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CNN Saturday Morning News
Weekend House Call: Depression and How to Get Help
Aired June 21, 2003 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL everybody.
Right now, if you're feeling down and depressed, you are not alone. One in six people in the U.S. suffers from depression and many of them don't even know it.
So who's suffering, what are the symptoms and where can you get help? We are going to be tackling those questions this morning.
Joining us for our house call is CNN's medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Thanks so much for being here. Elizabeth, we'll move to something a lot of people are talking about, just a little bit more than previously.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I think people more and more are realizing that depression doesn't hit just one type of person. Anybody can be a candidate for depression and that means anybody. Depression can hit anyone regardless of age, race, economic status or gender.
However, studies have shown that depression is about twice as common in women as it is in men. Researchers estimate that in any given year, depression affects about 12 million women in the U.S. and about six million men.
Now we want to introduce you to one of those men, an Olympic hero and a winner in his battle with depression. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a nation that richly rewards being number one, Jimmy Shea proved he was up to the task, winning a gold medal and becoming an instant hero.
His story, the stuff of folklore, the third Shea in as many generations to be an Olympian. His entire life now public. Except for one thing.
JIMMY SHEA, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER: A lot of people don't know that I suffered from depression, you know, just about my entire life. And, you know, looking back, I won the world championships, I did all these things and I was just never happy. GUPTA: He had been on top of the world and also in a deep valley of depression. Shea was living proof that this disease does not discriminate, gold medal or not.
SHEA: I think, like, 12 through, like, 25. I mean, there were some really dark times, you know? There was thought of suicide. There was thought of a lot of different things. And it was just -- it was difficult. There was a lot of real lows that I just couldn't get out of.
GUPTA: But he did climb out of that. And, today, Shea, with financial support from a pharmaceutical company, is putting his Olympian dedication towards getting out the word.
SHEA: You can actually go and you can see somebody and you can get treatment for this.
GUPTA (on camera): Jimmy Shea is not alone. Best estimates are that one in six Americans suffer from depression. And while things are starting to change, it is still stunning that so many suffer in silence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a case of, you know, pulling up your bootstraps and so you'll be better. But it's really a mental illness like diabetes.
GUPTA (voice-over): And like diabetes, it is treatable.
(on camera) If you had to choose now, after all that you've been through, you've got the gold medal, you've also overcome depression, if you had to choose one of those two things...
SHEA: If I had to choose between, like, winning a gold medal and overcoming my fear of going and getting treatment for my depression, absolutely, I would say, you know, my treatment. It's just a medal. It's just a race. Being able to live the rest of my life and being happy, that's priceless.
GUPTA: And priceless is worth more than gold.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: What an incredible story.
To better understand what depression is, let's explain what it's not.
For starters, we know that it's not due to weakness and it's not an untreatable illness. In simple terms, depression is an imbalance in brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
In the minutes ahead, we'll be giving you a lot more information to help you understand this illness.
Be sure to call in with your questions. The number is 1-800-907- 2620 (sic). International charges do apply for overseas callers.
You can also e-mail us at HouseCall@CNN.com.
Dr. Kay Jamison is joining us to answer your questions. She's a psychiatry professor at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. But with us today from our Los Angeles bureau.
Good morning, Dr. Jamison. We're going to get to our viewer calls and e-mails. But first, the question I heard the most is, "How do I know if I'm just feeling a little bit blue or if I hear depression?"
So I want to run through a list of signs and symptoms with you so we can talk about that a little bit.
Look for five of the following symptoms occurring daily for an extended period of time, usually two weeks or more: feeling sad or empty, decreased interest in pleasure and activities, appetite change with weight gain or weight loss, decreased or increased sleeping, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling worthless or guilty, being either agitated or slowed down, difficulty thinking or concentrating, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Dr. Jamison, you're going to help us answer our first e-mail now, and that is from P.J. in Tennessee.
And P.J. writes, "I have trouble being motivated for about a year now. My father died the night after I received my Ph.D., so I thought it was that. But now, I'm not so sure. I just don't have an interest in things like gardening, exercising, work, et cetera. When up until a year ago, I was much more active. Since I'm 48, I even thought it could be hormonal changes. How can I know what is the root of my mood change?"
Dr. Jamison, do you have any thoughts on that?
DR. KAY JAMISON, PSYCHIATRY PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS: Well, certainly a couple of things.
