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Job 30:16-17
16 "And now my heart is broken. Depression haunts my days. 17 My weary nights are filled with pain as though something were relentlessly gnawing at my bones. NLT
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Job 30:25-28
26 So I looked for good, but evil came instead. I waited for the light, but darkness fell. 27 My heart is troubled and restless. Days of affliction have come upon me. 28 I walk in gloom, without sunlight. NLT
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Psalm 42
As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before him? 3 Day and night, I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, "Where is this God of yours?"
4 My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks--it was the sound of a great celebration!
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5 Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and 6 my God! 6.Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember your kindness--from Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar.
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7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 Through each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. 9 "O God my rock," I cry, "Why have you forsaken me? Why must I wander in darkness, oppressed by my enemies?" 10 Their taunts pierce me like a fatal wound, They scoff, "Where is this God of yours?"
11 Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God! NLT
Depression is one of the most common psychological problems, affecting nearly everyone through either personal experience or through depression in a family member.
Each year over 17 million American adults experience a period of clinical depression.
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Impact of Depression:
· Causes tremendous emotional pain
· Disrupts the lives of millions of people
· Adversely affects the lives of families and friends
· Reduces work productivity and absenteeism
· Has a significant negative impact on the economy, costing an estimated $44 billion a year
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Depression is a psychological condition that changes how you think and feel, and also affects your social behavior and sense of physical well-being. We have all felt sad at one time or another, but that’s not depression. Sometimes we feel tired from working hard, or discouraged when faced with serious problems. This too, is not depression. These feelings usually pass within a few days or weeks, once we adjust to the stress. But, if these feelings linger, intensify, and begin to interfere with work, school or family responsibilities, it may be depression.
Depression can affect anyone. Once identified, most people diagnosed with depression are successfully treated. Unfortunately, depression is not always diagnosed, because many of the symptoms mimic physical illness, such as sleep and appetite disturbances. Recognizing depression is the first step in treating it.
Nearly two-thirds of depressed people do not get proper treatment:
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· The symptoms are not recognized as depression.
· Depressed people are seen as weak or lazy.
· Social stigma causes people to avoid needed treatment.
· The symptoms are so disabling that the people affected cannot reach out for help.
· Many symptoms are misdiagnosed as physical problems
· Individual symptoms are treated, rather than the underlying cause.
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Clinical depression is a very common psychological problem, and most people never seek proper treatment, or seek treatment but they are misdiagnosed with physical illness. This is extremely unfortunate because, with proper treatment, nearly 80% of those with depression can make significant improvement in their mood and life adjustment.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you have symptoms of depression is by taking a free, confidential depression-screening test.
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The most common symptoms of depression are:
· Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
· Feeling useless, inadequate, bad.
· Self hatred, constant questioning of thoughts and actions, an overwhelming need for reassurance.
· Being vulnerable and "over-sensitive".
· Feeling guilty.
· A loss of energy and motivation, that makes even the simplest tasks or decisions seem difficult.
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· Self harm.
· Loss or gain in weight.
· Difficulty with getting off to sleep, or (less frequently) an excessive desire to sleep.
· Agitation and restlessness.
· Loss of sex drive.
· Finding it impossible to concentrate for any length of time, forgetfulness. A sense of unreality.
· Physical aches and pains, sometimes with the fear that you are seriously ill.
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In severe depression, these feelings may also include:
· Suicidal ideas.
· Failure to eat or drink.
· Delusions and/or hallucinations.
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If these have been experienced for more than two weeks it is essential to seek help. People may suffer from two or three of these symptoms but are unlikely to experience them all.
There are several types of depression:
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CLINICAL DEPRESSION
SEVERE DEPRESSION
If the depression is very bad, and the person who is suffering is in need of immediate support, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
MANIC OR BIPOLAR DEPRESSION
This type of depression is marked by extreme mood swings, from "highs" of excessive energy and elation to "lows" of utter despair and lethargy. Manic depression is often treated with Lithium, which evens out the mood swings.
POST NATAL DEPRESSION
This is not "the baby blues" which occurs 2-3 days after the birth and goes away. Post natal depression can occur from about 2 weeks and up to 2 years after the birth.
