According to Dr. John P. Feighner of San Diego-based Feighner Research Institute, ''Clinical depression, or major depression, is a very common psychobiological condition. People who get it usually have a genetic predisposition. The actual time of onset and manifestation of a given episode of depression,'' Feighner says, ''may depend on environmental stressors, particularly bereavement, which can sometimes proceed into clinical depression.'' Depressive episodes can indeed be triggered by major transition periods such as going away to college, having a baby, and undergoing hormonal changes, such as those that occur at menarche and menopause. With advances in the diagnosis and treatment of depression and lessened stigma attached to such disorders, people today more readily seek help and have an easier time of it than my friend. What works best for many, according to their diagnosis, is a combination of psychotherapy and the appropriate drug.
Diagnosis is extremely important.
A complete physical workup is required to be certain the symptoms of depression are not caused by some other physical condition, such as hormone imbalance, endocrine problems, or an undiagnosed disease. Treatment took a huge leap forward with the advent in 1988 of Prozac. Other efficacious drugs followed, with names like Buspar, Paxil and Zoloft. It's clear that people benefit significantly from combining medication plus a cognitive behavioral-therapeutic approach,'' said Feighner, who says his patients also benefit significantly from participation in support groups such as those of the National Depression and Manic Depression Association. The drugs are safer and easier to take and to maintain on a long-term basis.