Have you ever spent any time with a person that has chronic and persistent mental health issues? I use this phrasing chronic and persistent because those are the terms that are used by mental health professionals to categorize a person for ongoing mental health services beyond the scope that the average insurance policy will pay for. When the person is in the serious and persistent category they qualify for additional funding through the federal, state and local government to get services to help them.

Everyone goes through periods of mental health problems. There have been times when I ask myself I am suffering from depression. Symptoms of situational depression include feeling tired and listless, the inability to sleep because of racing thoughts, change in appetite, and lack of interest in doing activities that are usually enjoyed. When I have wondered am I suffering from depression I usually am experiencing two or more of these symptoms. My depression is often linked to my menstrual cycle along with an additional event that has occurred. I am usually able to deal with the symptoms through test, talking to mental health professionals and taking a low dosage of an anti-depressant for a short period of time. Doing these things help my symptoms go away and I resume my life. For many people that experience chronic depression it is not this simple.

Depression is caused by chemical imbalance in the brain. Antidepressants help to balance the chemicals of the brain. For people with occasional or situational depression this can be achieved in a fairly short period of time. The occurrence can happen once in a life time or several times, but the person most likely will not have to be on medication on a continuous basis. For a person that is continually asking themselves am I suffering from depression the treatments most likely will be on-going for their life time because the brain cannot balance the chemicals itself. On-going depression does not mean that a person cannot live a full and happy life. There are many reliable medications available on the market that have limited side effects. The key is to find the right medication at a therapeutic level for each individual. It is also important to take the medication consistently. Many people may start to feel better and so they stop the medication only to have the symptoms return. Consistently taking medication and taking care of yourself are the keys to effectively fighting depression. A big part of taking care of yourself includes eating nutritionally and talking with a mental health care professional on a regular basis.