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<d oir ND W _** * HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL Depression - when it’s more than just the blues Special to the Journal Everyone gets “the blues” or feels sad occasionally, but when that sad feeling lasts longer than a few weeks, it may be more than just a temporary mood. It may be depression. Each year, approximately 18.8 million American adults suffer from some form of depression. Some people have one episode in a lifetime while others have recurring bouts. Other people experience symptoms so severe they are unable to function normally. Still others experience cycles of deep “lows” and severe “highs.” Whatever the form, depression can destroy fam ily life as well as the life of the ill person. Most people with depression do not seek treatment because they do not realize that depression is a treatable illness. Even those with severe depression can be helped. Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts, and is com mon in men, women and children of all ages, racial, and socioeconomic groups. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way they feel about themselves, and the way they think about life in general. There are three common types of depression: ■ Major depression involves a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Such a disabling episode of HHC athletic training prngram incuses on student safety in sports Special to the Journal Keeping high school stu dent athletes safe while practicing and competing in sports is the primary goal of Houston Healthcare’s Athletic Training program, which is available to all of the high schools in Houston County. A staff of five full time and several part-time Certified Athletic Trainers serve as health care liaisons between all student athletes, coaches, physicians and par ents, as part of Houston Healthcare’s Human Motion Institute, a unique program that offers a leading edge approach to the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries or problems. Led by Mike Edgar, A.T., C., L.A.T., Sports Medicine Coordinator for Houston Healthcare, the athletic train ers work daily in the schools attending practices, weight training and conditioning sessions, as well as sport ing events. Additionally, they provide health education to area coaches, athletic direc tors, students and parents on a variety of topics including sports safety, preventive and wellness measures as well as treatment of minor injuries. In the event of an injury, the athletic trainers also serve as liaisons between the student athletes and the local physi cians. According to Edgar, the pri mary concern of the athletic trainer is student safety. “Our job is to keep the student athletes safe,” he explains. “When a student is injured, we immediately contact the team physician, and we can make referrals to orthope dic specialists quickly with out the normal wait time. The relationship our athletic trainers have with the local physicians ensures a rapid response time for treatment of a student’s sports-related injuries.” However, Edgar says the students are not the only ones depression may occur only once during a person’s life time, but more often occurs several times. ■ Dysthymia is a less severe form of depression involving long-term, chronic symptoms that do not dis able, but keep a person from functioning well or from feel ing good. Many people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes at some point in their lives. ■ Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive ill ness, is characterized by cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression). Sometimes the mood changes are dramatic and rapid, but most often they occur gradually. When in the depressed cycle, an individual can have any or all of the symptoms of depres sion. But when in the manic cycle, the individual may be overactive, over talkative, and very energetic. Mania often affects rational think ing, judgment and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embar rassment. Not a lot is known yet about the causes of depres sion. Current research indi cates that some forms of depression, such as bipolar disorder, runs in families and may be hereditary. In the past 10 years, studies have shown that rates of depres sion are consistently higher among children of depressed parents than among the general population. Physical changes in the body can also be accompanied by mental changes. benefiting from the exper tise of the trainers. “With the athletic trainers in the schools, the coaches are free to coach because they don’t have to worry about mak ing the injury assessments anymore,” he adds. “We also alleviate some stress off of the students’ parents. They are more secure knowing lEHL <4 ' Ts —— * H 'TfHF vWa ML: S UK .'adk ... - Up?- I « m . ■1 i II B v 111 WBk i\ I / •• ■ligi Ih iHni W ** 'j\ Hy JBr jkA/ / ""mh jfek. - Jr m 'H JL JLouston Healthcare’s Med-Stops offer care for your family’s minor illnesses and injuries on a walk-in basis when your regular doctor’s office is closed or when you don’t need the technical * services of the Emergency Room. The Med-Stops are staffed by Board Certified Family Practice and Internal Medicine physicians working with nurses and medical technicians. Lab and x-ray services are available on-site. » ♦ Houston Lake Med-Stop Hwy. 127 and Moody Road 9884865 Open Mon - Sat 7 am - 6:30 pm Signs of depression If four or more of the following symp toms persist for more than two weeks, then that may be a sign of depression. Please call a mental health professional if you suspect you may be depressed. □ A persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood □ Loss ot satisfaction