Medical Depression Basic Information
All the many types of depression are known as medical problems. Depression includes a number of stages. It begins with mild depression, with bi-polar disorders or manic depression in the middle, to the top rung of major depression. Depression is no doubt considered a disease. Although it is a mental illness it is no different than heart disease or lung disease. It strikes a critical organ, the brain. If you suffer from depression it does not mean that you are a lower form of life. It doesn’t mean your cuckoo. It’s a disease that needs attention.
To begin – depression is invisible. Sadness is part of life. When things don’t go our way we get down in the dumps. Sadness does not equal depression. Depression is not a situation where you are depressed temporarily. Depression is an illness that will stay with you on a consistent basis. Depression is a long lasting sadness or negative feelings that interfere with living . If your mood changes with the wind and you can be up one minute and down the next than you are certainly showing signs of depression. If you are suffering from consistent insomnia or bad eating habits, these are also sure tell signs.
Medical depression has complex causes. It leaves open many possibilities and factors that must be taken into consideration. Stress is certainly one of the major causes of depression. There is so much stress in our lives today. Stress is part of personal interaction. Stress comes from balancing the books. Raising children is stressful and so can result in medical depression. Some forms of medical depression come on after losing a loved one. Chemical, environmental and even genetic issues further complicate the situation.
There are treatments for medical depression. Over 17 million Americans each and every year are affected in some way by medical depression. The negative result is that only a third will ever seek medical assistance. A cure isn’t possible without diagnosis. Treatment usually involves a combination of therapy and medications or herbs. Support groups where patients meet and talk with people with the same problem exist. It’s not wise to go it alone when dealing with medical depression. It will not heal itself. Consult a doctor if you or someone you know shows signs of medical depression.