Are
you feeling really sad, tired, and worried most of the time?
Are these
feelings lasting more than a few days?
If yes, you
may have depression.
"It was
really hard to get out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to hide under the
covers and not talk to anyone. I didn't feel much like eating and I lost a lot
of weight. Nothing seemed fun anymore. I was tired all the time, yet I wasn't
sleeping well at night. But I knew that I had to keep going because I've got
kids and a job. It just felt so impossible, like nothing was going to change or
get better.
"I
started missing days from work, and a friend noticed that something wasn't
right. She talked to me about the time that she had been really depressed and
had gotten help from her doctor.
"I called
my doctor and talked about how I was feeling. She had me come in for a checkup
and gave me the name of a psychiatrist, who is an expert in treating
depression.
"Now, I'm
seeing the psychiatrist once a month and taking medicine for depression. I'm
also seeing someone else for "talk" therapy, which helps me learn
ways to deal with this illness in my everyday life.
"Everything
didn't get better overnight, but I find myself more able to enjoy life and my
children."
"Things
in my life were going all right. I had just gotten my GED and was starting a
new job in a week. My family was really proud of me. But inside, I was feeling
terrible.
"At first
I was feeling sad all the time, even though I had no reason to be. Then the
sadness turned into anger, and I started having fights with my family and
friends. I felt really bad about myself, like I wasn't good enough for anyone.
It got so bad that I wished I would go to bed and never wake up.
"My older
brother, who I always looked up to, saw that I wasn't acting like my usual
self. He told me straight out that I seemed depressed and that I should talk to
a doctor about it. I hate going to the doctor. I thought, "No way am I
going in for this."
"But after
a few weeks, I started having problems at work too. Sometimes I wouldn't show
up because I wasn't able to sleep the night before. When I got fired, I knew I
had to listen to my brother and get help.
"I saw a
doctor at the health clinic. He told me I had a common illness called
depression and that treatment could help. So I started to see someone at the
clinic each week for "talk" therapy. This treatment helps me learn to
control depression in my everyday life. It has taken some time, but I'm finally
feeling like myself again."
Many people
who have depression know something is wrong but don't
know what to do about it. This booklet can help. It tells you about four steps
you can take to understand and get help for depression.
·
Look for signs of depression
·
Understand that depression is a real illness
·
See your doctor. Get a checkup and talk about how you are feeling.
·
Get treatment for your depression. You can feel better.
Look
for signs of depression.
Read the
following list.
Put
a check mark by each sign that sounds like you:
·
I am really sad most of the time.
·
I don't enjoy doing the things I've always enjoyed doing.
·
I don't sleep well at night and am very restless.
·
I am always tired. I find it hard to get out of bed.
·
I don't feel like eating much.
·
I feel like eating all the time.
·
I have lots of aches and pains that don't go away.
·
I have little to no sexual energy.
·
I find it hard to focus and am very forgetful.
·
I am mad at everybody and everything.
·
I feel upset and fearful, but can't figure out why.
·
I don't feel like talking to people.
·
I feel like there isn't much point to living, nothing good is
going to happen to me.
·
I don't like myself very much. I feel bad most of the time.
·
I think about death a lot. I even think about how I might kill
myself.
If you checked several boxes, call your doctor. Take the list to
show the doctor. You may need to get a checkup and find out if you have
depression.
Sometimes
depression can cause people to feel like killing themselves. If you are thinking about killing yourself or know
someone who is talking about it, get help:
·
Call 911.
·
Go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
·
Call and talk to your doctor now.
·
Ask a friend or family member to take you to the hospital or call
your doctor.
Understand
that depressions a real illness.
Depression
is a serious medical illness that involves the brain.
Depression is not something that you have "made up in your head."
It's more than just feeling "down in the dumps" or "blue"
for a few days. It's feeling "down" and
"low" and "hopeless" for weeks at a time.
About 20.9
million American adults have depression. It can happen to anyone, no matter
what age you are or where you come from.
Depression can
make it very hard for you to care for yourself, your family, or even hold down
a job. But, there is hope. Depression
can be treated and you can feel better.
You may want
to know why you feel "depressed." There may be several causes.
·
Depression may happen because of changes in your brain.
·
Depression runs in some families. This means that someone in your
family such as a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, cousin, sister or brother
may have depression.
·
Sometimes painful events or losses such as deaths can lead to
depression.
·
Sometimes the cause of depression is not clear.
See your doctor.
Don't wait. Talk to your doctor about
how you are feeling.
Get a medical checkup to rule out any other illnesses that might be causing
signs of depression. Ask if you need to see someone who can evaluate and treat
depression.
If you don't have a doctor, check your local
phone book. Go to the government services pages (they may be blue in color) and
look for "health clinics" or "community health centers."
Call one near you and ask for help.
Get treatment for your depression.
You can
feel better.
There are two common types of treatment for
depression:
1.
medicine and
2.
"talk" therapy.
Ask your doctor which type is best for you. Some
people need both treatments to feel better.
·
Medicines for depression are called "antidepressants."
Your regular doctor or a psychiatrist (a medical doctor trained in helping
people with depression) can prescribe them for you.
·
Antidepressants may take a few weeks to work. Be sure to tell the
doctor how you are feeling. If you are not feeling better, you may need to try
different medicines to find out what works best for you.
·
Medicines sometimes cause unwanted "side effects." You
may feel tired, have blurred vision, or feel sick to your stomach. Tell the
doctor if you have these or any other side effects.
"Talk"
therapy
"Talk" therapy involves talking to
someone such as a psychologist, social worker, or counselor. It helps you learn
to change how depression makes you think, feel, and act. Ask your doctor or
psychiatrist who you should go to for talk therapy.
How to help someone who
may have depression
If you know someone who seems depressed and
may need help, here are some things you can do:
·
Tell the person that you are concerned about him or her.
·
Share this booklet with the person.
·
Talk to the person about seeing a doctor.
·
Take the person to see the doctor.
·
If the doctor offers the name and phone number of a psychiatrist or
someone for "talk" therapy, call the number and help the person make
an appointment.
·
Take the person to the appointment. "Be there" for the
person after he or she starts treatment.
·
Contact any of the places listed under "For more
information" in this booklet.
This publication has been adapted by Melissa
Spearing, Public Information and Communications Branch, National Institute of
Mental Health from "Depression," NIH Publication No. 00-3561.
All material in this booklet is in the public
domain and may be copied or reproduced without permission from the Institute.
Citation of the National Institute of Mental Health as the source is
appreciated.
Things to remember:
1. Look for signs of
depression.
2. Understand that
depression is a real illness.
3. See your doctor. Get a
checkup and talk about how you are feeling.
4. Get treatment for your
depression. You can feel better.