It is a difficult question to answer for most of, because we do not understand what exactly is depression? Though we may assume that our neighbour, colleague, family member or a dear friend could be possible suffering, there is barely any clarity we have to detect the relevant symptoms or signs.
Some of the basic symptoms of depression (to look for in yourself or others dear to you) are:
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness: A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.
- Loss of interest in daily activities: No interest in former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or marital bliss. You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.
- Appetite or weight changes: Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month.
- Sleep changes: Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia).
- Anger or irritability: Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
- Loss of energy: Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained. Your whole body may feel heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take longer to complete.
- Self-loathing: Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. You harshly criticise yourself for perceived faults and mistakes.
- Reckless behaviour: You engage in escapist behaviour such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.
- Concentration problems: Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
- Unexplained aches and pains: An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.
Depression has many side effects like aggression, addiction and poor self-esteem which leads to overall unhappiness a person and which in turn affects his/her mental and physical well being.
The extent of damage caused by depression varies from person to person and it grows depending on the situations or the people around the person.
It can just make the person aimless, low, introvert and disinterested or it can even push the person to take drastic measures of addiction to substances or even to damage self or others physically or verbally and even suicide.
Depression has now become such a common word that people have started to take it very lightly, may be that is the reason why we have a dysfunctional society to live in. But in reality its way serious than it may seem, depression has the power to ruin not just one but many lives related to the person depressed.
Sometimes the person may not be in a state to use self-help method to overcome this problem, this is the point where a therapist/doctor needs to be brought into the picture by the person or his close associates to resolve the issue.
According to a World Health Organisation report, depression affects 12 in 100 people in the world and, by 2020, is going to replace cardiac problems as the second-most prevalent global illness.We have challenge of lesser number of therapists/counsellors or doctors available.
There are a few reason why an individual is not treated in time, and this is not an easy situation to resolve.
- The person does not wish to accept that he/she is dealing with depression.
- He/she does not think that anyone can help them
- They don’t know how to find help
- They don’t believe that some one will really want or choose to help them through this.
A person in this condition needs to first extend a helping hand to his own self, along with at least one person around him who assures him of better times ahead often and helps him seek help immediately whether from a counsellor, therapist or a psychiatrist.
This problem needs to be curbed at the very beginning. We are sure if we can even treat 10% of the people dealing with depression, the world will definitely not be as unhappy as it is today.
In case you know of someone fighting depression(at your home, workplace, school or society) and needs further help or treatment, pls contact Soulmates therapy centre’s therapist Col. Umakant Saxena on +91 9970523794 or drop an email on [email protected].
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