Is it just stress or is it depression?

NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTHCARE CLINICS

| Saturday, April 19, 2008 10:41 PM PDT ∞

During this time of financial downturn, many people may find themselves in difficult and stressful situations.

This can often take a toll psychologically, so how do you know when your level of distress is not "just life"?

Often, trying personal experiences can lead to a state that predisposes one to developing clinical depression or anxiety. Studies have shown that almost one in three people have suffered from a mental health problem during the past 12 months. But because of the poor awareness of the signs of mental health issues, stigma or lack of resources available, only 30 percent of those who suffer get help.

So how do you know whether you or one of your loved ones has clinical depression or anxiety that should be treated? Common signs usually develop gradually and are subtle at first:

-- Trouble with sleep and decreased appetite.

-- Decreased interest in things that used to be enjoyable.

-- Starting to miss work frequently or losing your job, or increased trouble in personal relationships.

Sometimes people start to have disabling anxiety or panic attacks. Others might start drinking more or using drugs. Often people will focus more on physical manifestations of their mental illness and get a variety of tests and consults from their medical doctor that never seem to fix the problem.

Certain populations are particularly susceptible to developing depression or anxiety. Post-partum women, people suffering from chronic pain, and people with a history of traumatic experiences all are at increased risk for developing mental illness.

So what do you do if you think you may be suffering from clinical depression or anxiety? Ask your primary doctor about it, or if you do not feel comfortable with this, schedule a visit with a mental health provider.

Some simple things that promote good mental health are: regular exercise, abstinence from alcohol or drugs, cutting out caffeine if anxiety is a problem for you, having a regular sleep cycle with adequate amounts of sleep, and getting help at the first sign of a problem rather than ignoring the problem until it is full-blown.

Remember that you do not have to have a clinical depression to benefit from seeing a therapist or counselor. Therapy or counseling can give you the tools to help you deal with a wide range of emotional states and relationship problems that we all deal with on a daily basis.

Gabriel Rodarte, MD, is a doctor of psychiatry and family medicine at Neighborhood Healthcare. To learn more about the benefits of mental health counseling for you or a loved one, call Neighborhood Healthcare's Behavioral Health Department at (760) 746-5857. Neighborhood Healthcare has 11 health centers throughout San Diego and Riverside counties.