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Healthy Aging By Sharon Johnson These �blues� can rule your life "Sharks in the Gene Pool" is the title of a song by punk-rock singer Jello Biafra. It is also the term that my friend, John Corr, uses to describe the presence of mental illness in his family. John is 63 years old. His 42 years of bipolar illness (manic depression) has resulted in hospitalization, institutionalization and incarceration. Through the years, John has managed his illness with intelligence and grace. He is one of my heroes. May the words that follow be a tribute to his strength. Depression can take many forms, with varying degrees of severity and different natural courses. It is a serious, sometimes chronic, physical illness and one of the most common. It affects one in five people. The likelihood is small that depressive illness has not in some way touched you or your family. When it does, you recognize it as a total body illness that "clouds minds, robbing individuals of joy and peace, wreaking havoc with appetites and sleep patterns and leaving a person�s body vulnerable to disease and death," according to psychiatrist Patricia Ainsworth. In her book, "Understanding Depression," Ainsworth indicates the first episode of major depression typically occurs in a person�s 20s, with the rate peaking between 55 to 70 years of age in men and 35 to 40 years in women. Although more than 20 percent of depressions last two years or more, Dr. Ainsworth believes that the average duration is eight months, and in 40 percent of the cases, there is only one episode. For some individuals, like John, depressive illness becomes a lifelong challenge. When depression occurs, it baffles and frustrates the people surrounding the depressed individual. It may be thought of as a character flaw. It is not. It may be tossed off as moodiness. It is not. In the words of Ainsworth, "Moodiness is a transient unpleasant feeling that often occurs in association with some environmental irritant, and it is never debilitating. Depression is to moodiness as a hurricane is to a whirlwind." John deals with his illness in the clinically recommended ways, using antidepressants and therapy. He also believes in vitamin B12 and fish-oil tablets, both of which are reported to have a positive impact on mood disorders, although there is no conclusive research. John�s primary disease management technique, however, is a very simple one � walking. Three loops around the neighborhood once a day. He often seeks out other walkers and uses conversations with them " to get the sadness out." He calls it his "nonformal therapy." Depressive illness is part of John�s life. The sharks in the gene pool are real. When a parent has depressive illness, there is a 25 to 30 percent likelihood it will occur in offspring. There is no doubt: Depression is a fierce and formidable illness. It is also an illness that can be medicated and managed. Individually tailored medications together with psychotherapy, provided by a competent clinician, can be highly effective. John is a testament to the effectiveness of this form of treatment, and to his own strength, every day of his life. Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension and a member of the Senior Advisory Council. Reach her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.