Kuruvilla, HOD, PSG College of Medical Sciences, Dr. Deepa Mohan, Psychologist and Ms. Nina Mehta, Senior Counsellor, CCF, addressed the different facets of depression.
Many people experience serious stress during their lives.
It is not just stress but the way of reacting to stress that makes a difference in the susceptibility to disease. We have all learnt rules about who are and how we are to act, which provide the limits within which we cope with stresses. In some cases, these rules limit a person's ability to cope with stress to point that the stresses seem to pose unsolvable problems. The result can be Depression, Despair, Hopelessness and Helplessness - all feelings, that have been reported to precede cancer. Because of these feelings, at either a conscious or unconscious level, serious illness or death become acceptable as potential solutions.