First of all, if you have any doubts at all, check it out. I mean, go to a doctor, go to a psychologist and ask and say, "You know, I'm concerned. I haven't been able to be interested in the same way that I was. I had a lot of energy and I don't have it anymore."
A year is a very long time to feel that way and you don't have to feel that way. I think one of the things that was emphasized earlier is that depression is a very, very treatable disorder. We know that. There are lots of very good treatments out there. So there's absolutely no reason to suffer unnecessarily.
COLLINS: Doctor, we are getting some phone calls, as well. We want to bring in Ray in Ohio. He is on the line with us this morning.
Hi, Ray. What's your question?
CALLER: Good morning. What can I do to overcome the fact that I live in a cave and I -- that's my hide-away. I don't want to interact with people; social events give me panic attacks. I'm supposed to go to a wedding this afternoon and it scares the bejesus out of me. I can't go there.
COLLINS: These are some excellent questions. I'm sure there are other people who suffer from these same type of symptoms.
Dr. Jamison, is this something where you would talk about medication? Obviously, you'd have to go to a doctor and diagnose some of the other symptoms that Ray is feeling, but what is your sense here with this type of description?
JAMISON: Well, again, I think that if you have any doubts at all, go and check it out with somebody. Because we know that one of the things that happens with depression is very often people, maybe 60 percent of people who have depression, also have a lot of symptoms of anxiety. And one of the symptoms of both anxiety and depression is withdrawing from people or being frightened of being in situations, social situations.
You know, it depends on how long it's gone on and so forth. But the best thing to do is go talk to a doctor about it and say, "I'm really concerned. I don't want to feel this way. Is there anything that can be done?"
And you know, a doctor, a psychologist ought to be able to sit down and ask you a whole series of questions and be able to help you.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thanks so much, doctor.
And depression carries with it a feeling of chronic loneliness. But when it hits, we want to remind everybody that you are not the only one suffering.
Coming up, we'll have some coping tips for families, as well.
But, first, let's hear your thoughts. Call us with your questions at 800-807-2620 or you can always e-mail us at HouseCall@CNN.com.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the base of the arthritis food guide pyramid is water. Drink at least eight cups of liquid a day.
MIRIAM NELSON, AUTHOR: If you don't get that water from the diet, we're going to be slightly dehydrated, which really goes into perpetuating the pain.
LIZ WEISS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tufts University researcher Miriam Nelson advocates eating six or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Whole grain breads and cereals are also considered arthritis busters.
The pyramid promotes Omega-3 fatty acids, found primarily in seafoods such as salmon. The recommendation: eat four to five servings a week.
Liz Weiss for "Feeling Fit."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You're watching CNN's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL.
And we are taking your questions today about depression and more importantly, how to beat it. Give us a call at 800-807-2620 or just go ahead and e-mail us at HouseCall@CNN.com.
COHEN: Now before we go to the break, let's check our "Daily Dose Health Quiz." What's the average age for the onset of depression? We'll have that answer in 30 seconds. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Checking the "Daily Dose Quiz" there. We asked, "What's the typical age for the onset of depression?" The answer is, according to the American Psychiatric Association, depression can strike at any time. But most often, it appears during the first time of prime of life, from age 24 to 44.
But some doctors are reporting that it is becoming more common to see depression starting in the late teens and early 20s.
Welcome back to CNN's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL, everybody. We are talking about depression today. But there is actually a lot to be excited about on this topic.
COHEN: That's right. I think many people don't realize that depression is among the most treatable mental disorders. As much as 90 percent of people with depression respond well to treatment, which includes antidepressant medications and psychotherapy. Electro- convulsive therapy, or ECT, is reserved for people with severe depression.
With that said, let's go to our next e-mail. Jean from Michigan writes, "How long before you're ready to stop taking medication? And if medication is not habit forming, why does depression return when you stop taking it?"
Dr. Jamison, I've heard many people ask this question: when someone is prescribed antidepressants, are they basically on them for the rest of their life? Can they ever get off of them and still feel OK?
JAMISON: Well, you know, there's a lot of variation between people, just like there is with illnesses.
You know, I think the more severe your depression and the more often you've had it -- if you've had a severe recurrent depression, the evidence is really pretty strong that you need to keep on antidepressants, at least for quite a long period of time. If you have had only one depression, then it's quite different.
