• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

DEPRESSIONTHE ANSWERBOOK TM Professional Answers to More Than 275 Critical Questions About Medication, Therapy, Support & More ¼ How do I know if my sadness is actually depression? ¼ Does depression ever go away on its own? ¼ How do I know which medication is right for me? ¼ What types of therapy help? WES BURGESS, MD, PhD THE DEPRESSIONDEPRESSIONTM ANSWERBOOK Professional Answers to More Than 275 Critical Questions About Medication, Therapy, Support & More Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 1 2/25/09 4:20:10 PM Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 2 2/25/09 4:20:10 PM THE DEPRESSIONDEPRESSIONTM ANSWERBOOK Professional Answers to More Than 275 Critical Questions About Medication, Therapy, Support & More Wes Burgess, MD, PhD Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 3 2/25/09 4:20:11 PM Copyright © 2009 by Wes Burgess Cover and internal design © 2009 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover photo © iStockphoto.com/quavondo Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other profes- sional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations This book is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified physician. The intent of this book is to provide accurate general information in regard to the subject matter covered. If medical advice or other expert help is needed, the services of an appropriate medical professional should be sought. All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, regis- tered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor in this book. Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410 (630) 961-3900 Fax: (630) 961-2168 www.sourcebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Burgess, Wes. The depression answer book : professional answers to more than 275 critical questions about medication, therapy, support, and more / by Wes Burgess. p. cm. 1. Depression, Mental—Popular works. 2. Depression, Mental—Miscellanea. I. Title. RC537.B868 2009 616.85’27—dc22 2008048510 Printed and bound in the United States of America. UGI 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 4 2/25/09 4:20:12 PM Contents Prologue . .vii Introduction . ix Chapter 1: Depression Basics . .1 Chapter 2: Symptoms of Depression . .9 Short Depression Checklist . .17 Chapter 3: Diagnosis and Causes . .19 Criteria That Doctors Use to Diagnose Major Unipolar Depression . 21 Chapter 4: Similar and Coexisting Disorders . 33 Chapter 5: Newer Antidepressant Medications.............41 Chapter 6: Classic Antidepressants ......................67 Chapter 7: What If Your Antidepressant Doesn’t Work? .....89 Chapter 8: Finding a Doctor ..........................107 Chapter 9: Seeking Therapy ..........................119 Chapter 10: Choosing Between Psychotherapists ...........131 Chapter 11: Treating Depression at Home................139 Chapter 12: Good Health Habits .......................145 Chapter 13: Stress-Reduction Techniques . 165 Chapter 14: Women and Depression . 177 Chapter 15: Crisis Management and Prevention............195 Suicide Severity Checklist .............................205 Chapter 16: When All Else Fails........................209 Epilogue . 219 Appendix A: Resources...............................221 Appendix B: American Psychiatric Association’s Official Diagnostic Criteria for Unipolar Major Depression . .239 Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 5 2/25/09 4:20:12 PM Appendix C: The National Institute of Mental Health’s Symptoms of General Depression and Psychosis .........243 Appendix D: Worksheets . 245 Pleasant Events Program . 246 Life Activation Framework . 248 Emotion Checklist . 250 Index.............................................251 About the Author...................................261 Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 6 2/25/09 4:20:12 PM Prologue Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world. The heart has its beaches, its homeland, and thoughts of its own. Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings. The heart has its seasons, its evenings, and songs of its own. From Robert Hunter, Eyes of the World. Copyright Ice Nine Publishing. Used by permission. Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 7 2/25/09 4:20:12 PM Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 8 2/25/09 4:20:12 PM Introduction If you or someone you know suffers from depression, don’t give up hope! This book will help you understand depression and give you proven, practical solutions that have helped people triumph over their depression and take back their lives. Depressed patients and their families and friends tell me that they have looked everywhere for the answers to their most important questions about fighting this illness. They have looked in bookstores and online; asked their doctors and therapists; called, texted, and emailed their friends. They found contradictory information, preachy jargon, and stories about depressive misery, but they did not find the answers they needed. My patients asked me to write The Depression Answer Book so they could take the book home to read and reread and share with their families and friends. My patients’ friends, significant others, marriage partners, children, and parents asked me for a book that explains how to help the depressed person in their lives. Doctors, nurses, and psychotherapists asked me to write a book that they could give to their depressed patients and their families to help answer their questions. Ever since I started my psychiatric practice twenty years ago, I have been writing down the questions asked by my depressed patients, their families, and their friends. I have scoured the Internet to find questions on depression that were left unanswered, and I picked the brains of other doctors and therapists to find out what questions their patients asked them. The Depression Answer Book is a collection of these real-life questions with answers drawn from the most current Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 9 2/25/09 4:20:13 PM x The Depression Answer Book scientific, medical, and psychological knowledge, combined with my own clinical experience. I am sure that you will find the answers to your important questions here. I began my professional life as a scientist, studying behavior and the brain in the departments of medicine and psychology at major universities. Twenty years ago, I felt a calling to go to clinical work so I could spend the rest of my life helping people with unipolar major depression and other illnesses. I completed my specialty training at Stanford University Medical School and served as a fellow at Stanford University and UCLA medical schools. Since then, as a licensed medical doctor, practicing psychiatrist, and psychotherapist, I have worked every day to help depressed people find their way back to their normal lives. I wrote The Depression Answer Book in such a way that it feels as if you and I are sitting down and talking face-to-face; as if I’m giving you individual counsel and cutting-edge information on the topics that you choose. This book contains detailed, up-to-the-minute information, yet I want it to be easy to read and understand. I want The Depression Answer Book to provide practical answers for seemingly insolvable problems, and I hope that this book helps you free yourself from your depression forever. I want you to have information that will allow you to make the best choices for you, and to help you guide your own treatment so you get what you want from your doctor and therapist. I want you and your loved ones to feel better by understanding depression and knowing what to do about it. I can hardly wait to get started. Let’s not waste any more time. Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 10 2/25/09 4:20:13 PM Chapter 1 DEPRESSION BASICS n What’s a simple definition of major depression? n Is major depression a medical disease or just a bad attitude? n Is depression a fad diagnosis? n How many people are affected by clinical depression? n Does depression cause physical problems? n How does being seriously depressed affect my overall health? n How serious is my depression? n Who is most likely to have an episode of major depression? n Does major depression get worse over time? n Will I have to keep taking medications or going to psychotherapy for the rest of my life? n How does depression affect people’s longevity? n Is there any good news about this diagnosis? Depression_Answer_Book_FINAL_INT.indd 1 2/25/09 4:20:13 PM 2 The Depression Answer Book What’s a simple definition of major depression? Major depression is a condition of the brain and nervous system that causes a loss of both pleasure and interest in life. It is usually characterized by sadness, pessimism, and hopelessness. However, depression is more than just a change in emotions; it is a real medical illness with physical symptoms such as disturbed sleep, loss of appetite, change in weight, decreased energy, slowness, and difficulty focusing. Is major depression a medical disease or just a bad attitude? Medical, biological, and psychological factors are all at work in major depression. The physical symptoms—mental slowing, poor concentration, intrusive thoughts, disturbed sleep, change in appetite, decreased energy, decreased sexual interest, body pain, and disrupted body rhythms—demonstrate that depression is a physical process. The depressive thoughts of pessimism, worry, self-criticism, distortion, and death are clearly psychological.

Load more

  274

Copy Link