10 Distinctive Facts About Depression – Challenge to Change
Source: ChangetoChange.me
by Asma Naim
Did you know that depression results usually from one of four factors; genetic, biochemical, psychological and environmental. And did you know that depression is not diagnosed until the person experiences at least five depressive symptoms lasting at least two weeks, including symptoms like persistent sadness and changes in eating and sleeping patterns.Here are other ten attention-grabbing, distinctive facts about depression:
1. 12 percent of women and 6.6 percent of men have a depressive disorder each year.
2. Depressive disorders are nearly twice as common in women as in men, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIH).
3. Although depression can strike at any age, it occurs most frequently in women age 25 to 44, according to the National Mental Health Association.
4. While “baby blues,” or mood swings, during the first few weeks after delivery occur in about 80 percent of new mothers, true postpartum depression occurs in about 10 to 15 percent of new mothers.
5. Women attempt to hurt themselves twice as often as men, but men are more likely to die as a result of a suicide attempt.
6. Fewer than 50 percent of the women who experience clinical depression will ever seek care.
7. Fifty percent of heart attack victims experience depressive symptoms after the traumatic event.
8. Depression keeps you up at night. Nearly 80 percent of depressed people can’t get a full night’s rest. They usually lie awake at night, wake several times throughout the night or rise too early in the morning.
9. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) or shock therapy is usually used in suicidal patients, patients who are resistant to other treatments and those that suffer from depression and mania.
10. Depression is curable. Even severe depression can be highly responsive to treatment, which often involves a combination of medications and psychotherapy. Life’s stresses and ups and downs can’t be eliminated, but individuals with depression can lead a more enjoyable, manageable life.