But having -- calling it dependent upon has a sort of a funny ring to it. There are many, many illnesses, of course, where if you stop taking your medication, like for heart disease or anything else, or you're not dependent necessarily dependent on the medicine but you're going to get sick again. It's not dependent in a kind of addictive sense at all.
So depression is very treatable, but the treatment generally, you have to stay on the treatment.
And one of the things that we also know is that psychotherapy is very effective and a combination, particularly a combination of psychotherapy and medication.
So the important thing is that it's treatable and I think that the great thing you're doing in this show is obviously trying to emphasize that fact. And I think most people don't realize that it is very, very treatable.
COHEN: Dr. Jamison, do you find that many patients just want that pill and want to get out of your office? They just want the pill?
JAMISON: Well, I'm a psychologist. So I'm not really pushing pills, you know?
I don't think that most people have that kind of simple view of the world. There are certainly some people who would like to have easy solutions to a lot of things in life. I think most people realize that it's a complicated problem. But we do have pills that work and why not use them, you know?
I think that there's sort of a separate standard in people's minds if it's a problem with the brain versus a problem with the kidney or a problem with the heart. The brain is an organ like any other organ, except it's just more exquisitely complicated. So that, you know, if medications work, great. But often psychotherapy is very effective in combination with medication.
COHEN: All right. Dr. Jamison, our next e-mail is from Fabia in Brazil. "If there is one person in the family with depression, this problem affects everybody, all relatives. Give me some suggestions about how to get along with this person, because it is not easy."
I think that's an excellent point. Often you don't hear about the families of the folks who are depressed. Do you have any advice for them?
JAMISON: Couldn't agree with you more. And also, you know, there is certainly a family component, a genetic component to depression and particularly the form of depression that is bipolar, or manic depression. There's a very strong genetic component. So these do run in families and family members are affected in any event. It can be a devastating illness. People can be very angry, withdrawn. There are all sorts of things that people can do that are quite hurtful or produce a lot of anxiety.
I think the best thing people can do is be educated. Go out and read. There is a lot written about depression that's very, very good. There are support groups like the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. There's support groups out there for family members, as well as for patients. And you can get educated. There are public lectures.
The more you read and the more you learn about depression, the less you tend to take it very personally as a family member and the more you come up with ways of handling it and that you realize that it's treatable.
Because one of the things that we know about moods, of course, is they're contagious. So if you're around somebody who's very depressed and who feels hopeless and feels like there's nothing that can be done for him or her, then the tendency is for the person who's around that person to get very depressed and hopeless, as well.
There is a lot that can be done. Go out and educate yourself.
COLLINS: Dr. Jamison, thanks so much for now.
Coming up in just a few minutes, teenagers and new moms aren't always all smiles either. We'll get some answers to your questions about depression in teens and post-partum depression after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody, to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. We've got lots of calls and e-mails coming in this morning about our topic, which is depression today.
COHEN: That's right. But let's get to our next e-mail from Anthony. His question is, "Can there be a delayed post-partum depression for new mothers? For example, three months after giving birth?"
Dr. Jamison, can you help us with that? Would three months really be considered delayed?
JAMISON: I don't think it necessarily would be considered delayed. It's certainly well within the period of time for a post- partum depression.
And I think it's very, very important, port-partum depressions can be very, very severe with a lot of, you know, potentially terrible consequences for the person who has it, the mother, and for the child.
So, again, very treatable. But very important to talk. If you have any concerns at all about feeling like you're being -- having the kinds of thoughts that you're concerned about, thinking about suicide, thinking about violence, being very hopeless and despairing, for heaven's sakes, check it out with your doctor. Very important to do so. Again, very treatable.
COHEN: Is there a time limit for post-partum depression? I mean, when the baby turns 1, are you not supposed to feel it any longer?
JAMISON: Well, you know, I mean, any kind of time limit is essentially arbitrary. You know, there's sort of a general time frame that you might think of, six months to a year, but people are different. And you know, those are just general time frames.
The question is, you know, if it comes up a year and a month later, go to the doctor. If it comes up any time in your life and you're concerned, go get yourself checked out.
COHEN: All right. Our next e-mail is from Erica in Oregon who asks, "There are times when I feel loneliness mixed with fear. Could it be depression, or just a feeling from growing into an adult from a teenager?"
Dr. Jamison?
