Got the Blues?

Got The Blues? Or Is It A Deeper Issue…

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control around 9% of Americans are said to be depressed some of the time (that’s a whopping 28 million people!), with 3.4% suffering from major depression.

So how is depression categorized? Microsoft’s Bing Dictionary defines depression as a psychiatric disorder: showing symptoms such as persistent feelings of hopelessness, dejection, poor concentration, lack of energy, inability to sleep, and, sometimes, suicidal tendencies. And did you know depression can be inherited? According to Louise Chang, MD, “Depression is highly familial. When a parent has depression, a child faces three times the risk of becoming depressed compared to a child without a depressed parent. If the parent developed the mental illness before age 20, the child’s risk rises four- to fivefold.” You can start by asking family members if they have ever suffered from depression in their lives.

Many Americans can feel sad or lonely; we do have emotions, but can you function after you get these feelings? That is a big difference between getting through life’s difficulties and suffering from depression.  What happens when those feelings stay with you day to day, and begin interfering with your life? Seek help from your doctor. Only they can properly diagnose depression and give treatment.

According to WebMD here are some major symptoms of depression:

·         Depressed mood, sadness, or an “empty” feeling, or appearing sad or tearful to others

·         Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed

·         Significant weight loss when not dieting, or significant weight gain (for example, more than 5% of body weight in a month)

·         Inability to sleep or excessive sleeping

·         Restlessness or irritation (irritable mood may be a symptom in children or adolescents too), or feelings of “dragging”

·         Fatigue or loss of energy

·         Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt

·         Difficulty thinking or concentrating, or indecisiveness

·         Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or specific plan for committing suicide

 

You can help prevent some types of depression by doing healthy things for your body including eating properly, exercising daily, and taking time out to de-stress from your hectic day! These things have been proven to help alleviate symptoms and begin prevention, according to Lucy Boyd, R.N., B.S.N.

Follow us on Twitter for #wellnesswednesday where we will be posting healthy recipes, exercises, and personal development information https://twitter.com/preferredfamily

-Maxwell Law