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Stopping Depression Early Is the Most Effective Way to Short-circuit It Later
Medications and therapy for depression are effective, but what about catching depression early before it can do its damage?
Depression can be viewed as an emotional “infection” that gets worse the longer we wait to ask for help in terms of therapy and medication. But there are new programs aimed at cutting it off at the pass, as it were, and they seem to be the most promising ways to deal with this life-and-happiness-destroyer.
Yes, depression is part of the vast array of emotions we will experience throughout our lives, either due to disappointments, illness, or changes that seem too overwhelming to overcome. We can’t be prepared for everything, but getting an early start on building up our resources and resilience is one increasingly visible means of providing ourselves with what we will need in the future.
Research is now not only delving into the question of depression and when it may begin to emerge but also how we might change the pattern to avoid depression for the most part. Early learning, as we’ve seen in most disorders of this type, is essential, but there are other factors, too, and one is the age when emotional development is taking place.
Suicidal ideation was most significantly predicted by parental verbal abuse at age 5 in…