JAMISON: Well, again, depression is based on a whole lot of symptoms of changes in mood, changes in thinking, changes in behavior, changes in sleep patterns. Those are some of the symptoms that certainly can be associated with depression. When people diagnose depressions on the basis of how severe it is how long it lasts, what kind of combinations of symptoms.
But, again, there's no reason not to go and get it checked out, because a doctor should be able to -- or a psychologist, a psychiatrist, ought to be able to ask the kinds of questions to be able to put together a diagnosis to help somebody.
There is certainly -- when you mention the word "teen," though, even though depression itself may occur in the late teens and early 20s on average, it's really important to notice the first signs of bipolar or manic depression are very often in the early teens or the late teens. And that can be a particularly devastating time, a very agitated depression, associated with increased alcohol or drug use, and suicide is a very real problem. Suicide is the second major killer of college students, for example.
So even though the average age of onset of depression might be a little bit later, it's very important to note that an awful lot of young people in their late teens and early teens get affected by depression.
COLLINS: Excellent point to be made and to be taken today.
Talking about depression. We are going to take a quick break. When we come back, we'll have final thoughts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COHEN: Welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL, where we've been talking about depression with psychologist Dr. Kay Jamison. Dr. Jamison, do you have any final thoughts for us on this subject?
JAMISON: Yes, I do.
I think that this is the most amazing time in science and medicine, as far as depression goes. It's really hopeful.
The worst thing about depression is the amount of pain and the sense of hopelessness. Go, if you have any doubts about being depressed. If you're feeling really exhausted, hopeless, despairing, you are sleeping way too much or not enough, for heaven's sakes, go get yourself checked out and get treatment. There are a lot of good treatments out there.
It is very treatable, but it's just very important that you get treatment.
COHEN: Dr. Jamison, thank you. That is good to know. I think many people need to hear that.
That's all the time we have for today. Make sure to watch tomorrow's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. We'll be talking about childhood obesity. Should we be blaming the schools and the fast food restaurants for this new epidemic? What can parents do to fight the battle of the adolescent bulge? And we'll show you some dramatic actions taken by some families fighting fat.
We want to hear from you. Send us your e-mails at HouseCall@CNN.com.
And we'll see you back here at 8:30 Eastern time tomorrow morning. Thanks for watching. I'm Elizabeth Cohen.
"CNN SATURDAY MORNING" continues now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 21, 2003 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL everybody.
Right now, if you're feeling down and depressed, you are not alone. One in six people in the U.S. suffers from depression and many of them don't even know it.
So who's suffering, what are the symptoms and where can you get help? We are going to be tackling those questions this morning.
Joining us for our house call is CNN's medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Thanks so much for being here. Elizabeth, we'll move to something a lot of people are talking about, just a little bit more than previously.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I think people more and more are realizing that depression doesn't hit just one type of person. Anybody can be a candidate for depression and that means anybody. Depression can hit anyone regardless of age, race, economic status or gender.
However, studies have shown that depression is about twice as common in women as it is in men. Researchers estimate that in any given year, depression affects about 12 million women in the U.S. and about six million men.
Now we want to introduce you to one of those men, an Olympic hero and a winner in his battle with depression. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a nation that richly rewards being number one, Jimmy Shea proved he was up to the task, winning a gold medal and becoming an instant hero.
His story, the stuff of folklore, the third Shea in as many generations to be an Olympian. His entire life now public. Except for one thing.
JIMMY SHEA, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER: A lot of people don't know that I suffered from depression, you know, just about my entire life. And, you know, looking back, I won the world championships, I did all these things and I was just never happy. GUPTA: He had been on top of the world and also in a deep valley of depression. Shea was living proof that this disease does not discriminate, gold medal or not.
SHEA: I think, like, 12 through, like, 25. I mean, there were some really dark times, you know? There was thought of suicide. There was thought of a lot of different things. And it was just -- it was difficult. There was a lot of real lows that I just couldn't get out of.
GUPTA: But he did climb out of that. And, today, Shea, with financial support from a pharmaceutical company, is putting his Olympian dedication towards getting out the word.
SHEA: You can actually go and you can see somebody and you can get treatment for this.
GUPTA (on camera): Jimmy Shea is not alone. Best estimates are that one in six Americans suffer from depression. And while things are starting to change, it is still stunning that so many suffer in silence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a case of, you know, pulling up your bootstraps and so you'll be better. But it's really a mental illness like diabetes.
