| Statistics can be deceiving and any attempt
to quantify this disease could be challenged. Particularly since, according
to the Alliance for Mentally Ill, we're talking about those who are only
now beginning to and seek help -- 80 % of those suffering from depression
never seek treatment and suffer needlessly.
DuPage County is not immune. In fact, Dr. Martin
Russo, a physician working with Central DuPage Hospital with offices in
Bloomingdale, reports that easily forty to fifty percent of his patients
are suffering from depression. Social workers and doctors throughout the
county report similar statistics.
For this article only the most conservative
numbers will be used. The indication, then, is that at least 150 out of every
thousand suffer from this debilitating disease. In DuPage County, Illinois
that translates to more than of 132,000 -- in Elmhurst, approximately 6,300
people -- live with some level of depression.
THE HUMAN FACTOR
Sondra Dodds at Family Service DuPage in Wheaton,
IL says that those who are depressed often feel isolated and alone, different
and unusual, misunderstood by family and friends, powerless and defeated.
Many also feel the need to hide their real feelings, even from those they
love. Those who are more willing to share their experiences share many common
experiences although each case is dramatically different.
They share a common bond. They live in a no-man's
land that's sapping the community of its most valuable resource...competent
contributing citizens. They don't choose to live there. And they can't will
to get out of there without help.
An insidious disease, depression is multi-faceted.
The onset and the symptoms of depression are not always the same. Frequently
depression is an outward manifestation of undetected physical illnesses such
as cancer.
For some the disease can be traced to low self
esteem; for others to excessive drain on their physical health and energy
or chronic illnesses; for others to abnormally high levels of stress-related
life experiences; for others realization that life is passing them by and
their goals will never be reached.
In all instances the illness points to imbalances:
physical, mental and spiritual. A depressive illness is a "whole-body" illness
involving your body, mood, thoughts and behavior. It's not just a passing
bout with "the blues". You cannot "will" or "wish" it away.
Rose had frightening bouts with burning sensation
in all parts of her body. It was as if her stomach, head, nerves were all
"aflame". Katherine began to withdraw from friends and acquaintances.
One Elmhurst resident tells of his experiences,
"I felt helpless and unable to cope with every day stresses. I saw myself
as worthless as a part of the community I worked for. Frequently I entertained
thoughts that my family would be better off if I just disappeared or died.
I knew I was on a self destruct kick...ignoring my health, setting myself
up for failure in my job and getting myself in no- win situations. The harder
I tried, the worse things got in my life. I saw myself reacting to even the
simplest setbacks with uncontrollable rage."
Anna, who has been treated both in and out of
the hospital for depression said, "Over the years, I've seen a big change
in the people who are suffering depression. They're getting much younger
now and they are filled with anger."
Some deal with the constant sensation that they
are "not connected with the rest of the world" and "unimportant". For yet
others, the illness may just hover at the point where there's a gnawing stomach
ache and the constant knowledge that "something just isn't right". Nearly
all report that their level of productivity fell dramatically. Many find
that they just "can't attend to the task at hand". In the worst case scenario,
suicide seems to offer the only way out.
The bad news is depression renders a person
unable to cope adequately with life events and, frequently, it goes undiagnosed
for months -- even years -- because the victim generally blames him or herself
for uncontrollable problems and their inability to function in a reasonable
manner. It's a vicious downward spiral that sucks its victim into a hopeless
pit of despair.
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
While many manage to function at some level
of competence, their difficulties "connecting" and "attending to task" often
limit them to minimum-wage positions although they may, under normal
circumstances, be highly competent workers.
Heddi reports that her income dropped from nearly
$3,000 per month to less than $800 a month while she was working much longer
hours. A significant number of others have found themselves homeless. Evidence
of this can be seen at the DuPage PADS site, where a striking number of clients
are middle-management professionals who have lost their jobs.
The June 1995 county reports indicate that there
are just over 884,000 people in DuPage County. Of those, the Labor force
in DuPage numbers 492,169. If we calculate just 15% of those and figured
that 73,800 people lost just $10,000 in earnings during the course of a year
due to depression we're talking about the kind of losses that would be considered
intolerable in business.
