He has recently gone through a major life
event that was stressful and it has changed his behavior completely,
Depression?
According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), depression is the most common illness worldwide and the leading cause of
disability. They estimate that 350 million people are affected by depression,
globally.
According to the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), 7.6 per cent of people over the age of 12 have depression in
any 2-week period. This is substantial and shows the scale of the issue.
Depression is a mood disorder
characterized by persistently low mood and a feeling of sadness and loss of
interest. It is a persistent problem, not a passing one, lasting on average 6
to 8 months.
Not only is depression prevalent, but it also creates
the heaviest burden of disability among mental and behavior disorders.
Risk factors
include:
- ·
Personal or family history of depression
- ·
Major life changes, trauma, or stress
- ·
Certain physical illnesses and medications
Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and
can include:
- · depressed mood
- ·
reduced interest or pleasure in activities
previously enjoyed, loss of sexual desire
- ·
unintentional weight loss (without
dieting) or low appetite
- ·
insomnia (difficulty sleeping) or hypersomnia
(excessive sleeping)
- ·
psychomotor agitation, for example,
restlessness, pacing up and down
- ·
delayed psychomotor skills, for example,
slowed movement and speech
- ·
fatigue or loss of energy
- ·
feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- ·
impaired ability to think, concentrate, or
make decisions
- ·
recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or
attempt at suicide
Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis
of depression. Not everyone who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some
people experience only a few symptoms while others may experience many.Other medical conditions like thyroid problems, a
chronic illness or vitamin deficiency can also mimic symptoms of depression so
it is important to rule out general medical causes.
The Hamilton depression rating scale is one of
the most widely used assessment instruments in the world for clinicians rating
depression. The Hamilton scale, has 21 questions, with resulting scores
describing the severity of the condition.
Depression is among the most treatable of mental
disorders. Between 80 per cent and 90 per cent of people with depression
eventually respond well to treatment. Almost all patients gain some relief from
their symptoms.
Some self-help tips for depression survival
are:
- ·
Be active and try to exercise.
- ·
Set realistic goals for yourself.
- ·
Try to spend time with other people and
confide in a trusted friend or relative.
- ·
Try not to isolate yourself, and let
others help you.
- ·
Expect your mood to improve gradually, not
immediately.
- ·
Postpone important decisions, such as
getting married or divorced, or changing jobs until you feel better.
- ·
Continue to educate yourself about
depression.
Depression affects nearly one in six people at some
point in their lives, so folk remedies and half-truths about this common
illness abound. Our culture admires will power and mental
toughness and is quick to label anyone who falls back as a whiner. But people
who have clinical depression are not lazy or simply feeling sorry for
themselves. Nor can they "will" depression to go away.
DISCLAIMER: All the information being provided her has been sourced
from the internet and books and some also via personal experiences. It has no
medical authentication per se so suggestions if followed must be done in
consultation with a trained mental health professional.
Useful resources for Depression support:
You can find all my posts here.
Kudos to you for using this year's challenge to discuss mental health issues. Depression is one of many serious mental health issues that deserve greater attention and understanding.
ReplyDeleteThanks Deborah, I am a me tal health survivor myself so this issue is close to my heart.
DeleteAccording to WHO every person suffers from depression at a certain point of time. Thank you for bringing out this topic.
ReplyDeleteYes Mahesh that's right but everybody doesn't get help and fully and properly treated.
DeleteHi pooja, such an apt topic you have picked up.... v nice andinformative post.. we all should talk about this more often... and be more mindful and empathetic towards friends who are going through the lows...
ReplyDeleteYes Kushal awareness and voicing is the first step.
ReplyDeleteDepression may affect many people at different point in time. May be it is a natural phenomenon. Like we are not happy always, we may not be depressed either. It is staying depressed for very long time is a problem. Many of us do not realize we are depressed. I think like blood chemistry, we should get ourselves checked at regular interval to know if we are depressed. If there is a chronic depression in a person treatment should be initiated.
ReplyDeleteDepression may affect many people at different point in time. May be it is a natural phenomenon. Like we are not happy always, we may not be depressed either. It is staying depressed for very long time is a problem. Many of us do not realize we are depressed. I think like blood chemistry, we should get ourselves checked at regular interval to know if we are depressed. If there is a chronic depression in a person treatment should be initiated.
ReplyDeleteAbhijit Yes awareness and seeking help is important.
ReplyDeleteVery well written. Depression is for real.
ReplyDeleteYes Rashi as real as any physical ailment
ReplyDeleteThis is yet again vital piece of information for me dear. You are enriching me with each post buddy, I am sure with it I will be able to help someone someday
ReplyDeletethanks Roma Gupta Sinha for your encouraging words
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That's true in search of alterantive cures people keep making mental illnesses even worse.Thanks Jai!
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ReplyDeleteOh, thank you for including depression! It's such a misunderstood illness. On one hand, there are too many throwing the term around, "I'm depressed," when they are really feeling sad, which we all feel at times. Then, there are those who are diagnosed with depression, a medical condition.
ReplyDeleteMy own mother didn't understand when my oldest son was diagnosed. She said, "What does he have to be depressed about, he just got married," as though the happiness of a new marriage had anything to do with a physical illness!
But, then again, I didn't understand it until loved ones were diagnosed.
Yes Lisa there is a difference between feeling depressed and having depression.
DeleteEmpathy is the key in families and communities.
Depression is so common these days but often people don't realize that a person needs some care and attention as we are all so busy living our own lives! Empathy is what we need the most.
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Nice Article. Doing Meditation is the most effective way to come out of your depression.
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