The great depression

Life’s a bitch…and then you die.  (It must be true cuz I saw this on a bumper sticker.)

It’s totally normal to have down days, very bad days where you get up on the wrong side of the bed. It’s also normal to have a longer stretch of time where you find yourself in a deeper funk related to a stressful life event like a divorce, a death, an empty nest.  This is “situational depression.” It’s the “life is hard” part.

But clinical depression is a medical diagnosis.  Brain chemistry is altered and must be taken seriously. In fact, dead serious.  Depression, when ignored, can be fatal.

Some possible reasons depression happens ( I say possible because science hasn’t pin pointed an exact  cause of this sometimes crippling mental disorder):

• genetics
• loss
• social isolation
• street and prescription drugs
• PMS, menopause, postpartum hormonal imbalances
• chronic disease
• vitamin deficiencies
• decreased seasonal light
• being poor
• alcohol
• childhood trauma

…and drum roll please…being a woman is a risk factor.

Depression affects 25% of us grrls compared to only 10% of the guys.

You know what depression looks like: sullen, lack of energy, eating tons of comfort foods, sleeping a lot.  Basically, life has lost its luster and looks hopeless.

But here are some other symptoms that might put a major depression under the radar:

• trouble concentrating
• difficulty remembering details
• poor decision-making skills
• irritability or restlessness
• insomnia
• weight loss
• chronic, mysterious aches and pains
• poor digestion or bowel disruptions
• anxiety
• numbed out feeling

Right here, right now, I want to emphasize that depression can be dangerous when it goes untreated.  If you or a loved one has symptoms that include:

• obsession with death
• participation in risky physical behaviors
• thinking that death would relieve the depression or angst
• planning how a suicide might best be achieved

a local suicide hot-line must be accessed or call 911 without delay.

An issue with diagnosing depression can be the presence of another mood disorder: bipolar.

Bipolar II or “soft bipolar” can be rather sneaky.  The mania portion of manic-depression can show up as an elevated mood expressed as a sense of grandeur about one’s life…creativity, gallons of energy and sometimes the need for very little sleep. Not so bad in and of itself but then it cycles to irritation, anger, severe anxiety and discontent.  These can seem like normal life cycles.  But it’s just that the depression portion of bipolar is much more evident.  Doctors note this and place patients on one of a number of anti-depression meds.  Thought these drugs will often quickly relieve depressive symptoms, a bipolar woman’s mood can then change to a cycle of mania that can be dangerous.

Now, I’m not a psche nurse but through my research I have come to the conclusion to recommend that women who find themselves in what seems like a clinical depression seek medical advice from a psychiatrist rather than a general medical doc.  A psychiatrist can tease out the differences and diagnose accurately.

While I’m all about natural and holistic methods of approaching disease, a front-line treatment I’m in favor of for depression is prescription drugs.  Remember, depression is a mood disorder with likely roots in a chemical or hormonal imbalance that these meds can efficiently and effectively treat.

Just know, medications are not an end-all.  I invite you to look to augment them, exploring how and why you are not able to fully be your true, joyous, outrageous self.  Talk therapy or somatic therapy can flesh out what can be a core issue related to the emptiness and pain of depression.

Here are other ways to mount a holistic pre-emptive strike against this life-stealing disease:

• exercise regularly…super important for seratonin levels
• eat a healthy, balanced diet, avoiding excessive  carbs and alcohol
• cultivate good sleep habits
• eat fatty fish or take Omega-3 acid supplement daily
• meditate regularly
• use positive affirmations
• do yoga and yogic breathing
• try acupuncture or massage therapy
• take a B vitamin supplement daily
• use aromatherapy

Unless you have a doctor who is well-versed in the application of St. John’s Wort, a well-known herb used in the treatment of depression, avoid it.  It interferes with many prescription drugs and you need to have the dosages just right as it is unsafe in large amounts.  It can cause severe reactions to sun exposure, difficulty sleeping, wild dreams, anxiety, head aches, diarrhea and dizziness.  I don’t think the hippy chick at Whole Foods in the herb department is qualified to treat your depression…just sayin’.

If you think you are having more than a shitty couple of days or weeks, seek out professional help.  Your life is waiting. And you’re worth it, grrl.

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