The Pressing Seas

Depression is very common in people withmultiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, symptoms of depression severe enough to require medical intervention affect up to half of all people with MS at some point during their illness.

 Honestly I've been suffering from depression all of my life but it did intensify after I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004 and here to recently in the last year or so.

Why Do People With Multiple Sclerosis Also Have Depression?

Depression may be the result of a difficult situation or stress. It is easy to understand how having MS, with its potential for progressing to permanent disability, can bring on depression.

Depression may be caused by MS. MS may destroy the insulating myelin that surrounds nerves that transmit signals affecting mood.

Depression is also a side effect of some drugs used to treat MS, such as steroids or interferon.

once I began to recognize sentence in my life everything seems to start collapsing right before my eyes. I think it affects my relationships and they suffer because at some point I just don't have the will to even deal with anyone or anything I get so sad I don't even want to go on....thankfully not about life it's just about the situations I'm in I know that they're depressing me I'm not at the harmony I know that man making my health fail and I don't even know if its worth it anymore. the main thing that the presses me lately is things concerning the children and the stressful Situation with my girlfriend's family and ex friends. 

What Are the Symptoms of Depression?

Everyone at one time or another has felt depressed, sad, or blue. Sometimes the feeling of sadness becomes intense, lasting for long periods of time and preventing a person from leading a normal life. This is depression, a mental illness that, if left untreated, can worsen, lasting for years and causing untold suffering, and possibly even resulting in suicide. It is important to recognize the signs of depression, which include:

Sadness

Loss of energy

Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness

Loss of enjoyment from things that were once pleasurable

Difficulty concentrating

Uncontrollable crying

Difficulty making decisions

Irritability

Increased need for sleep

Inability to fall or stay asleep at night (insomnia)

Unexplained aches and pains

Stomachache and digestive problems

Decreased sex drive

Sexual problems

Headache

A change in appetite causing weight loss or gain

Thoughts of death or suicide

Attempting suicide

When to Seek Help for Depression With Multiple Sclerosis

If you have depression along with multiple sclerosis, you should seek help if:

Depression is negatively affecting your life -- causing difficulties with relationships, work issues, or family disputes -- and there isn't a clear solution to these problems.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or feelings.

Where Should I Go to Get Help for Depression?

Once you decide to seek medical help, start with your primary doctor. He or she can evaluate you to make sure that medicines or another illness are not causing your symptoms.

Your doctor may prescribe treatment or refer you to a mental health care professional who can perform a thorough assessment so that an effective course of treatment can be recommended.

How Is Depression Treated With Multiple Sclerosis?

If you have multiple sclerosis, the first step in treating depression is recognizing that you are depressed. The second step is seeking help. These two steps may in fact be the hardest part of the entire treatment process. Once you seek help from a qualified health care provider, you will find that there are numerous treatment options to help you get back on track.

Several antidepressant drugs are available, but they must be used only under the supervision of a medical professional. Antidepressant drugs are most effective in treating depression in people with MS when used in conjunction with psychotherapy. Called "therapy" for short, the word psychotherapy actually involves a variety of treatment techniques. During psychotherapy, a person with depression talks to a licensed and trained mental health care professional who helps him or her identify and work through the factors that may be triggering the depression.

Warning Signs of Suicide

If you or someone you know is demonstrating any of the following warning signs, contact a mental health professional right away or go to the emergency room for immediate treatment.

Talking about suicide (killing one's self)

Always talking or thinking about death

Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless

Saying things like "It would be better if I weren't here" or "I want out"

Depression (deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating) that gets worse

A sudden switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy

Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, like driving through red lights

Losing interest in things one used to care about

Visiting or calling people one cares about

Putting affairs in order, tying up lose ends, changing a will.

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