| A Time to Live Surviving Suicidal Thoughts |
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Strategy 8: Depression 101*
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It is essential to identify and treat past and current wounds. Depression is the number one cause of suicide, making depression education a critical element in overcoming suicidal thoughts. |
| “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” Proverbs 18:15 NKJV |
| Mood disorders such as depression are the #1 cause of suicide. |
No suicidal ideation survival kit would be complete without a first aid kit. Research has shown that more
than 90% of people who commit suicide suffer from depression or some other diagnosable and treatable
mental health disorder. Let’s take a look at the unfortunate facts of depression.
Depression Statistics
- An estimated 60% of suicides are by people suffering from a form of depression.
- Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. Population age 18 and older
in a given year, have a mood disorder.
- The median age of onset for mood disorders is 30 years.
- Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.
- More than 80% of people with depressive disorders improve when they receive appropriate treatment.
Know your enemy
Someone dies by suicide every forty seconds. The number one underlying cause of suicide is
depression. A common saying that you hear in the military arena is to know your enemy. If you experience
recurrent suicidal ideation, you should consider yourself to be in a battle for your life. You need to get to
know your enemy called depression.
What is a depressive disorder?
Let’s start with learning the basics of depressive disorders:
“A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person
eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive
disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that
can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together"
and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment,
however, can help most people who suffer from depression.”
Types of depression
Entire books could be written about the different forms of depression. The American Psychiatric
Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) provides diagnostic criteria for the different
depressive disorders. Several useful web sites will be included in the Appendix so that you can explore in-
depth the different variations of depression. For our purpose in addressing suicidal thoughts, we will focus
on the definitions of three primary forms of depressive disorders: Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymia
and Bipolar Disorder.
Major Depressive Disorder
“Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere with the
ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Such a disabling episode of
depression may occur only once but more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime.”
Dysthymia
“A less severe type of depression, dysthymia, involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable,
but keep one from functioning well or from feeling good. Many people with dysthymia also experience
major depressive episodes at some time in their lives.”
Bipolar Disorder
“Another type of depression is bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as
prevalent as other forms of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood
changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression).”
I find it very interesting that society readily recognized bipolar disorder as a serious medical condition in
need of on-going treatment. People who suffer from bipolar disorder are not normally characterized as
having a weak character or being sinful or just not trying hard enough to be happy. Yet, people who suffer
from unipolar disorder (depression only) are sometimes viewed very differently.
I think this is because the manic portion of bipolar disorder makes the condition easily identifiable,
whereas the condition of depression gets confused with simple emotional states such as being sad.
When manic, individuals can engage in all sorts of out-of-the-box behaviors that grab attention. However,
depressed individuals withdraw, making it more difficult to see the depth of their despair. Let’s take a look
at some of the common symptoms of depressive disorders.
Symptoms of depression
The National Institute of Mental Health provides a wonderful listing of the symptoms of depression. You
must keep in mind that as with most health conditions, people experience different combinations of
symptoms and in varying degrees of severity.
The more common symptoms of depressive disorders are:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
- Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
- Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
- Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
- Restlessness, irritability
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders,
and chronic pain
It is now time to assess your own potential depression. Click here for the Depression Worksheet
than 90% of people who commit suicide suffer from depression or some other diagnosable and treatable
mental health disorder. Let’s take a look at the unfortunate facts of depression.
Depression Statistics
- An estimated 60% of suicides are by people suffering from a form of depression.
- Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. Population age 18 and older
in a given year, have a mood disorder.
- The median age of onset for mood disorders is 30 years.
- Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.
- More than 80% of people with depressive disorders improve when they receive appropriate treatment.
Know your enemy
Someone dies by suicide every forty seconds. The number one underlying cause of suicide is
depression. A common saying that you hear in the military arena is to know your enemy. If you experience
recurrent suicidal ideation, you should consider yourself to be in a battle for your life. You need to get to
know your enemy called depression.
What is a depressive disorder?
Let’s start with learning the basics of depressive disorders:
“A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person
eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive
disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that
can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together"
and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment,
however, can help most people who suffer from depression.”
Types of depression
Entire books could be written about the different forms of depression. The American Psychiatric
Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) provides diagnostic criteria for the different
depressive disorders. Several useful web sites will be included in the Appendix so that you can explore in-
depth the different variations of depression. For our purpose in addressing suicidal thoughts, we will focus
on the definitions of three primary forms of depressive disorders: Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymia
and Bipolar Disorder.
Major Depressive Disorder
“Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere with the
ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Such a disabling episode of
depression may occur only once but more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime.”
Dysthymia
“A less severe type of depression, dysthymia, involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable,
but keep one from functioning well or from feeling good. Many people with dysthymia also experience
major depressive episodes at some time in their lives.”
Bipolar Disorder
“Another type of depression is bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as
prevalent as other forms of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood
changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression).”
I find it very interesting that society readily recognized bipolar disorder as a serious medical condition in
need of on-going treatment. People who suffer from bipolar disorder are not normally characterized as
having a weak character or being sinful or just not trying hard enough to be happy. Yet, people who suffer
from unipolar disorder (depression only) are sometimes viewed very differently.
I think this is because the manic portion of bipolar disorder makes the condition easily identifiable,
whereas the condition of depression gets confused with simple emotional states such as being sad.
When manic, individuals can engage in all sorts of out-of-the-box behaviors that grab attention. However,
depressed individuals withdraw, making it more difficult to see the depth of their despair. Let’s take a look
at some of the common symptoms of depressive disorders.
Symptoms of depression
The National Institute of Mental Health provides a wonderful listing of the symptoms of depression. You
must keep in mind that as with most health conditions, people experience different combinations of
symptoms and in varying degrees of severity.
The more common symptoms of depressive disorders are:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
- Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
- Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
- Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
- Restlessness, irritability
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders,
and chronic pain
It is now time to assess your own potential depression. Click here for the Depression Worksheet
*Abridged from A Time to Live: Surviving Suicidal Thoughts by Kimberly Andry
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