I. Q: Is depression common among patients with physical illness? A: Yes. Depression is more common in patients with the following physical illnesses: heart disease or a history of stroke diabetes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as “slow lung disease”) arthritis or other causes of persistent pain cancer obesity. Q: Is it the physical illness that causes depression? Or depression caused the physical disease? A: This cause-and-effect relationship is unclear. So far, researchers can only be clear: patients with long-term physical illness are more likely to suffer from depression than healthy people. Patients with depression are more likely to develop somatic disorders than those without depression. Patients with physical illnesses become depressed for the following reasons: 1) physical activity is limited by fear that they may die or suffer from health threats; 2) heart attacks, etc., require a lot of time, energy and even money to treat; 3) pain, breathing difficulties or other physical discomforts make them unable to live well; 4) worse, depression makes it difficult for patients to manage their illness. Q: How should I recognize if I have depression? A: People with depression feel depressed for most of the time when it lasts for more than 2 weeks. At least one of the following symptoms may also be present: loss of interest in things they used to enjoy doing, feeling sad, depressed, hopeless, or grumpy almost most of the day. 6. feeling hopeless, or even having negative thoughts or behaviors. If you think you may have depression, talk to your doctor or nurse. Only a mental health professional can diagnose whether you have depression. Q: What should I do if I have depression and a physical illness at the same time? A: First of all, don’t judge easily that depressed mood is only part of somatic illness. Of course, when you are sick you will feel sad from time to time, but depression is much more serious and lasts much longer. If you think you have depression, tell your doctor or nurse and get treatment. Second, make sure all your doctors and nurses are fully aware of your health condition, including your depressed mood. That way, they can be thoughtful when choosing a treatment plan for you. For example, if you have heart disease and also need to take antidepressants for treatment, your doctor will choose antidepressants that are relatively safe for your cardiovascular system. Finally, if you are having difficulty with your illness or depression, consider joining a support group of people who have the same problems as you. Participating in such a group will make you less alone. Also, groups can help you learn ways and techniques to get through difficult times from those who have been there.