Wednesday, November 23, 2022

What Is Depression?

We are human beings with emotions, not robot or machines. That's why we have feelings and emotions, feeling happy when we get what we desire and sometimes feel low or sad when situations are against it. Happiness, sadness, frustration, grieves, and sorrow are signs of emotions. These symptoms usually resolve within a week or two and do not make a huge difference in our lives. But if negative emotions like sadness, hatred, annoyance and irritability last for weeks or months or sometimes a year, it could be a sign of an illness like depression.

What is depression? Why and how does it happen, and how is it recognized? We will try to understand the answers to all these questions.

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. A person lacks motivation and interest in his work and life. Since depression is the most common and dangerous mental illness, there is very little awareness about it in our society. Many people see it as a personality flaw that so-and-so has a sensitive nature or it is a temporary condition or it is said that someone is possessed by an evil spirit.

Sometimes we even think that if we look very happy, like others or laugh, how can we be depressed?

That is why these things are often heard. "It's all your illusion, don't worry 'or' be happy, you'll feel better."

Sometimes even if you mention to someone that you are suffering from depression or are being treated for depression, you will often hear that depression is not a disease but a weakness of character or a sense of guilt.

Depression is a "mental and emotional disease", just as. physical disease like blood pressure, diabetes or other diseases, and it can happen to anyone, no matter how strong they are physically! We can detect the physical diseases but fail to understand the person who is going through mental anxiety. Just as patients with biological illnesses deserve compassion and treatment, so depressed people also deserve our love, care and attention and help them to come out of it with no criticism and ridiculousness.

According to a WHO report, every third person in the world is suffering from depression, while around 800,000 people worldwide commit suicide due to depression, while around 20% of people suffer from other mental illnesses due to depression.AA according to g session onn or mental stress in their lifetimes is is is is isisi s is me, equivalent to 200 million people. A recent study shows a clear increase in suicide rates worldwide.

So what happens in depression? When pessimism and sadness prevail for a long time and their intensity is so high that it affects the daily routine of life and the affected person remains closed in his shell, feeling suicidal attempt in desperate. Then a person needs immediate intervention.

If a person goes through feelings of sadness which persist for at least two consecutive weeks and does not go away. So much so that the intensity of sadness is so high that the daily routine of life starts to be affected by it, many times he is dominated by negative thoughts and desires.

What does depression feel like?

In depression, there is a decrease in the level of brain hormones, namely dopamine and serotonin, which are hormones directly related to mood and physical energy ultimately, mood swings occur. That is why its intensity is much deeper and longer than normal sadness. The main symptoms of depression are sadness in mood and loss of interest in life, losing the charm f interest and activities that were previously enjoyed. Patients may feel dysphoria regret or despair, loss of hope, abandoned, unloved, and unworthy leading to thinking of death or suicide to end their life is the only solution.

Depressed people feel better by sharing their feelings with their loved ones or friends and feel relaxed meeting them or interacting with them, while some people cannot express their feelings to anyone, closed in their shells they sink into the torment of depression.

Symptoms of Depression

Not every patient has all the symptoms, but if you have at least four of the following symptoms, you are likely suffering from depression.

1. Feeling sad and depressed all or most of the time and that sadness continues for weeks or months.

2. Not getting interested in the things and activities that you were relishing earlier.

3. Pain in the body without any apparent cause. Back, muscle aches or pain anywhere in the body for no reason is considered a sign of depression

4. Also feeling physically or mentally tired and weak.

5. Not being able to pay attention to daily tasks or things

6. Feeling inferior on and off, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence. Blaming yourself for the trifles of the past. Thinking of yourself as useless and ineffective. Depression also affects your activities of daily living. You don't feel like getting out of bed and hesitate to feel shy to meet people.

7. Disillusionment with the future

8. Having suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide

9. Insomnia, disturbed sleep, especially waking up early in the morning or sleeping too much during the day.

10. Like physical pain, migraines can also be associated with depression.

11. Loss of appetite: Depressionfects the hormones that control appetite. A person feels more hungry or does not feel like eating anything. This results in people either eating too much or eating too little, leading to weight gain or loss. Many people suffer from common digestive disorders like Heartburn, constipation, cholera and vomiting.

Additional symptoms: In addition to these, the patient's speech may change. Some people speak slowly and take longer to complete a sentence. The stress hormones also damage the skin in ode of depression, since the levels of these hormones increase which often results in nail acne, itching and skin problem.

Causes of Depression

Depression can happen to anyone at any time, but some people who suffer from depression do not understand the reason for their sadness arch shows that common causes of depression are as follows:

Heredity: Depression tends to run in certain families. For example, if one of your parents has a depressive illness, you are eight times more likely to develop depression than the general population. Genes also play a role, having the disease in a parent or sibling can increase your risk, with women twice as likely as men.

Life issues: For example, some people are unable to overcome this sadness after certain traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss. Divorce between parents, or neglecting a child compared to other siblings can also trigger depression.

Change of mood with the seasons: So if your mood is seasonal, i.e. happy in the summer and sad in the winter, then this may be a type of depression, also known as seasonal depression, which can occur in the late fall and early winter. And according to experts, up to twenty per cent content of the world can be affected by it.

Another reason is childbirth: One in four mothers is likely to experience depression after childbirth, a period of low mood, also known as postpartum depression, but it can affect the health of the baby as the sick mother can't take proper responsibility for her child.

Loneliness: If a person is lonely doesn't have friends around him, and is likely to suffer from mental stress, or excessive physical or mental exertion, the risk of depression increases in such situations. Apart from this, physical diseases can also cause depression. For example, cancer or heart diseases, or very long-lasting and painful diseases such as joint pain or respiratory diseases.

Treatment :

Medications and psychotherapy are effective for most people with depression. Your primary care doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe medications to relieve symptoms. However, many people with depression also benefit from seeing a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional. If you have severe depression, you may need personal care or a hospital stay, or keep in touch with a professional counsellor until your symptoms improve.

Source : Google image

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