Welcome to “Suffering in Silence” Week! Over the next five days, Drake Barber over at drakejbarber.com and I will be tackling a taboo topic in our community: depression. If you follow us on social media, you may have seen promotion for this week. We’d like to welcome you to our 6-day discussion on the topic of depression and we invite you to re-post, share and join in on the conversation. We are eager to hear your thoughts, opinions and even personal experiences. Let’s dive right into our topic for the week…
What is Mental Illness?
Depression is a mental illness and in order to understand the basis of depression we first have to understand mental illness. National Alliance on Mental Health reports
A mental illness is a condition that impacts a person’s thinking, feeling or mood and may affect his or her ability to relate to others and function on a daily basis. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis.
A mental health condition isn’t the result of one event. Research suggests multiple, interlinking causes. Genetics, environment and lifestyle combine to influence whether someone develops a mental health condition. A stressful job or home life makes some people more susceptible, as do traumatic life events like being the victim of a crime. Biochemical processes and circuits as well as basic brain structure may play a role too.
Depression
Depression is a mood disorder that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings and sense of well-being. People with depression can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, ashamed or restless and have low self-esteem. They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions, and may contemplate, attempt or commit suicide.
The misconception with depression is that people who suffer from it are just sad or going through a rough patch and that they can and should be able to pull themselves out of it. Depression is more than just feeling sad or going through a rough patch. It’s a serious mental health condition that requires understanding, treatment and a good recovery plan. With early detection, diagnosis and a treatment plan consisting of medication, psychotherapy and lifestyle choices, many people get better. But left untreated, depression can be devastating, both for the people who have it and for their families. Some people have only one episode in a lifetime, but for most people depression recurs. Without treatment, episodes may last a few months to several years. People with severe depression can feel so hopeless that they become a risk for suicide.
Who is Effected
An estimated 16 million American adults—almost 7% of the population—had at least 1 major depressive episode last year. People of all ages and all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds can experience depression, but it does affect some groups of people more than others. Women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression, and young adults aged 18–25 are 60% more likely to have depression than people aged 50 or older.
Causes
Depression does not have a single cause. It can be triggered, or it may occur spontaneously without being associated with a life crisis, physical illness or other risk. Some of the causes include trauma experiences, genetics, life circumstances, brain structure and chemical imbalances, other medical conditions and drug and alcohol abuse.
Diagnosis
To be diagnosed with depression, a person must have experienced a major depressive episode that has lasted longer than two weeks. The symptoms of a major depressive episode include:
- Loss of interest or loss of pleasure in all activities
- Change in appetite or weight
- Sleep disturbances
- Feeling agitated or feeling slowed down
- Fatigue
- Feelings of low self worth, guilt or shortcomings
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Suicidal thoughts or intentions
Diagnosing depression can be complicated because a depressive episode can be part of bipolar disorder or another mental illness. How a person describes symptoms often depends on the cultural lens she/he is looking through. Research has shown that African Americans and Latinos are more likely to be misdiagnosed, so people who have been diagnosed with depression should look for a health care professional who understands their background and shares their expectations for treatment. Learn more.
“Suffering in Silence” Week Lineup
Monday
“A Day in the Life of…”: Personal stories and experiences with depression (here at sheexperienced.com) + Celebrities’ experiences with depression (over at drakejbarber.com)
Tuesday
“Visualizing Feelings”: Short video depictions of depression (at sheexperienced.com) + Speaking out about depression in media (drakejbarber.com)
Wednesday
“Just Pray it Away”: Depression and the church (at sheexperienced.com) + Gospel celebrities and depression (drakejbarber.com) + “Healing for the Soul” Giveaway Winner announced
Thursday
“The Fight for Your Life”: Depression and suicide, interview with Adyre Mason of Fightisms (at sheexperienced.com) + Suicide in Hollywood (drakjbarber.com)
Friday
“Victory through Treatment”: Treatment for depression, overview of the week (sheexperienced.com + drakejbarber.com)
‘Fightisms’ Book Giveaway Entry
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Enter your information below for a chance to win a free autographed copy of Adyre Mason’s Fightisms.
Until next time…
