Although the winter months are often associated with warm, happy feelings as we spend time with family and loved ones, there are many who find themselves troubled with depression during this time of year. Depression is the most common mental illness, striking approximately 19 million Americans each year, and is often indiscriminate in the people whom it affects.

Recent studies have indicated that nearly one in five adolescents experiences depression each year, approximately 2 million of the 34 million Americans ages 65 and older suffer from some form of depression in a given year, and approximately 12 million women will experience clinical depression in the United States during any given year.

Everyone gets sad from time to time, but when a person is depressed for several weeks without let-up, doctors refer to the condition as “clinical depression.” When a person is clinically depressed, his or her ability to function both mentally and physically is affected. Some of the most common signs of clinical depression include:

• Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood
• Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
• Sleep problems
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders)
• Avoidance of social situations
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness or worthlessness
• Restlessness and irritability
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological and psychosocial factors, and women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men. Depression can be brought on by a changing of the seasons, an illness, a tragic event or for no clear reason.

One of the common forms of depression is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), otherwise known as winter depression, and as we enter the winter months and the holiday season, SAD is likely to affect many people. SAD has been related to melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep and may cause symptoms of depression. Studies have shown that light reduces the amount of melatonin which a body produces. Therefore, when the days are shorter and darker, the production of melatonin increases which in turn increases sleep and depressive symptoms.

Even though depression is the most treatable mental illness, the majority of people suffering from depression never get the help they need. Some people believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness or that they can just “snap out of it.” It is important to overcome these negative perceptions and seek out the advice of a medical expert. There are numerous treatments available to combat depression from talk therapies to medications, and these treatments have an 80 percent success rate.

Left untreated, depression can result in years of needless pain for both the depressed person and his or her friends and family. According to the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, depression costs the United States more than $40 billion annually due to absenteeism from work, lost productivity and medical costs. For more information regarding depression and possible treatments, visit the National Mental Health Association website at www.nmha.org.

Rick Boucher is Congressman for the 9th District of Virginia, which includes the New River Valley. You can catch his Capitol Commentary regularly at the New River Voice.