| Depression
(cont)
Feeling
Depressed? You're Not Alone
Depression
can happen to anyone. No matter what age you are. No matter
where you come from. No matter how hard you try to "snap
out of it." Depression can make it very hard for you
to care for yourself, your family, or even carry on sufficiently
at work. But there is hope. Depression can be treated and
you can feel better.
Signs
of Depression
If
any of the following symptoms apply to you, please seek professional
advice from your doctor. You could be suffering from depression.
Please consider seeking an evaluation ASAP for depression
Take this list to a doctor or therapist and discuss the symptoms
you identified with. Asking for help is a sign of strength
and will spare you from unnecessary suffering.
1.
I am really sad most of the time.
2.
I don’t enjoy doing the things I’ve always enjoyed
doing.
3.
I don’t sleep well at night and am always restless.
4.
I am always tired. I find it hard to get out of bed.
5.
I don’t feel like eating much.
6.
I feel like eating all the time.
7.
I have lots of aches and pains that don’t go away and
have no real medical cause.
8.
I have little to no sexual energy.
9.
I find it hard to focus and am very forgetful.
10.
I am mad at everybody and everything.
11.
I feel upset and fearful--but don’t know why.
12.
I don’t feel like talking to people.
13.
I feel like there isn’t much point to living—nothing
good is going to happen for me.
14.
I don’t like myself very much. I feel bad most of the
time.
15.
I think about death a lot. I even think about killing myself.**
**Sometimes
depression can cause people to feel like killing themselves.
If you are thinking about killing yourself or know someone
who is talking about it, get help:
Call
911, or
Go
to the emergency room of the nearest hospital, or
Call
and talk to a doctor or therapist now, or
Ask
a friend or family member to take you to the hospital or call
your doctor.
Get
Treatment For Your Depression. You Can Feel Better
There
are two common types of treatment for depression: (1) medicine
and (2) "talk" therapy. Many people need both treatments
to feel better.
Medicine
Medicines
for depression are called "antidepressants." Your
regular doctor or a psychiatrist (a medical doctor trained
in helping people with depression) can prescribe them for
you.
Antidepressants
may take a few weeks to work. Be sure to tell the doctor how
you are feeling. If you are not feeling better, you may need
to try different medicines to find out what works best for
you.
Medicines
sometimes cause unwanted "side effects." You may
feel tired, have blurred vision, or feel sick to your stomach.
Tell the doctor if you have these or any other side effects.
"Talk"
Therapy
"Talk"
therapy involves talking to someone such as a psychologist
or counselor. It helps you learn to change how depression
makes you think, feel, and act.You can feel better.
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