Depression is a true medical illness, just like having diabetes or high blood pressure. It’s not a weakness, having the blues or something one can just snap out of. Fortunately, like most illnesses, it is treatable through medication and psychotherapy.

Common symptoms of depression include feeling sad, unhappy, irritable or frustrated; a loss of interest in things that usually bring pleasure; feeling worthless; fatigue, excessive sleeping or insomnia; indecisiveness and decreased concentration; and in some cases, thoughts of death, dying or suicide.

Many of us may briefly experience any of the above symptoms, but the person with true depression lives with these symptoms day in and day out.

Some risk factors of depression are having biological relatives who have depression or who have committed suicide and experiencing stressful events, such as the death or loss of a loved one. Women are also at risk, especially after a pregnancy. Other risk factors are serious, chronic illness and abuse of alcohol, drugs or nicotine.

In general, the most effective treatment for depression is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

There are many types of antidepressant drugs available, and finding the right one may take some trial and error. Antidepressant drugs may take several weeks to take effect.

A patient who experiences undesired side effects should not stop taking the medication without consulting the prescribing doctor. In many cases, one must taper off the drug to avoid withdrawal.

Psychotherapy is provided by a trained and licensed professional, who can help one to understand one’s thoughts and behaviors and guide one in making effective changes. Ideally, this treatment can also provide a regained feeling of hope, happiness and control.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, help is needed immediately. Here’s what needs to be done:

- Contact a family member, friend or clergy member for help.

- call a suicide hotline number. our local number is 877-663-5433.

- Seek professional consultation from a doctor or a mental health provider.

If someone you know is on the verge of, or has attempted, suicide, call 911 immediately for professional and rapid help.

Depression is not a weakness; it is a treatable illness. A doctor can help.

- Terry Hollenbeck, M.D., is an urgent-care physician at Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz in Scotts Valley. Readers can view his previous columns on his website, valleydoctor.wordpress.com, or email him at . Information in this column is not intended to replace advice from your own health care professional. for any medical concern, consult your own doctor.

NEW mothers who get less than six hours' sleep a night face an increased risk of postnatal depression.

Strong links between sleep deprivation and depressive symptoms in new mothers were found in a review of more than 100 international studies.

A lack of sleep could make them feel sad, tired and unable to concentrate, Australian researcher Kerry Thomas told the Australian Psychological Society’s annual conference in Canberra yesterday.

"Women whose babies wake several times during the night have a greater risk of developing depression, and that’s both at four weeks postpartum and eight weeks postpartum stage," she said.

"Women who receive less than six hours of sleep a night in a 24-hour period also have an increased risk of developing depression."

About 16 per cent of Australian women are believed to develop postnatal depression, also known as the "baby blues", after giving birth.

Ms Thomas, a research student at the University of Canberra, said there was growing evidence that sleep problems were related to the development of depression generally.

Ms Thomas said for many women sleep problems could begin in pregnancy and last for several months after the birth.

She said community-based residential units were often effective in relieving symptoms of depression by helping new mothers find ways to settle their babies.

"It’s not a cure (for their depression), but the mum does start to feel better," Ms Thomas said.

"when you have children in the home it’s not just a matter of getting more sleep, it’s a strategy.

"you have to negotiate sleep and plan for sleep, which you didn’t have to do before you had children," she said.

Ms Thomas plans to follow up her research by recruiting 60 new mothers next year to study their sleep patterns for up to a year after their babies are born.

The researcher will examine their stages of sleep and monitor any symptoms of depression.

I know that depression is a disease that never really goes away. i can tell that I'm getting symptoms of depression again…I want to sleep, I'm sad about everything, my mind goes to the sad part of my life automatically, I either overeat or don't eat at all. I need to know how to avoid the symptoms since I can't cure the disease. Help! I'm desperate.

Find things that make you laugh, surround yourself with people you love.

I have been having these symptom for the past month:

-extreme fatigue
-isomnia
-low blood pressure
-feeling faint
-dizziness
-hard time getting out of bed in the morning
-irritablity
-sadness
-feeling weak

They are symptoms of depression, be careful.

It might be depression or that you're stressed. Although there are some things with those symptoms that aren't very healthy, so you should probably see a doctor.

Most of them are.
I would guess though that the insomnia is contributing to the exhaustion.
I am also not sure if sadness is a symptom of exhaustion.
best to get a check up with a PCP or GP

For many freshmen, watching their parents drive away on the first day of college is a moment of unabashed excitement over the newfound sense of freedom. As time wears on, however, long winter months take hold and can bring feelings of homesickness and dread over the first round of daunting finals. These thoughts can—and often do—lead to depression amongst college students, particularly freshmen unaccustomed to dealing with such pressures in a foreign environment. "One of the hardest things for me when I got to college was not having my friends there," says Caitlin Getchell, a 2007 graduate of John Brown University who dealt with symptoms of depression when she started school. "I didn’t like attending events alone and would often end up hanging out by myself in my room. Eventually my sleep schedule got completely messed up, I gained weight, and I started skipping classes." 

Roughly half of college students will have some degree of psychiatric disorder—mainly depression—at some point during their time in school, according to a 2008 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. even more startling, 6.2 percent of college students surveyed in 2009 considered suicide and 1.3 percent attempted it, according to an American College Health Association study released this spring. 

[Learn 5 ways to stay focused and happy.] 

According to Sara Hoover, director of counseling and health services at Birmingham-Southern College, symptoms of depression include sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, loss of interest in social activities, withdrawal from activities that a student previously enjoyed, increased crying, changes in eating and sleeping habits, and increased alcohol or drug use. 

If you’re feeling any of these symptoms on campus, use these 5 tips to keep them at bay: 

1. Exercise: Physical activity releases endorphins—neurotransmitters that produce an overall positive feeling within the body, which fight depression naturally according to psychiatrist and consultant mark Goulston. Mental health experts claim that exercise is a remedy for those feeling mild or moderate depression. for those severely depressed, simply being active may not be the answer. 

[Exercise is good, but only in moderation.] 

2. Don’t be a hermit: While maintaining good grades freshman year might take extra effort as you adjust to the expanded college workload, don’t lock yourself away and study endlessly, experts say. "Colleges are not all about studying; they are also about networking and balancing life, extracurricular activities, and leisure," says college and career consultant Claudine Vainrub. and if you feel you have no choice but to study around the clock, don’t do it alone. "Studying should be a high priority for freshmen, so find a study group to help hold you accountable and boost your mood," says psychologist Susan Fletcher. 

3. Use school counseling services: Campuses don’t employ health mental experts simply to toss thousands of dollars down the drain. Their job is to help students, so experts recommend you use them. Most students are hesitant, however, to take a trip to their college’s counseling center, fearing ridicule from peers. To help curb that, some schools like Texas Christian University, are screening for mental health problems when students get sick and visit the campus health clinic. "Students are often reluctant to come here to the counseling center with problems. some perceive a stigma in that," says Linda Wolszon, director of counseling, testing, and mental health at TCU. "But students will go to the Health Center when they are sick." 

4. take advantage of technology: Staying in touch with family members and friends from childhood and high school has become easier than ever with the advent of Facebook and video chat services like Skype. while mental health experts maintain that it’s important to make friends in your new environment and be involved in the college community, it’s equally crucial not to let bonds dissolve with the people you knew before college. They, after all, know you better than people you first met two months ago. "They may be going through something similar and since you know each other better than you do your new friends, you can talk about what’s bothering you without fear of scaring off someone you don’t know that well," says Erin Baebler, a college transition coach and admissions consultant.