SAD
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression which generally coincides with the approach of winter, starting with September and lasting until Spring brings longer days and more sunshine.
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It seems probable that the more severe forms of depressive illness are associated with chemical changes in certain parts or pathways of the brain. These changes may he different in the various forms of depression. Whether or not these chemical changes are the cause of depression, rather than one of its consequences, is not known.
In unipolar depression, the changes may include alterations in the number or sensitivity of nerve cell receptors for particular neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) - in particular receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, also known as serotonin), noradrenaline and dopamine. 5-HT is involved in the regulation of impulses, and has a role in maintaining normal patterns of appetite, sleep and sexual activity: abnormalities in 5-HT pathways might lead to the disturbance of sleep, increased anxiety and irritability and loss of sexual interest that are seen in many people with depression. Noradrenaline is involved in regulating mood and energy, and possibly has a role in social interactions : changes in noradrenaline may lead to the tiredness, loss of enthusiasm and social withdrawal, often seen in depression. Finally, dopamine probably has a role in gaining pleasure, and changes here could lead to the sense of being unable to get enjoyment from usually pleasurable activities. Abnormalities in dopamine may be especially important in patients with bipolar depression.
In people with more severe forms of depression, changes in all three of these neurotransmitters may be important. It seems likely that other messengers are also involved. Also there is some evidence that changes within the brain are linked to changes in the levels of some hormones in the bloodstream.
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There are three main classes of antidepressant drug:
· Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs),
· Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and
· Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
When taken regularly, antidepressants will contribute to the recovery of a majority of patients; however, some do not respond to drug treatment, at least at first. Typically, people feel significantly improved, and often back to their usual self, within a few months. It is important that people continue taking their medication, even beyond the time they feel better: if people stop too early, there is a 50% risk of becoming depressed again, within the first six months of stopping treatment. In people with more severe forms of depression, with recurring episodes, antidepressants can have a role in preventing new periods of depression.
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"Talking treatments" is a way of referring to therapies which treat depression by exploring what’s made you depressed and what’s keeping you depressed.
Most people who see their GP for depression are prescribed antidepressant medication. Medication can lift your mood and help with the symptoms of depression but does not tackle underlying problems. This is where the "talking treatments" come in. Some talking treatments work directly on helping you to overcome the symptoms of depression as well.
People can become depressed for many reasons. You may have experienced a high level of stress over a long period. You may feel overwhelmed by the problems of life, such as bereavement. redundancy, or divorce. Some people believe things about themselves or about life which actually make them more vulnerable to depression.
There are many different kinds of talking treatments or therapies and you will need to decide which may be best for you, based on your own experience. However, research suggests that the most effective treatments for depression are the ones which begin by focusing on the "here and now" and concentrate on specific problems. These sorts of therapies tend to be fairly short term, from three or four sessions up to around twenty sessions.
The three most promising treatments at the moment are cognitive-behaviour therapy, interpersonal therapy and problem-solving therapy.
· Depression is much misunderstood by the public, yet it affects many people of all ages. It is estimated that one in five people will suffer from depression at some point in their lives.
· Depression is an illness where the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, linkled to the inability to concentrate, may make it hard for some people to carry out normal daily activities.
· Depression is an illness with a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms, which sometimes make it hard to recognise and understand.
· Personality may play a part in depression. Although anyone can become depressed under particular circumstances, some people seem to be more vulnerable than others. This may be because of things that have happened in childhood, such as abuse, or because of our individual make up (including body chemistry).
A lot of effective, intelligent and creative people suffer from depression and yet make an outstanding contribution to life. Often, information about their depression is only revealed after their death, as people misunderstand the illness. Amongst such people are Florence Nightingale and Sir Winston Churchill, who used to call depression his "black dog". Depression can effect anyone and does not reduce your value as a human being.
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It is important for people to know that:
· Depression is an illness that can affect anyone at any age.
· It is not connected with and does not develop into insanity.
· Depression can be treated. People may be offered antidepressants and/or talking treatments.
· There is no need to cope alone, seek help.
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Psalm 42:11 Why am I discouraged? Why so sad?
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I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God! NLT
