Depression is more than sadness or feeling depressed for a few days. Depression is a very serious disease that can last for years. Each year about 15 million Americans suffer from this illness. Only about 4.5 million of those people seek help, which is unfortunate. All too often people avoid recognizing or admitting that they suffer from depression because of the negative archetypes associated with mental illnesses. Depression gets worse with time. It will get worse without treatment. People should pay attention to the signs.
There are many types of depression and it is caused by a variety of factors. Physical and emotional problems, chemical issues, even DNA all play a part. Simple daily life and surroundings are important. Detrimental factors such as stress can lead to it. Complicated diseases like depression aren’t easy to crack. We also recognize the intricacy of man’s mind. Work continues into the mind and brain and how they work, what makes them tick. We know that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. We are learning more every day about how the whole process works. Better treatments come from more knowledge.
Depression can be treated with a host of available medications. Quick fix schemes exist too, but they don’t work. Clinical tests to prove something really works in treating depression are required. 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. The anti-depressant Prozac first came into use in the USA in 1988. It was proven to work, and thus is still prescribed today even though it can have serious side effects.
Since then a new class of anti-depressants has become popular as well. The SSRI or (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) like Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, and Luvox are all being used to treat depression today. These have limited side effects and have been shown to work. Herbal medications also have a place in this market. The majority of these that have been proven to work as well as the anti-depressants contain the St. John Wort extract ingredient called ‘hyperforin’. Some herbal remedies don’t contain this ingredient in the proper strength so they don’t work. Be careful, do your research and you will find effective depression medications to treat your depression.
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