with Rte □ Feelings ot hopelessness or pessimism □ Feelings ot gult, worthlessness, or helplessness □ Diminished capacity to give or receive affection □ Loss ol interest or pleasure In ordinary activities □ Sleep disturbances including early morning waking, Insomnia, or oversleeping □ Fating disturbances Including weight gain or loss and changes in appetite □ Physical aches and pains including headaches and lower back pain □ Excessive crying □ Restlessness, Irrltabilty, or hyperactivity □ Decreased energy, fatigue, or slowed thinking □ Difficulty in concentrating, remembering, or making decisions □ Thoughts ol death or suicide; suicide attempts Medical illnesses such as stroke, heart attack, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and hor monal disorders can cause depression. Life events such as loss of a loved one, divorce, relocation, financial prob lems, birth of a baby, or any stressful change in life pat terns can trigger depression. Certain personality traits that the trainers are there to keep their children safe while practicing and during the games.” All of Houston Healthcare’s athletic trainers are certified through the National Athletic Trainers Association and are licensed athletic train ers in the state of Georgia. Together, the team has more Urgent Care... when you need it. can also make a person more susceptible to depression. People who have low self esteem, who consistently view the world as cruel and unsupportive, who consider the future hopeless or who are easily overwhelmed by stress experience depression more often than people with positive, optimistic attitudes. The good news is that depression can be treated successfully. For the majority of individuals suffering from depression, treatment can result in a return to normal participation in daily activi ties and enjoyments. The first step to getting appropri ate treatment for depression is a physical examination by a physician. Certain medications and conditions can cause the same symptoms as depres sion and the physician should rule out these possibilities. If it is determined that there is no physical cause for the depression, a psychological evaluation should be done by either the physician or a psy chiatrist or psychologist. “A good diagnostic evalu ation should include a com plete history of symptoms, when they started, how long they have lasted, how severe they are, whether the patient had them before, and if so, were they treated and how,” explains Burton Carriker, a licensed counselor and Program .Administrator for Houston Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Services. “The physician should also ask about alcohol and drug use, and if the patient has thoughts about death and than 60 years of training experience. “Houston County is one of the few counties in the state that have certified athletic trainers in the high schools,” comments Edgar., “We truly enjoy what we do for the stu dents, coaches and the par ents, and we work together as a team really well.” ♦ Pavilion Med-Stop N. Houston Road at Houston Mall 923-2843 Open Daily 8 am - 7:30 pm SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2007 ♦ suicide. Questions should also be asked about family history of depression, what treatment methods were used, and how effective they were.” There are a variety of anti depressant medications and psychotherapies that can be utilized to treat depression. People with milder forms of depression may do well with psychotherapy alone. Others with moderate to severe depression most often benefit from antidepressants. The majority of people with depression see good results with a combined treatment method - medication to gain relatively quick relief from symptoms and psychother apy to learn more effective ways to handle life’s prob lems, including depression. “Depression .makes a per son feel exhausted, worthless, JOINT REPLACEMENT CAMP ■.•?•‘ ' . . • • Thursday, November Bth,8 th , 6:30p.m. Planning A Total Knee, Hip or Shoulder Replacement? Your doctor encourages you to attend the Joint Camp prior to surgery. You will learn about the procedure, what to expect after surgery, rehabilitation, assistive devices, post surgical precautions and other helpful information. -j No Charge For This Service! Visit us on the web www.mgo.md Please Call To Reserve Your Space MIDDLE GEORGIA 3051 Watson Blvd. I iIuRTHOPAEDIC \ - Mr Surgery & Sports Medicine A fil.QE|^l.fßßß Hilary Kate Ellwood, MD Board Certified, American Academy of Family Medicine Kimberley R. Ham, MD Board Certified, American Academy of Family Medicine Cynthia M. Jones, MD Board Certified, American Board of Family Medicine Gayatri Kamat, MD Board Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine helpless, and hopeless,” com ments Carriker. “Negative thoughts and feelings make some people feel like giving up. It is important for jthem to realize that these negative views are part of the depres sion and will fade as treat ment begins to take effect. “Enlisting the support of family and friends is also vital to the successful treatment of depression. Family and friends often do not under stand the devastating effects on the person suffering from depression. The most impor tant thing anyone can do for a depressed person is to help him or her find appropriate evaluation and treatment.” If you think you or some one you know may be suf fering from depression, call Houston Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Services at 478-542-7788. CP HT 3 Barbara A. Matthews, MD Board Certified, American Board of Family Medicine Jodie Velie, MD Board Eligible, American Board of Family Practice Ferial Walid, MD Board Certified, American Board of Family Medicine 7A 55714 50626