Depression is a serious medical illness affecting more than 16 million American adults every year, 6.7% of all U.S. adults1. Often a debilitating disorder, the disease results in a persistent state of sadness or loss of interest or pleasure – also the disease must need a proper depression treatment – which interferes with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and physical health.
In 2010, the economic burden of depression was estimated at $210 billion in the US2 and depression was the second leading cause of disability, accounting for almost 20% of all years of life lost to disability and premature death.3
Depression can be a lethal disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2017, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people. Statistics show that 60% of them suffer from this disease.5 Overall, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from misery; however, some experts feel that depression in men is under-reported.6 Depression has no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. About two-thirds of those who experience an episode of depression will have at least one other episode in their lives.
While the exact cause of depression is not known, the leading scientific theory is that the disorder is caused by decreased activity in the neural networks of the brain that regulate emotion and motivation. Increasing levels of neurotransmitters in the brain have been found to reactivate these neural networks or create new networks. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that send signals between brain cells. Depression is most often treated with antidepressant medications. It is believed that antidepressant medications work as depression therapy by increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters.
More than 4 million patients do not receive adequate benefits from antidepressants and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them. These patients need a new way back.
Depression Symptoms
The symptoms of this mental illness can vary from person to person. However, depression is generally observed as being a persistent state of sadness or a loss of the ability to experience pleasure. Those experiencing mental disorders often lose interest in everyday activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
According to the standard diagnosis guide (DSM-V) published by the American Psychiatric Association, it is diagnosed when an individual is experiencing either a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure plus four or more of the following symptoms during the same two-week period:
Significant weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain (a change of more than five percent of body weight in a month)- Significant increase or decrease in appetite
- Excessive sleepiness or insomnia
- Agitation and restlessness
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive and inappropriate guilt nearly every day
- Diminished ability to think, concentrate or make decisions
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
If you feel you are experiencing any of these mentioned symptoms, contact your doctor and speak with them about your treatment for depression and anxiety options.