Depression

Ever sat on a window seat of a speeding train? Of course, you would have. And you would also relate thinking about your past experiences. Your goods and bads, your joyful and sad moments and also what is the point behind everything you did, are doing or are going to do. You dive deep into the ocean of philosophy. That’s a normal and quite common experience. But here comes the wild card entry, DEPRESSION. The soothing experience you had while gazing through the window becomes a torture when when the thoughts cycle around your mind each and every second of the day. And depression, gives you that torture.
What is Depression?
According to World Health Organisation, depression is a common mental disorder affecting more than 264 million people worldwide. It is characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities. Depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. It is an illness that can affect any individual at any age. Depression disrupts, family life and social life to a great extent. It can affect academics and careers. It is difficult to convince society it really is an illness. But depression is an illness that has both physical as well as psychological dimensions.
Symptoms of Depression
This is how you may feel:
• Sad, empty, or anxious. It will continue over time without getting better or going away.
• Helpless, worthless, or guilty. You may feel bad about yourself or your life, or think a lot about losses or failures.
• Hopeless.You may be pessimistic or believe that nothing good will ever happen. You may even think about suicide.
• Irritable. You may get restless or more cranky than usual.
• Less interest in activities. Hobbies or games you usually enjoy may not appeal to you. You may have little or no desire to eat or have sex.
• Less energetic. You may feel extremely tired or think more slowly. Daily routines and tasks may seem too hard to manage.
• Trouble concentrating. It could be tough to focus. Simple things like reading a newspaper or watching TV may be hard. You may have trouble remembering details. It might seem overwhelming to make a decision, whether it's big or small.
• Changes in the way you sleep. You may wake up too early or have trouble falling asleep. The opposite can also happen. You may sleep much longer than usual.
• Changes in appetite. You may overeat or not feel hungry. Depression often leads to weight gain or weight loss.
• Aches and pains. You may have headaches, cramps, an upset stomach, or digestive problems.
• Frequent crying spells. You may find yourself crying of petty or no reason at any time of the day. Small jokes or small insults trigger your crying.
Do you recognise any of the symptoms in you or in your loved ones? If yes, then help us help you.
Types of Depressive Disorders:
1. Major Depressive Disorder: Also known as Clinical Depression in which depression ranges in seriousness from mild, temporary episodes of sadness to severe persistent depression. Symptoms include low mood, lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed, feelings of low self- esteem or low self- worth, feelings of guilt shame, insomnia or hypersomnia, forgetfulness, eating too little or too much weight gain or loss and thoughts of suicide.
2. Persistent Depressive Disorder: If you have depression that lasts for 2 years or longer, it's called persistent depressive disorder. This term is used to describe two conditions previously known as dysthymia (low-grade persistent depression) and chronic major depression.
You may have symptoms such as:
• Change in your appetite (not eating enough or overeating)
• Sleep too much or too little
• Lack of energy, or fatigue
• Low self-esteem
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Feel hopeless
3. Bipolar Disorder: Someone with bipolar disorder, which is also sometimes called "manic depression," has mood episodes that range from extremes of high energy with an "up" mood to low "depressive" periods. Symptoms include periods of mania when they become delusional, reckless and inhibition free. They may lose money, sell property or indulge in behaviour very uncharacteristic of them. During the depressive episodes they exhibit signs and symptoms similar to those of MDD patients.
4. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Seasonal affective disorder is a period of major depression that most often happens during the winter months, when the days grow short and you get less and less sunlight. It typically goes away in the spring and summer. During the monsoon when it rains down in sheets and the sun is away from days on end, there are many people felled by this depression.
5. Psychotic Depression: People with psychotic depression have the symptoms of major depression along with "psychotic" symptoms, such as:
• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there)
• Delusions (false beliefs)
• Paranoia (wrongly believing that others are trying to harm you)
6. Peripartum (Postpartum) Depression: Women who have major depression in the weeks and months after childbirth may have peripartum depression. Antidepressant drugs can help similarly to treating major depression that is unrelated to childbirth.
7. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Women with PMDD have depression and other symptoms at the start of their period. Besides feeling depressed, you may also have Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, trouble concentrating, fatigue, change in appetite or sleep habits and feelings of being overwhelmed.
8. Catatonic Depression: Characterised by muscle rigidity and/or repeated rhythmic motion of a particular kind.
Impact of Depression on life
Depression can cause a great deal of disruption in one’s life. It can affect family life, social life, academics and even your career. Let’s read about the impacts in detail
1. You may feel like failure in life. All your achievements seem worthless. You tend to overlook big successes and focus on small failures. You tend to compare yourself with people around you and always tend to see yourself faring poorly against them.
2. You start living a dual life. A life characterized by the dominant dark haze of depression with lucid intervals of normal cognition. You realise now you have become so negative.
3. A depressed person has no energy to do things. Most days getting out of bed itself is a challenge.
4. Feelings of loneliness, helplessness and hopelessness overpower you.
5. Drawing extreme conclusions, obviously negative, based on little or no evidence in reality.
6. Trouble focusing, which can affect your academics or job.
7. Thoughts of suicide.
If you or your loved one’s exhibit any symptoms of depression, if yes then help us help you.
Treatment
Treatment of depression (or any mental illness) begins from acceptance. Once you accept you need help, half the battle is won. You may consult a psychologist and a psychiatrist for your treatment. A psychologist conducts some test (a questionnaire) and based on your answers, the diagnoses of depression and its severity is decided. The psychologist also conducts regular counselling sessions to help you manage your condition. The evaluation done by the psychologist helps the psychiatrist to confirm the diagnoses and proceed with the course of treatment with antidepressants.
Regarding Antidepressants
There is a social stigma attached with the intake of antidepressants for the treatment of depression. This is because most people think of depression not as an illness but a passing phase of sadness. But depression is an actual illness with some actual changes, physical and chemical, taking place inside the brain. No one stops a person for taking paracetamol tablets for fever. Then why this stigma regarding antidepressants? There is no shame and no weakness in taking medicines to treat any of your illness. But taking medicines without consulting a psychiatrist can be very harmful. So never take medicines by browsing through the internet. Always consult a doctor. Do not stop the medicines abruptly by yourself or on the advice of a friend, even when your symptoms have cleared up. This can lead to return of symptoms, along with diarrhoea, vomiting, dizziness, nausea, flu-like symptoms, weakness, body ache, headache and a host of other such problems. So, while going off psychiatric medicine, it is best to do so under medical supervision. The doctor can help you draw up a tapering schedule.