Unipolar Depression

Unipolar depression is the most common psychiatric illness affecting 6%-10% of adults. Unipolar depression can usually be attributed, directly or indirectly, to an external stimulus such as a recent incident or an event in the patient's life, or an illness, or side-effects of drugs. You can say that in other words, unipolar depression is 'reactive depression'. Unipolar depression is often a chronic, recurring illness. Although some people who experience an episode of unipolar depression once will never have another episode, the majority of people with unipolar depression will have additional episodes during their life. About 75 percent of those who experience an episode of unipolar depression will have at least one more episode in their lifetime.

Unipolar depression can be the result of a traumatic event. This can also be developed slowly from a number of personal disappointments and problems. Some people develop unipolar depression without any obvious crisis to blame. The effects of unipolar depression can be so intense that daily functions like eating, sleeping or simply getting out of bed in the morning seem impossible. In addition to the well-known symptoms of feeling sad, pessimistic, and hopeless, a person with unipolar depression may also experience irritability, problems sleeping, and dietary changes. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from unipolar depression. Unipolar depression can occur with any age group and any ethnic, racial or socioeconomic group. An individual may feel fatigued most of the time and unable to concentrate on mental tasks. Unipolar depression can cause a person to lose interest in activities that he or she once enjoyed, such as sports, spending time with friends, and sex.

Symptoms:

• Persistent sadness. Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or hopelessness.
• Changes in sleep, appetite and energy.
• Lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyed.
• Difficulty thinking clearly, concentrating or remembering.
• Physical ailments like headaches or chronic pain that does not respond to treatment.
• Extreme Lethargy.
• Permanent sense of anxiety.
• Irritability and physical exhaustion.
• Negative attitude.
• Avoidance of eye contact while talking.

Causes:

The causes of depression are likely to be different for different people. Sometimes a depressive episode can appear to come out of nowhere at a time when everything seems to be going fine. Other times, depression may be directly related to a significant event in our lives such as losing a loved one, experiencing trauma, or battling a chronic illness. Other causes can be as follows:

• Probably chemical imbalances in the brain.
• Heredity and stressful situations.
• It may arise from trauma or severe shock while in some people it is spontaneous and independent of any specific event.
• Pre-menstrual and postnatal hormone changes.
• Hormone deficiencies.
• Alcoholism.
• Drug dependency.

Treatments:

If several of these symptoms of unipolar depression occur, last longer than two weeks and interfere with daily functioning, treatment should be sought out. If untreated, unipolar depression episodes can last six months to a year.

* A variety of treatments including medications and short-term psychotherapies have proven effective for depression.

(i) Recently lithium has proven some success stories for unipolar depression.
(ii) Talking therapies help patients resolve an overview of problems and work together through verbal exchange with the therapist, sometimes with work between sessions.
* Research has shown that cognitive therapy coupled with lifestyle changes like diet, supplementation and exercise is the best treatment for unipolar depression.

* Antidepressant medications can be helpful, but the person with depression considering the use of antidepressants should be well educated on the side effects and risks of taking these drugs.

* Recently, interest in using herbs to treat depression and anxiety has also increased in the United States.

* In cases where a patient has failed to respond to both psychotherapy and antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy or ECT can be used.

It is important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and typically do not accurately reflect the actual circumstances. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. Apply some self help techniques, life style, supportive relationships, developing coping skills, and developing stress management skills.