|
Many people wonder if they are experiencing the winter "blahs" or a mild to serious depression.
Talking with a mental health professional can always help to put your experience in perspective. It
is normal to feel "blue" occasionally. Such feelings are a normal part of life, but it is confusing
that such feelings are casually referred to as "depression." There are some general guidelines
differentiating "blues" from "clinical depression."
What is Clinical Depression?
Clinical depression is different from a normal occasional "blah"
feeling. A major depressive disorder differs qualitatively and quantitatively from normal blues or
grief. Some characteristic disabling psychological symptoms of the disorder are:
- The inability to experience pleasure
- Loss of mood reactivity (unable to feel uplifted by something positive)
- Irritability
(All of at least two weeks' duration)
These symptoms cause functional impairment. They may also be
accompanied by disabling physical symptoms, which affect appetite, sleep patterns, energy levels,
concentration, and activity. Anxiety is often an associated feature. It is important to remember
that sadness is not always the dominant feature of clinical depression. The depressed person may
just feel "numb" and "different" with a significant change in mood and worldview. Life is full of
things that can cause sadness or grief, but people who do not suffer from clinical depression can
cope with such things without becoming incapacitated. A normal reaction to life's problems is
less pervasive and more time limited than true depression.
An average depressive episode lasts about nine months. Some
people have isolated episodes separated by several years while others may experience clusters of
episodes. The frequency of episodes of clinical depression seems to increase as people age, and
about 20 percent of cases of clinical depression may become chronic. Depression occurs in
individuals in several different forms but the most often discussed are bipolar disorder and
seasonal affective disorder.
What is SAD?
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a change in mood and
behavior due to seasonal changes. An estimated 6 percent of the population suffers from serious
depression related to the time of year. Researchers at The National Institute of Mental Health
estimate that another 25 percent of the population suffer from a mild version of SAD. SAD is also
four times more likely to affect women and is more common in northern climes. Reduced light wave
stimulation in affected individuals appears to disrupt the normal hormone cycle causing symptoms
of clinical depression during seasons of dimmer and shortened daylight hours. The most pervasive
symptom is fatigue accompanied by foggy-headedness for several hours each day. Symptoms may
also include any or all of the following:
- Recurrent anxiety as winter approaches
- Lethargy and a desire to sleep more
- Craving for sweets and starchy foods
- Weight gain
- A wish to be alone
- Low sex drive
- Feelings of sadness, irritability, and anxiety.
The difference between seasonal depression and the blues or
even chronic depression is that recovery depends upon increased amounts of light. Light treatment is
sometimes used to alleviate symptoms.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
This form of depression is not as common as other forms of the
illness, but seems to receive a lot of attention because of the nature of the symptoms. Often
referred to as "manic depression," this form of depression is characterized by cycles of depression
alternating with periods of elation or mania. The cycles may be very dramatic and rapid or more
gradual and subtle. The depressed cycle is similar in symptoms to the clinical depression described
above. The manic cycle involves changes in thinking, judgment, and social behavior with
uncharacteristic, over energized reactions. Manic behavior may appear strange and often leads
to unwise business or financial decisions.
When Help is Needed
Professional consultation with a licensed professional counselor
is needed when any depressive symptoms arise without a clear precipitating cause, are out of
proportion to life events, or interfere with normal day to day functioning. Sometimes a
precipitating factor may cause a reaction which endures and becomes incapacitating. Of course,
in the most extreme form, depression can lead to thoughts of bodily harm. If you have any thoughts
connected to suicide professional help should be sought promptly. Many forms of psychotherapy
are available to treat depression and drug therapy has proven to be highly successful.
|
