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Understanding Depression 

Depression can be divided into eight types: major depression, persistent depression, premenstrual mood disorder, postpartum depression, psychotic depression, adaptation disorder, seasonal depression, and bipolar mood disorder. Information related to depression can easily cause people to worry about whether they have depression, but depression is not the same as depression. To know whether you are depression, you must be diagnosed in detail by a doctor. 

Depression Symptoms

1. Emotional aspects: depression, sadness, unhappiness, lack of interest, irritability, restlessness, irritability, anxiety, panic.
2. Cognition and thinking: Pessimism, incompetence, helplessness, hopelessness, indecision, memory loss, inability to concentrate, lack of confidence, self-blame, suicidal ideation, delayed thinking, guilt and self-punishment delusions and hallucinations.
3. Physiological aspects: decreased libido, increased or decreased appetite, decreased physical strength, fatigue, insomnia, etc.
4. Behavioral aspects: speaking less, moving slowly, stiff or irritable, and even suicidal.
5. Other: alcohol abuse.

New Views of Treating Depression

The principle of the treatment is to tailor the treatment according to the patient’s main problems, after carefully examined and diagnosed by the doctor.  The mainstay of the treatment includes:

1. Pharmacotherapy:Many patients could benefit from medication. Antidepressants need to be continuously taken for 2-3 weeks before it becomes effective. Self-adjustment or self-discontinuation of the medication is the main reason of non-effectiveness.
2. Psychotherapy:Psychotherapy -- or "talk therapy" -- is an effective treatment for clinical depression. On its own, it may not be enough to treat severe depression. But it can play an important role when used with other treatments, including medications.
3. Group therapy:Support and advices are offered, along with an improvement in solving psychological conflicts, and better motivation.
4. Behavior therapy (Stress management and muslce relaxation):To release the tension and to enhance motivation through simple and easy-to-do techniques.
5. Comprementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM):There are many more CAM depression-management techniques available, including exercise, meditation, mindfulness, and nutritional intervention (e.g. omega-3 fatty acids) general wellness treatments, and so on.

Help yourself

1. Obtain appropriate diagnosis and adequate treatment and discuss treatment plans with medical staff.
2. Divides the tasks into small parts, arrange them according to priority, and be sure to balance with one’s own capability.
3. Don’t assume the depressive state will change in a second, and don’t blame yourself if you can’t perform the task.
4. Try not to accept negative and irrational thinkings.
5. Participate in activities that you are comfortable with, slow down your pace, share your feelings with friends and relatives, adjusting your emotions from time to time.
6. Participate in related support groups and receive help when needed.
7. Keep a balanced life style and find hobbies that suit you.

How family member can help with depressive patients

1. Assist in receiving medical care and taking medication: Depression is actually similar  to a flu that the brain gets, it’s a biological disease that will recover after treatment, the earlier the treatment, the less damage will be done to the brain.
2. Listen and support: Many depression patients didn’t intend to express or act the way they did. Their behaviors are a part of the consequences of the disease. This is also one of the causes for the never ending family conflicts. Thus, in order to help these depression patients, getting to know them is a must,  with more caring and forgiveness, and less complaints and criticisms.
3. Assist in helping the patient to accept the fact he/she’s sick, while not pushing it out of proportion. One of the risk factors for relapses is that family and patient can’t accept that the patient is sick and stopped treatment on their own. This is something we wouldn’t want see happening.