Depression is a mood disorder more than just feelings and thoughts of unhappiness. It is a medical sickness that entails both the mind and body. The distinction of feelings of unhappiness or being down from clinical depression is the incapability to elude this feeling of sorrow that can stay to at least two weeks. Depression can influence the work, school and social relationships. Daily activities will be difficult to accomplish and worst, the patient can feel that life is not worth living. Patients suffering from depression will experience hopelessness, helplessness, negativity and intense anxiety. These feelings stay and do not go away (National DMDA 2).
Depression is hard to identify because its symptoms are confusing. Symptoms can be manifested mentally, emotionally or even physically. However, there are diverse effective treatments on hand. It is a widespread illness that affects about ten to twenty-five percent of women in Canada, as well as ten to fifteen percent of men in Canada. Depression can be experienced by anyone. Even the famous people also experience this sickness. It can also occur in all ages. Other people experience it once but others have recurring depression and the recovery can be from six months to one year or more. Having Depression is hard for the people who have it as well as their families, colleagues and friends. It is hard to identify if one person is depressed and what must be done about it.
Forms of Depression
There are several forms of depression. Some of them are bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, postnatal depression, dysthymic disorder and major or clinical depressive disorder.
Bipolar disorder is a manic form of depression. People who suffer from bipolar disorder have major mood swings. This happens when phases of depression interchange with phases of mania. A person that is in manic phase is in a high state of excitement. This means that they can plan and may attempt to accomplish assertive plots and thoughts. A person with bipolar disorder often has recurring phases of depression.
Another form of depression is what we called postnatal depression or the postpartum depression. This form of depression occurs in a lot of mothers almost immediately after giving birth to their baby. They experience having ‘the baby blues’ that typically goes by after one to two days. It is a very serious problem that can take place inside the span of two weeks to two years after giving birth.
Seasonal affective disorder or SAD is a seasonal depression associated to day duration. It frequently occurs during winter and autumn. It is worse during days that are shorter and the sun is low, and it gets better when the day is longer and brighter.
Dysthymic disorder is a condition well known as dysthymia. It is less stern than clinical depression. It is easier to handle and might not obstruct with your daily life. It frequently goes on for two years or beyond and could turn to major depression.
Clinical or major depressive disorder is the most usual form of depression. Its symptoms is likely to cut the person’s capability to carry out daily activities, such as eating, studying, sleeping, and working or even stops a person to do things that has once made them happy. It disables the patient and occurs once and sometimes recurs for a lifetime.
Mental Health problems linked to depression
Some mental health problems include suicidal thoughts, psychotic experiences and anxiety. People with depression can feel that life is no longer worthy to live. They can have suicidal thoughts or start thinking of methods to kill themselves. These thoughts are hard to manage and are alarming.
On the other hand, if a person is extremely depress, he or she might begin to see or hear things that are not felt by other people. Some experience hearing voices or blaming evils that influenced them to do other harm. False beliefs can exist that is a part of being depressed. Anxiety can also occur during depression. These two conditions often occur together and worsen each other. Anxious mind have recurring and busy thoughts that toughens the ability to sleep, relax and concentrate. Physical symptoms occur such as dizziness, sweating, muscle aching, headaches. Ill health and physical exhaustion occur during anxiety (Darton 4).
Symptoms
Different people can experience various symptoms and signs of depression. Symptoms also depend on the type of depression. However, some general signs of depression include pains and aches, cramps, digestive problems and headaches that last even after treatment; crying spells, without clear and obvious causes; attempts and thoughts of suicide; slow body movements, speaking and thinking; loss of appetite or overeating; oversleeping, early-morning restiveness or trouble falling asleep; trouble in decision making, details-remembering and concentrating; having low energy and feeling tired; loss of interest in hobbies, sex and other activities; feeling frustrated and irritable over small things; feeling of helplessness, worthlessness and hopelessness; pessimistic; feelings of emptiness, anxiety and sadness.
