Depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. Especially when long-lasting and with moderate or severe intensity, depression may become a serious health condition. It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school and in the family.
At it’s worst, depression can lead to suicide.
Depression is a mental state, a feeling of despondency, feeling hopeless and rejected, worthless, meaningless and can even lead to a loss of sleep and, a lack of energy, feelings of guilt and even loss of confidence.
Because depression is normally a mental feeling in people, it doesn’t appear on time, sometimes it takes a dangerous twist before it is detected.
Depending on the number and severity of symptoms, a depressive episode can be categorized as mild, moderate or severe.
CAUSES
Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors. People who are more likely to develop depression are those who have gone through adverse life events like
- Unemployment
- Bereavement
- Psychological trauma
- Loss of Job through Dismissal, Termination and Redundancy,
- Business Failure
- Failure at Examinations
- Rejection by Significant Persons in one’s live
- Loss of wealth and investments through collapse of the stock market
- Heavy Debts and impending loss of collateral security
- Disappointments suffered from unexpected sources (especially close and trusted family, friends, relations, associates, neighbors and business partners,
- Emotionally exhausting Divorce
- Impending Imprisonment that can be very shameful.
Depression can in turn lead to more stress and dysfunction and worsen the affected person’s life situation and depression itself.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
- Hopeless outlook
Major depression is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel about life in general. Having a hopeless or helpless outlook on life is the most common symptom of depression.
Other feelings may be worthlessness, self-hate, or inappropriate guilt. Common, recurring thoughts of depression may be vocalized as, “It’s all my fault,” or “What’s the point?”
- Lost interest
Depression can take the pleasure or enjoyment out of the things you love. A loss of interest or withdrawal from activities that you once looked forward to — sports, hobbies, or going out with friends — is yet another telltale sign of major depression.
Another area of loss of interest is sex. Symptoms of major depression include a decreased sex drive and even impotence.
- Increased fatigue and sleep problems
Part of the reason you might stop doing things you enjoy is because you feel very tired. Depression often comes with a lack of energy and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, which can be among the most debilitating symptoms of depression. This could lead to excessive sleeping.
Depression is also linked with insomnia, as one might lead to the other and vice versa. They can also make each other worse. The lack of quality, restful sleep can also lead to anxiety.
- Anxiety
While depression hasn’t been shown to cause anxiety, the two conditions often occur together. Symptoms of anxiety can include:
- nervousness, restlessness, or feeling tense
- feelings of danger, panic, or dread
- rapid heart rate
- rapid breathing
- increased or heavy sweating
- trembling or muscle twitching
- trouble focusing or thinking clearly about anything other than the thing you’re worried about
- Irritability in men
Depression can affect the sexes differently. Research shows that men with depression may have symptoms such as irritability, escapist or risky behavior, substance abuse, or misplaced anger. Men are also less likely than women to recognize depression or seek treatment for it.
- Changes in appetite and weight
Weight and appetite can fluctuate for people with depression. This experience may be different for each person. Some people will have an increased appetite and gain weight, while others won’t be hungry and will lose weight.
- Uncontrollable emotions
Depression can generally cause mood swings. One minute it’s an outburst of anger. The next you’re crying uncontrollably. Nothing outside of you prompted the change, but your emotions are up and down at a moment’s notice.
- Considering death
Depression is sometimes connected with suicide. In 2013, more than 42,000 people died from suicide in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Trusted Source.
People who die by suicide usually show symptoms first. Often people will talk about it or make a first attempt before succeeding in ending their life. If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person, it is pertinent to take necesaary steps to help that person, emotionaly, Psychologicaly, medically and to get professional help if need be.
TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
If you have had some of the previously mentioned symptoms for more than two weeks, you might be suffering from major depression disorder. Recognizing that you’re depressed is essential to getting the right help.
Depression affects millions of people, but there are varying treatments available, from lifestyle changes to medications. No matter the path of treatment you choose, asking for professional help is the first step to getting back to feeling like yourself again.
Along with therapy and sometimes medication, there’s a lot you can do on your own to combat depression. Changing your behavior — your physical activity, lifestyle, and even your way of thinking — are all natural depression treatments.
1. Get in a routine. If you’re depressed, you need a routine, says Ian Cook, MD. He’s a psychiatrist and director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA.
Depression can strip away the structure from life. One day melts into the next. Setting a gentle daily schedule can help you get back on track.
2. Set goals. When you’re depressed, you may feel like you can’t accomplish anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for yourself.
3. Exercise. It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It may also have long-term benefits for people with depression. Regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways.
4. Eat healthy. There is no magic diet that fixes depression. It’s a good idea to watch what you eat, though. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of your eating will help you feel better. Although nothing is definitive, studies however suggests evidence that foods with omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon and tuna) and folic acid (such as spinach and avocado) could help ease depression.
5. Get enough sleep. Depression can make it hard to get enough shut-eye, and too little sleep can make depression worse. Start by making some changes to your lifestyle. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Try not to nap. Take all the distractions out of your bedroom — no computer and no TV. In time, you may find your sleep improves.
6. Take on responsibilities. When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Please, do not. Staying involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment.
7. Challenge negative thoughts. In your fight against depression, a lot of the work is mental — changing how you think. When you’re depressed, you leap to the worst possible conclusions. The next time you’re feeling terrible about yourself, use logic as a natural depression treatment. You might feel like no one likes you, but is there real evidence for that? You might feel like the most worthless person on the planet, but is that really likely? It takes practice, but in time you can beat back those negative thoughts before they get out of control.
8. Do something new. When we challenge ourselves to do something different, there are chemical changes in the brain that stirs one up. Trying something new alters the levels of [the brain chemical] dopamine, which is associated with pleasure, enjoyment, and learning.
10. Try to have fun. If you’re depressed, make time for things you enjoy. Even if it doesn’t feel like fun, keep trying anyway.
Dr. Gertrude Bassey FWACP,KSM,JP.
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