DEPRESSION

 What is depression?

Depression is classified as a mood disorder. It may be described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person's everyday activities. 

It's fairly common. Ever since the pandemic hit India over ten months back, followed by an unprecedented lockdown, stress levels have been on the rise with 43% Indians suffering from depression according to a new study. 

According to the study, 26% respondents were suffering from mild depression, 11% were feeling moderately depressed, and 6% were facing severe symptoms of depression. People experience depression in different ways. It may interfere with your daily work, resulting in lost time and lower productivity. It can also influence relationships and some chronic health conditions. 

It's important to realize that feeling down at times is a normal part of life. sad and upsetting events happen to everyone. But if you're feeling down or hopeless on a regular basis, you could be dealing with depression. 

Causes of depression.

There are several possible causes of depression. They can range from biological to circumstantial. 

• Family History - You're at higher risk for developing depression if you have a family history of depression or other mood disorders (circumstances). In some cases, depression can be heredity as the adults of the family might have suffered from depression. Or another reason can be circumstances of the family. It is obvious that if any member of the family is going through financial crisis, or there is any kind of dispute in the family, one or more members can suffer depression. 
• Early Childhood Trauma - Some events affect the way your body reacts to fear and stressful situations. As mentioned before, kids are more prone to depression if not handled with care. Even small incidents can affect them in a bad way. Children get upset when something not of their wish happens in school. They need special treatment and care at this moment. They can be bullied in school or somewhere else like grounds or parks. This pushes them into the ocean of depression. 
• Brain Structure - There's a great risk of depression if the frontal lobe of your brain is less active. However, scientists don't know if this happens before or after the onset of depressive symptoms. 
• Medical Conditions - Certain conditions may put you at higher risk, such as chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

About 21% of people who have a substance use problem also experience depression. In addition to these causes, other risk factors for depression include:

• low self-esteem or being self-critical.
• personal history or mental illness.
• certain medications
• stressful events, such as loss of loved one, economic problems or divorce.

Symptoms of depression 

Depression can be more than a constant state of sadness or feeling "blue". Major depression can cause a variety of symptoms. Symptoms may also be ongoing, or come and go. 

• mood such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness.
• emotional well-being such as feeling empty, sad, hopeless or anxious.
• behavior such as loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, engaging in high-risk activities, withdrawing some social-engagement. 
• cognitive abilities such as inability to concentrate, difficulty in completing tasks, delayed responses during conversation. 
• sleep patterns, such as insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, not sleeping through the night or sleeping too much. 
• physical well-being such as, fatigue, pains, headache, digestive problems, decreased energy, changes in appetite, weight changes, increased cramps.

Consequences of depression

Depression can negatively influence your health and life. Understanding the consequences can provide an incentive to schedule an appointment with a doctor and start treatment. 

1. Serious (Additional) Health Issues - Depression and pain share a similar pathway in the brain, which is why people with depression also may experience everyday aches and pains - headaches, backaches, etc. Additionally, depression can raise your risk for other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer stroke, and more. The link isn't entirely understood, However, people with depression are less likely to engage in physical activity or stick to a healthy diet and sleep schedule which contribute to overall wellness.
2.  Relationship Trouble - Depression can put a heavy strain on relationships - leading to lost friendships, severed connections, and breakups or divorce. Depression has a profound impact on not just you, but also on those who care about and interact with. It affects the quality of life for you and those around you. Depression is a treatable condition as long as you are sensitive to [its] role in your relationship quality.

Treatment for Depression

Living with depression can be difficult, but depression can help improve your quality of life. Talk to healthcare provider about possible options. 

You may successfully manage symptoms with one form of treatment, or you may find that a combination of treatments works best. 

It's common to combine medical treatments and lifestyle therapies including the following:

1. MEDICATIONS - Your healthcare provider may prescribe, antidepressants, antianxiety, antipsychotic medications.
2. PSYCHOTHERAPY - Speaking with a therapist can help you learn skills to cope with negative feelings. You may also benefit from family or group therapy sessions. 
3. LIGHT THERAPY - Exposure to doses of white light can help regulate your mood and improve symptoms of depression. Light therapy is commonly used in seasonal affective disorder, which is now called major depressive disorder. 

Life after Depression

Depression keeps itself alive with an intense, overwhelming sense of hopefulness. This hopefulness kills the motivation to reach into the world for support, something that is already fragile because of the stigma that is often attached to mental illness. 

Sometimes depression can make people feel as though they are just out of reach and loving someone with depression can be lonely, frustrating, painful and deeply worrying. If you're close to someone with depression, you might feel as though you're not making a difference, but that's what depression does - its the dirty little liar that tries to pull the fight out all of us - those who have the illness and those who care who would do anything to make it better for them. Having at least one trusted friend quadrupled the likelihood of a full recovery.