Clinical Depression

Dont be offended,
I just feel more comfortable going with the person who is about to become a dr. in this field.

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Posted by lilmrs

Neenie!!
I meant to tell you, your hair looks fantastic!!!!

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Thank you

im no Dr (though i did get my bachelors in Psych ) BUT i do give a mean bear Hug for anyone that needs 'em!!

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Posted by lilmrs

Dont be offended,
I just feel more comfortable going with the person who is about to become a dr. in this field.

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I'm not! I just took it as you were asking for a definition and not for help. I really hope it works out. If you need anything from me, just ask, but I'm sure am can defintiely help you

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Posted by neeniebean86

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Posted by lilmrs

Neenie!!
I meant to tell you, your hair looks fantastic!!!!

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Thank you

im no Dr (though i did get my bachelors in Psych ) BUT i do give a mean bear Hug for anyone that needs 'em!!

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omg!

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Posted by am470

I am getting my phd in clinical psych this summer. So here is a bunch of info:

Symptoms:
hopelessness, helplessness, feelings of agitation, motor retardation, changes in appetite, changes in weight, changes in sleeping pattern, lethargy, worthlessness, feelings of guilt, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, loss of libido, suicidal thoughts, ideation, or attempts.

Prevalence:
Twice as common in women then men.

Causes:
Environmental and Biological.
Biological-depressed individuals have too little of certain neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messages in your body. They include dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, epinephrine.

Treatment:
Most depressions lift within 6 months without treatment. However, for many that is too long to go suffering.

Treatment should be three-pronged:
-Cognitive Treatment-change irrational and negative thoughts to positive and rational thoughts.

Behavioral Treatment-focus on increasing pleasant events in life and decreasing avoidant behaviors.

-Drug Treatment-SSRIs (prozac, zoloft, paxil) or 2nd Generation antidepressants (wellbutrin) focus on restoring the balance of neurotransmitters in your system.

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Wow, you do know quite a bit. Thanks for the info. Just wondering, is it normal to get depressed during pregnancy? I've been feeling several of the symptoms you listed. Thanks

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Posted by am470

Well, depression can also be caused by hormones. So it is definitely possible. I don't know any prevalence rates for pregnant women though.

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Thank you

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Posted by am470

One last thing: For all of you who are treating only one of the three areas (thoughts, neurotransmitters, and behaviors), you are probably not going to improve as much as you could. You really need to treat all three. That is why people who are really depressed won't show that much improvement if they only take meds. If you are mildly depressed, you may improve enough if only treating one. But you really need to treat all three!!! If not, you are selling yourself short.

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you beat me to it...that's really important. No one should be on meds w/o being in thereapy.

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Posted by marymoon

My FSIL got terrible depression when she was pregnant, so she had to be on anti depressants throghout both pregnancies (both babies are very healthy), and after her first babyw as born she ahd such bad post partum depression that she had to be hospitalized. As far as I know it's quite common

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Hmm...perhaps I should discuss this with my doctor. Thanks for posting this.

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Posted by Butterflybride

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Posted by marymoon

My FSIL got terrible depression when she was pregnant, so she had to be on anti depressants throghout both pregnancies (both babies are very healthy), and after her first babyw as born she ahd such bad post partum depression that she had to be hospitalized. As far as I know it's quite common

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Hmm...perhaps I should discuss this with my doctor. Thanks for posting this.

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I think you definitely should. It shoudn;t ever go untreated..but esp when you're carrying a baby. I don't want to see anyone go through what my FSIl went through after her babies were born.

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Posted by Jax430

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Posted by am470

One last thing: For all of you who are treating only one of the three areas (thoughts, neurotransmitters, and behaviors), you are probably not going to improve as much as you could. You really need to treat all three. That is why people who are really depressed won't show that much improvement if they only take meds. If you are mildly depressed, you may improve enough if only treating one. But you really need to treat all three!!! If not, you are selling yourself short.

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you beat me to it...that's really important. No one should be on meds w/o being in thereapy.

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I must say that I disagree. I believe it is ok to be on meds as long as you are no longer experiencing symptoms of depression. You need to deal with those thoughts and behaviors, but once dealt with I don't believe therapy needs to be continued just because you take meds. JMHO.

