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Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in America. It knows no boundaries affecting people of any age, race, gender, or religious affiliation. More than 17 million Americans are affected by it in any given year.

• depressed mood most of the day, nearly everyday (in children and adolescents, it can be irritable mood)
• diminished interest or pleasure in most activities
• decrease or increase in appetite resulting in weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain
• insomnia or hypersomnia
• fatigue or loss of energy
• feeling of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
• difficulty concentrating
• recurrent thoughts of death and/or suicide

Depression is one of the costliest illnesses. It is estimated that depression costs our society $43.7 billion each year in absenteeism from work, lost productivity, and direct treatment costs. Absenteeism due to depression results in a loss of as much as 200 million days per year, collectively.

The costs of depression, however, go far beyond economics. Depression shatters lives. A mother finds herself unable to provide the love and nurture that her children need. A husband is unable to respond to his wife and retreats into his own hopeless world. A teenager becomes withdrawn and spends many hours locked in his or her bedroom. Fifteen percent of people who experience depression attempt suicide and 16,000 succeed every year.

But there is hope in the midst of depression. More than 80% of those who seek treatment experience significant improvement. This highlights the important role that priests, pastors, and rabbis play. People caught in the grip of depression often come to their spiritual leader seeking help. And while the professional help of a psychiatrist and/or professional therapist may be necessary, spiritual sustenance is also essential. People suffering from depression often become isolated from others, from God and from their faith community. They may feel their once-vibrant faith is now dead, leading to further despair.

In spiritual literature, there is much to learn about experiences of "desolation" and "dark night". Many have felt a sense of God's absence, a fear of losing the anchoring points of one's life, or a sense of sadness about one's persisting sinfulness or failures. These experiences, if not accompanied by the awareness of God's graceful awareness, can lead to clinical depression.

While it may be difficult to endure, depression can be an occasion for greater understanding and reliance upon God. Depression can be a condition where one's life is blocked. In such cases, it may be a signal that begs one to make some changes in life. In some cases, depression is like the wilderness journey and the need for support, guidance, and hope is prominent.

The presence of a caring, loving congregation can be life-giving. Providing pastoral care as well as support services to other family members can not only lighten the load of depression, but can bring a tangible sign of hope into the midst of despair. If you are concerned about being in a clinical depression, call one of the PCC centers to make an initial appointment to assess your needs. Assessment of a depression can be done relatively quickly and a treatment process can be recommended. For more information on depression, try these web sites:
www.psycom.net/depression.central.html
www.mentalhealth.org/
www.mentalhelp.net/
www.nimh.nih.gov/

To contact the nearest Pastoral Counseling Center in your area click here.