Candidate’s withdrawal spotlights a disease that affects millions of people

Depression can be treated, and people can recover to live full lives, therapists say

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

When it comes to depression, County Executive Douglas M. Duncan may be a pioneer in publicly announcing his condition, but he is far from alone.

Duncan’s announcement last week that he was dropping out of the gubernatorial race, along with the recent suicide of publisher Philip Merrill and other incidents, including the suicides of two Albert Einstein High School students this school year, have drawn attention to depression, the common term for different mood disorders that affect 20.9 million Americans.

‘‘Duncan is an absolute pioneer,” said Renana Brooks, a psychologist and therapist who has treated politicians at her Washington, D.C., practice.

‘‘I don’t think he’s faking it and it’s not a cover-up for other reasons because studies show ... that a large portion of the population will think someone who is depressed is too unstable for the job and they will ignore Duncan’s long history and track record of excellent performance,” she said. ‘‘No one would put out this reason and even put out their family health with bipolar disorder unless there was a real problem.”

Duncan said that he is being treated for clinical depression and that his father had suffered from bipolar disorder, another form of depression.

Still, if Duncan is a rare example of a politician coming forward with the illness, he is grappling with a condition that affects millions.

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Where to get help Mental Health Association Montgomery County Hotline: 301-738-CALL (2255) Youth Crisis Hotline: 301-738-9697 National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) TherapistLine: 301-738-7176 Mental Health Association of Montgomery County: mhamc.org. National Institute of Mental Health: nimh.nih.gov Depression and Related Disorders Association: drada.org National Alliance on Mental Illness: www.nami.org.

quo;If [Duncan] is in the midst of a major depressive episode, that happens in at least 10 if not 20 percent of the population at some time in their lives,” said Steven A. Epstein, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Georgetown University and a Bethesda resident. ‘‘By definition, it means it’s debilitating.”

While depression can be hard to cope with, both for ill people and their families, it is treatable. People can go on to live productive lives, mental health workers say.

‘‘If someone were dealing with diabetes, you wouldn’t expect them not to be able to do their job,” said Sharon Friedman, executive director of the Mental Health Coalition of Montgomery County. ‘‘The same thing is true for someone dealing with an emotional challenge.”

Depression should be equated with physical illness, as something to be treated by a doctor, Friedman said.

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One Rockville woman whose husband has been suffering with depression for five and a half years agreed.

‘‘The biggest thing to try to understand is that it’s a medical condition. It’s not behavioral, even though it manifests itself that way,” said the woman who asked that her name not be used to protect her husband’s identity. ‘‘For 25 years, my husband was a normal, functioning person.”

Depression is most often treated by medication and psychotherapy, Epstein said.

‘‘It’s very common that the first medication doesn’t work,” he said. ‘‘Once the right medication is found, about three-quarters of people get better within six to nine months. More than that will see improvements in the first couple of months.”

People are considered better when they have minimal or no symptoms.

‘‘Most people who are in treatment for depression are able to function well,” he said.

For the families of people suffering with depression, coping can be hard.

‘‘It’s very difficult for families,” Epstein said. ‘‘[People in a depressive episode] won’t be participating in normal family activities. They tend to withdraw.”

The Rockville woman knows that firsthand.

‘‘It becomes very lonely,” she said. ‘‘You’re dealing with a society who doesn’t understand and a sick person who can’t communicate.”

She hopes Duncan’s announcement will draw more attention to what she called ‘‘a woeful lack of services” for families.

‘‘I so much admire Mr. Duncan for coming forth and being honest about it,” she said. ‘‘That does so much to help reduce the stigma. I pray that might gather support for more resources.”