Tracy Daniels knows what it’s like to battle mental health issues.
A retired combat war veteran, Daniels spent seven years in therapy following his second tour in Iraq.
Following a 37-year military career, Daniels now seeks to help others who are dealing with mental health issues.
Daniels is a master-level practitioner at Baycare Behavioral Health. He was the featured speaker at a depression awareness seminar at Pasco-Hernando State College. The Feb. 21 event was part of the state college’s ongoing Community Awareness Series, open to the public, students, faculty and staff.
The talk touched on how to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, risk factors, and ways to cope with the disease.
The speaker touched on the stigma associated with mental disorders, such as depression — and the belief from some that sufferers are “crazy,” “psycho” or just plain “attention-seeking.”
Those attitudes are often because people are ill-informed about mental health problems, and they base their thinking from what’s portrayed in media.
“If there’s something going on with me, it does not mean I’m a crazy individual. It means that I need some help,” Daniels said.
“We think people that have mental issues are going to do things and act in a certain way, and that’s the furthest thing from the truth,” he added.
Daniels steered much of the conversation toward depression.
As it turns out, that illness is widespread.
The National Institute on Mental Health estimates that in the United States, 16.2 million adults over age 18 had at least one major depressive episode in 2016.
This number represents nearly 7 percent of all U.S. adults.
Additionally, one in five adults in the U.S., display some sort of mental health disorder each year. Anxiety is reported as most common, followed by major depression and substance use disorder.
Depression can drastically affect a person’s ability to work, carry out daily activities, and engage in satisfying relationships, Daniels said.
Physical symptoms can range from fatigue and lack of energy, to unexplained aches and pains, as well as irregular sleeping and eating patterns, he said.
Behavioral symptoms can include crying spells, withdrawal from others, neglect of responsibilities, loss of interest in personal appearance, loss of motivation, slow movement, or use of drugs and alcohol.
They may also exhibit feelings of guilt, confusion and low self-esteem.
In addition to serious mood, cognitive and physical symptoms, depression is associated with higher rates of chronic disease, increased health care utilization, and impaired functioning.
Daniels said the impact of moderate and severe depression is comparable to someone with multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic hepatitis B, and even someone who’s quadriplegic.
“We don’t think in those terms of how depression shuts us down, but it does,” he said.
The speaker cautioned against bombarding depression sufferers with intrusive questions. He also noted that constantly watching them could create anxiety, and cause them to feel more “helpless” and “hopeless.”
“Do not keep asking them, ‘What’s wrong?’ People that suffer with depression — half the time they can’t even tell you what’s wrong with them because they don’t even know,” Daniels explained.
The speaker also said family and close friends need to determine if a depression sufferer is getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep, he said, can exacerbate depression symptoms and cause psychotic-like behavior because “they can’t shut themselves down.”
He offered several best practices in helping someone deal with depression:
- Don’t touch the person, unless they give you permission
- Avoid direct eye contact, and refrain from staring
- Avoid sudden or rapid movements
- Don’t make promises you cannot keep
- Be genuine with them
- Talk calmly to them, and ask what you can do to help
Depression-related suicide was also broached during the seminar.
Daniels said a “red flag” to watch out for is sudden mood changes — such as overt happiness — as it may indicate “they’ve made up their minds to complete the suicide.”
Said Daniels, “All along they’ve been depressed, they talk about it, all of a sudden one day they say, ‘I’m OK now. Everything is fine.’
“We miss it by thinking, ‘They’re OK now. They’re doing so much better.’
“That’s when you need to ask questions.”
Daniels also urged students dealing with mental disorders to not be afraid to seek help. His life improved after he sought treatment, he said.
“I had to understand what I was dealing with and how to deal with those situations in my life. There’s nothing wrong with being transparent and letting people know certain things,” he said.
“All of us go through problems in life.,” Daniels said. “There’s no shame in that.”
Possible signs and symptoms of depression
Physical:
- Fatigue
- Lack of energy
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Irregular eating patterns
- Constipation
- Changes in weight
- Headaches
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Loss of sexual desire
- Unexplained aches and pains
Behavioral:
- Crying spells
- Withdrawal from others
- Neglect of responsibilities
- Loss of interest in personal appearance
- Loss of motivation
- Slow movement
- Use of drugs and alcohol
Psychological
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Guilt
- Anger
- Mood swings
- Lack of emotional responsiveness
- Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
- Irritability
- Frequent self-criticism, self-blame, pessimism
- Impaired memory and concentration
- Indecisiveness and confusion
- Tendency to believe that others see you in a negative light
- Thoughts of death and suicide
Source: Baycare Behavioral Health
Published March 7, 2018