It's a vicious cycle. Stress, illness or financial
difficulties strike sapping the individual and breeding a sense of hopelessness
which aggravates the situation. Meanwhile, the sufferer must cope with others
who are frequently equally depressed and stressed with their own problems.
At the same time they have to deal with others who haven't the foggiest clue
about what severe depression does to a person. In all cases misunderstanding
and the inability to communicate the real pain lead to further
hopelessness.
Stress continues to build in today's society
where people dealing with stressful situations attempt to find solutions.
When people dealing with any kind of stress or depression try to resolve
difficulties or get answers to problems and get trapped into voice mail and
mechanical phone menus or are put on waiting lists. When they feel treated
like number, taken advantage of or overwhelmed constantly by circumstances
they can't change, depression mounts.
In a society where both parents in a dual income
family may hold down two or more jobs just to keep the bills paid, a person's
value is equated with how much money they bring into the household rather
than unconditional love and appreciation. One, or both, can slip easily into
depression. The situation is much worse for single heads of households.
Barbara Hayes, a Family Service DuPage Licensed
Clinical Social Worker, believes that "role strain" is a major contributing
factor in the higher incidence of depression in women. Not only are women
parenting or grandparenting a younger generation, while, frequently caring
for elderly parents; but, they are also required to cope with the challenges
of maintaining a certain level of career growth in an uncertain economy --
frequently as sole support of their entire family structure. To meet the
demands of each of these roles, a woman must maintain an exterior facade
of strength. For many there is precious little time for attending to personal
needs. All too frequently, functioning on far too little sleep and nutritious
food, they cave in.
Meanwhile, the media, particularly women's
magazines, focus on introspection, self analysis, poise and youthful figures,
mounting anxiety, anger and insecurities. At the same time they juxtapose
these weaknesses that turn us inward upon ourselves, with idealistic reports
of the affluent life that many of the population will never achieve.
IT'S NOT A CASE OF BUZZ WORDS
Depression is not a new disease of the 20th
century. Sufferers are among the elite. Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill,
Edgar Allen Poe, Mike Wallace, Joan Rivers and Dick Cavett are among the
many who have been afflicted.
Indications are that those who are more sensitive,
creative and intelligent are more prone to suffering from depression. One
study performed in the '80s found that 38% of 47 writers, poets and artists
had taken medication, sought psychoanalysis or had been institutionalized
for depression and bi-polar disorder. Another study performed in the 80's
showed that more creative people suffered from emotional strife synonymous
with certain neurosis. (Time-Life Books, 1992)
THE GOOD NEWS
Although the problem appears to be hopeless,
there is good news. If you're going to have an illness, you want it to be
depression. It's the most easily treatable.
The afflicted needs to work at getting back
in balance. Professional counseling, support groups and the medical profession
are learning to work together to speed recovery.
The medication is a critical aspect of treatment.
The new drugs are marvelous even with the occasional discomfort of side effects.
They work to re-balance the synapses that are responsible for the transmission
of brain impulses.
Social workers and psychiatrists, too are much
more skilled at identifying symptoms today than ever. Group counseling, support
groups and crisis lines are more accessible. There's help and information
out there for those who have the courage and determination to find it.
Much of the work, says Barbara Hayes, a licensed
clinical social worker who oversees a 12-session group that's been running
throughout the summer at Family Service DuPage, focuses on teaching cognitive
reasoning techniques. Those who participate in this therapy learn to evaluate
the validity of their thought processes and to recognize distorted thinking
patterns. Then they learn to restructure their thought processes more positively
and realistically. It's a sort of de-programming that allows individuals
to discover that there are other ways to look at one's life experiences.
Hayes has found this kind of therapy most productive when participants have
the appropriate medical support. She assures her patients that "using medication
is not wimping out." Trying to pull yourself out of depression without the
proper medical attention just doesn't work, she says. It's like a diabetic
telling his pancreas to shoot insulin into his system, she says.
