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Did You Know? |
Left untreated, Depression is
as Costly as Heart Disease or AIDS to the U.S.
economy, costing more than $43 billion in absenteeism
from work, lost productivity and direct treatment costs5
Three Percent of total short-term
disability days are due to depression6
Depression Isn’t Caused
By personal weakness, laziness or lack of willpower7
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Take Our Quiz |
1.
Depression is often accompanied by substance abuse
and anxiety disorders.9
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2.
Women suffer from depression more often than men.10
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3.
Early treatment helps keep depression from getting
worse or lasting a longer time.11
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| 1 |
National Institute of Mental
Health, “Depression: A Treatable Illness,”
December, 2004 |
| 2 |
World Health Organization,
“World Health Report,” 2001 |
| 3 |
National Institute of Mental
Health, “Depression: What Every Woman
Should Know,” 1995 |
| 4 |
National Institute of Mental
Health, “Depression: A Treatable Illness,”
December, 2004 |
| 5 |
Mental Health America, “Depression
in the Workplace,” November, 2006 |
| 6 |
Ibid |
| 7 |
American Academy of Family
Physicians, “Depression: You Don’t
Have to Feel this Way,” April, 2005 |
| 8 |
8 Mental Health America, “Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD),” March, 2007 |
| Legal disclosures |
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| The holiday season can bring
joy, fun and family togetherness. But during this
time many people go from jolly to melancholy as
the holidays also sometimes bring stress, tiredness
and financial worries. This issue of Driver’s
Seat covers the “holiday blues”
and depression, resources to find help and ways
to reduce the financial costs. |
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| An Unwanted Gift: “Holiday
Blues” |
| Shopping, family demands and
time- and money-management problems: These are
some of the many things that can cause the “holiday
blues.” Instead of feeling happy, peaceful
and cheerful, some people may feel sad, stressed
and anxious. Some may unknowingly let those blues
spiral into depression. It’s important to
know that these symptoms (as well as others) could
be more than just the “holiday blues”
– it could be clinical depression; a serious
illness that needs immediate treatment. |
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Getting Help |
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Clinical depression affects
more than 20 million Americans each year1
and is the leading cause of disability in the United
States and worldwide.2 But
it is treatable. If you or a family member might be
suffering from depression, sign in to MyGreatWest.com
click on “find a provider,” then
select “find a Great-West Healthcare provider.”
Click “search by medical condition”
and select “depression.” You’ll
be given a list of medical professionals who can help
diagnose and treat depression. Fortunately, more than
80 percent of those suffering from depression show improvement
when they get appropriate treatment.3 |
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Medication isn’t the only treatment for
depression. Psychotherapies, or “talking”
therapies, have proven to work for depression.4
Discuss all the options with your doctor. |
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Feeling SAD? |
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Seasonal Affective Disorder
– or SAD – is a mood disorder associated
with depression. It’s a result of being
exposed to less hours of sunlight as the days
grow shorter in the winter. This can cause depression-like
symptoms that disappear during spring and summer.
SAD affects half a million people every winter,
peaking in December, January and February.8
If you think you may be suffering from SAD, visit
your primary care physician, who can diagnose
it and create a treatment plan. |
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The Gift Of Help |
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| The
high cost of medications to treat depression
can be, well, depressing. But there is free,
knowledgeable help available. (Be sure to
visit your physician to discuss all treatment
options.) |
| • |
Mental Health America
1-800-273-TALK |
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National Depressive and
Manic Depressive Association 1-800-82-NDMDA |
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National Alliance on Mental
Illness 1-800-950-NAMI |
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Depression and Bipolar
Support Alliance 1-800-826-3632 |
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The National Institute
of Mental Health 1-800-421-4211 |
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