Depression
It's estimated that up to 6 million American men have depression each year - about half the figure for women. But this gender disparity is being questioned, in the US and elsewhere. In focus groups conducted by the NIMH, "men described their own symptoms of depression without realizing they were depressed." They made no connection between their mental health and physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive problems and chronic pain.
(CMHA)
Many of us have experienced the pain of depression: a persistent, sad mood that can last for weeks, months, or in extreme cases, even years. People may be unaware that they even have depression, chalking up their symptoms to a case of “the blues.” According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, at any given time, almost three million Canadians have serious depression.
“Individuals who may be going through a time in their lives when they feel overwhelmed by the problems they're dealing with become extremely discouraged and demoralized,” says Dr. Dan Bilsker, a psychologist at Vancouver General Hospital and a consultant to a mental health services research group (CARMHA) at Simon Fraser University. “It's often associated with experiences of feeling extremely and pervasively sad and exhausted. You may have difficulty recovering your energy from sleep, withdraw from friends, and become less active.”
Some of the other common depression symptoms are:
- Loss of interest in activities you enjoy
- Weight loss or weight gain and changes in appetite
- Irritability or anger
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
- Trouble concentrating at home, work or school
- Headaches
Depression Treatment
“The best depression treatment options, according to the research, are either anti-depressant medication, which is the most commonly used treatment, or cognitive-behavioural therapy, often provided by psychologists,” says Dr. Bilsker. “Cognitive-behavioural therapy has been shown to be equivalent to medication in its effect for most cases of depression, and it doesn't have side effects like sexual dysfunction that are common with medication treatments.”
There are many different anti-depressants, and your physician will consider a number of factors before prescribing medication. You may have to return to your doctor and try other anti-depressants until you find the one that is best for you.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing negative and inaccurate thought and behaviour patterns.
“An individual who is dealing with depression should probably start by chatting with their family physician about the options,” says Dr. Bilsker. “These options are either anti-depressant medication, which is generally provided through family physicians, or referral to a psychologist who does cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression.”
What is Depression?
We all experience sadness from time to time, but when these feelings linger and begin to interfere with daily life, it's time to seek help for depression. Depression is a treatable condition that affects over one million Canadians.
“Depression is commonly described by signs and symptoms like persistent sadness, an empty mood, pessimism and hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities that were typically pleasurable for you,” says Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, a psychotherapist active in the Men's Health Initiative of BC. “There's not necessarily one type of depression - it can come and go. You can have episodes that may last for a couple of months, or it may last for several months.”
The different types of depression are:
- Major Depression. This is the most severe type of depression. It can be caused by a single traumatic event, develop slowly, or appear in the absence any external crises.
- Atypical Depression. A sub-type of major depression and dysthymia, however, a person's mood improves when positive events happen.
- Manic Depression. Also called bipolar disorder, manic depression means a person's mood swings from very high (manic) to extremely low (depressed).
- Psychotic Depression. The person experiences the symptoms of depression, but additionally suffers from hallucinations and/or delusions.
- Dysthymia. A milder form of depression, however, it appears to be longer-lasting.
