| 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 high | | | | others and throwing themselves into their work, |
| likelihood of recurrence. Long term treatment may be | | | | engaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and/or |
| necessary for your older parent. Efficacious | | | | becoming angry, frustrated and abusive. |
| treatments are available. | | | | Less severe forms of depression are also common |
| Major depression strikes about 1 in 12 adolescents. In | | | | among the elderly and can be as debilitating as Major |
| any given 6-month period, about 5 percent of 9- to | | | | Depressive Disorder. |
| 17-year-olds are estimated to be suffering from | | | | Mild levels of depression can also impair functioning |
| major depression. | | | | and coping with chronic illnesses and pain. Depression, |
| Six million elderly suffer from some form of | | | | however, is not a normal part of aging. |
| depression. Their depression tends to be dismissed as | | | | Research findings indicate that women with bipolar |
| inevitable, but in fact is a serious medical condition | | | | disorder may have more depressive episodes and |
| that can magnify disability and lead to premature | | | | more 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 as | | | | symptoms that is considered normal following |
| diabetes, cancer, and arthritis. Some medications can | | | | childbirth. |
| also trigger clinical depression. Depression is also a | | | | According to the American Academy of Child and |
| common consequence of alcohol problems among | | | | Adolescent 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 is | | | | United 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 the | | | | Mental illnesses strike individuals in the prime of their |
| ability to feel any emotion strongly.The true opposite | | | | lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood. |
| of depression is vitality the ability to feel a full range | | | | All ages are susceptible, but the young and the old |
| of emotions, including happiness, joy, pride, but also | | | | are especially vulnerable. |
| including sadness and grief. | | | | Depression can lead to poor school attendance and |
| Major depression is extreme and persistent and can | | | | performance, running away, and feelings of |
| interfere significantly with an individual's ability to | | | | worthlessness and hopelessness. Some teens try to |
| function, in contrast to the normal emotional | | | | make the pain of depression go away by drinking or |
| experiences of sadness, grief, loss, or passing mood | | | | taking drugs, which only makes the depression |
| states. | | | | worse. Still others contemplate suicide. |
| Almost 20 percent of Americans have some form of | | | | All too often, depression is left untreated because |
| depression, most without knowing it. They just | | | | people fail to recognize the symptoms and believe |
| assume that they can't win, that their relationships | | | | that 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 times | | | | symptoms, so that you can distinguish depression |
| more likely than women to commit suicide. | | | | from occasional normal sadness or moodiness. |