Educating Society about depression and Mental illness - Must know facts

Depression can be a fatal illness in the elderly.Men often deal with depression by withdrawing from
Depression is a chronic disease with a very highothers and throwing themselves into their work,
likelihood of recurrence. Long term treatment may beengaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and/or
necessary for your older parent. Efficaciousbecoming angry, frustrated and abusive.
treatments are available.Less severe forms of depression are also common
Major depression strikes about 1 in 12 adolescents. Inamong the elderly and can be as debilitating as Major
any given 6-month period, about 5 percent of 9- toDepressive Disorder.
17-year-olds are estimated to be suffering fromMild levels of depression can also impair functioning
major depression.and coping with chronic illnesses and pain. Depression,
Six million elderly suffer from some form ofhowever, is not a normal part of aging.
depression. Their depression tends to be dismissed asResearch findings indicate that women with bipolar
inevitable, but in fact is a serious medical conditiondisorder may have more depressive episodes and
that can magnify disability and lead to prematuremore mixed episodes than do men with the illness.
death.As many as 80 percent of women experience the
Clinical depression can often accompany long-term"postpartum blues," a brief period of mood
illnesses that are common in later life, such assymptoms that is considered normal following
diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. Some medications canchildbirth.
also trigger clinical depression. Depression is also aAccording to the American Academy of Child and
common consequence of alcohol problems amongAdolescent Psychiatry, up to one-third of the 3.4
older adults.million children and adolescents with depression in the
The number of deaths from suicide each year isUnited States may actually be experiencing the early
greater than the number of deaths from Homicide.onset of bipolar disorder.
Depression is not sadness. In depression, we lose theMental illnesses strike individuals in the prime of their
ability to feel any emotion strongly.The true oppositelives, often during adolescence and young adulthood.
of depression is vitality the ability to feel a full rangeAll ages are susceptible, but the young and the old
of emotions, including happiness, joy, pride, but alsoare especially vulnerable.
including sadness and grief.Depression can lead to poor school attendance and
Major depression is extreme and persistent and canperformance, running away, and feelings of
interfere significantly with an individual's ability toworthlessness and hopelessness. Some teens try to
function, in contrast to the normal emotionalmake the pain of depression go away by drinking or
experiences of sadness, grief, loss, or passing moodtaking drugs, which only makes the depression
states.worse. Still others contemplate suicide.
Almost 20 percent of Americans have some form ofAll too often, depression is left untreated because
depression, most without knowing it. They justpeople fail to recognize the symptoms and believe
assume that they can't win, that their relationshipsthat it is just normal sadness, a phase that a teen is
are always trouble and that hopelessness, insomnia,going through, or a sign of weakness. This can be a
chronic fatigue, and guilt are their lot in life.terrible mistake. It is important to know the
In the elderly population, men are nearly six timessymptoms, so that you can distinguish depression
more likely than women to commit suicide.from occasional normal sadness or moodiness.