Walking with Depression

Person walking in fog with dark trees and park bench.

Walking with Depression

According to the DSM-5 the diagnostic criteria for, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a common and serious mood disorder.  Depression is one of the most prevalent mood disorders and millions of health care dollars are spent for treatment.  There are many forms of depression such as postpartum (striking women after child birth), mood disorders, seasonal effective disorder to name a few.

Historically, depression crosses all cultures and has been referenced in early recorded history.  The word depression comes from the Latin verb deprimere, to press down.  The predominant belief was that it stems from a traumatic life experience.  The major creators of talk therapies Freud, Jung, Adler to name a few all created different forms of therapies.  These therapies did not always a positive results.   People suffering from depression usually express low energy, no appetite, weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, hyperactivity or inactivity, loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, feelings of worthlessness and trouble concentrating.  To be diagnosed with depression there has to be at least 5 of these symptoms and they must be present for 2 or more weeks.

There is a difference between depression and sadness, according to the DSM 5,  the difference is not the extent the person feels but more in assessing the combination of factors like duration of negative feelings, other symptoms such as bodily impact, and the effect upon the ability for the individuals to function in daily life.

Sadness, is an emotion that everyone experiences at some point, triggered by a life event or specific situation, loss of a girlfriend, job or death of someone close.  In sadness you are still able to sleep, enjoy your favourite TV show and remain motivated to do things.

The most serious discussion is that it is estimated that 60% of suicides are linked to depression.  Should you feel depressed and have thoughts of suicide please reach out and talk, know that you are not alone.

There are different treatments recognized by the medical doctors, psychiatry, nutrition and Naturapath.  They are different on their approach and options need to be understood and education is the key to understanding the journey forward.

Have questions, ask me, info@mindhealthconnect.ca

Ref. Nutrient Power, William J. Walsh PhD

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