# 10 Little Known Facts About Depression



## Banned (Aug 5, 2009)

*10 Little Known Facts About Depression*
by Dr. Barton Goldsmith, _Psychology Today_ 
July 15, 2009

_Most depressions don't occur during the Holidays, they happen in summer._ 

Here are ten other little known facts about depression.

1. Depression distorts your thinking. When you are depressed, your mind can play tricks on you. If you have thoughts of suicide, please call someone immediately. Don't let a temporary glitch in your thinking cause you to harm yourself or another.

2. Depression makes you selfish. It's very hard to think of other people when you're wrapped in a prickly blanket of sadness, and all you can think about is your own pain. Be proactive and take the steps you need to heal.

3. Depression is experienced as anxiety 65 percent of the time. Make sure you get an accurate diagnosis, so you can get the most effective treatment available.

4. Persistent irritability can be a symptom of depression. If the world, your life, or your loved ones constantly tick you off, the cause might be something that's going on inside of you.

5. Chronic pain can be another symptom of depression. At the same time, being in continual discomfort can cause you to become depressed. When you are depressed and in pain, it can be hard to know which came first.

6. Alcohol is a depressant. So are marijuana and a host of other recreational or street drugs. Self-medication is not going to get you better and will surely make you worse over time. Remember that all medications, including anti-depressants, have side effects.

7. People don't choose to be depressed, but they do make a choice about how to deal with it. You can choose to do nothing, but denying that you have a problem will only make you feel worse.

8. The origin of depression can be situational and/or bio-chemical. If you are experiencing mild to moderate situational depression (resulting from the loss of a job, for example), counseling will help you. Most bio-chemical depressions that are moderate to severe are best treated with a combination of medicine and psychotherapy.

9. Depression can be as hard on your loved ones as it is on you. Those closest to you may start to feel unloved, and may distance themselves so they aren't pulled into your pain. Remember that others are counting on you.

10. Exercise is the easiest and least expensive cure for depression. Just walking 30 minutes a day will help you and sometimes completely alleviate your symptoms. For this very reason, many therapists take walks with clients instead of doing "couch time."

Depression takes on many disguises, but more diagnostic tools and better treatments are available today than ever before. Take advantage of the many options that are readily available to help you and your loved ones.


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## why (Aug 8, 2009)

Turtle said:


> 3. Depression is experienced as anxiety 65 percent of the time. Make sure you get an accurate diagnosis, so you can get the most effective treatment available.



This is what I experienced over twenty years ago. At eighteen I started having severe anxiety. I was told I had panic disorder and was prescribed Xanax. It worked great, and eventually was able to wean myself almost off them. I had another, really bad bout in late 2000. I was then diagnosed with Clinical Depression, and told this was the case with me. I was prescribed Paxil, which made a big difference. The hope was that it would help get me off the Xanax for good. Now on Effexor.


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## Into The Light (Aug 8, 2009)

my doctor surprised me when he said my anti-depressant medication was also an anti-anxia-something-litic (anti- anxiety :lol. so that was rather interesting.

anxiety and depression generally speaking to seem to go hand in hand.


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## David Baxter PhD (Aug 8, 2009)

Yes, the SSRI/SNRI family of medications is indeed helpful not only for depression but for anxiety disorders, OCD, certain types of anger issues, and others including ADHD. Similarly, the so-called "atypical anti-psychotics" are also helpful at lower doses for treating resistant depression and anxiety.


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## why (Aug 9, 2009)

David Baxter said:


> Yes, the SSRI/SNRI family of medications is indeed helpful not only for depression but for anxiety disorders, *OCD*... .



My anxiety was basically hypochondria. Really bad bouts (spent Friday night dates in the ER waiting room, because "I knew" I was having an aneurysm  Since hypochondria is a form of OCD...neat.
Well, not _really_ neat.:lol:


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## Wheredowegofromhere (Aug 12, 2009)

Just wondering why ones depression may be worse in the summer months?  I find that I become very depressed in the spring and it lingers throughout the summer as well...Is there a logical explanation as to why this happens?


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## Banned (Aug 12, 2009)

I've often wondered the same thing, but I truthfully haven't a clue.  I have lots of ideas, but no logical explanation.


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## David Baxter PhD (Aug 12, 2009)

Wheredowegofromhere said:


> Just wondering why one's depression may be worse in the summer months?  I find that I become very depressed in the spring and it lingers throughout the summer as well...Is there a logical explanation as to why this happens?



It may be a form of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Most people associate SAD with the "winter blues" but in fact for many people the difficult season is summer, not winter.

It's not known exactly why this occurs and indeed there might not be a single cause. One of the hypotheses to explain the winter form of SAD was reduced exposure to sunlight (hence, the use of full spectrum SAD lights which seems to benefit some individuals), but it's hard to see how that would explain summer SAD. It may be less physiological and more psychological in origin, e.g., perhaps summer for some individuals is associated with unpleasant or traumatic experiences or loss, or maybe the summer season emphasizes perceived physical "defects" impacting negatively on self-esteem.

You'll find more information here: Seasonal Affective Disorder :: SAD - Psychlinks Psychology Self-Help & Mental Health Support Forum


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## Daniel (Aug 12, 2009)

> maybe the summer season emphasizes perceived physical "defects" impacting negatively on self-esteem.



That makes sense.  A couple other partial theories/explanations I like:



> Part of the reason is definitely that the contrast between a depressed person's inner world and the outer world is just too painful. In winter, the whole world, including nature, seems to match your dark mood.
> 
> Also, you begin to [believe] that if you don't feel good during this season, when the world is renewing itself, you're never going to.
> 
> Depression - Why Suicide Rates Increase in the Spring


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