Unfortunately current health care programs,
both private insurance and public aid, put unrealistic limits on treatment.
All too often they cut short coverage long before the patient is able to
cope without the medication and psychological support. When this happens
they "hamstring the health care providers," said Rose. It's not at all uncommon
for these programs to cut off the payment for medication and counseling sessions
just about the time a patient starts to show some progress and before the
patient is sufficiently recovered. The only recourse in cases like that,
short of going "cold turkey", is to get on a waiting list for services that
are offered on a sliding scale fee. All too often the patient is not financially
able to handle that.
Fortunately it's the patient who does the real
work of recovery. Those who discover that they control of their own destiny
have the greatest hope of recovery. They can then learn how to maintain balance
in their lives and their habits. They practice being less compulsive nurturers.
They begin to trust themselves and be a bit more open with others. They learn
to maintain a childlike attitude of gratitude and wonderment. And, they learn
to be less sensitive to outside turmoil.
One of the key ingredients to healing lies in
getting away from introspection and self-centeredness and to reach out to
others. Those who have been afflicted and have made the most progress typically
have found ways to give of themselves to others less fortunate or to share
their unique talents with the community...the challenge being that a person
who is severely depressed has great difficulty breaking through his/her feelings
of isolation.
One group of women developed a phone network
that they said was particularly helpful. One of the women is dealing with
a pregnant teenager, another with a financial problems, a third with the
death of a mother and a fourth with an overbearing aging mother. These women
discovered that being able to pick up the phone and connect with someone
who they knew would understand helped to speed recovery. In short order,
often a matter of minutes, they managed to break the downward spiral of
day-to-day crises. These calls provided the ladies a life-line that they
turn to before the crisis could escalate. Most often within a very few minutes,
they found they could put the experience into perspective and they'd find
themselves laughing. And therein they found a cure, because you simply can't
be depressed and laugh at the same time.
Dr. Russo's findings confirm that depression
is indeed a multi-factorial disease that encompasses genetic, biological
and environmental factors. He voices the concerns of many when he says, "The
reason that depression is so pervasive is that society is losing its sense
of security and moral fiber in both the family and in the community. As it's
losing its fiber we're losing our sense of purpose and personal value. At
the same time we need to look at the spiritual component that gives us a
sense of wholeness and peace when looking for solutions."
Those who understand depression agree, with
Heddi, "I need people, but I need people that I can be myself with. And,
I need to find a way to make sense out of the madness I face every day I
walk out my front door. When things get off balance, I need to make some
changes. Alone I can't do it."
NOTE: Although most of
the quotes here are those of women, the situation is far from a woman's problem.
Women are simply more susceptible to depression. "Role strain is a factor,
according to Barbara Hayes. "We are more aware of depression than we were
in the past, but there are more stresses in society today for women to fulfill
multiple roles. They make very heavy demands upon themselves. Women traditionally
are the nurturers and very often in the process of nurturing others they
forget to nurture themselves....as a result, at some point, people just start
caving in."
The experts tell us that women today suffer
twice as much depression as men. While one in four women can expect to develop
depression during their lifetime, one in eight men can, too.
~~~
More reading:
Beat
Stress, Depression, Anxiety & Worry Quickly, naturally
and permanently.
Word Medicine How to stop depression and anxiety in
6 minutes flat.
7 Steps To A Depression Free Life Unique self-help
coaching program for long-term recovery from depression.
~~~
JOAN-MARIE
MOSS is a non-fiction author published in both national
and regional markets. She specializes in business communications and public
relations for businesses and professionals. She serves as consultant and
communications/public relations specialist offering a full range of services
from writing to desktop publishing and public speaking. Joan-Marie teaches
Business Writing, Copyediting and Public Relations at Oakton Community college
and has been guest speaker on WWCN and WDCB Radio. She currently writes for
the Daily Herald and Press Publications, and is working on her second book.
Visit her web site at:
http://cyberrealm.net/~joanmari/CreativeOptions/Welcome.html
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