Depression is a disease that impacts the receptors and hormones in the brain. There is a lot we don’t understand about this brain disease which adds to its aura of mystery. But there are treatments that work. Depression is different from the sadness or normal ups and downs of life we all experience from time to time. Depression interferes with daily life, injecting feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness into our thinking. And what’s worse, these feelings are intense and unrelenting. Be concerned if your loved one. . . Doesn't seem to care about anything anymore. Is uncharacteristically sad, irritable, short-tempered, critical, or moody. Has lost interest in work, sex, ho
Why are we so afraid to talk about depression, anxiety, or even substance abuse? These are all diseases of the brain yet we avoid talking about them like we avoid telling Donald Trump about his hair. When my wife woke me up one night last year she told me that she felt dizzy, sick and that her chest was pounding. Here’s what I did NOT say: “Honey, just go back to sleep. I’m sure you’ll have a different outlook in the morning.” Instead, we jumped out of bed, got dressed and broke a few traffic laws racing to the emergency room where doctors discovered she had a heart arrhythmia. Two years ago I came home feeling sick and suddenly began throwing up. I felt excruciating pain in my abdomen. My
