Depression and manic depression

Depressive illness is also common in old age, causing disruption of the sufferer's life and problems for carers. Elderly people may also be suffering from deficiency diseases such as anaemia, which may be the primary cause of the depression.

Some people suffer from an unusual form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which occurs only during winter and is due to lack of sunlight. It has been suggested that it may be caused by a rise in the level of melatonin, a substance produced in the pineal gland at the base of the brain, which causes animals to hibernate in winter. Production of melatonin is stopped if light levels are increased.

Treatment

It is important to recognise the early signs of depression and seek help before it gets any worse. If you think you, or someone you know well, might be suffering from depression, the important thing is not to ignore or hide away from the problem. You can get help, but first you must recognise there is a problem and talk to someone about it.

A variety of effective treatments for both unipolar depression and manic depression are now available.

Social treatments are aimed at helping to change the stress factors in your life and are therefore important to everyone suffering from depression. There are many different forms of counselling and psychotherapy which can help people to understand and cope with their illness. Many people with emotional disorders tend to have destructive and repetitive patterns of thought that prevent them from finding a way out of their difficulties. Cognitive therapy aims to recognise these negative thoughts and to try to counter them with alternative explanations that will break the loop.

For more information about psychological methods of treatment visit www.sane.org.uk

Antidepressants are very widely used in the treatment of moderate and severe depression, often in addition to counselling and social treatments. For more information about medical methods of treatment visit www.sane.org.uk