How do you feel when the weekend almost draws to a close? And the new week begins on Monday with truck loads of work smiling your way. Popularly called Monday Blues, they are just that. Mere blues! Caused by simple emotional reasons. Some days, you just feel drained and out. You feel youve lost it. Do you feel so persistently and frequently? Time to get a grip! You might be one in 4 women or 10 men suffering from the most pounded word of today - Depression. Depression and the myths surrounding it! Depression is a mental illness that causes continued feelings of sadness and hopelessness in a person (which persists for more than 2 weeks of time). It has not only got to do with moods and thoughts; its got to do with the body as well. Those who feel it do not wish to acknowledge it. They often attribute their mood swings to hardships, stress and other such emotional reasons. Causes of depression Depression is said to occur because of a combination of one or more of the following reasons: Fluctuations in levels of certain hormones could cause depression.There is a great deal of likelihood that depression gets passed on like legacy between generations. The third and most important of all are the emotional hardships and stress that a person might have to go through. Examples could be loss of a loved one, divorce, loss of job and so on. How does the illness manifest itself? Below are some of the common signs of depression: Fatigue and Tiredness Inability to even move a muscle to an extent that it frets the ones aroundSudden gain or loss of weight (to an extent of 5% of body weight in a months time). Weight loss, for instance, can happen even if the person is not dieting or taking other such deliberate efforts. There could be loss of appetite also. Suicidal tendencies or no desire to live Perennial hopelessness and desperation - Feeling off mood and low in energy levels Lack of sleep or excessive sleep everyday. Sleep could also be less peaceful due to interrupted dreams. No enthusiasm Lack of drive and passion to seek things that bring pleasure Lessened concentration and inability to clearly set the mind on anything Feeling of guilt for things beyond ones control While a lot of us experience such feelings sometimes, it is a warning if we go on like this for more than 2 weeks. This is said to be a case of clinical depression that requires medical intervention. Depression disorder Those with clinical depression would require immediate help. Sometimes, the illness may be so penetrated that it becomes a depression disorder. This occurs when the victims are in no position to even seek medical help on their own. Persistent efforts from family and friends might go waste when trying to get such people to even visit a doctor. Is there a remedy? Fortunately, cure exists for depression. Unfortunately, not many want to be cured. Of the total depressed, there are few who seek medical treatment. And few among those seek help from specialists. Sometimes depression might get diagnosed easily; But, appropriate medication (wrong medicines or wrong dosages) might not given. Medication through anti-depressants can do wonders. The only thing to keep in mind would be to take the help of specialists while getting treated for depression. Psychiatric help will be a definite advantage. A good specialist will warn you that antidepressant medication does not come without side effects. Therefore, it is necessary that there is medical monitoring during the course of the entire treatment. Psychotherapy and counseling also come of great rescue. Dont give up or give them up! For those of you with depression, its only a matter of time. Visit your trusted doctor and talk your problem out. Follow the prescribed treatment and you will see the world around you change for the better! And for those of you who live with loved ones suffering from depressive disorder, it is tough. But the key is to understand that despite concerted attempts by the victims to come out of their depressed state, they might not be able to. They simply cannot pull it off. Do not blame them; Do not alienate. Take them to the doc nearby. Help them overcome their rough patch! |
