Depression

The Black Dog Howls

Not just an Economic Term

While the economists held center-stage in the depths of the current World Economic Crisis (or whatever it was then called), trying not to mention the R-word (recession), and not even muttering the D-word (depression) under their collective breath, millions of Americans were living all too closely with their own unmentionable D-word, what Sir Winston Churchill called his ‘Black Dog’.

In the disciplines prefixed by psych- , depression is a disease or syndrome denoted by feelings of sadness and similar emotions, with related behaviors. It can be thought of as either a disease or a syndrome. It is often synonymous with sadness but helplessness, hopelessness, loneliness and anxiety are close companions.

Long term sleep difficulties and depression appear to go hand-in-hand. Wikipedia records that up to 90% of patients also suffer from sleep disorders.

The ‘Black Dog’ may be related in particular instances to stress, illness, drug or alcohol use, other substance abuse, heredity, injury, and the ‘usual’ personal relationship blues.

The major symptom is the persistent miserable mood or empty feeling. This is not the unhappy feeling of childhood. The emptiness of depression is likely to last weeks and months. If this is the case, regular consultations with a medical professional should be in place.

A sense of doom can be utterly pervasive and lead to a number of outcomes such as listlessness, and a lack of interest in one’s surroundings and normal activities, including sexual activity.

A sufferer may develop sleeping and/or eating disorders. It is not unusual that a depressed person is anxious, perhaps even experiencing panic attacks. Self-confidence can fall, while lapses of memory and concentration and decisiveness may arise. Shortness of temper may ensue. Aches and pains, unexplained but persistent and resistant to treatment may manifest themselves. There is also the classic indicator where a depressed person develops thoughts of self-harm, even to the point of suicide.

Bouts of this disorder feature in a number of conditions such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa, bipolar disorder, postnatal blues, and seasonal affective disorder.

In these pages, we discuss the causes and treatment, and the often related anxiety disorder. We do not advocate self-diagnosis or self-medication. We do advocate seeking appropriate professional medical advice for those suffering from depression.