Brighterdays4you’s Weblog

I know.  It is all over the web, in doctor’s offices, in magazines, and in the news.  Prozac is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs so the public is very well informed on depression yet at the same time, I still have people asking me what depression is and if they have it.  The list below is one that I developed after seeing thousands of clients with depression. 

MILD

Lack of motivation

Low self esteem

Feeling tired

Isolating self – not seeing friends or family

Sleeping too much

Feeling sad or blue most days

Thoughts of wanting to die from illness

Losing interest in things that used to be enjoyed such as hobbies

MODERATE

Losing sleep

Losing appetite

Losing hope

Thoughts of suicide with no intent to follow through with it

Feeling helpless, trapped

Having problems concentrating and/or making decisions

SEVERE

Feel hopeless and helpless

Thoughts of suicide become obsessive

Can be self destructive or self defeating

Thoughts of suicide with intent

The moderate and severe  categories include all of the symptoms of the ones before it so moderate includes mild and severe includes mild and moderate symptoms.  You may not experience all of the symptoms in the categories below however if you experience two or more in the moderate and one in the severe category then you would fit in those categories.  I have found that it is not enough just to list the symptoms.  You can deny, minimize and find a way to tell yourself  that you are not depressed or only mildly depressed however when you see your symptoms in the moderate or even severe category, it gets harder to deny it. 

The next question is often whether you should take medication for it.  This is the quideline that I use:  There are two criteria that I use to determine whether you should go on medication or whether you can choose for yourself. 

The first is if the thoughts of suicide have become so persistant that they are scaring you, the means for suicide has become lethal, there have been past attempts or alcohol or drugs are involved.  When you are dead, you are dead.  There is no turning back, no changing your mind.  Alcohol and drugs lower inhibitions which means that you are more likely to follow through with killing yourself under the influence. 

 The second is if you having a difficult time functioning at home or at your job.  You have a job to do, you have kids at home, there are people depending on you to maintain order in their lives.  If you have allowed your depression to overtake you then the quickest way to turn this around is with antidepressants.

Antidepressants have a long half life which means basically that you feel the side effects before you feel the good effects. The most common side effects people feel are headaches and stomach aches or nausea. These go away after the first week. If they don’t then talk to your doctor. The good effects are not felt for about 2-4 weeks later depending on the antidepressant prescribed so do not worry if you are not feeling better right away.