Depression is totally normal right?

Sure, we all feel sad from time to time. That’s life – good days, bad days and then a lot of in between. In fact, sometimes a good ole fashion cry session is just what you need to power through a difficult situation. But what happens when you can’t really remember the last “good day” you had? Or, what if your sadness envelopes you in such a way that a constant sense of hopelessness starts to fit you better than your favorite pair of jeans? When the things that once brought you joy give way to an ongoing feeling of emptiness, it’s time to recognize that this doesn’t have to be your new norm.

[blockquote]So what turns a general feeling of unhappiness into true depression? Well, according to the National Institute of Mental Health…more than feeling sad, clinical depression is a common, real and treatable illness. As a matter of fact, it is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 19 million Americans each year. This mental affliction causes people to lose pleasure from daily life, can complicate other medical conditions, and can even be serious enough to lead to suicide. Depression can occur to anyone, at any age, and to people of any race or ethnic group.  Depression is never a “normal” part of life, no matter what your age, gender or health situation.

Where do clinical trials fit in with depression? Whether a person wants more information, is interested in alternative treatments for an existing mental health or medical condition, needs to seek care due to lack of health insurance, would like to receive a second opinion or simply wants to assist in the advancement of science, participation in a clinical trial helps to develop medical therapies that may someday offer better treatments for depression.

Clinical trial facilities like FutureSearch Trials (www.fstrials.com) and Florida Clinical Research Center (www.flcrc.com) in Central and West Florida (Maitland and Bradenton) conduct numerous FDA supervised investigational medical studies in hopes of assisting with approval for new depression treatment options.