With the word “depression” coming out of almost everyone’s conversation, people should start understanding what its true meaning is.
You should understand the signs to seek or offer help. You should understand how depression can affect your life and how you can treat it and start enjoying your life again. Premature deaths due to suicide should not be heard of anym
ore!
Nowadays, you hear the word depression so many times during a conversation that people started using it as a synonym for being sad, disappointed or tired. How many times have you heard someone saying: “I am so depressed, I couldn’t finish my shopping today” or “what a depressing day, the sky is filled with clouds” or “I had a fight with my partner. I am so depressed!” Fortunately for all these people, their depression is sadness instead of being the clinical depression itself.
Depression (clinical depression) is a serious medical illness that is most of the times disregarded even though it can be treated effectively.
TYPES OF DEPRESSION
There are several kinds of depressive disorders such as:
Major depression: a person suffering from it will have 1 or more episodes in his lifetime. It symptoms are severe and affect the patient’s life: work, sleep, study, eat…
Persistent depressive disorder: when episodes of depression occur over a period of more than 2 years.
Special occasion depressive disorders: These occur during a certain circumstance such as: post-partum (after delivering a baby), seasonal (during winter when there is less sunlight), and psychotic (when depression symptoms are accompanies by other symptoms like hallucinations and/or delusions).
SIGNS OF DEPRESSION
There are several signs that can alert us if someone is suffering from depression. These signs and symptoms vary from a person to another. They are:
- Feeling an emptiness in your life
- Feeling hopeless and helpless
- Irritability, continuous restlessness, fatigue, insomnia
- Losing interest in doing things that used to bring you happiness and joy
- Eating problems such as overeating or not eating
- Losing concentration and bad memory
- Thoughts of suicide
- Pains that don’t get better with treatments
VERY IMPORTANT FACTS
- Women are 70% more likely than men to have depression.
- The average age of depression is 32.
- Depression can be treated easily!
- Certain health conditions such as thyroid problems and viruses can cause the same symptoms as depression. Consult your doctor to have a good diagnosis.
- A physical exam (with possibly a blood test) an interview and a psychological evaluation is all it takes to diagnose depression the proper way and understand the most effective treatment.
- Antidepressants will probably take between 4 to 6 weeks before reaching their full effect.
- Depressed people should have the support of their families and friends.
- Depressed people should start making life changes!
- Know that you can beat it!!!
