What Depression Is and Isn't

[da Walnut]

What Depression Is:

• Depression is an illness, in the same way that diabetes or heart disease are illnesses.
• Depression is an illness that affects the entire body, not just the mind.
• Depression is an illness that one in five people will suffer during their lifetime.
• Depression is the leading cause of alcoholism, drug abuse and other addictions.
• Depression is an illness that can be successfully treated in more than eighty percent of the people who have it.
• Depression is an equal-opportunity illness - it affects all ages, all races, all economic groups and both genders. Women, however, suffer from depression almost twice as much as men do.
• At least half of the people suffering from depression do not get proper treatment.
• Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide.
• Depression is second only to heart disease in causing lost work days in America.
• Unipolar major depression is the leading cause of disability.

What Depression Is Not:

• Depression is not something to be ashamed of.
• Depression is not the same thing as feeling "blue" or "down."
• Depression is not a character flaw or the sign of a weak personality.
• Depression is not a "mood" someone can "snap out of." (Would you ask someone to "snap out of" diabetes or high blood pressure?)
• Depression is not fully recognized as an illness by most health care insurance providers. Most will only pay 50% of treatment costs for out-patient care, as well as limiting the number of visits.

From http://www.wingofmadness.com/

[Trying2]

AMEN to your post. Depression is so misunderstood. It should not be something to be ashamed of. The public is being educated on this subject, but much more has to be done. ( Not just November on mental health awareness month. )

[2big4mysize]

yep and once you get diagnoised it isn't something to maybe take your meds for cause maybe they will make you fat.

[da Walnut]

So true, 2Big. The side effects of the meds are minimal compared to the benefits of them. And we all know what weight goes on can come back off.

[Trying2]

I never understood the idea of trading mental health for weight. I would think, from experience, that if you have true and severe depression the mental pain would out weigh anything else.
I'm talking the pain where you've reached the end of all hope.
You would think that one would do anything to relieve it - no matter what. Actually if one comes out of the depression, they would be more apt to take care of their body.
I know that many, many people have stopped meds for this reason and will disagree with me. But that's ok - it's just how I feel.

[ttdriver]

I was suffering with depression for most of last year, to the point of nearly committing suicide right after Christmas. The doctor prescribed Effexor XR for me and I am a NEW person! No weight gain at all; matter of fact, Effexor supresses appetite quite well.

I highly recommend it.

Betty

[KittyMomma]

I was on Effexor for about a year, and although it suppresses your hunger (i lost about 20 pounds) it makes you so sick you can't function.

But, it affects everyone differently. Maybe other people didn't get sick on it the way i did.

[ttdriver]

I didn't get sick from taking it, but let me tell ya, the withdrawal is **** ... I guess that's true for most ADs ...

Betty

[DAWNIMMEL]

I went off my Lexapro because I thought it was responsible for me putting on 30 lbs while doing atkins. I lost 30 lbs on Celexa then had my medication changed. I was feeling okay so I gradually went off the lexapro and started taking St John's wort. About a month later, I was back to were I was before. So I am back on the Lexapro and feeling much better.........Dawn