Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 7-21-17

Health
JULY IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH:
If your emotions and moods seem out of your control
over a long period of time, you may have a mood disorder. There are several different types, and all of them can be treated.
MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
BIPOLAR DISORDER
This causes extreme mood swings, from de- pression to emo- tional highs called mania. During the highs, you have more energy and your
thoughts may come quickly -- you may be unusu- ally talkative. You might get a lot of things done, but also might behave in unpredictable, unhealthy ways. These mood shifts can happen only a few times a year or as often as several times a week.
Treatment
You may need to see a psychiatrist, who can pre-scribe medication, along with a psychologist, who focuses on talk therapy to help you deal with problems at work or family tension. Antidepres- sants, antipsychotics, anti-anxiety medications, and mood stabilizers can treat bipolar disorder. In se- vere cases, electroconvulsive therapy -- when elec- tric current is passed through your brain -- helps some people.
This is also called clini- cal depression, or simply depression. It’s more than having “the blues” -- it’s long periods of extreme sadness that keep coming back. You may get angry or frustrated easily, or lose in-
terest in things you used to enjoy. Small tasks may seem overwhelming, and you may feel empty, hope- less, tired, and distracted. You also may have trouble with sleeping -- either too much or too little. Some people with major depressive disorder could have some minor manic symptoms but not often enough to call their condition bipolar disorder.
Treatment
Your doctor may suggest that you speak with a trained mental health professional (a therapist). This is called talk therapy or psychotherapy. You may talk with someone one-on-one, or go to group sessions with other people who have the same condition. Your doctor may also give you medication to help your mood, especially if your symptoms are severe.
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD)
This may feel a lot like major depres- sive disorder, but the symptoms are brought on by the change of seasons: It begins and ends about the same time every year. It’s most
likely to start in fall, con-tinue into winter, and not end until spring. As with other kinds of depression, you may have less energy, feel moody and anxious, and have trouble sleeping.
Treatment
Talk therapy or antidepressants may help, and your doctor also might suggest light therapy. That’s when you sit or work near a bright light that’s sim- ilar to natural outdoor light.
PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (PDD)
and chronic major depression.
Treatment
This is a form of major depressive disorder where symptoms last at least 2 years. It com- bines two former types of depression that had been called dysthymic disorder
Talk therapy may help with PDD, too. For exam- ple, with cognitive behavior therapy, you learn about your condition and do things to help you understand and change your thoughts and behavior. That might include reflection, meditation, and journaling. Med- ications can help with PDD as well.
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017