Whether you are a newly diagnosed patient, or a friend or relative, this book offers help. The only volume available to provide the doctor"s and patient"s view, Self Help Health Guides: Depression gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, advices on coping with depression, sources of support, and much more. Written by two prominent psychiatrists, Drs Ava T Albrecht and Charles Herrick, with commentary from both a patient and a family member, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the medical, psychological and emotional turmoil of this debilitating condition. About the Author Ava T. Albrecht MD-Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychology, New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital, New York City, New York, Service Chief, Adolescent Inpatient Unit, Silver Hill Hospital, New Canaan, Connecticut Ava T. Albrecht, MD, is a graduate of Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois. She completed her psychiatric residency training in general psychiatry as well as child and adolescent psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. She served as Associate Director of the Adolescent Day Hospital at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City for 8 years prior to taking on her current position as Service Chief of Adolescent Inpatient Services at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. Her past clinical experience includes working in emergency psychiatry as an attending physician in the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program at Bellevue Hospital Center. She as also worked with developmentally disabled youth as a staff psychiatrist in an outpatient clinic setting for the Young Adult Institute/Premier HealthCare. Dr. Albrecht currently maintains a private practice in New York City and New Canaan, Connecticut where she evaluates and treats children, adolescents, and adults, many of whom suffer from depression. With hobbies that include writing and reading, she has both authored and co-authored chapters in books for mental health professionals. This is Dr. Albrecht"s fourth publication in this series, previously co-authoring 100 Questions & Answers About Depression, First Edition, 100 Questions & Answers About Bipolar Disorder, and authoring most recently 100 Questions & Answers About Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Charles Herrick MD-New York Medical College and Danbury Hospital, Valhalla, New York, Department of Psychiatry, Danbury Hospital, Danbury, Connecticut Dr. Charles Herrick graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He completed his residency training in general psychiatry at Tufts, New England Medical Center Hospitals and in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Herrick presently serves as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Danbury Hospital, Danbury, CT. He is a member of the faculty at New York Medical College as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry where his duties include teaching medical students and psychiatry residents. Dr. Herrick"s clinical experience has been diverse in terms of patient population, practice setting and geographic location. He has served as an outpatient staff psychiatrist in a managed care setting at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, South San Francisco. He also was an attending psychiatrist at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx where his duties pertained to inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room psychiatry and concurrently held a faculty appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has overseen various programs throughout Danbury Hospital, including consultation services, Crisis Intervention Services, Inpatient Services, and Chemical Dependency Services. He has lectured on a variety of psychiatric topics to both medical audiences and the general public. Dr. Herrick divides his time between teaching, seeing patients, and administration. Table of Contents Part 1: The Basics Questions 1-10 discuss basic brain chemistry and concepts needed to understand depression, including: What are emotions, and why do we have them? What is the difference between thoughts and feelings? How does the brain affect behaviour and regulate emotional states? Part 2: Diagnosis Questions 11-24 Discuss the recognition and diagnosis of depression, including:What are the symptoms of depression? How is depression diagnosed? What are the different types of depression? Part 3: Risk/Prevention/Epidemiology Questions 25-34 discuss risk factors for depression including: What are the risk factors associated with depression? Are certain people more susceptible to depression?? I have recently been diagnosed with depression. What are the risks that my children will inherit it? Part 4: Treatment Questions 35-66 discuss medications, therapies, treatment indications, and risks including: What are the different types of treatment for depression? Does the type of depression that I have determine the type Part 5: Associated Conditions Questions 67-73 discuss conditions commonly associated with depression, including: I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. How is the combination of conditions treated? My Spouse is drinking? a lot of alchol lately. My friend thinks he might be self medicating. What does that mean? Why is my doctors telling me that I need treatment for my addiction when I thought treating the depression would solve my Problem? Part 6 : Special Populations Question 74-88 discuss depression in children, older persons, women and the medically ill, including : Do children get depressed? The guidance counselor at school thinks that our teenage daughter is depressed. She spends a lot of time in her room. Is this normal teen behaviour? Part 7: Surviving Questions 89 -100 discuss prognosis, confidentiality, and rights, including: What are my rights to refuse hospitalization? What are my rights to refuse medication and other treatments? What are my rights to privacy? Appendix A Appendix B Glossary Index