The Dangers of Clinical Depression and How Clinical Trials Are Being Used To Gain More Knowledge

In this day and age we know quite a bit about depression and have various methods currently available to combat it. However, it remains a serious mental condition that should not be neglected and while the methods available do help some there is still much work that needs to be done.

In fact, it affects millions of people around the globe. Researchers are continuing their quest to delve deeper into the causes and state of depression with hopes to find additional ways of fighting or eliminating it altogether.

Those diagnosed with clinical depression know first hand how serious of a mental condition it is...

Depression is simply feeling "down in the dumps". Clinical depression is a mood disorder. It lasts for weeks, months, years. Everyday life is interfered by this disorder with feelings of sadness and frustration.

You aren't simply sad; your whole life and point of view are distorted. Everything from the way you view yourself and others to the way you interact with people. These are the core functions of our existence.

Symptoms of depression can also include appetite and weight change, difficulty concentrating, feeling fatigues and lacking any energy, self-hate and other guilty feelings, extreme isolation from the outside world and interactions with other human beings, insomnia, and even thoughts of suicide.

Some researchers think it's caused by chemical changed in the brain possibly triggered by a stressful time in ones life, drug addiction, pharmaceutical side effects, or even ones genes. You may think it's strange that your genes seem to play a part in this, but it's a fact that some forms of clinical depression are very prevalent in families.

These researchers are employing the use of clinical research trials to gain more knowledge on the subject. All around the United States and around the world you can find research centers conducting clinical studies on this disorder.

Currently, there are two roads most often taken to treat a clinically depressed person: medication or talk therapy. There are also some additional treatments available. While these methods can be effective, they don't cure everyone and there are drawbacks and side effects. Clinical trials being conducted aim to not only improve current treatment methods but to create new ones if possible or necessary.

Many affected with depression need to take anti-depressants for four to nine months to feel better and also prevent it from coming back. Some people find that they feel much better after taking anti-depressants for a couple of weeks, however this is not the most common timeline.

Those with mild depression, who mistakenly think they are clinical depressed may be able to eliminate their depression with some positive life changed. For starters, eliminating all recreational drug and alcohol use. Getting more exercise and getting on a good and routine sleep schedule is also a good idea. If you consume caffeine you should stop. Caffeine has several negative effects on the body... it makes you tired and angry when you're withdrawing and it prevents you from being able to sleep.

Now that you know a little more about depression you can understand why it's important that we continue studying it and eliminate it as much as possible.