Where to Find Help if You Suffer from Depression

Depression is a pervasive problem in the United States. This mental illness cuts across all ethnic, gender, and age lines. It affects men and women, as well as children. This disorder is found more frequently in women than in men. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Major Depressive Disorder is the primary cause of disability for people who range in age from fifteen to forty-five years old. It often co-occurs with a variety of other physical illnesses and challenging life circumstances. According to the ADAA, Major Depressive Disorder affects close to five million American adults in any given year. The median age of the development of Major Depressive Disorder in the United States is approximately 33 years.

The Forms of Depression

Major Depressive Disorder is a serious, long-term illness and can be quite incapacitating for individuals who suffer from it. It can even be life-threatening for those individuals who suffer from the deep, unremitting sense of despair, fatigue, and hopelessness that this disorder generates. Dysthymic Disorder is a milder form of depression that is also chronic and long-term. Although individuals who struggle to live with Dysthymic Disorder are less disabled than those who suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, it can still have profoundly negative rippling effects on all areas of one's life. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that close to two percent of the United States' adult population in 2013, or over three million adults, will be diagnosed with Dysthymic Disorder this year alone. The average age of onset for this disorder is just over thirty-one. This form of chronic, mild depression can deplete an individual's energy, enthusiasm, and hope. It can also sabotage professional goals and social connections. Additionally, living with chronic, low level depression predisposes an individual to a weakened immune system and the development of disease. Some suffering from depression will turn to drugs as a form of self-treatment. This can lead to life-threatening dangers, such as developing an addiction that may require drug rehab treatment to overcome.