Depressive disorders are characterized by a sad/irritable mood that exceeds normal feelings of sadness in intensity and duration. The negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors accompanied by depression are only the beginning of the symptoms those with depression suffer--changes in bodily functions like body aches, low energy and/or libido, and problems with weight, eating, and sleeping are also common. The changes in the functionality of the bodies of those suffering from depression are referred to as neurovegetative signs, referring to the fact that when the nervous system is altered by depression, physical changes result, often causing diminished abilities and participation.

A sick mind can easily lead to a sick body, which is one of the major reasons treating depression is so important. Anxiety, stress, and depression that continue for extended periods of time without relief can lead to a condition known as distress. Distress is your body's negative reaction to stress and can disturb your body's equilibrium, which can lead to health problems like insomnia, sexual dysfunction, headaches, upset stomach, chest pain, and elevated blood pressure. A major study also found that depression caused more health problems than those suffering from arthritis, chronic lung disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Because of the many health problems that happen as a result of depression, it's frequently under-diagnosed. More so than just making it likely that sufferers of depression will develop these medical conditions, those who battle depression have weakened immune systems, in addition to a diminished desire to fight their way back to good health.

According to WebMD.com, depression affects more than 19 million people each year, a serious epidemic that affects the way sufferers function at work, at home, and in relationships. Depression should be considered a serious illness that requires immediate attention for the health and safety of the patient. In most cases, a full recovery from depression is possible; allowing patients to slowly return to their original lives as they feel happier, healthier, stronger, and more able to deal with the everyday stresses of life.

Hunter 'Patch' Adams was born in 1945 in Washington, D.C. Patch first visited a mental hospital at the young age of 17, when he was sent by his mother because he was contemplating suicide. During his stay, he became acquainted with the problem of lonely patients who didn't have the stability of people in their lives who genuinely cared for and loved them. Called to the cause of providing medicine with healthy doses of love and companionship, Patch decided to become a doctor who would use medicine as a vehicle for social change; helping patients find meaning in their lives by incorporating arts and crafts, performing arts, nature, education, recreation, and social therapy as vital components of treatment. 

According to Patch, he became a "student of life". Building friendships was something that came easily to Patch, but he still practiced by observing people in different environments: one of his favorite social experiments was to ride on elevators for hours at a time, introducing the other occupants of the elevator, singing songs, and otherwise doing other things to draw them out of their comfort zones and into communicating with each other.

"Patch" Adams was dubbed with his nickname during his residency at a mental hospital, when a patient began calling him Patch for the way his friendship had "patched" up the loneliness in his life. In 1971 Patch and a group of 20 friends founded the Gesundheit! Institute; a six bedroom home they operated as a free hospital - open 24 hours and available for ailments from birth to death, minor to serious. The staff lived and worked at the hospital, even working outside jobs to support their families. For 12 years this pilot hospital served at least 3,000 patients, treating the psychiatric patients without the use of psychiatric medicines. The staff believed that friendship, joy, and support alone could provide a large amount of healing, but referred patients that needed more help. 

According to Patch, "One of the most radical parts of the vision was that we wanted all of the activity to be infused with fun. I wanted to build the first silly hospital in history. Foolishness was embraced, often to extreme, in even the most profound of situations. We had fun deaths and bizarre, outlandish behaviors with the mentally ill. In our normal, serious world with somber medical environments (even though no research supports being serious and thousands of research papers encourage joy and humor as healing), we saw no contradiction in feeling that a hospital could also be an amusement park, even implying it is important for staff and patient."

Now, over 30 years, thousands of patients, a bestselling book, and a feature film starring Robin Williams later,  Dr. Patch Adams and his colleagues have continued their work, built upon the belief that responsible medicine should involve much more than just treating symptoms. They've even "fun-raised" in order to purchase 321 acres in Pocahontas County, West Virginia--ultimately, the goal for this land is to build a 40-bed hospital that will also include a domed "Daucha" for housing up to 8 staff members, a 3 story woodshop, a chrysalis-shaped classroom, gardens, and a lake. While they work to raise enough money for this endeavor, Patch and the members of the Gesundheit! Institute keep busy, reaching approximately 150,000 people each year via lectures at in 65 countries and 5 continents. 
For more information on Patch Adams and the Gesundheit! Institute, visit http://www.patchadams.org