| The patient's depression was crippling.He was | | | | person usually has greatly disturbed ideas, |
| in an out of psychiatric hospitals and could | | | | many have been aided by their talking to a |
| not work let alone function a normal life. | | | | therapist. Such professionals may include |
| All other treatments had failed him until | | | | psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers |
| neurosurgeon John Smider performed and | | | | and others with specialized training. Many |
| operation. His skull was opened exposing his | | | | have also found great help in just talking |
| brain, in which they then placed a battery | | | | with a caring friend of relative. |
| operated "pacemaker." This pacemaker emits a | | | | |
| rhythmic electrical pulse which alleviates | | | | Armand DiMele, director of the Center for |
| depression whithout altering the thinking | | | | Psychotherapy, observes: "The depressed |
| process or damaging the brain. | | | | person is protecting himself by shutting down |
| | | | his mind and body and not allowing any |
| The operation was a success! The patient | | | | stimulation. For example, when someone |
| positive attitude soon returned and he was | | | | suffers a loss such as a death, he may go |
| able to return to work. "You saved my life," | | | | into a depression rather than face the loss." |
| he told the doctor. "Now I can live a normal | | | | The job of the counselor is to help the |
| life." | | | | sufferer to face the feelings and anxiety |
| | | | that come from such a loss. DiMele continues: |
| This man was one of many millions of | | | | "If the therapist sitting with him can really |
| americans suffering from chronic depression, | | | | nurture him through and tell him what to |
| a disorder that created intense feelings of | | | | anticipate in body sensations, then the |
| guilt, helplessness and hoplessness. Many | | | | person gradually realizes he can cope with |
| other symptoms of this disorder are | | | | the emotion, and the depression lifts." |
| disturbances in appetite and sleep, constant | | | | |
| fatigue, crying spells and the inability to | | | | Submerged feelings, such as anger, resentment |
| cope with life and derive pleasure from | | | | and guilt, have often bred depression. For |
| anything. | | | | instance, a psychologist employed by the New |
| | | | York State Mental Health Department treated a |
| Only a very slight amount of people suffering | | | | 58-year-old woman suffering from severe |
| from chronic depression require surgical | | | | depression. She felt that God had abandoned |
| treatment with a "pacemaker." With most forms | | | | her and that everyone was talking against |
| of major depression trained professions can | | | | her. As this expert of 20 years' experience |
| help the patient. | | | | began to talk with her in a kindly way each |
| | | | week, he noticed that in discussions about |
| What treatments are available? There are a | | | | her family she never mentioned her mother, |
| variety. Some suggest that other methods do | | | | with whom she was now living. He probed. In |
| not work, and others suggest that multiple | | | | time she revealed that she felt that her |
| methods work together. Why is this? | | | | mother, by her neglect, was responsible for |
| | | | her beloved father's recent death. Gradually |
| Some researchers feel that severe depressions | | | | the counselor helped her to overcome this |
| are caused by a physical defect in the body, | | | | resentment, and her depression melted away. |
| such as a chemical imbalance in the brain, | | | | |
| thusly medication such as antidepressants are | | | | Since guilt is often a major symptom of |
| considered a viable method of treatment. | | | | depression, psychologists will endeavor to |
| Others argue that the disorder results from | | | | eliminate it along with the patient's |
| faulty thinking and that the mind creates the | | | | feelings of worthlessness. One woman became |
| imbalance and can thereby rectify it. These | | | | severely depressed when her child turned |
| believe that the mind needs correction by | | | | rebellious. "I was never really a proper |
| "talk therapy," psychotherapy. While both | | | | mother, was I?" she cried to the |
| methods have experienced some good results, | | | | psychiatrist. "That's why she's gone wrong." |
| neither of them has the full answer. | | | | The doctor helped her to see all the good she |
| | | | had done for the child. The guilt then |
| Mind and Body Involved | | | | vanished-and so did her depression. |
| | | | |
| The relationship between the mind and the | | | | However, the treatment of most cases is |
| body is a complex relationship because of the | | | | unsuccessful, according to Dr. Ronald Fieve. |
| close interplay between the mind and body. | | | | He reports in his book Moodswing-The Third |
| | | | Revolution in Psychiatry that not |
| Each and every patient is different and | | | | infrequently, after weeks, months and years |
| mental disorders can be very complex. Only a | | | | of working with a moderate or severe |
| trained doctor can make recommendations as to | | | | depressive, helping him to analyze his |
| which approach is best for the patient. It is | | | | behavior, "very little happened." |
| recognized that within every field of | | | | |
| treatment there are often a wide range of | | | | Authorities in the field differ as to |
| practitioners. For example in psychotherapy | | | | intensive psychotherapy's effectiveness. One |
| there are over 130 different reported | | | | of the reasons for this is that many doctors |
| approaches. | | | | feel that the chemical imbalance present in |
| | | | severe moodswings cannot always be corrected |
| Talk Out Depression | | | | by psychotherapy. They advocate the use of . |
| | | | . . |
| When one is sufffering from major depression, | | | | |
| psychotherapy or "talk therapy" is one | | | | For a continuation of this article please |
| recommended approach. Since a depressed | | | | visit our website HelpingDepression. |