Dealing with Depression
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
Mary came to the office for therapy. She said she was
“feeling down” and this was happening “too much of the time.”
Also, things didn’t seem as enjoyable to her as they used to.
Her story went something like this… She was 33
years old. She had been married for nine years and had two kids.
For most of her married life, she felt happy. But
lately, things had been different. She had been having a hard time
listening to what her kids had to say when they came home from school. And
her favorite TV show, “Friends,” which usually brought lots of laughs,
had not seemed as funny anymore.
She had begun feeling irritable more often and she
found herself getting upset with her husband about things that didn’t
usually bother her. She felt tired more than usual and now she would often
start projects that she didn’t finish.
She began to catch herself daydreaming about losing
her mother to cancer a year ago or thinking about how unfulfilling her
life had become.
When Mary discussed these problems with her family
doctor, he told her they were signs of depression. Then, when he
recommended counseling, she decided to try it. Her counselor confirmed the
diagnosis and started treating her.
A Common Problem
Mary, like 14 million other Americans, suffers from
depression. Since October is National Depression and Mental Health Month,
this is a good time to boost awareness of depression and what people can
do to overcome it.
Mary’s symptoms may seem obvious to an outsider.
But when individuals become depressed, they often have a hard time judging
it for themselves. What can they look for? The most common sign of
depression in adults is sadness. Other common symptoms include:
- Loss
of interest or loss of pleasure in things
- Lack
of energy
- Feelings
of helplessness or hopelessness
- Irritability
or short temper
- Crying
- Feeling
numb or empty
- Social
withdrawal
- Disruption
of your common sleep pattern
- Difficulty
concentrating or making decisions
- Feelings
of worthlessness
- Feelings
of guilt
Therapists have learned to recognize the different
levels of depression. They can judge the severity of depression based on
its intensity, its duration, and its causes. Starting with this
understanding, they can then determine the best course of treatment.
Getting Help
Now here’s the good news. Depression has become
very treatable. The types of therapies for treating it have improved, as
have the types of medication.
Scientific studies show that the fastest therapeutic
response is through medication. But, with medication alone, there’s a
high likelihood the symptoms will recur when you stop taking the
medication. Through counseling, the therapeutic response is gradual. It
takes longer to show a change in symptoms but the symptoms are less likely
to recur.
So therapists typically recommend both counseling and
medication.
This makes sense from another perspective too.
There’s good evidence that depression has both a biological and a
psychological component. The biological component refers, in large part,
to the balance of certain chemicals in our brain. This can be changed with
the antidepressant medications (such as Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, and
Lexapro).
Then there’s the psychological component. This
refers to the thoughts or images in our minds that lead to sadness. It is
possible that by changing our thoughts, we can change our brain chemistry.
That may be why counseling alone has an effect. For less severe
depression, this may be all that’s needed. But for long-term or severe
depression, counseling plus medication is almost always the recommended
course of treatment.
How’s Mary doing today? Very well. With medication
and ongoing therapy, she has found that all of her symptoms have
decreased. She still has a few things she’s “working on” in therapy
but now she comes for sessions once every three weeks instead of once a
week.
She feels happier now and looks forward to continued
improvement.
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Rich Bayer,
Ph.D., is the CEO of Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a
practicing psychologist.
For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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