Editor’s note: podcast season 8 Follow life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta We get back to basics by taking a closer look at the brain in various states. Each episode focuses on one of those states, such as the distracted brain, the frightened brain, or the well-nourished brain, to understand what’s going on inside our heads and how it works. focuses on how it affects our bodies.
(CNN) — Depression is on the rise in the United States. Even if you don’t suffer from this condition, you probably know someone who does.
Almost 18% of U.S. adults (more than 1 in 6) say they are. Currently depressed or receiving treatment for depressionaccording to, 2023 Gallup Poll. In 2015, when Gallup first began collecting information on the subject, that number was less than 11%.
According to Gallup data, clinical depression was slowly increasing in this country before the pandemic, but since then social isolation, loneliness, fear of infection, mental fatigue, substance abuse and disruption to mental health care have increased. etc. caused great damage and the increase accelerated. The fastest growing rates are among women, young people, and black and Hispanic adults.
For youth ages 12 to 17, the statistics are also dire. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIn 2021 (the latest year with available data), 5 million children (just over 20%) in that age group experienced major depression, and 3.7 million of them experienced severe disability. .
Charles Raison, a psychiatrist and professor of human ecology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he has struggled with depression.Mr. Raison too Director of Vail Health Behavioral Health Innovation Center The former CNN Health mental health expert described the state of America’s mental health in one word: “Bad.”
“There’s no question that depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse are on the rise in the United States…maybe for 20, 25 years, maybe even longer,” Raison said recently on a podcast. told CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. chase life. “But over the past 10 years it has actually increased, and the data is very consistent.
“The rate of increase is not equal across all age groups,” Raison said. “It’s the young people who are really suffering. So people between the ages of 15 and 35, we’re really seeing a really alarming increase.”
The rise in depression among Americans is alarming, but what’s also disturbing is that it’s difficult to pinpoint its cause. Brain scans don’t tell. Our hospital does not perform blood tests. Its severity cannot be measured accurately.
Raison likened depression to “drops” (an old-fashioned term). edema — can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions and factors. “Maybe…it could be heart failure. It could be pneumonia. It could be cancer. There are various reasons that can cause such symptoms,” he said.
“Will we ever find a test to diagnose depression? No, because depression is like dropsy…” he said, pointing to a variety of potential causes. “Depression is not something that can be endured in one sitting.”
And that may be one reason why depression is so difficult to treat.
Take an antidepressant such as Prozac, also known by its generic name fluoxetine. It was launched in this country 35 years ago as the first of a new class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The idea is that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and that this imbalance can be corrected by targeting the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin – noradrenaline reuptake inhibitorfollowed in 1993 by SNRIs that target two neurotransmitters.
But antidepressants It doesn’t work for everyone.
“The issue of the use of antidepressants, the first-line treatment for depression in the United States, is incredibly complex,” Raison said, adding that antidepressants are “a lifesaver for some people.” he pointed out.
“But over the past 20 years, we have had to metabolize as a field many very hard truths about antidepressants and their effectiveness,” he said. “The one hard truth, and the most obvious one, is that these treatments are no longer as effective as we thought 30 years ago,” he said. “We are not getting a positive response,” he estimates.
If you want to know what promising new treatments are being tried for depression, listen to the full episode of Chasing Life here.
So what can you do to help yourself if you’re feeling depressed? Raison has five tips:
Make an appointment with a mental health professional.
“If you’re constantly feeling down, losing interest in life, changing your sleep or appetite, feeling hopeless, or thinking about harming yourself, you may notice something like this is depressed. ,” Raison said. It is especially important to seek help if these symptoms have been occurring for several months.
“All of us who struggle with depression know that having a clinician can help you with psychotherapy, medication, or both,” he says.
I learned that what is good for the body is also good for the brain.
“Try to actually do the things you would do for your physical health,” Raison said. “I often say to people, ‘If you wanted to take care of your heart health, think about what you would do if you did the same thing.’ All of those are antidepressants, too. That means managing your weight. “, eat healthy food, get enough sleep, get plenty of exercise, and get some sunlight.”
Try to maintain close relationships.
“(Tip) No. 3 can be very difficult when you’re depressed. …But perhaps the most important thing is to maximize your interpersonal relationships with other people,” Raison said. Ta.
“If you have caring, small, supportive relationships with others, that’s a huge protective factor against depression. It’s also a factor that really helps you overcome depression.”
Be persistent and ask for help.
“Especially in the United States, people’s responses to antidepressants tend to be very polarized,” says Raison. “A small number of people who just start taking antidepressants will feel better within a few weeks…and their depression will go away,” while others suffer from chronic depression.
So if one antidepressant doesn’t work, “try another antidepressant,” he said.
But don’t be afraid to move on. “For example, it has long been known that people who do not respond to one series of antidepressants in succession are less likely to respond to the next, but this does not mean that they are less likely to respond to psychotherapy. “It’s not,” he said.
Creates a feeling of gratitude.
“Try to cultivate an attitude of gratitude,” Raison said.
Raison admits it’s not always easy to do so when you’re depressed. “If you can make it a habit, it can be very powerful not only to prevent depression, but also to help you feel better when you get depressed,” he said.
We hope these five tips will help you take care of your depressed brain.listen Watch the entire episode here.and next week Chasing Life Podcast As we explore dating, the brain, and what swiping can do for us.
