Stressful Lifestyle and Depression

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Stressful Lifestyle and Depression

Baby boomers are known for their need to “have it all.” They have been largely successful but at what price? The leading cause of disability in the United States as well as worldwide is depression. Depression is most common in baby boomers. Unfortunately, depression is often not diagnosed and left untreated.

Why are boomers more likely to be diagnosed with major depression? In their struggle for success, material rewards, and raising healthy children, stress becomes a major issue in their life. Baby boomers have a higher rate of depression than any other previous generation. Research points to stress being a major reason.

Although boomers might think that constant chronic fatigue is an unpleasant fact and something they have to live with, if not treated, it can cause not only depression but also thyroid disease and sleep apnea. Excessive fatigue is not normal and should be treated before it leads to further problems.

It’s also noted that women stand a better chance of being depressed than men. They have hormonal and cyclical changes that often contribute to depression. PMS, perimenopause, menopause contribute to major depression. A woman may also suffer from a major depression as their body goes through hormonal changes after giving birth to a baby.

Major depression often is left undiagnosed and untreated. Studies show that adults who commit suicide have seen their doctor shortly before they take their lives. Twenty percent of them had seen their doctor on the same day, 40 percent with the same week, and 70 percent in the previous month.

Where do you go for help? The first visit should be to your primary care doctor. Depression and hypertension are the two major reasons for a doctor’s visit. However, if you are not honest with your doctor, they can’t be blamed for a lack of diagnosis. It’s important that your doctor realize the extent of your depression. You are not alone; others suffer from depression as well. The social stigma is largely gone when it comes to depression and other mental health illnesses. If your doctor asks if you have ever thought of harming yourself or someone else, don’t be afraid to admit it. That is the first step in treatment and could save your life.

Most doctors will recommend a medication to raise the serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. These allow the nerve cells in the brain to communicate with one another. Many medications have been used to treat depression; one of the most common is Prozac, which has fewer side effects than the older drugs. You should also remember, some medications will work for some, but not others. It’s important you keep trying until you find the right medication for your depression.

Sometimes medication is not enough to bring a person out of a major depression. At that point, the doctor can recommend psychotherapy as a way to get to the initial cause of the depression. Most baby boomers cringe at trying to cram one more thing into an already busy week. They are tempted to rely on the medications to take care of their depression. For most people, stress and a busy lifestyle contributed to their depression from the beginning.

Don’t underestimate the positives from therapy. Your therapist can teach you relaxation methods, help you to prioritize your life, and breathing techniques to reduce the stress in your life. A therapist can help you focus on the personal reasons behind your depression. Many patients see improvement in six to eight weeks. For those who may have had trauma in their childhood, it could take longer to get to the root of the problem.

Depression is a lonely illness and often suffered in silence. You have choices for treating depression. The first step is to recognize you have the problem and then seek help. Depression can ruin your life, cause families to split, and contribute to many other problems. By learning all you can about the illness, and with the help of your doctor and therapist, you can begin living a normal lifestyle. Some of you may not realize you have been depressed for many years. A trained therapist can help you to pinpoint the time when depression started taking over your life.