Marg helgenberger's - The Christ Hospital

HealthY MindBeat the bluesWomen and depressionYou’re feeling down, you can’t sleep at nightor concentrate at work—and that headachejust won’t go away. You could chalkthese symptoms up to your busy life, butyou may actually be depressed. Almost twice as manywomen as men develop depression, and they usuallyfirst experience the condition in their 20s or 30s. Likeany medical illness, depression requires treatment.Behind your bluesWhile hormones may deserve some of theblame, many other factors can trigger depression:• Pregnancy and birth. Up to 10 percent of newmoms suffer postpartum depression.• Inequality. Women make less money than menand hold fewer positions of power.• Work and home duties. The constant juggling canbe overwhelming.• Physical or sexual abuse. Women who were emotionally,physically or sexually abused as childrenare more likely to experience depression than thosewho weren’t.Searching for the signsDepression can lead to chronic aches, restlessnessand overeating or loss of appetite. Researchershave come up with the acronym SAD FACES toremember the symptoms in women:S leep disturbancesA nhedonia, or loss of joy for lifeD epressed mood most of the timeF atigue or loss of energyA ppetite disturbancesC oncentration problemsE steem lowered, or guiltS uicidal thoughts or repeated thoughts of deathIf you experience several of these symptomsevery day for at least two weeks, talk with yourhealthcare provider. He or she can help you decidewhat treatment may be best to bring back the oldyou, including:• A good support base. Being able to talk with yourspouse or partner or a family member, close friend,spiritual leader or co-worker can help. Ortry finding a support group that deals withthe specific cause of your depression; if itwas spurred by the recent death of a lovedone, seek out a local bereavement group.• Antidepressants. Women may especiallybenefit from selective serotoninreuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs, such asProzac, Zoloft or Paxil. Some researchhas shown that women’s brains make lessof the mood-boosting substance serotonin;SSRIs can help you make more.If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, talkwith your healthcare provider about youroptions.• Talk therapy. A therapist can help youchange behavior or perceptions that maybe contributing to your depression. WHTwww.womenshealthexperience.com 13