Ah, spring. Warmth returns to the land, trees blossom gloriously, and hearts are growing lighter - right?

Sorry. According to Pam Gurell, head nurse and program manager for adult psychiatry at LDS Hospital, May happens to be the worst month in numbers of suicides.The hopefulness that many feel as spring begins to bloom might only deepen the sense of isolation stalking a depressed person. Only 30 percent of those who are depressed seek the help they may need.

That is unfortunate, "because depression is one of the most treatable illnesses. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of all depressed people undergoing treatment respond to medication or psychotherapy or a combination of the two," Gurell added.

She and Jody Penrod, head nurse at the Adult Services Unit of Wasatch Canyons Hospital, will answer questions from the public Saturday during the Deseret News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline, a free telephone call-program.

Although some people are leery of taking prescription drugs, Gurell believes the medication can be of great help, including the variety called "serotonin reuptake inhibitors" - SRIs - like Prozac and Zolost.

"Those don't have the side effects that are associated with some of the older anti-depressants," she said. "And so they're more easily tolerated."

Among the side effects of the earlier types are sleepiness, constipation, mouth dryness and blurry vision.

The later anti-depressants are promising, she added. "It's really like a whole new door has been opened with the advent of these new drugs."

Anti-depressants can help a person focus and feel more energetic, according to Gurell. People who can benefit include those who are feeling down, have a lack of energy, find it difficult to concentrate or to get going on a project.

That can be true "whether it be at work or socially or in church positions," she said. "They just don't seem to have the motivation."

Gurell said that once a person is helped through medication or therapy or both, the improvements can be self-reinforcing. The patient feels up to starting or resuming a project, gets moving and feels better about that.

Depression is signaled by a loss of interest in things once enjoyed; feeling sad or down in the dumps; feeling restless and unable to sit still; feelings of worthlessness or guilt; changes in appetite with weight loss or gain; thoughts of death or suicide; problems of concentrating or thinking; sleep disorders; and loss of energy.

"We all at times in our lives experience some of these symptoms," Gurell said.

"But out of that list, if you're experiencing five of them for a two-week period of time, then you're looking at something that's significant. And chances are, if you're experiencing a number of these, they're affecting your life and your effectiveness."

A depressed person's job performance may drop and personal relationships may suffer. He may no longer engage in activities he once enjoyed because now he lacks the self-confidence.

"When do you get help? When your life is affected by symptoms such that you no longer experience the quality of life you once enjoyed," she said.

At that point, the victim of depression should recognize the problem and know that help is available.

Mental-health professionals can help greatly, and the treatment may not require use of medication. "There are several kinds of talk therapy," she added.

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Additional Information

Prozac on hotline agenda

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Prozac and other anti-depressant medicines will be part of the discussion on Saturday when two mental-health professionals offer free information to the public.

Jody Penrod, head nurse of Wasatch Canyons Hospital's Adult Services Unit, and Pam Gurell, head nurse and program manager for adult psychiatry at LDS Hospital, will talk about depression and its treatment, for the Deseret News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline.

Calls will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The toll-free number, 1-800-925-8177, can be dialed from anywhere in the region.

The hotline is provided monthly by the Deseret News and IHC hospitals.

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