleep will usually be affected in one of two ways; They will either go to sleep and then wake up during the night and remain awake, or else they will sleep too much all the time, even during the day.

• They will feel very irritable. They will get upset very easily over little things that ordinarily would not upset them.

• They will often feel very sad for no reason, and, in fact, will often break into tears without knowing why.

• Their normal sex drive will be very much decreased, in fact, it will often go away altogether.

• They will often have a headache, perhaps not very severe, but present most of the time. Almost any chronic pain elsewhere, such as in the abdomen or back, can be caused by depression. And these pains are not imaginary; they are quite real and often severe.

• They will find it difficult to enjoy things. They will feel little enthusiasm, even for things they used to look forward to.

• They will often be constipated, or have other digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhea. They may lose or gain weight.

• They will find it difficult to concentrate, to make decisions, to remember things, to get things done.

• They will often feel like they are ineffective and worthless, even though they know they have no reason to feel that way.

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