Where does depression start?
‘Where depression starts’ is a rather ambiguous phrase. Decoding it into words was quite an interesting job for me. Now, I would like to request you to read the following lines with a clear mind-
You believe that you will stand on a spot waiting for the right moment, the right help, the right feeling to come. Will you keep standing until your legs hurt? Until your concentration burns?
And when nothing changes you will blame that time, the help, and those feelings that never approached you?
You see the problem? Yes! This exactly is the instance where depression starts. The mistake that we make leading the doors to swing open for depression is, that we pause on a particular phase or moment of life. Everything changes along with time but what we start perceiving, is that this instance is going to remain the same no matter what. Our mind is accustomed to illusions and with the same moment re-running in it, it gets distressed. You start feeling isolation, repetition of patterns in day to day life and this tires your brain out.
The moment one stops trying to take a step further, the problem begins. It doesn’t matter whether the step is a tip or tap; all that matters is that you took a step forward. Dancing on the same spot won’t mend anything and going back will definitely be the last thing I would recommend. Though sometimes turning towards a darker room indeed helps you realize the light in your cubicle. At last what matters is finally getting on the right track no matter how distant of a U-turn you chose, but it will be easier to just conserve all this energy and learn the lesson without really experiencing it. No?
Depression claims sanity and happiness of millions in the world. There are more than 10 million cases per year in India. What is further more disturbing is the fact that researches show that only one-third of the people dealing with this issue could get out of depression.
First step towards curing depression will be learning about depression and knowing its warning signs.
What causes depression?
Being a mental disorder it just spots out the fact that it is impossible to state a particular cause of depression. There is a wide spectrum of depression’s causes. If we were to mark a few they go as-
· Regular conflicts- Having regular arguments and conflicts among your family members and friends can cause depression. These conflicts make a really dark impact on one’s mind. A person starts feeling anxiety and irritation if such regular arguments continue to take place. Peace of mind is really necessary for a good mental health and so as to escape claws of a disease like that of depression.
· Abuse- Abuse whether mental or physical can be a really prominent cause of depression. Such traumatic experiences impact one’s life a lot and can act like stressor for mental disorders like depression.
· Major events- Events like that of getting divorced, retirement, even positive ones like getting married, moving to a new place or other such experiences which one comes across at least once in a lifetime or which cause a major change in one’s lifestyle can trigger depression. Many a times during such moments one loses control of their mental thoughts and start dwelling upon unfathomable imaginations and situations.
· Grief- Grief and pain of losing a loved one can be the budding cause of depression. Many a times this grief is considered normal and of fickle importance but it causes further more problems and can be a serious stage of depression.
· Illness- Chronic illness or other medical conditions can also be the cause of depression. At such times one may start feeling helpless or burden upon the others. Also, some diseases associated with mental health can directly affect one’s emotional wellbeing and cause depression to spurt out.
· Medication- Certain medications are also found to be the cause of depression. One must make sure that intake of no such medicine is done on a regular basis by anyone.
· Social issues- Belonging to economically weaker section or backward class causes social discrimination and isolation. Such feelings impact one’s mental wellbeing and can be a cause of major depression.
Types of depression-
Depression is of various types depending upon its intensity and causes.
· Major Depression- It is the most common type of depression. If one is experiencing major depression, they may have symptoms like that of extreme sadness, hopelessness or loss of interest in pleasurable activities, lack of energy, irritability, trouble concentrating, changes in sleep or eating habits, feelings of guilt, physical pain, and thoughts of death or suicide. Doctors assume two weeks or more to be enough for clinical diagnosis. In some instances, a person might only experience major depression for a small phase of time, but this depression tends to recur throughout a person’s life.
· Dysthymia/ Persistent Depressive Disorder — This type of depression is also quite prevalent. A person experiences slight sadness or isolation for a really long duration of time maybe a year or more.
· Postpartum Depression- This consists of sadness bouts experienced by a mother after giving birth. Postpartum depression is characterized by feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, fatigue, loneliness, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, fears about hurting the baby, and feelings of disconnect from the child. This depression type can occur anywhere from weeks to months after childbirth.
· Psychotic Depression- Psychosis is a mental state characterized by disorganized thinking or behavior; false beliefs, known as delusions; or false sights or sounds, known as hallucinations. It is not exactly associated with depression. But it is also found that some people with such depression have episodes so severe that they develop psychotic symptoms.
· Situational Depression- Cause of this type of depression consists of stressful or life-changing events, such as a job loss, the death of a loved one, traumatic experiences etc. It tends to clear up over time once the event has ended. However, that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Symptoms of situational depression may include excessive sadness, worry, or nervousness, and if they don’t go away, they may become warning signs of major depression.
· Bipolar Disorder- Depression of this type is recognized by its characteristic property of wavering from high density to low and vice versa. It involves both dysthymia and major depression types’ traits and symptoms.
Warning signs of depression:
· Feeling sad, anxious, or empty.
· Being pessimistic.
· Having trouble in being vocal about your feelings.
· Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless.
· Not enjoying any activity.
· Trouble with concentration, memory, or making decisions.
· Sleeping issues.
· Appetite changes.
· Gaining or losing weight.
· Feeling restless or irritable.
· Thoughts of suicide or death.
How to cure depression?
· Figure out the root cause!
What one need to accomplish; without any doubt is to know about the root cause and working upon it. Knowledge is of utmost importance. Knowing the cause will help in choosing a more accurate and effective way out of depression.
· Work towards accustoming a positive approach.
Having an optimistic approach plucks away half the problems. Many people end up getting troubled with mental issues because of unnecessary tension regarding general situations that have happened or worse, which might happen.
· Living in the Present. Not Past. Not Future.
To achieve mental wellbeing what one’s priority should be is living in present. The only dimension you have control over is present and wasting this precious time over either dwelling on past or worrying about future is a big NO NO!
· Talk to your family and friends.
Taking your loved ones into confidence and sharing will yield extremely good results. This will help your burden to ease out and make you realize the importance of yours in life of others.
· Consult a professional.
Not everything can be dealt and withstood by you or by family and friend’s support. Only a professional meant for doing so can revive the damage that is done to a machine on a higher degree. This should be understood by all.
· Rewind. Refresh. Rise.
Make these three R’s motto of your life. Anytime you feel depressed because of any reason all you have to do is change the setting. Go on a vacation. Take fun break, rewind your routine, your environment, refresh yourself, your mind and rise out of the deep dark woods donning the glitter of victory.
Depression can inflict a great deal of harm on one’s mind and it does take great deal of efforts to get out of it. But once you are out and glimmer in the light meant to fall upon you; you will realize life’s meaning in ways you never fathomed. In order to cure depression all you need to do is to have hope of finding these ways when you feel you’re at your lowest.
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