Depression 101

Depression is a major health concern world-wide. It causes untold and suffering to individuals and costs society a great deal due to lost wages. And the suicide rate in the United States continues to rise.

Although the number and type of medications developed to address depression and other mental health issues continues to increase every year, people remain depressed. Medications are clearly not THE answer.  Studies have shown that antidepressants tend to work best for severely depressed people, however, the vast majority of people put on antidepressants are mildly or moderately depressed.

It is not all about genetics either. A 2009 meta-analysis of studies showed that there was no risk for depression related to genes, but there was a risk with the increasing number of stressful life events. There is often a stressful life event that happens prior to the development of a depressive episode.

Instead of teaching people that they just need to find the right pill, we need to teach them to take better care of themselves and each other. We need to help people understand that therapy isan incredibly important part of health and healing.