Topic: Depression.

Body part:

Main part 1: First, what is depression?

Depression is a serious medical illness that negatively affects how you
feel, think and act.
Depression has a variety of symptoms, but the most common ones are a
deep feeling of sadness and a marked loss of interest or pleasure in
activities.
Other symptoms include:
 Changes in appetite
 Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
 Thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide
Main part 2: How common is depression?
Depression is very common. It’s important to note that depression can
strike at any time in our lives. And for some people, chances of
becoming depressed are higher. For example:
 Women have depression twice as often as men. But men are
more likely to commit suicide because of depression.
 Separated or divorced people, especially men, are more likely
than married people to become depressed.
 People who have serious illnesses may also have depression.
And if you have had depression before, there is a good chance that it will
happen again.
Main part 3: So how to treat depression?
For many people, depression cannot always be controlled simply by
exercising, changing diets, or going on vacations.
Normally, before giving a specific treatment, a psychiatrist will
conduct a thorough diagnostic evaluation, includes an interview and
possibly a physical examination.
The purpose of the assessment is to find out information about
symptoms, medical history, and environmental factors. Then, the
patient will have an appropriate diagnosis and the best treatment.
Here are two common types of treatments:
 Medication: Antidepressants will be prescribed to correct
imbalances in the levels of chemicals in the brain.
This medicine can produce some improvement within the first
or two weeks of treatment. Full benefits may not be realized for
two to three months. If a patient feels little or no improvement
after several weeks, the psychiatrist will alter the dose of the
medication by adding more or substituting another
antidepressant.
Psychiatrists usually recommend that patients continue to take
medication for six or more months after symptoms have
improved.
 Psychotherapy: Or “talk therapy,” is sometimes used alone for
the treatment of mild depression; for moderate to severe
depression, it is often used in combination with antidepressant
medications. Psychotherapy may involve only the individual
patient, but it can also include other people. For example, family
or couple therapy can help address specific issues arising within
these close relationships. Another kind of psychotherapy is
group therapy, which involves people with similar illnesses.
Conclusion:
Depression is very common and always produces needless suffering.
With proper diagnosis and treatments, the vast majority of people
with depression will overcome it. If you are experiencing symptoms
of depression, you should see psychiatrist, honestly describe your
concerns and request a thorough evaluation. In that way, you will get
a suitable treatment, and I truly hope you will get better.

References:
American Psychiatric Association (2005)
https://www.ppcn.org/Education_Handouts/Let-s-Talk-About-
Depression-Brochure.pdf

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