The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup M. D

Author:Christiane Northrup, M. D. [Christiane Northrup, M. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Health & Fitness, Medical, Menopause, Non-Fiction, Women's Health
ISBN: 9781401939977
Google: 0GHo5_XS7ToC
Amazon: B006PEYXN0
Publisher: Hay House, Inc
Published: 2012-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

The Anatomy of Depression

Depression exists on a spectrum from the blues, which go away on their own, to the normal grief following a loss, to a more persistent and dangerous disorder. In major depression, as defined by psychiatric handbooks, a person not only suffers from depressed mood, but also has changes in appearance, behavior, speech, perception, and thoughts. When you are depressed, your insight and judgment can be affected, as can your ability to work, take care of yourself, and function in society. Depressed people may appear sad or have an expressionless face. Poor posture and grooming are sometimes evident. If you are depressed, you may derive very little enjoyment from normal daily activities, and you may begin to complain about numerous physical aches and pains that never bothered you before. (Statistics gathered at centers for chronic pain show that up to 90 percent of those with chronic pain have emotional stress factors such as depression that contribute significantly to their pain syndromes.)12 Depression is often accompanied by sleep disturbances: you may be unable to get out of bed, or you may suffer from insomnia or early-morning awakening. Appetite disturbances—either overeating or loss of appetite—can result in significant weight gain or loss. Your thoughts can be affected by depression, and you may have difficulty concentrating and remembering things. (Many midlife women blame their memory loss on aging when it’s really caused by depression.)13 Your mind can go around and around in circles, and you may dwell on thoughts of guilt, self-blame, hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness. As depression deepens, thoughts of death and suicide can occur.

If you recognize yourself in this description, I urge you to consult a physician or licensed mental health practitioner without delay. You and your practitioner will be able to evaluate whether or not you are suffering from a major depressive disorder and whether or not you need medication and professional assistance to work through the backlog of unfinished emotional business that may be contributing to it. Now is the time to address your unmet needs. Treatment can be lifesaving—especially if you also suffer from anxiety, which many women with depression do. In a 2009 study of more than 5,000 healthy Dutch midlife women, those with anxiety were shown to have a 77 percent increased risk of premature death.14 Depression is also an independent risk factor for both heart disease and osteoporosis, probably because depression is associated with increased levels of stress hormones, which have very potent physical effects. (See chapter 12, on bone health, and chapter 14, on heart health.)

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