What you should know about depression?

At some point in our lives, we will experience distressing situations that could leave us feeling down and out. Setbacks such as financial woes, problems at school or work, misunderstandings with loved ones, rejection, illness or even loss such as death in the family could cloud our otherwise optimistic view on life.

These feelings are supposed to be transitory and are sometimes meant to strengthen our character. To others, however, it can become a source of deep anxiety, which could lead to depression.

Contrary to popular opinion, depression is more than just a feeling of sadness. It is, in fact, a psychiatric disorder that impairs the ability to function in everyday situations by affecting moods, thoughts, behavior and physical well-being.

It differs from sadness in duration, severity and presence of other noticeable symptoms like withdrawal from loved ones, loss of pleasure in most activities, disturbed sleep, feelings of agitation or intense slowness, inability to concentrate nearly everyday or recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Predisposition to clinical depression

Clinical depression is very common and affects approximately three to five percent of the population at any one time. Studies suggest biochemical and genetic links to depression. A considerable amount of evidence supports the view that depressed people have imbalances of certain chemicals – chiefly serotonin and norepinephrine – in the brain. This is why even the strongest person cannot overcome depression without medical treatment.

Family histories show a recurrence of depression from generation to generation. Studies have also shown that those with first-degree relatives diagnosed to have depression are several times more likely to develop the condition than those who have no such family history. Twins are 70 percent more likely to develop depression if their other twin has it.

Such a biological predisposition, combined with life stressors (such as relationship problems, financial difficulties, etc.) may cause depression to manifest itself more readily in certain individuals than in others.

Unfortunately, clinical depression is severely underdiagnosed and often dangerously misdiagnosed. Up to 50 percent of people who have clinical depression never get help and suffer needlessly. Untreated, the average depression can last nine to 12 months. With treatment, people can get significant relief in two to six weeks.

New hope

One major approach to treating depression is the use of antidepressant medication. The oldest among these medicines include the tricyclics, which work by correcting the chemical imbalance thought to produce many of the symptoms of depression.

However, these drugs are known to cause dangerous alterations in heart rate and rhythm, increased risks of seizures and greater tendency to gain weight. The risks of such side-effects are considerably lower with the use of newer class of drugs called "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors" (SSRI).

SSRI works by increasing serotonin in the nervous system. Unlike the older tricyclics, SSRIs are believed to reduce carbohydrate craving, thus decreasing the possibility of gaining weight. Its favorable side-effect profile compared to tricyclics has made it the popular choice among patients and their doctors.

In fact, paroxetine alone (Seroxat) has been used to treat more than seven million patients worldwide. Certainly, paroxetine will not eliminate life’s inevitable stresses and ups and downs. But it can greatly enhance one’s ability to manage such challenges and lead to greater enjoyment of life.