GUPTA (voice-over): And like diabetes, it is treatable.
(on camera) If you had to choose now, after all that you've been through, you've got the gold medal, you've also overcome depression, if you had to choose one of those two things...
SHEA: If I had to choose between, like, winning a gold medal and overcoming my fear of going and getting treatment for my depression, absolutely, I would say, you know, my treatment. It's just a medal. It's just a race. Being able to live the rest of my life and being happy, that's priceless.
GUPTA: And priceless is worth more than gold.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: What an incredible story.
To better understand what depression is, let's explain what it's not.
For starters, we know that it's not due to weakness and it's not an untreatable illness. In simple terms, depression is an imbalance in brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
In the minutes ahead, we'll be giving you a lot more information to help you understand this illness.
Be sure to call in with your questions. The number is 1-800-907- 2620 (sic). International charges do apply for overseas callers.
You can also e-mail us at HouseCall@CNN.com.
Dr. Kay Jamison is joining us to answer your questions. She's a psychiatry professor at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. But with us today from our Los Angeles bureau.
Good morning, Dr. Jamison. We're going to get to our viewer calls and e-mails. But first, the question I heard the most is, "How do I know if I'm just feeling a little bit blue or if I hear depression?"
So I want to run through a list of signs and symptoms with you so we can talk about that a little bit.
Look for five of the following symptoms occurring daily for an extended period of time, usually two weeks or more: feeling sad or empty, decreased interest in pleasure and activities, appetite change with weight gain or weight loss, decreased or increased sleeping, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling worthless or guilty, being either agitated or slowed down, difficulty thinking or concentrating, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Dr. Jamison, you're going to help us answer our first e-mail now, and that is from P.J. in Tennessee.
And P.J. writes, "I have trouble being motivated for about a year now. My father died the night after I received my Ph.D., so I thought it was that. But now, I'm not so sure. I just don't have an interest in things like gardening, exercising, work, et cetera. When up until a year ago, I was much more active. Since I'm 48, I even thought it could be hormonal changes. How can I know what is the root of my mood change?"
Dr. Jamison, do you have any thoughts on that?
DR. KAY JAMISON, PSYCHIATRY PROFESSOR, JOHNS HOPKINS: Well, certainly a couple of things.
First of all, if you have any doubts at all, check it out. I mean, go to a doctor, go to a psychologist and ask and say, "You know, I'm concerned. I haven't been able to be interested in the same way that I was. I had a lot of energy and I don't have it anymore."
A year is a very long time to feel that way and you don't have to feel that way. I think one of the things that was emphasized earlier is that depression is a very, very treatable disorder. We know that. There are lots of very good treatments out there. So there's absolutely no reason to suffer unnecessarily.
COLLINS: Doctor, we are getting some phone calls, as well. We want to bring in Ray in Ohio. He is on the line with us this morning.
Hi, Ray. What's your question?
CALLER: Good morning. What can I do to overcome the fact that I live in a cave and I -- that's my hide-away. I don't want to interact with people; social events give me panic attacks. I'm supposed to go to a wedding this afternoon and it scares the bejesus out of me. I can't go there.
COLLINS: These are some excellent questions. I'm sure there are other people who suffer from these same type of symptoms.
Dr. Jamison, is this something where you would talk about medication? Obviously, you'd have to go to a doctor and diagnose some of the other symptoms that Ray is feeling, but what is your sense here with this type of description?
JAMISON: Well, again, I think that if you have any doubts at all, go and check it out with somebody. Because we know that one of the things that happens with depression is very often people, maybe 60 percent of people who have depression, also have a lot of symptoms of anxiety. And one of the symptoms of both anxiety and depression is withdrawing from people or being frightened of being in situations, social situations.
You know, it depends on how long it's gone on and so forth. But the best thing to do is go talk to a doctor about it and say, "I'm really concerned. I don't want to feel this way. Is there anything that can be done?"
And you know, a doctor, a psychologist ought to be able to sit down and ask you a whole series of questions and be able to help you.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. Thanks so much, doctor.
And depression carries with it a feeling of chronic loneliness. But when it hits, we want to remind everybody that you are not the only one suffering.
Coming up, we'll have some coping tips for families, as well.
But, first, let's hear your thoughts. Call us with your questions at 800-807-2620 or you can always e-mail us at HouseCall@CNN.com.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the base of the arthritis food guide pyramid is water. Drink at least eight cups of liquid a day.
