ComputerHunter.org

 

Do You Think You Have Depression?


Do you have days where nothing can make you happy? You are not alone. I ignored my depressive thoughts about life for years. Unfortunately I didn't do anything to fix my situation until they became so dehabilitating that I had no choice.

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. In a given year, an estimated 22.1% of Americans aged 18 and older (about 1 in 5 adults) suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. According to the 1998 United States Census population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people! In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders, with major depression being the leading cause of disability.

It is estimated that depression alone will occur in approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5% of the United States population aged 18 or above. If you are a woman, you are twice as likely than a man (12% vs. 6.6%) to be affected by depression each year.

My symptoms of depression started with an occasional case of the blahs. I was able to cope with them for a long time. I thought that since this happens to a lot of people, that it would pass and I didn't need to worry. I didn't think about finding out why it was happening. Besides, after a few drinks I always felt much better. I later learned that depressive disorders commonly occur with substance abuse...

So what is the cause of all of this sadness in our society? Speaking from experience, I wasn't happy with my life and the direction it was taking me. I would look back at a past week and not be able to recall one thing that I enjoyed. It was a blur. Nor would I look forward to the coming weeks ahead. All I saw were potential stresses that were going to present themselves. But I didn't do anything about it. I accepted that this was life. Looking back I don't know how I could have ever believed this.

When we are suffering from depression, it seems that we lose our objectivity. Does thinking that we have nothing to look forward to sound rational to you? Where did my enjoyment in life disappear to? It was my perception of the world that had slowly changed and I was unable to see it because of the control that my depression had over me.

In the fast pace of today's world we often don't allow ourselves time to evaluate our lives and set goals to realize our ambitions. Whether you do or do not have depression, you're reading this article because you think something might be wrong with your life. Have you tried to identify the things you are unhappy with? The first step for me was to educate myself and find out what it was that I was dealing with. I started reading books. I consulted a psychologist to get some unbiased insight about myself.

Otherwise, how do we find solutions for problems that we don't yet understand? So let's get started. What's stopping you?

David Smith is the writer for My Depression Help, a resource site where he describes his feelings and experiences with depression and provides the depression help treatment he used for his recovery. Read more about me and my depression experiences.







Google News - Top Stories

The Age

McCain and the Raging Right
Washington Post - 1 hour ago
By EJ Dionne Jr. Are we witnessing the reemergence of the far right as a power in American politics? Has John McCain, inadvertently perhaps, become the midwife of a new movement built around fear, xenophobia, racism and anger?
Obama's getting off easy Los Angeles Times
Utahns: Race, gender add intrigue but issues rule in McCain, Obama ... Salt Lake Tribune
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Arizona Republic - Conde Nast Portfolio - The Week
all 2,207 news articles


BBC News

Wildfires threaten LA homes; two people dead
Reuters - 3 hours ago
By Steve Gorman and Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Deadly wind-driven brush fires roared out of the foothills and canyons on the northern fringe of Los Angeles on Monday, destroying dozens of homes and threatening hundreds more dwellings.
Video: LA Fire Officials Try to Get Ahead of Blazes AssociatedPress
LA firefighters battle wildfires BBC News
New York Times - AFP - The Associated Press - Los Angeles Times
all 3,445 news articles


ABC News

House Race Is Shaken by Report of an Affair
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By IAN URBINA WASHINGTON - The Florida congressman who succeeded Mark Foley after he resigned because of a sex scandal is now embroiled in a sex scandal of his own, and has requested a Congressional ethics investigation to clear his name.
House to investigate lawmaker for alleged affair, ethics lapse CNN
A Florida (House) Bombshell Washington Post
The Associated Press - ABC News - Palm Beach Post - CBS News
all 319 news articles


Browns 35, Giants 14
New York Times - 56 minutes ago
By JOE LAPOINTE CLEVELAND - Eli Manning is well paid for doing many things well, but tackling is not among them. So when circumstances forced Manning to try to bring down Eric Wright after an interception, it was not a good sign for the defending Super ...
Browns take apart Giants, 35-14, on Monday Night Football New York Daily News
Final Score: Cleveland 35, NY Giants 14 Sports Network
The Associated Press - The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - SportingNews.com
all 743 news articles


Washington Post

A Monster Game for Rays
Washington Post - 1 hour ago
By Dave Sheinin BOSTON, Oct. 14 -- The Green Monster, Fenway Park's iconic left field wall, had never before been so blatantly breached by invaders.
Lester's Game 3 struggles has BoSox feeling the heat FOXSports.com
Sox Faithful Hang on to Hope Boston Herald
Chicago Tribune - Kansas City Star - New York Times - MLB.com
all 3,508 news articles

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base