NursingLink

cdnurse: this is an excellent article in plain and simple language making it easy to understand. (easy to understand the article, not depression)

thanks cdnurse. Good info. I went to a lecture recenlty about the yellow ribbon program. Have you ever heard of it? It is new to me. A new dr to our community is trying to get this program established. It deals with suicide awareness.

cd, this article is extremely informative and helpful. Thanks.

Thanks cd nurse. I've always told myself just to snap out of it, and that I have the power to fix the blues. I tried meds for a short period, but I couldn't think and I had a class that required using my brain...so I gave up with the meds. Last year was diff, but I think things are getting better everyday....I hope. thanks again

Relationships aside, I think that incidence of depression in both genders has a lot to do with social factors. women are more likely to be stressed in the fact that they often must work full time, keep the house tidy and take care of the children, look pretty/stay in shape, and act like they're not losing their mind the whole time. men, on the other hand, are brought up into this culture of machismo in which having a "psychological disorder" is considered weak/unmasculine. men are far less likely to see a therapist, be on antidepressant drugs, or even report their affliction. i'm sure genes and culture also have an effect as well.

overall, really good article!

Anxiety/feeling overwhelmed while juggling work/family and RN school is sooooo common. It is very important while doing all that you are doing to be sure to eat properly, exercise, and find an outlet to release some of your overwhelming feelings....like arriving just a few minutes before your clinical shift is to begin (I know, sometimes easier said than done) and taking just a few minutes to meditate or write in a journal about how you are feeling and what is going right and what is maybe not going as well as you would like....just a suggestion...very helpful to me and several of my classmates through RN school:) Things get better when the studying is all over, and it is REALLY worth it all to have that wonderful feeling of accomplishment, so those of you in school, keep your chins up, and if you truly are not able to find a way to manage negative feelings, please seek help!

Oznuttine said:

Anxiety/feeling overwhelmed while juggling work/family and RN school is sooooo common. It is very important while doing all that you are doing to be sure to eat properly, exercise, and find an outlet to release some of your overwhelming feelings....like arriving just a few minutes before your clinical shift is to begin (I know, sometimes easier said than done) and taking just a few minutes to meditate or write in a journal about how you are feeling and what is going right and what is maybe not going as well as you would like....just a suggestion...very helpful to me and several of my classmates through RN school:) Things get better when the studying is all over, and it is REALLY worth it all to have that wonderful feeling of accomplishment, so those of you in school, keep your chins up, and if you truly are not able to find a way to manage negative feelings, please seek help!

cdnurse said:

Depression

Snap out of it. Pull yourself up. What do you have to be depressed about? It’s all in your head.

Depression is so common that it is referred to as “the common cold of psychiatric disorders.

Depression is higher in young women and has a tendency to decrease with age.

With men, depression is lower in younger men and increases with age.

Depression is higher in those who are divorced or separated. Higher in married women, lower in married men.

19 million Americans suffer from depression each year.

Depression can severely disrupt an individual’s life, affecting appetite, sleep, work performance, and relationships.

The cause of depressive disorders is not entirely known. INCLUDE: genetics, biochemical influences, and psychosocial experiences.

Depression is more than just a passing sad mood.

Depression is an illness that affects the way you feel about yourself, other people and things in life, day after day.

Feeling down once in a while is normal, especially when something bad happens, such as losing a job.

BUT: if you feel down for a long time, no matter what’s going on in your life, you could be depressed.

RED FLAGS

• Two questions: Have you felt down, depressed, or hopeless for MOST of the past 2 weeks?

• Have you felt little interest or pleasure doing things for most of the past 2 weeks?

• Prolonged sadness and feelings of hopelessness

• Loss of interest in activities that once provided pleasure

• Poor appetite or overeating

• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

• Agitation

• Difficulty concentrating

• Difficulty with making decisions

• No energy

• Feeling worthless

• Thoughts of death or suicide

• Headaches, stomachaches, diarrhea, and pains that don’t respond to treatment

A diagnosis of depression is made when at least 5 of these “red flags” have been present for more than 2 weeks.

