Depression – Part 1

The term ‘depression’ might probably be one of the most talked about topics in the current scenario. Numerous articles have been written about depression, and there is an endless amount of discussions taking place on various media platforms. This is in fact a very good sign, and the positive effects of these articles and discussions are often seen around us, at least to some extent. The downside of this bombardment of information is that some people use this word very loosely. We often hear people say, “My day at work was so depressing today.” Here the person may just be referring to a reprimand he got from his boss, or some heating arguments he had with his colleagues. Some people say, “Life is so depressing”, when they are actually talking about some fleeting feelings of sadness or daily life dejections. These statements definitely trivialize the term ‘depression’. It does not always mean that the statements are made on purpose, but still, they are definitely demeaning to those countless depressed patients who are going through some real hell in their daily life.

Whenever we think of depression, the most common picture that comes to our mind’s eye, is of a person sitting secluded in his room, with a forlorn look, staring fixedly at some spot on the floor, filled with hopelessness, and probably having intense suicidal ideation. If this is the picture we are going to carry in our minds, we will be missing out on a major chunk of the depression cases. The above picture might be an exact fit only for a minuscule population of depressed people. Depression may manifest itself in several, varied ways and manners. The person sitting next to you in your train, trying to concentrate on the book in his hands, may in fact be taking treatment for depression. Your colleague who was just discussing an office project with you, looking very normal outwardly may actually be depressed, and worse, may also be having strong suicidal ideation. Your son or daughter, who you feel has become irresponsible and has no botheration about his or her studies, may be going through a severe phase of depression. If we give some real thought to most of the suicide cases that are covered by the media, a majority of the suicides come as a complete surprise to the near and dear ones. A friend or relative, who you feel may be the last person to ever think about suicide, possibly has an elaborate suicidal plan ready, and may even implement the plan very soon. Thus, if we want to identify depression, we need to look in every nook and corner of the society.

If we want to identify depression, we need to know what to look for. Let us quickly look at some of the main symptoms of depression:

1. Feeling of sadness, almost throughout the day.

2. Frequent tearfulness or crying spells.

3. Loss of interest in many of the significant day-to-day activities, including physical relationships.

4. Significant weight gain or weight loss over a very short period of time.

5. Significant increase or decrease in appetite.

6. Slowing down of physical movements and / or thought process (significant enough for others to notice).

7. Tiredness or fatigue almost throughout the day.

8. Lack of sufficient energy to even complete daily activities.

9. Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

10. Frequent indulgence in self-blame, shame or guilt, for no obvious reason.

11. Inability to stay focused on tasks accompanied by indecisiveness and / or uncertainty.

12. Irritability and frequent outbursts.

13. Social and emotional withdrawal.

14. Feelings of life not being worth living anymore. This may be accompanied by strong suicidal intent. The person may also have an elaborate plan in his mind.

These are some common and glaring symptoms that point towards the possibility of depression. A single patient may not exhibit all of these symptoms. Also the intensity, frequency, severity, and duration of the symptoms may be different for each patient. Whenever we are experiencing any of the above symptoms, or if we happen to observe this symptoms around us, it has to ring a warning bell in our minds. We need to immediately get ourselves assessed by a professional. We may suggest the same to the other persons who seem to be exhibiting symptoms of depression. Timely diagnosis of depression and treatment is very crucial. This way, many a times, we will be able to control it much before our suicidal thoughts can take control of us.

In case of children crying spells, irritability, lack of concentration in studies and social withdrawal may be considered as the chief complaints. They may also exhibit all of the fourteen symptoms mentioned above.

In spite of so much of information at hands people still do have a lot of misconceptions about depression, just like any other mental illnesses.

Let us consider some of the common misconceptions surrounding the concept of depression:

1. I can cure myself of depression if I make some simple lifestyle changes

Lifestyle changes are definitely a part of the treatment regime. However, these changes do not have the power to cure your depression. Just joining an online meditation programme, or practicing deep breathing, or spending time with nature, is not going to be sufficient to cure your depression. In the absence of professional and scientific treatment, these lifestyle practices will not show their effect. They will only work in tandem with regular psychiatric intervention and counselling. As mentioned earlier; timely help is of utmost importance in case of any mental illness. Rather than wasting crucial time in just making some temporary changes, taking professional help becomes prudent.

2. I am a mentally weak person if I am suffering from depression:

This is a major misconception. Everybody of us is prone to depression. Depression can strike us at any age or stage of our lives. Depression is actually a combination of several factors including genetics, neurochemicals and environment. Just because someone might have come out of a major trauma or catastrophic event unaffected, does not mean that depression can never touch that person. My friend overcame his divorced largely unaffected but if I am feeling depressed after my recent divorce does not mean that I am weaker than my friend. It only means that my divorce turned out to be a precipitating factor for my depression.

3. Children cannot suffer from depression:

This is again a completely wrong notion, which can prove to be really catastrophic for a few households. In my practice I had heard quite a few parents say that if they have been providing their child with all the amenities and luxuries, their child cannot suffer from depression. Some parents blame their child’s laziness for their lack of focus in studies. They fail to see that this ‘laziness’ may actually be a manifestation of their child’s depression. Due to this ignorance many parents fail to recognize their child’s depression which further alienates their child from them and aggravates the child’s depression. This may lead to some very serious consequences, including suicide.

4. Now that I am diagnosed with depression, I need to live with it forever:

This is a misconception which applies to many of the mental illnesses. As far as depression is concerned, fortunately this is not always true. Chronic depression is for real, but still, most people do succeed in overcoming their depression. With a timely diagnosis, and correct treatment method (which usually includes a combination of medication and psychological counselling), most people do find an alleviation of their symptoms. They can again start living a fruitful, meaningful and quality life.

In the second part of this article series, we will look at some other important aspects pertaining to depression.

If you have some comments to make about my blog articles, you are most welcome. If some of you have some experiences to share, or if you have used certain techniques on your own, which you found effective, you may share them with me on my email. I will try to include a few of them in the next blog. This way, the value of the blog will get amplified. You can mail me at info@mentalhealthguidance.in