Depression

Depression is very common in today’s youth and even children. The term Depression refers to a serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, What can be worst than that? when you’re not able to enjoy the activities which makes you happy and you have interest in. The feeling of sadness is so heavy that it doesn’t let you see your life in a hopeful way. Depression can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.

Symptoms of Depression:-

• Feeling sad or having a depressed mood.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed.
• weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting.
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
• Loss of energy or increased fatigue.
• Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements or speech (these actions must be severe enough to be observable by others)
• Worthless feeling or feeling guilty.
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions.
• Thoughts of death or suicide.

These symptoms must last at least two weeks and must represent a change in your previous level of functioning for a diagnosis of depression.

Some medical conditions like thyroid problems, a brain tumor or vitamin deficiency can mimic symptoms of depression so it is important to rule out general medical causes.

According to the studies depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can occur at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s.

Factors which can play a role in depression:-

• Biochemistry:- Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute to symptoms of depression.
• Genetics:- Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness sometime in life.
• Personality:- People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to experience depression.
• Environmental Factors:- Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.

Treatment:- Depression is among the most treatable of mental disorders. Between 80% and 90% percent of people with depression eventually respond well to treatment. Almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. Medication: Brain chemistry may contribute to an individual’s depression and may factor into their treatment. For this reason, antidepressants might be prescribed to help modify one’s brain chemistry. Antidepressants may produce some improvement within the first week or two of use yet full benefits may not be seen for two to three months. If a patient feels little or no improvement after several weeks, his or her psychiatrist can alter the dose of the medication or add or substitute another antidepressant.

Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy or “talk therapy,” is sometimes used alone for treatment of mild depression; for moderate to severe depression, psychotherapy is often used  along with antidepressant medications. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective in treating depression. CBT is a form of therapy focused on the problem solving in the present. CBT helps a person to recognize distorted/negative thinking with the goal of changing thoughts and behaviors to respond to challenges in a more positive manner. 

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment that has been most commonly reserved for patients with severe major depression who have not responded to other treatments.

Self Help:-

Number of things are there which people can do to reduce the symptoms of depression. For many people, regular exercise helps create positive feeling and improves mood. Doing meditation and listening to soothing music. Getting enough quality sleep on a regular basis, eating a healthy diet and avoiding alcohol (a depressant) can also help in reducing symptoms of depression.

Life is unpredictable so live it in each moment and enjoy every moment to the fullest. Keep yourself busy in the activities you like and don’t provide your mind the time to overthink. Count your blessings and be thankful to the Universe for the life you have and for the every new day in your life.