Patient's Guide Answers Questions About Depression and Its Impact on Relationships
New York, NY (October 1, 1999) -- Depression is a medical illness with potentially devastating effects, not only for people with this illness but also for partners, family members and friends. For the nearly 20 million adults in the United States with depression, these close intimate relationships also experience the impact of the illness. Feelings of fatigue, increased indifference, loss of pleasure and overall worthlessness cause people with depression to pull away from their partners, at a time when support would aid their recovery. For their partners, the pain is just as real: they can feel bewildered, abandoned and powerless by this apparent rejection. Additional feelings of guilt, self-doubt and hopelessness are triggered by sexual dysfunction, a side effect of the depression as well as of some antidepressant medications. This chronic cycle of broken intimacy creates further challenges within a relationship coping with the impact of depression.
As a response to these concerns, the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (National DMDA) offers Restoring Intimacy: The Patient's Guide to Maintaining Relationships During Depression. This is the first resource to honestly and openly address real-life concerns about the impact of depression and its treatment on intimate relationships. National DMDA is the largest patient-run, illness-specific organization in the United States.
"Intimacy is the foundation of a healthy relationship," says Lydia Lewis, Executive Director of National DMDA. "Depression and some of its treatments can disrupt intimacy and jeopardize relationships at a time when support and caring are needed the most. Restoring Intimacy is aimed at helping people maintain these connections during depression."
Restoring Intimacy was conceived as a comprehensive resource from experts on depression, both researchers and clinicians, as well as patients. The book answers questions submitted by people living with depression, as well as from their partners and family members. Restoring Intimacy addresses a variety of issues, including how to recognize depression in a loved one, how to cope with side effects of antidepressant medications that may affect sexual function, and how to talk with a doctor about depression-related intimacy problems. Restoring Intimacy also contains a resource and self-test section, guiding readers to additional information and support.
"We published this book so that people can experience full intimacy while effectively managing their depression and treatment. By bringing together the expertise of seven noted authorities and answering the many difficult questions about depression's effect on relationships, Restoring Intimacy will provide invaluable coping strategies for anyone living with depression," says National DMDA's Lewis. "Restoring Intimacy gives people the assistance they need to manage their illness and experience the fullness of their lives."
Among the questions are:
- "My partner no longer seems interested in me sexually. I don't know if it
is because of his depression. I am hurt and frustrated. What can I do and how
can I talk to him about this?"
- "My mom and I lost our 'connection' a long time ago. I am sure she is
depressed, but she's never been diagnosed with depression, and is afraid to go
to a psychiatrist. How do I help her to do this? "
- "I'm feeling more like myself since starting treatment for depression, but my relationship is still not the same. How can I feel close to my partner again?"
"There is no question that depression has significant impact on relationships," says Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of MTV's "Loveline" and contributor to Restoring Intimacy. "Therefore, both partners in a relationship have a pressing need for information on how to salvage their emotional and physical connections to each other. Letting your partner know what you're going through, letting a spouse, friend or family member know you are there to help -- these are all valuable parts of the recovery process."
Restoring Intimacy experts answered questions submitted through the mail, public forums and the Internet. The contributors include:
- Drew Pinsky, M.D., Medical Director, Department of Chemical Dependency
Services, and Chief of Service in the Department of Medicine at Las Encinas
Hospital in Pasadena, CA
- Anita H. Clayton, M.D., Associate Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of
Psychiatric Medicine at the University of Virginia Health System in
Charlottesville, VA
- David L. Dunner, M.D., Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Center for Anxiety and Depression at the
University of Washington in Seattle
- Robert M. A. Hirschfeld, M.D., Titus H. Harris Distinguished Professor and
Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University
of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston
- Martha M. Manning, Ph.D, a writer and clinical psychologist from Arlington,
VA, and author of Undercurrents, a memoir of her personal experience with
depression
- Laura Epstein Rosen, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and Supervisor of Family
Therapy Training at the Department of Pediatric Psychiatry at the New
York-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City
- Thomas N. Wise, M.D., Medical Director of Behavioral Services at Inova Health Systems in Falls Church, VA, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD
Restoring Intimacy: The Patient's Guide to Maintaining Relationships During Depression is available by contacting National DMDA at 800-826-3632 or by visiting its website at www.ndmda.org. It is also available at local bookstores. Proceeds will support National DMDA's efforts for continued education in the area of depressive disorders.
Founded in 1986, the mission of the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (National DMDA) is to educate patients, families, professionals and the public concerning the nature of depressive and manic-depressive illnesses as treatable medical diseases; to foster self-help for patients and families; to eliminate discrimination and stigma; to improve access to care; and to advocate for research toward elimination of these illnesses. With nearly 300 chapters and support groups across the country, National DMDA is the nation's largest patient-run, illness-specific organization. Visit National DMDA's website at www.ndmda.org or call 800-826-3632.