MIRIAM NELSON, AUTHOR: If you don't get that water from the diet, we're going to be slightly dehydrated, which really goes into perpetuating the pain.
LIZ WEISS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tufts University researcher Miriam Nelson advocates eating six or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Whole grain breads and cereals are also considered arthritis busters.
The pyramid promotes Omega-3 fatty acids, found primarily in seafoods such as salmon. The recommendation: eat four to five servings a week.
Liz Weiss for "Feeling Fit."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You're watching CNN's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL.
And we are taking your questions today about depression and more importantly, how to beat it. Give us a call at 800-807-2620 or just go ahead and e-mail us at HouseCall@CNN.com.
COHEN: Now before we go to the break, let's check our "Daily Dose Health Quiz." What's the average age for the onset of depression? We'll have that answer in 30 seconds. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Checking the "Daily Dose Quiz" there. We asked, "What's the typical age for the onset of depression?" The answer is, according to the American Psychiatric Association, depression can strike at any time. But most often, it appears during the first time of prime of life, from age 24 to 44.
But some doctors are reporting that it is becoming more common to see depression starting in the late teens and early 20s.
Welcome back to CNN's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL, everybody. We are talking about depression today. But there is actually a lot to be excited about on this topic.
COHEN: That's right. I think many people don't realize that depression is among the most treatable mental disorders. As much as 90 percent of people with depression respond well to treatment, which includes antidepressant medications and psychotherapy. Electro- convulsive therapy, or ECT, is reserved for people with severe depression.
With that said, let's go to our next e-mail. Jean from Michigan writes, "How long before you're ready to stop taking medication? And if medication is not habit forming, why does depression return when you stop taking it?"
Dr. Jamison, I've heard many people ask this question: when someone is prescribed antidepressants, are they basically on them for the rest of their life? Can they ever get off of them and still feel OK?
JAMISON: Well, you know, there's a lot of variation between people, just like there is with illnesses.
You know, I think the more severe your depression and the more often you've had it -- if you've had a severe recurrent depression, the evidence is really pretty strong that you need to keep on antidepressants, at least for quite a long period of time. If you have had only one depression, then it's quite different.
But having -- calling it dependent upon has a sort of a funny ring to it. There are many, many illnesses, of course, where if you stop taking your medication, like for heart disease or anything else, or you're not dependent necessarily dependent on the medicine but you're going to get sick again. It's not dependent in a kind of addictive sense at all.
So depression is very treatable, but the treatment generally, you have to stay on the treatment.
And one of the things that we also know is that psychotherapy is very effective and a combination, particularly a combination of psychotherapy and medication.
So the important thing is that it's treatable and I think that the great thing you're doing in this show is obviously trying to emphasize that fact. And I think most people don't realize that it is very, very treatable.
COHEN: Dr. Jamison, do you find that many patients just want that pill and want to get out of your office? They just want the pill?
JAMISON: Well, I'm a psychologist. So I'm not really pushing pills, you know?
I don't think that most people have that kind of simple view of the world. There are certainly some people who would like to have easy solutions to a lot of things in life. I think most people realize that it's a complicated problem. But we do have pills that work and why not use them, you know?
I think that there's sort of a separate standard in people's minds if it's a problem with the brain versus a problem with the kidney or a problem with the heart. The brain is an organ like any other organ, except it's just more exquisitely complicated. So that, you know, if medications work, great. But often psychotherapy is very effective in combination with medication.
COHEN: All right. Dr. Jamison, our next e-mail is from Fabia in Brazil. "If there is one person in the family with depression, this problem affects everybody, all relatives. Give me some suggestions about how to get along with this person, because it is not easy."
I think that's an excellent point. Often you don't hear about the families of the folks who are depressed. Do you have any advice for them?
JAMISON: Couldn't agree with you more. And also, you know, there is certainly a family component, a genetic component to depression and particularly the form of depression that is bipolar, or manic depression. There's a very strong genetic component. So these do run in families and family members are affected in any event. It can be a devastating illness. People can be very angry, withdrawn. There are all sorts of things that people can do that are quite hurtful or produce a lot of anxiety.
I think the best thing people can do is be educated. Go out and read. There is a lot written about depression that's very, very good. There are support groups like the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. There's support groups out there for family members, as well as for patients. And you can get educated. There are public lectures.
