People go through life everyday, doing routine activities like cleaning the house, cooking, doing the laundry and a lot more. But there are times when problems are encountered unexpectedly, and certain drastic events that occur pose a danger to our emotional stability.
The danger of getting depression is possible, especially those who have recently experienced unexpected events or turns in their life.
Dealing with a disorder like depression is needed because it can create significant impacts in your life. What then is depression? Depression is a mood disorder which causes you to feel hopeless or sad over an extended period of time. Your life, work, health, and the people around you are affected by this mood disorder.
People are affected differently by depression. Others find it easy to deal with depression but there are also those that feel down for an indefinite period. Your daily activities will not be affected if you are only suffering from mild depression but you should also get some sort of treatment to prevent it from getting worse.
Medical attention is needed by those persons suffering severe depression because they can become incapable of communicating or doing daily activities, and the worst case scenario is suicide.
A great number of people suffering from depression are hesitant to seek medical help for they think it is a sign of character flaw or weakness, and some think they can resolve it on their own. But they are wrong; by confining it, the depression will only get worse. Facing the problem is the most effective way to address the problem with depression. And seeking medical help is not bad; it is even an advantage on your part.
Depression is triggered by stressful events, certain drugs, other illnesses, inherited traits, or medications. It is linked to having an imbalanced brain chemistry.
Depression has two significant symptoms: hopelessness or sadness and loss of interest/pleasure from daily activities. Other symptoms of depression include:
1due to change in appetite, the depressed person losses or gains weight
2sleeps too much or hardly sleeps
3cannot sit still or exhibits a feeling of restlessness
4feels tired most of the time
5guilty feeling or feeling unworthy
6problems with concentration, remembering, and making decisions
7thinks about death or suicide
You have a major depression if you are experiencing at least five of the symptoms mentioned including loss of interest o sadness for 2 or more weeks. However, having only a few of the symptoms does not mean that you shouldn’t get assistance.
Aside from the symptoms previously mentioned, some people also experience the following:
1 -having headaches, body aches, pains
2 -digestive problems
3 -loses interest in sex
4 -feels worried or anxious without reason
5 -blaming self or others for the depression
6 -not talking or moving for several hours
7 -increased anger, tearfulness, tension, anxiety
8 -arms and legs suddenly feels heavy
9 -very sensitive to rejection
Indeed depression is a serious problem that should not be taken for granted regardless of age or gender. You must therefore be aware of the early warning signs of depression in order to seek assistance immediately.
At first, the symptoms of depression are subtle and hardly recognizable. Children and teens have different symptoms of depression and are quite difficult to diagnose compared to adults. So if you have children, you should pay more attention to them and watch for possible signs of depression.
Depression should not be taken likely. If you or any friend/family members have the symptoms, seek medical help as soon as possible.
Hector Milla
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/depression-symptoms-should-be-taken-seriously-66078.html
February 11th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
How to I get my doctor to take my depression seriously?
I am 21, and from early teenage years have suffered from depression. However, as I have progressed with age this depression has become more severe, leading me to think I may have Bipolar disorder. I have researched the symptoms and I’m pretty sure I fit the description, but my doctor does not seem to want to test me for the illness. I think it is because he has assumed that my depression was teenage related and now he sees me as some sort of hypochondriac. I have even went as far as to ask online doctors to confirm my symptoms to check its not all in my head, but they all agree I should be tested. How can I convince my doctor to test me?
February 12th, 2010 at 3:07 am
Ask to see a different doctor
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February 12th, 2010 at 3:09 am
first of all, you dont get tested for bipolar disorder, because THERE IS NO TEST FOR BILPOLAR DISORDER!!!
depression does not ever "get more severe with time" and progress to bipolar disorder, not in the way youre describing. depression can get severe, but when it does it requires psychiatric hospitalization (in-patient, type stuff as it is a severe illness).
if you develop bipolar disorder you would know, because a manic phase will also land you in psychiatric hospitalization as people in manic phases have little to no ability to function. often people in manic phases have 911 called on them due to their psychotic behavior.
as far as your depression goes, you need to see a psychiatrist to get treated properly. if youre seeing a family MD, youre not seeing the right sort of specialist. internist are not qualified to treat depression. why they try is beyond me! your MD probably doesnt think youre a hypochondriac, he probably just doenst know how to treat depression as he was NEVER trained to do so.
good luck with your depression. i hope you can find someone more capable of treating you. best wishes.
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February 12th, 2010 at 3:11 am
My heart goes out to you. I had a bout with depression about two years ago. It is serious and it is real. I applaud you for trying to be proactive and seeking treatment. Many people try to just get through it on their own and that is a difficult lonely road. As far as your doctor goes, he works for you. Just like anything else, if you are not receiving satisfactory care, you need to find a doctor that will help you live a healthy, productive life. Your health is the most important thing here, so get the help you need!
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February 12th, 2010 at 3:13 am
How long you known this particular doctor? It could be that he known you at a personal level, and just don’t see you as this type of person or don’t believe you to be that type of person.
In anycase, it would be wise not to trust online "doctors" because pretty much anyone can pretend to be a doctor and tell you about a particular medication you need. Just be careful, and never self-diagnose any disorder you may think you have. Just look at Y!A and see how many people have "Dr" in front of their user names, that doesn’t mean that they’re actually doctors and why would a doctor come on here and make suggestions without knowing who you are?
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February 12th, 2010 at 3:15 am
You can ask for a second opinion if your current doctor is useless.
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February 12th, 2010 at 3:17 am
Your doctor is doing you a favour. There is no test for bipolar – just info in the psychiatrists "bible" which is largely provided by the pharmaceutical companies. If you get the label then no doubt you will want medication. But you know what, the medication doesn’t work. You get better from depression when you choose to. STop looking for something to be wrong with you, work out what is not right with your life and then get on with it. Life is not always happy. If you are not willing to go through the unhappy times then there will not be happy times – you can’t have one without the other. What would you prefer – some grey existence down the middle? Or a real life which is a combination of joy and sadness?
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