Dr. Walter Griffith Jr, MD & NeuroSolutions TMS
AN OVERVIEW OF DEPRESSION-Before learning more about TMS, I want to illustrate the severity of clinical depression in the United States. 1 in 4 women (& 1 in 8 men) will experience an episode of major depression during their lifetime. Think about that. Let's put it in perspective. This means if you were to see 4 random women in a day, hypothetically, one of them will suffer from an episode of Depression in their lifetime. Depression is a lot more widespread than we think. Many people suffering from Depression live with it for YEARS. Many never find a cure. Some of the reasons: they don't recognize they are depressed so never seek treatment. Others DO recognize they are depressed, they seek treatment, but are undertreated or misdiagnosed (maybe with an anxiety disorder) by their doctor. Some people are too apprehensive about seeking help. At any one time, 7% of US adults (16 million people!) are battling Depression. This next statistic is staggering. If you have depression, you have a 30% chance of attempting suicide. Each year in the US, Depression will cause 25,000 COMPLETED suicides. Suicide is in the top ten leading causes of death in the US.
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION-As you can see, Depression is a dark picture to paint. The symptoms include at least five of the following symptoms present for at least two weeks: pervasive sadness, low energy, low motivation, loss of joy and desire for pleasurable things, poor concentration, isolation, sleep and appetite disruption, hopelessness, negativity & suicidal thoughts. Depressive symptoms greatly impair functional areas of your life at home, at work and in social activities. For example, at home, you may stop cleaning and picking up. You may stop showering and maintaining personal hygiene. At work, you may be taking more sick days and staying in bed. OR when you go to work, you make more mistakes and get less done. Socially, you may stop going out, act more irritable toward others, and isolate at home. You may lose all desire to do hobbies and fun things. Depression can takeover and ruin your life.
Explore Related Categories