Types of depression

If you can’t work, sleep, eat, or enjoy activities, you may have major depression.

A constant form of depression that’s not as severe as a bout of major depression is known as dysthymia. You may continue to work and do things you like, even though you feel sad inside.

WHY WOMEN ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR DEPRESSION

Nearly twice as many women as men experience depression.

Family History:
Genetics accounts for one-third to one-half of the risk of developing depression. If you have a mom, dad, brother, or sister with depression, you are 2-4 x more likely to develop depression.

Women may be more vulnerable because of sex-specific genes linked to depression.

A recent study of 81 families with severe recurring depression identified four chromosome regions that are associated more strongly with depression in women than in men.
More than 80% of the women in the study who inherited a particular form of a gene called CREB1 developed depression.

Body Chemistry

Depression is related to a shortage of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as a messenger b/t brain cells and help regulate mood.

Men may be somewhat protected b/c they produce about 52% more serotonin in their brains than women do.

Women not only make less serotonin, they also experience fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone throughout their reproductive lives, which then cause fluctuations in their stores of the neurotransmitter.

Social Factors

Work and family roles, relationships, and stress are also typical triggers of depression, more so in women than men.

Women tend to base their self image on the success of their relationships in a way that is less true for men.

Women are more apt to replay stressful events and conversations in their heads endlessly, fixating on possible negative consequences.

Getting Help

Depressed people improve the most on a combination of therapy nd antidepressants.

Women tend to respond best to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which increase the brain’s serotonin.

Be sure to ell your doctor how you really feel. and how much ETOH you drink, and if you take drugs.

You can find help in the phone book under “mental health services.

It may take as long as 6 weeks for some medicines to work.

If you feel as if you want to die or if you have a plan to kill yourself, call your doctor immediately or go to an ER.

Tmullis, u r not trying to b sarcastic r u?
Just wondering that's all

Oznuttine said:

Anxiety/feeling overwhelmed while juggling work/family and RN school is sooooo common. It is very important while doing all that you are doing to be sure to eat properly, exercise, and find an outlet to release some of your overwhelming feelings....like arriving just a few minutes before your clinical shift is to begin (I know, sometimes easier said than done) and taking just a few minutes to meditate or write in a journal about how you are feeling and what is going right and what is maybe not going as well as you would like....just a suggestion...very helpful to me and several of my classmates through RN school:) Things get better when the studying is all over, and it is REALLY worth it all to have that wonderful feeling of accomplishment, so those of you in school, keep your chins up, and if you truly are not able to find a way to manage negative feelings, please seek help!

tmullis: I see your post as heartfelt. I do not think anyone was offended. Check your inbox. I sent you a message

Pamelab said:

Hey Tmullis,I'm sorry,just didn't know if u were serious or not.
Apparently u were serious,again sorry.And no u didn't offend me
or anyone else 4 that matter

I believe in the holistic approach: try everything. So I try to meditate, pray, write letters I dont mail, stay busy, take rest, and yet there is no magic pill or solution. It is like any other "Medical" affliction, One day at a time. Perhaps One Day Soon, Mental Illness will no longer be the ugly step-sister of the "Medical" world.

I agree srfarrell, can't do one without the other effectively.

great post cd...as if I expected anything less coming from you!

I think we might see a decrease in depression if the world would slow down a little bit. Many of us lose ourselves in trying to keep up with the pace that society demands. I know from experience that depression is a very hard funk to get out of, it dang near killed me (very litterally speaking) when I was younger.

I'm glad that although I still experience small 'bouts these days, that nothing has come close in comparison. I just get away from the rest of the world for a little bit to "regroup", and things get better...note: this is not an immediate fix, and medications are NOT a crutch! I applaud anyone who is strong enough to take the first step, and ask for help!

srfarrell: you are correct. the sad thing is that many men suffer from depression and it goes undiagnosed. Women are also quicker to seek help than me. We need to teach men and assess men more than what we have in the past.