WEB Vetnews May 2015

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26 Mei/May 2015 vetnuus•news
People I Mense
Carien Human
I owned a dog called Maxi, a beautiful, all-black
Staffordshire terrier. The bad guy in this story came
along and forced us to relocate to a new house,
where no pets are allowed. Maxi thus also relocated
and was welcomed at my brother-in-law’s, on a
beautiful farm in Lindley in the Free State.
T he moral of this story is
not the fact that I suffered
a moderate depression
when Maxi left, neither
is it about how I desire
to live on a farm in the Free State.
The moral of this story is that Maxi
is extremely happy on the farm. And
a wise vet assured me that bringing
her back to Jozi will cause her to be
really depressed. I know this to be true,
because I know that depression is a
reality. Depression is a well-known
diagnosis, word and expression of
how you might be feeling. It is of major
concern that so many people use anti-
depressants, even from a very young
age. Yet, I don’t think that we always
understand what depression really is
and how serious we should be about it
once we realise that it is the problem.
Therefore, I thought it best to zoom in
on what a depressive episode really is.
Should you, while reading this, realise
that it is something you are struggling
with, please do not hesitate to contact
a professional counsellor in your area
or phone the SAVA-hotline for support
or a referral.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of the American Psychiatric Association
(fifth edition), lists certain criteria that
are required for the diagnosis of a
major depression episode. These
include depressed mood or loss of
interest in daily activities, for more
than two weeks (i.e. your mood being
different than usual). During these
two weeks or more you will also
find that your functioning in many
important areas, e.g. occupational or
social environments, is impaired. It
is a good idea to also consider how
your friends perceive changes in your
social functioning. There are also more
specific symptoms, of which five of
the following nine symptoms have to
be present and be experienced almost
every day:
• Feeling sad or irritable most of the
day, nearly every day;
• Decreased interest or pleasure in
most activities (this can’t only be
work…);
• Significant weight changes, both
ways;
• Changes in sleep – also both ways;
• Feeling much more or much less
active;
• Fatigue or loss of energy;
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness;
• Difficulties to concentrate or think as
always; and last but not least
• Suicide ideation or thoughts of
death
There are many things that can cause
us to be distressed and later even
depressed. For some it is relocating, for
some it is unaddressed burnout, severe
loss or disappointments. Genetics or
growing up in difficult circumstances
can also trigger a diagnosis like
depression. Or maybe you feel like
Maxi might have felt, coming from
beautiful Free State landscapes, where
you felt free and happy and suddenly
you find yourself in a grey, dirty city
(metaphorically of course, at least a
part of me really loves Johannesburg).
The most important thing to remember
is there is no need to stay in the grey
dirt! You are allowed to go to the free-
roaming fields of the Free State if you
just choose to do so. Make sure that
you get there by getting the kind of
help you need as soon as possible.
May we all find ourselves in our
“happy fields!” v
Regards
Carien
Carien Human is a psychologist in
Johannesburg.
Maxi
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