Understanding Depression & the Path To Light 

Depression is a complex and persistent mental health condition which affects thousands of people all over the world. It can come to you in many different forms like continuous feelings of sadness or a complete loss in the interest of doing things that you love.

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It is important to cure depression but we need to understand that there is no cure which can fix everything and everyone. As people are different, their causes and symptoms are very different from each other. So therefore personalized treatment and combinations of few treatments can make a good fit for you.

What is depression?

Depression is a mental disorder which is characterized by continuous and aggravated feelings of sadness, loneliness, hopelessness and general lack of interest in doing daily chores and activities. