by Carrie Mylott

Created on: March 08, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Major depressive disorder is the most common type of diagnosable mood disorder, with estimates of lifetime prevalence ranging from 10% to 25% for women and from 5% to 12% for men (APA, 2000).

I've experienced two major depressive episodes in my life. The first experience was seven years ago, in 2000, and the most recent occurred last year.

Certain factors, in my case at least, seem to trigger a depressive state. Among them are high levels of stress (typically career-related, in the form of long hours and looming deadlines), increased demands involving time or money, lack of exercise, and negative thought processes; also referred to as cognitive distortions.

Luckily, recognizing your symptoms and seeking treatment can lead to vast improvement.

For many people, especially those who have never consciously dealt with depression before, recognizing the symptoms of depression may be difficult. Many people describe feeling "sad", or "just not right". Many people report lethargy, inactivity, loss of interest in activities that used to provide pleasure, or recurring thoughts such as, "what's the point?" and "I just want all of this to end."

Having a social net is an important way to not only identify symptoms of depression, but to help combat it. Indeed, it was a coworker of mine that helped me realize that the general malaise I had been feeling was really depression.

If you believe you are depressed:

1. Visit your doctor. A general practitioner can provide a brief but comprehensive test to help you determine if you are depressed. They can also provide referrals to counselors and other social programs that can assist you.

2. Talk to a professional. Whether a social worker, counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist, be sure to set up several appointments with an objective party. Often just talking about your feelings can help you learn to deal with them more effectively. Also, many therapists (especially cognitive behavioral therapists), will provide you with tools and techniques for critical thinking. The methods they will teach you will help you identify and challenge the negative thoughts that lead to negative emotion.

3. Medication. In today's society, anti-depressants seem to be prescribed at least as often as antibiotics. Personally, I find it a bit frightening that neurologists still can't explain why anti-depressants work. They can explain in minute detail the biological process behind each drug, but it's a crapshoot to figure out which drug works for which individual,

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