In terms of the depression while pregnant, I must say that it is not common. In fact, I have never seen a pregnant depressed patient before in therapy or in a hospital setting. That doesn't mean its not impossible. I just don;t believe that it is as common as a previous poster implied. Also, it is not common for pregnant women to be on meds. There are some anti-psychotics which can be ok if pregnant, but many other drugs are not ok.

I think too many people end up on meds and NEVER have therapy and expect the keds to magically solve the problem. There are many people who go throgh meds and therapy and get to level where they are dealing with theri symptoms everyday fine, but will need to still be on mds. I think it's a rare ocassion that it's appropriate to be on meds having never been in therapy.

Also, I've read that depression during pregnancy is common, although not to point of my FSIl. She was an extreme case. It was so bad she HAD to be on SSRIs despite the risks to the baby.

ETA: I realize that I made it seem like what happenned to FSIL was common. I meant depression during pg not the severity

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Posted by marymoon

I think too many people end up on meds and NEVER have therapy and expect the keds to magically solve the problem. There are many people who go throgh meds and therapy and get to level where they are dealing with theri symptoms everyday fine, but will need to still be on mds. I think it's a rare ocassion that it's appropriate to be on meds having never been in therapy.

Also, I've read that depression during pregnancy is common, although not to point of my FSIl. She was an extreme case. It was so bad she HAD to be on SSRIs despite the risks to the baby.

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i am going to have to say i agree with am470.

1. therapy only goes so far...you can try to congititve and behaviorally work on changeing ones thought patterns and beliefs...BUT it must be said that major depression is one of the HARDEST disorders to change.
Nobody is supposed to end up on meds without going through therapy..a psychiatrist or MD is supposed to refer the individual to a therapist...and the therapist and prescribing psychiatrist are supposed to work together..You do not just get prescriptioins handed out because you say you are depressed. And if anyone is that is completely unethical...

But there comes a point where therapy only goes soo far. Some do end up staying on medication indefinately...even after therapy has stopped

2. Pregnancy and major depression isn't common. Yes they do get hormonal and yes they are moody and fluctuate with their feelings (ranging from saddness, agitation, and stress/anxiety) but RARELY is it MAJOR DEPRESSION and diagnosed as such!

Kristen,

I clicked a link this morning and then saw this
Depression in pregnancy



Women of childbearing age have an increased risk of depression. The good news is, with proper medical care, most women with depression have normal pregnancies.

Pregnancy can, however, affect depression. During pregnancy, women go through many changes. For a woman with depression, pregnancy can trigger a wide range of emotions that can make coping more difficult. Physical changes during pregnancy and labor can also lessen or change the effectiveness of antidepressant medications. Also, women with a history of major depression can have repeated episodes of it during and after pregnancy. This is especially true for women who stop taking their antidepressant medications during pregnancy.

If you have depression and are trying to conceive or are pregnant, discuss your situation with your doctor. If you take medication for depression, you may review the type and dosage with your doctor. If you have mild depression, you may be able to stop using your antidepressant. If you have major depression or a recent history of depression, your doctor will probably encourage you to continue your treatment.

There has been research done on the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy. Studies have found no increased risk of birth defects with:

Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, others)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
But the possible effects of these medications on an unborn child's future behavior aren't known. The use of an older class of drugs called tricyclic antidepressants during pregnancy does cause concern. Because other, more effective medications are now available, tricyclic antidepressants are rarely used in pregnancy.

It's important to take proper care of depression during pregnancy. If you don't, you may put your health at risk, which can harm both you and your baby. Depression may result in your not eating well or not gaining enough weight. Severe depression can result in your trying to injure yourself or take your own life.

Untreated depression during pregnancy may also affect your baby's well-being. Some studies have shown that maternal depression can be associated with:

Preterm birth
Low birth weight
A lower score on the Apgar test, which is done to assess a baby's well-being right after birth
If you're being treated for or have a history of depression, follow your doctor's advice on how to best manage it during pregnancy. Check with your doctor before starting, stopping or changing the dosage of any medication. Also, alert your doctor if previous depression appears to be returning.

I think you are right red.
Sorry

I'm sorry if I gave what you feel was misinformation of was unclear. I was only trying to help nase don my own experience of being treated for CD and having lived with amny people who have it and having done a lot of research from the patient side. I didn't mean to confuse anyone, just trying to help.