What is Depression?
By: Ushan Gunawardhana
Tags: Depression, Mental Health Awareness, Mental Toughness, Mental Illness, Mental Health

I would like to start by defining clinical depression. According to britannica.com depression in psychology, a mood or an emotional state that is marked by feeling of low self-worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life. In 2017, 10.6% of world population is diagnosed with some kind of mental health disorder while 3.65% of world population is diagnosed with clinical depression, which means roughly 76 million people suffer from clinical depression in the world in data.com. As cited in to bmj.com in 2012, 48.5% of mental health related suicides occurred due to depression.

Now, let’s look at what causes depression among people. Well, according to WebMD.com no one knows what exactly depression is, but there are different high-risk factors, viz.

During medical illness

During life changing incidents like death of a close relative

Due to family history of depression.

Caused by abuse; physical or mental abuse can cause depression among people. Children abused in younger age will be more vulnerable to clinical depression in their adult life.

Because of conflict. This conflict can be a personal conflict or between family members or among friends

Genetics

These are some of risk factors, and these factors might change from person to person. Also, there is more to discover about this deadly disease

The next step is what the symptoms of clinical depression are. In view of helpguid.org, symptoms of clinical depression vary from person to person, however, there are some common symptoms. Following are some of those symptoms. Remember these factors might change from person to person

Feeling hopelessness or helplessness

Loss of interest in daily activities

Weight changes or change in appetite

Change in sleep pattern

Problems in concentrating

Unexplained aches and pains are some of those symptoms

So, what can we do or what are the treatments we have got at present? First, let’s look at how to avoid this deadly disease. Like the symptoms, these tips that help prevent depression might change from person to person. As per WebMD,

First one is finding ways to handle stress. Some people tend to resort to aesthetic activities such as drawing, music to manage stress and exercise is also beneficial in great way, and maybe simple breathing exercises might help in this

Secondly, taking care of yourself could also help. It means having good daily routine that involves exercise, adequate sleep, time to take a wash, and may be to do something you like or something you enjoy.

Third one is asking for help from a second party. This one is really important; we are not born the same so we have different strengths and also weaknesses. It is really important to ask for help when you feel helpless, don’t try to act ‘tough guy’ every time. There is no shame in asking for help

The last one is if you have any symptoms, go to see a doctor and get necessary treatment if required

Ok, now let’s look at what the present treatments are at our disposal. We find in betterhelp.com

Cognitive behavior therapy

This is the most common treatment method that is used to treat clinical depression. Simply the patient will speak out and get an opportunity to express his or her bottled up ideas or feelings out. This method is far superior to using antidepressant medications.

Use of Antidepressant medications

These medications are used to treat major mental illnesses like depressive disorder, some anxiety disorders and some chronic pain conditions. After using these medications, they will balance a chemical that is in your brain called neurotransmitters that affect mood and emotions. Using these antidepressant drugs for long periods will affect your body. For example, these drugs might affect your daily appetite and might end in a weight gain, also these drugs cause nausea, blurred vision, also insomnia (WebMD.com)

Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal therapy (IPT), is a method that focuses on interpersonal relationships. IPT is a manual based treatment. That means it uses a specific process that is supported by evidence.

Problem solving Therapy

This is also a type cognitive behavior therapy method that focusses on a specific problem. By working with the therapist, the patient can find ways to cope with specific problems that caused depression in the first place

In conclusion, we may consider that this is a deadly disease that people should be aware of. So, next time if you see a person is in a depressed mood, please be more concerned about him.

Disclaimer: This article does not provide medical advice It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Reference

https://www.britannica.com/science/depression-psychology

https://www.webmd.com/depression/understanding-depression-prevention#1

https://ourworldindata.org/mental-health

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-symptoms-and-warning-signs.htm

https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/causes-depression#2