Skip to Main Content

 

February 5, 2010

Love life again!
Depression Among Women is Common and Very Treatable

SIOUX FALLS (Feb. 1, 2010) - Would you love to love your life, but are weighed down with feelings of sadness, hopelessness and apathy? You may feel like you're the only one, yet about 10 percent of people suffer at least one episode of significant depression over their lifetime. "One hundred percent of us get feelings of depression and sadness from time to time," said Dr. William Fuller, psychiatrist with Avera University Psychiatry Associates.

Yet significant episodes of depression are more intense and prolonged than typical sadness, perhaps to the point of being overwhelming. Other common symptoms include:

  • Sleeping problems - too much or too little
  • Change in eating habits - either more or less
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Lack of energy and motivation
  • Loss of interest in work, family and friends
  • Irritability
  • Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness and hopelessness
  • Physical symptoms such as body aches, back aches or headaches

Depression may be mild, major or chronic. "People may feel very agitated and can't relax, or they may slow down to the point they hardly move or respond, and their lives grind to a halt," Dr. Fuller said. Others may experience mood swings from one extreme to another.

Depression may run in your family, said Mary Guth, counselor with Avera Behavioral Health Services. Or, it might be triggered by an event such as the death of a loved one, divorce, breakup of a relationship, job loss or a stressful environment. "For women, depression can sometimes be caused by lack of balance between family, work, and outside activities. They may feel overwhelmed and inadequate in trying to meet everybody's needs and expectations."

Dr. Fuller said depression can be marked by chemical malfunctions in the brain, often involving the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Genetics can make a person more prone to depression, although a negative or positive environment influences whether or not depression will actually develop. Depression can also be the symptom of another disease, such as multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease or cancer.

Self-help steps can ease mild depression, Guth said. She suggests an approach that encompasses body, mind and spirit:

  • Revise your thought patterns. "Challenge negative thoughts, and be more positive and flexible in your thinking," Guth said. If you typically think along the lines that you have to meet everyone's expectations, revise that to a more realistic viewpoint.
  • Exercise daily
  • Eat right and limit heavy starches or carbs
  • Get plenty of rest
  • Develop supportive friendships and relationships
  • Get in touch with your spiritual side. Where do you find strength beyond yourself?

Getting past depression is often a matter of choices. "We can't always choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond to it," Guth said.

If you always tend to feel depressed in the winter, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). To fight this syndrome, make your home brighter, and go outside for walks, even if it's cold, to get some sunlight and exercise. Bring fresh flowers into your home - "anything that will help brighten this dreary or dark time of year," Guth said.

"Yet if your life continues to be a cycle of sadness and irritability that you can't get out of, it's a good sign that you need help," Guth said. Sometimes, it's impossible to get past depression on your own. "Our Midwest mentality is often one of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. Yet if depressed people could, they would." Suicidal thoughts or plans are a warning sign to seek help immediately.

A combination of antidepressants and therapy is more effective than one or the other alone, Dr. Fuller said. While antidepressants address brain chemistry, talk therapy helps to uncover the source of depression, and apply new strategies to achieve life balance or heal from loss.

In the depths of depression, it's hard to believe that there's hope - but there is. Dr. Fuller says the majority of patients - 60 to 70 percent - see positive results from this combination of treatments. Those who don't might benefit from other approaches, such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or bright light therapy. For more information, go to www.AveraBehavioralHealth.org and click on Behavioral Health Conditions. Avera's free and confidential assessment line, available 24 hours a day, can be reached at 1-800-691-4336.