The recent suicide of actor/comedian Robin Williams highlights the importance of addressing depression and other mood disorders. Even though the people closest to him knew he was suffering from depression, most of them thought he "had it under control."
Depression is a common but serious illness. All of us are happier some days and sadder on others, but if you feel sad or anxious most of the time for more than two weeks—or frequently swing from depression to high spirits and back over short periods of time—it may be time to seek medical advice.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders are not at all uncommon:
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US, affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older—or roughly 18% of the US population.
- Major depression is a treatable illness that affects the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and functions. Each year about 6.7% of US adults experience major depressive disorder.
- Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million US adults, or about 2.6% of the US population age 18 and older every year.
Recognizing the Causes & Symptoms
Most depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. For example, people with a family history of mood disorders might be less able to produce the brain chemicals needed to balance their moods during long periods of stress, sorrow or anxiety. Whatever the cause, each of the three most common mood disorders has a set of distinct symptoms which are described below.
Symptoms of depression include:
- Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings
- Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
- Irritability or restlessness
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
- Fatigue and decreased energy
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
- Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness or excessive sleeping
- Overeating or appetite loss
- Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment.
While anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, when anxiety becomes so excessive that you have trouble controlling it and it's negatively affecting your day-to-day living, you may be suffering from a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Symptoms of GAD may include:
- Constant worrying about everyday things
- Trouble relaxing
- Difficulty concentrating
- Easily startled
- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep despite tiredness or exhaustion
- Headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches or unexplained pains
- Difficulty swallowing
- Trembling or twitching
- Irritability
- Excessive sweating or frequent bathroom use
- Light-headedness or being out of breath
The NIMH describes bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, as a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. In addition to the symptoms of depression described earlier, a person with bipolar disorder often exhibits the following manic symptoms:
- A long period of feeling "high," or an overly happy or outgoing mood—or a long period of extreme irritability
- Talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another or having racing thoughts
- Being easily distracted
- Increasing activities, such as taking on new projects
- Being overly restless
- Sleeping little or not being tired
- Having an unrealistic belief in one's abilities
- Behaving impulsively and engaging in pleasurable, high-risk behaviors
Treatment
The majority of people diagnosed with mood disorders get better with treatment. Effective treatments often include a combination of medications, counseling and other therapies. People at risk for suicide or harm to others may require hospitalization. Others work with psychiatrists or psychotherapists. Many receive help from their family doctors or internists.
There's no single therapy that works for every person and disorder. Your doctor may prescribe drugs—and may want to see how you react to more than one drug until you find the drug or combination of drugs that works for you. Patience may be required—many antidepressant medications take several weeks to reach maximum effectiveness.
