FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Rx FOR DEPRESSION: YOUR LOVE AND DOCTOR'S CARE

Question: My son-in-law has been sad lately and he often gets angry. He seems to sleep a lot, too. All of these symptoms have been going on for about two months. My daughter and I think he is depressed, but he won't go to the doctor. Would you give us some information about depression?

Answer: Depression afflicts about 5 percent of the adult population at any one time, and about 30 percent of individuals have it at some time during their lives. Therefore, I'd call depression a very common problem.

All of us have episodes when we are sad for a few days and "mope" around. Sometimes we can be irritable as well. These episodes are usually triggered by a specific event such as the death of a pet, a "best friend" moving away, or problems at work. After a few weeks, the person adjusts and returns to their normal disposition. Perhaps something like this is the cause for your son-in-law's change in mood. On the other hand, he may actually have depression as you suspect. The following may help you decide if he is actually depressed.

A depressed person will have some or all of the following characteristics: 

-- a sad or irritable mood most of the day nearly every day, for the past two weeks or more; 
-- a markedly diminished interest or pleasure from most activities; 
-- a significant weight loss or weight gain; 
-- difficulty sleeping or sleeping much more than usual; 
-- general fatigue and a loss of energy; 
-- feelings of worthlessness and/or feelings of guilt; 
-- diminished ability to think or to concentrate; and/or 
-- recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Many medical problems, although seemingly unrelated, can be associated with depression. At times, the only outward sign of depression may be a headache, backache or indigestion. The depressed person tends to focus his or her attention on those little signals our bodies constantly send and blow them out of proportion. Depressed people often complain of constipation or diarrhea and stomach pains. They might say: "My stomach growled and I have some gas. Oh no! Am I going to die from stomach trouble?" The real message is: "I feel really bad about myself. I want attention to help me feel less worthless."

Unfortunately, about 70 percent of depressed individuals don't get treatment for their disease. This results in unnecessary suffering for the individual as well as stress in the family.

I hope you will encourage your son-in-law to see his doctor about his mood because there is effective treatment for almost everyone with depression. Most treatment centers on the use of medicine, and there are currently more than 20 different types available. Unfortunately, none of them gives instant relief. It can take from one to six weeks before the depression starts to improve. It is also often helpful to have some short-term supportive counseling in addition to taking antidepressant medicine. The important first step is letting him know that you care for him and about him. The second step is getting him to the doctor.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701. Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.