by Lillian Joyce

Created on: February 25, 2009

If someone was diagnosed with cancer or diabetes, there would be no question about seeking treatment. They would do whatever they good to improve their quality of life, as well as keep in the best health for chances at a longer life. Depression is also a disease and if left untreated can lead to poor health and even death. There is no question that depression and other mental health disorders need to be treated as well.

Depression is like many other illnesses. It can cause a variety of symptoms including severe fatigue, body aches and pains, listlessness, and headaches. There are usually emotional symptoms such as increased sensitivity, uncontrollable tears, anger, irritability, or a complete lack of emotion. All of these symptoms greatly decrease quality of life and can lead to self harm or thoughts of suicide. Meeting with a mental health professional can stop the downward spiral and can control the symptoms of depression. When therapy isn't enough, medications can be used to greatly increase quality of life for people that have a depressive disorder.

Depression does not just affect the individual it inflicts, it also causes pain and suffering to family members and friends. When someone is depressed, they experience a complete lack of interest and motivation for anything, including family members. This can lead to feelings of rejection by both children and the spouse. Also many people who are depressed tend to be easily irritated over nothing and can yell at the drop of a dime. These outbursts cause tension and problems to arise in the home, leading to feelings of resentment in the family as a whole.

If left untreated, depression can lead to death. As in the case of one man, who was severely depressed and never sought help: One warm August day he called a close friend and asked him if he would come and help him fix a pipe that had burst in his apartment. When the friend rushed over to the apartment, he found a note taped to the door that read, "Don't come in. Call 911." The man had taken a shotgun to his heart and pulled the trigger, ending his life and causing pain and grief to the three children he had left behind. That man was my father and he ended his life when I was only sixteen. He never got to see me graduate or give me away at my wedding. I was too young at the time to understand what depression was. Had he sought treatment, he would be alive today to share in the many joys of his family.

Depression can affect anyone at anytime, most often with no apparent reason. There are so many treatment options available; you don't have to live in pain any longer. The number of mental health providers has grown over the years. Now a person can seek counseling with social workers, therapist, psychologists, or psychiatrists. There are also numerous medications used to treat depression and other mental health disorders. Speak with your mental health provider and find out the right treatment for you. It is so important to seek treatment to save yourself and your loved ones from grief and anguish; why not get help today?

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