Depression is more than sadness or feeling depressed for a few days. A serious condition that can last months or even years, that’s depression. According to various reports as many as fifteen million Americans suffer from this disease. And yet, sadly, only about 1/3 of those people seek medical care. It’s the mental illness stereotypes, things like the crazy eyed old man, that make people think twice before seeking treatment for depression. Of the list of progressive ailments depression is one of the worst. Without treatment it will take over your life. People should pay attention to the signs.
A variety of factors, and even combinations of these factors, lead to the many types of depression. Physical and emotional problems, chemical issues, even DNA all play a part. Simple daily life and surroundings are important. It can be caused by stress brought on by even more detrimental factors. It takes a lot of knowledge to address a complex issue like depression. The human mind is very complicated as well. To learn how the mind works, doctors and researches are studying it each day. A chemical imbalance in the brain causes depression, that’s known. More about the way this process works is learned each day. The phrase is “learning is half the battle” and with depression knowledge is power.
Depression treatment comes from a variety of medications on the market. Of course the market is full of ‘quick fix’ antidotes. Make sure the treatment has been studied and scientifically proven to address depression. There was a time in our history if you were afflicted by anything that was associated with mental illness you were thrown into a mental ward and lost in the system. Fortunately that has all been changed. It was 1988 when Prozac, an anti-depressant, first came into wide use in America. Although it has side effects it is widely used and it is effective.
A new class of anti-depressants has become widely used since then. The SSRI or (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) like Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, and Luvox are all being used to treat depression today. All have been proven effective but come with varied side effects. The market is also ripe with herbal medications and treatments. The ingredient in St. John’s Wort extract, heperforin, is present in those that prove every bit as effective as anti-depressant drugs. When this is present in the proper quantity it is a winner. When seeking depression medications that work ask questions, do your research, and know the facts.
