Depression Can Sap Physical Energy

Depression Can Sap Physical Energy
Depression is the most common psychological problem in the
US. Estimates vary, but it's generally presumed that twenty
percent of US adults are depressed. Though it may not sound
like a lot when stated as a percentage, as an actual number
twenty percent of the US adult population amounts to tens
of millions of people. With numbers that high, it wouldn't
be a great stretch to refer to depression as an epidemic.

One of the problems with depression is treatment. In
actuality, depression is typically a highly treatable
condition with an impressive treatment success rate. Though
not every person responds equally well to every type of
depression treatment, it's a good bet that most people with
depression will find success with either one, or a
combination of, depression treatments. This is significant
because there are a number of treatments for depression
available, including but not limited to so-called talk
therapy and pharmaceutical treatments.

The problem with depression treatment is that most people
with depression don't get any sort of treatment at all.
There are certainly a number of different potential reasons
for this, including the stigma that still exists about
admitting to being depressed. Another reason for lack of
treatment for depression however is likely due to a lack of
motivation. Though people may tend to consider depression a
purely psychological condition, it actually manifests in
physical ways too, one of which is sapping a person of
desire. People who become depressed can become so listless
that physical activity may seem almost overwhelming.

There may be a tendency to label the depressed person as
being in some sort of funk or even being temporarily lazy,
but the frequency of lethargy within depressed people
leaves little doubt that physical inertia is in fact a
genuine symptom of depression itself, and not something
separate. Acknowledging that a lack of motivation and will
is a symptom of depression is one thing, but dealing with
the reality of such a state is something else entirely. A
depressed person who is behaving in a listless fashion can
be a source of great frustration to people who care for him
or her, and even to the depressed person himself or
herself. The thinking seems to go that the person who's
feeling depressed should just will him or herself into
action, and again, even the depressed person can share in
this sort of critical thinking.

Frustrating though it may be, it's important to keep in
mind that a lack of energy and physical action is a
legitimate symptom of depression. Though this inertia can
be difficult to deal with for everyone involved, the good
news is that physical energy and will typically returns to
a depressed person once treatment for depression is
initiated.

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Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance author. Find help for
depression by visiting
http://www.hubonline.biz/get-better-now.htm or
http://www.hubonline.biz/healthy-mood.htm .