1. What is Depression?
The term depression is used widely in mental health as well as finance where it denotes a down running economy. In mental health it refers to a very common illness. Now at times we all feel low,down,sad,miserable. These feelings are usually transitory in nature and we soon bounce back to enjoy life. But at times these feelings just don't go away and last for weeks.That is when one is in clinical depression ,the illness.
2. What are the symptoms of depression?
Depression affects the way we think,feel and relate to our selves and the world at large.The symptoms are
1}-Sleep It takes a long time ,Hours to fall asleep,We have frequent awakenings,bad dreams,and we tend to wake up earlier than usual. Sleep is unrefreshing. At times in depression just the opposite happens and one tends to sleep too much.
2}-Pleasure Our ability to derive pleasure from usual things in life..hobbies,music ,meeting people and friends,enjoying food and sex goes down and nothing seems to give us pleasure.
3}-Appetite Appetite goes down ,we loose interest in food and as a consequence tend to loose weight. On the contrary at times in depression appetite goes up markedly and there is craving for food especially carbohydrates and sweet things.
4}-Concentration and attention Concentration and attention go down .We find it extremely hard to stay focussed. Mental processes slow down and simple tasks which were a breeze earlier seem herculean.
5}-Energy Energy levels take a dip. Day to day chores seem impossible.
6)-Psychomotor retardation and Agitation We feel retarded. Agitation sets in. We seem to loose our calm for no obvious reason and tend to get outbursts and also the mind is not at peace with itself.
7}-Guilt Guiltsets in. We start considering ourselves as the reason for our,others and the worlds woes in general. Thoughts of us not being any good,To be the reason for our and others problems tend to overwhelm us.
8}-Suicidality ...Given all the above we start to look for an escape from all this perceived suffering and start to delve on ways to get rid of these thoughts and feelings with thoughts of the world, Our families,near and dear ones being better off without us and also ourselves being set free from all this suffering .
Not everyone who ends up suffering from depression ends up having all the above symptoms. Some people tend to have just a few symptoms of the above.
3. How common is depression?
Depression is very common effecting about 5-10 people out of a 100 at any given time.
4. What causes depression?
As with all major illnesses the causes for one to suffer from depression are many. It might be triggered from a loss be it a job,partner,studies etc to there being no obvious cause. At times it is precipitated by biological changes in the brain,a deficiency of a neurotransmitter called serotonin plus also imbalances in others like nor epinephrine and dopamine. It also tends to run in families ie there is a genetic predisposition just like diabetes,hypothyroidism etc.
5. What to do if I am suffering from Depression?
The first and foremost thing is to realize that this is not my usual self but I am feeling the way I am feeling because depression has taken over me. If depression is mild ie less severe ,Making changes in ones lifestyle....improving sleep wake cycle,going for a jog,gym,talking to friends and family and reducing alcohol intake might be helpful as maybe talking therapies what generally is classified as counseling. If depression is severe one needs to take medicines. They correct the chemical imbalances in brain and thus help in curing depression. Sometimes ,Depression is the presenting feature of other mental illnesses like bipolar,OCD,Generalized Anxiety Disorder,Personality disorders or a manifestation of physical illnesses like hypothyroidism,Chronic illnesses like arthritis or serious illnesses like cancer.
You can help in many ways like;
♦ Offer emotional support, understanding, patience, and encouragement.
♦ Talk to him or her, and listen carefully.
♦ Never dismiss feelings, but point out realities and offer hope.
♦ Never ignore comments about suicide, and report them to your loved one´s therapist or doctor.
♦ Involve your loved one for outings and other activities like a walk or a trek. Keep trying even if he or she declines.
♦ Remind your loved one that with time and treatment, the depression will gradually reduce. .
6. How is depression diagnosed?
If professionals suspect that you have depression, you will undergo an extensive medical interview and physical examination. As part of this examination, you may be asked a series of questions from a standardized questionnaire or self-test to help assess your risk of depression. Depression may be associated with a number of other medical conditions or can be a side effect of various medications. For this reason, routine laboratory tests are often performed during the initial evaluation to rule out other causes of your symptoms. .
7. How is depression treated?
If your symptoms indicate that you have clinical depression, your health-care provider will strongly recommend treatment. Treatment may include
♦ Addressing any medical conditions that causes or worsens depression
♦ Supportive therapy
♦ Changes in lifestyle and behavior
♦ Psychotherapy, complementary therapies
♦ Medication .