Causes
There are several factors that can cause depression and these include social, environmental, psychological, biological and chemical factors. Depression is a manifestation that there is something wrong in a person’s physical, mental and emotional aspects. They are imbalance. Depression can occur to people with serious and chronic ailments such as cancer or heart disease.
Main stressors important changes in life like loss of a job, death of a loved can contribute to the development of depression. Additional more subtle aspects that can turn depression are self-identity loss or self-esteem lowering. The causes of depression are not, for all time, instantly evident. Subsequently the turmoil need careful assessment and analysis by a skilled mental health care specialists.
Depression can be genetically related even though there is no sufficient evident for the claim but depression run in families to some degree. Some people are more prone to depression than others. The reason behind this could be because people learn their adaptation and responsive behaviors through relatives and inherit genes from family.
Loss is a common cause of depression. Loss can be death of a loved one or loss of a job or even moving into a new house. They can also trigger depression. Death of someone that is closed to a person and moving from life stages are major life changes. The negative event does not solely cause the depression. The way of handling the sad event causes it. Unexpressed feelings during the time can contribute and fester to depression.
Solution to Depression
In solving depression, it is important to accept that there are frequently no immediate answers to troubles in life. Treatment of depression involves work, energy and time. One way to get out of depression is to sever the series of negativity. It is often easier to fall into depression and deep into negative thoughts but it will eventually lead to a harder escape from being depressed. Some people get depressed and feel more depressed about being in that state. Effort must be exerted to break the chain of depression. The most significant pace is that the person accepts that he or she would do something to treat depression. The pattern of negative thinking should be altered by helpful thoughts.
Since depression is coupled with anxiety, managing anxiety is needed. Taking steps to deal with your anxiety can assist to offer the psychological space to start to face depression. It is helpful to talk about the things that make a person anxious. Some people do yoga and other massage as a relaxation method.
Experience of others can help regulate and lift the mood of the patient. Exercises can fuel chemicals in the brain so it is suggested to be active so that better feelings than sadness will be stimulated. Connecting to other people can help in making things regulated. It is also important that the patient understands depression. Sharing experiences with other people who has the same disorder proves to be helpful. Some self-help groups provide support to enable sufferers to cope with break downs and isolation feelings. The person with depression should also show care for his or her self. Ways to improve feelings should be done. Treating and allowing oneself to good experiences can reinforce oneself to good feelings. Goals and achievement can also give satisfaction.
A twenty-minute physical activity will be a great help. Walking can also be helpful. There are researches that prove that exercise lifts a person’s mood because it stimulates the mind to release endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals responsible for the feeling of happiness.
A healthy diet can also be helpful. There is no sufficient evidence to conclude that depression is related to food, but some suggest that food rich in fatty acids can relieve symptoms of depression. Eating healthy can generally help a person to feel better. Eating healthy food is advisable (Mental Health Foundation 4).
People with depression should not drink alcohol or take drugs because they act as depressants and can make the situation worse. Use of recreational drug should be ended and moderate drinking of alcohol is needed.
Medication is not the first option for treatment especially if the depression is mild. Medication is prescribed based on the severity and type of the depression. It is often done with psychotherapy. Early take in of medicine can prevent major depression. Also, it can assist people with major depression to do their daily activities as normal individuals. There are various antidepressants that can change the mood of a person by affecting their brain.
Some medicines that are prescribed by doctors are Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MOAI), Cyclics (or tricyclic antidepressants), Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) and Norepinephrine and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs). To optimize the effect of the medication, its dosage is commonly increased slowly. Side effects are manageable (Mental Health Foundation 5).
An individual’s way of living a daily life infuence greatly his or her management of emotion. It is important that a person develop a lifestyle that can support his or her well being.
Works Cited
Darton, Katherine. Understanding depression. London: Mind (National Association for Mental Health), 2012.
Mental Health Foundation. Dealing with depression. London: Developing Patient Partnerships, 2006.
National DMDA. Dealing effectively with depression and manic depression. Chicago: National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association , 2001.