The more you read and the more you learn about depression, the less you tend to take it very personally as a family member and the more you come up with ways of handling it and that you realize that it's treatable.
Because one of the things that we know about moods, of course, is they're contagious. So if you're around somebody who's very depressed and who feels hopeless and feels like there's nothing that can be done for him or her, then the tendency is for the person who's around that person to get very depressed and hopeless, as well.
There is a lot that can be done. Go out and educate yourself.
COLLINS: Dr. Jamison, thanks so much for now.
Coming up in just a few minutes, teenagers and new moms aren't always all smiles either. We'll get some answers to your questions about depression in teens and post-partum depression after this.
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COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody, to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. We've got lots of calls and e-mails coming in this morning about our topic, which is depression today.
COHEN: That's right. But let's get to our next e-mail from Anthony. His question is, "Can there be a delayed post-partum depression for new mothers? For example, three months after giving birth?"
Dr. Jamison, can you help us with that? Would three months really be considered delayed?
JAMISON: I don't think it necessarily would be considered delayed. It's certainly well within the period of time for a post- partum depression.
And I think it's very, very important, port-partum depressions can be very, very severe with a lot of, you know, potentially terrible consequences for the person who has it, the mother, and for the child.
So, again, very treatable. But very important to talk. If you have any concerns at all about feeling like you're being -- having the kinds of thoughts that you're concerned about, thinking about suicide, thinking about violence, being very hopeless and despairing, for heaven's sakes, check it out with your doctor. Very important to do so. Again, very treatable.
COHEN: Is there a time limit for post-partum depression? I mean, when the baby turns 1, are you not supposed to feel it any longer?
JAMISON: Well, you know, I mean, any kind of time limit is essentially arbitrary. You know, there's sort of a general time frame that you might think of, six months to a year, but people are different. And you know, those are just general time frames.
The question is, you know, if it comes up a year and a month later, go to the doctor. If it comes up any time in your life and you're concerned, go get yourself checked out.
COHEN: All right. Our next e-mail is from Erica in Oregon who asks, "There are times when I feel loneliness mixed with fear. Could it be depression, or just a feeling from growing into an adult from a teenager?"
Dr. Jamison?
JAMISON: Well, again, depression is based on a whole lot of symptoms of changes in mood, changes in thinking, changes in behavior, changes in sleep patterns. Those are some of the symptoms that certainly can be associated with depression. When people diagnose depressions on the basis of how severe it is how long it lasts, what kind of combinations of symptoms.
But, again, there's no reason not to go and get it checked out, because a doctor should be able to -- or a psychologist, a psychiatrist, ought to be able to ask the kinds of questions to be able to put together a diagnosis to help somebody.
There is certainly -- when you mention the word "teen," though, even though depression itself may occur in the late teens and early 20s on average, it's really important to notice the first signs of bipolar or manic depression are very often in the early teens or the late teens. And that can be a particularly devastating time, a very agitated depression, associated with increased alcohol or drug use, and suicide is a very real problem. Suicide is the second major killer of college students, for example.
So even though the average age of onset of depression might be a little bit later, it's very important to note that an awful lot of young people in their late teens and early teens get affected by depression.
COLLINS: Excellent point to be made and to be taken today.
Talking about depression. We are going to take a quick break. When we come back, we'll have final thoughts.
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COHEN: Welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL, where we've been talking about depression with psychologist Dr. Kay Jamison. Dr. Jamison, do you have any final thoughts for us on this subject?
JAMISON: Yes, I do.
I think that this is the most amazing time in science and medicine, as far as depression goes. It's really hopeful.
The worst thing about depression is the amount of pain and the sense of hopelessness. Go, if you have any doubts about being depressed. If you're feeling really exhausted, hopeless, despairing, you are sleeping way too much or not enough, for heaven's sakes, go get yourself checked out and get treatment. There are a lot of good treatments out there.
It is very treatable, but it's just very important that you get treatment.
COHEN: Dr. Jamison, thank you. That is good to know. I think many people need to hear that.
That's all the time we have for today. Make sure to watch tomorrow's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. We'll be talking about childhood obesity. Should we be blaming the schools and the fast food restaurants for this new epidemic? What can parents do to fight the battle of the adolescent bulge? And we'll show you some dramatic actions taken by some families fighting fat.
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