Depression and anxiety are the most common mental diseases of the 21st century. According to the world Health Organization, depression is the fourth costliest disease in the world. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 19 million American adults live with clinical depression and it is projected to be the number-one disease burden in high-income countries, surpassing HIV and heart disease. Depression breads depression. The earlier in life depression occurs, the more likely it will recur; the longer it goes untreated, the more difficult it is to treat; and children of depressed parents are significantly more likely to develop depression.
Depression debilitates people. If doesn’t only affect physically and mentally but affects jobs, relationships and entire families. Medication alone has been proven to not be long term effective. In combination with psychotherapy is the treatment recommended. Psychotherapy is helpful by providing people with new ways of thinking and expressing their feelings. It also provides a new way of looking at reality as well as coping skills to handle the same situation or life circumstance in a more effective and healthy way. The majority of the times it comes with different levels of anxiety and the inability to handle it makes the depression even worse.
So, if you find that you are experiencing the symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, the best plan of attack is to get help early. Treating the problem in the beginning stages can help prevent your symptoms from snowballing into more debilitating depression. According to psychologyinfo.com, one of the challenges of depression is the patient’s ability to get help since the very nature of depression can interfere with this. Symptoms like low energy and feelings of hopelessness can make the expectation of picking up the phone, scheduling an appointment, and getting to an appointment seem like insurmountable tasks. Take action now, it can become more difficult later. Do it for you and for the ones around you.
Isabel Kirk is recognized as a TOP Mental Health & Counseling Expert for the Fairfax and Arlington, Virginia regions and is featured on the TOP Doctors Interviews which are seen on CNN Headline News, FOX News, Oprah Winfrey Network, MSNBC and other networks.