“Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease”

-WHO

The word depression sounds tremendously common these days. Apparently, if you meet any random person on the street,they might say they too are victims of depression. But the real thing is,they might be experiencing depression vicariously by listening to melancholic stuff. It has become more of a fad these days with the majority of the people not being able to understand the graveness of this condition.Quite often,it is confused with feeling sad. On the contrary,there is a difference between feeling depressed and being in a state of depression.

Sadness is an emotional feeling that everybody encounters quite frequently. On the other hand,depression is an overpowering feeling,getting out of which is really difficult. When you are sad,you can still have moments of comfort by having your favourite food or by meeting a loved one, these things can give you a temporary respite from the melancholy you might be experiencing. But depression just draws out a person’s desire and just immerses her/him in a state of weltschmerz. Many times, depression and anxiety too are confused with one another. Anxiety can be defined as Intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.It may result in rapid heart rate,profuse sweating.

Depression Symptoms

  • Constant sadness
  • Loss of interest from things
  • Person just succumbs to her/his own cocoon and just refrains from meeting people and attending social gatherings as well
  • Loss of interest in hobbies as well
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Feelings of frustration and worthlessness
  • Feelings inciting self harm
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of sleep or prolonged sleeping periods

Depression has a stark female predilection. Women undergo dramatic hormonal changes during menstruation, menopause and yes during childbirth as well. Some of the signs of depression in women include:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Having dramatic mood swings
  • Crying without cause

Risk Factors

  • Genetic predisposition
  • Lack of familial or friend support
  • Childhood Trauma
  • Substance abuse

Types of Depression

Depression is a vast condition and some behavioural patterns which we might consider some sort of idiosyncrasy might actually be one of the signs of depression. There are various types of depression such as:

  • Clinical depression- A mental health disorder characterised by persistent loss of interest in everything and depressed mood.It impacts daily life
    1. Persistent depressive disorder- It is a mild condition but has long term impact
  • Bipolar disorder- It is a disorder associated with bouts of mood swings ranging from episodes of depression to manic highs
    1. Postpartum depression- Occurs after childbirth

Despite depression being a continuously evading condition,it can be treated and in reality many people have,with the help of psychiatrists and therapies, been able to pull themselves out of depression.Eminent personalities have come forward and shared heir depression stories and how they fought depression with their willpower and with the help of medical sciences. Many platforms such as dr.gooddeed have come forward in this noble cause of helping people with depression.

So, How to overcome depression? 7 Ways to help you overcome depression.

  • Maintain a schedule – Start by setting an alarm and waking up at a fixed time each day.Maintaining a schedule would confer you with a sense of accomplishment and thus reduce those feelings of ennui.
  • Exercise,Excercise!!- Working out helps release  endorphins, also called happy hormones. This can also help some people ‘s body image issues.
  • Reward yourself- You are making efforts to take yourself out of this blackhole called depression.So why not laud yourself for small accomplishments by treating yourself to a long hot shower or a delicious feast of pancakes?
  • Listen to music- It has been proven scientifically that listening to good music is actually therapeutic. Apart from that, listening to music enhances your IQ level as well. It also strengthens the perception of positive emotions.
  • Phototherapy- This involves exposure to artificial light sources and is particularly effective in the cases of major depressive disorder. It is thought to affect chemicals affecting mood and sleep thus alleviating the symptoms of SAD
  • Spending time with loved ones-spending time with loved ones actually helps cure depression symptoms. Just be with your confidant and start opening up about the way you feel.It helps release the pressure a depression patient experiences.
  • Practice meditation- It is considered as a panacea for mental health since time immemorial. It just helps you detoxify and sublimate your thoughts and induce a sense of positivity in yourself.

FAQs

1. How can you say that depression is genetic?

  • However, depression does not have a clear cut pattern of inheritance,it is reported that having a family history of depression just increases the chances of depression in the future generations as well. The serotonin transporter gene and genes involved in the serotonergic system are candidate genes for susceptibility to depression given that many antidepressant medications act on these systems.

2. How does sleep play a role in depression?

  • Not sleeping enough or oversleeping is one of the signs of clinical depression. Having a sleep disorder is not an indicative of depression but it does play a role in depression

3. Does depression affect the brain?

  • Yes,depression does affect the brain by making the hippocampal neurons shrink resulting in difficulty in concentrating and memory loss as well.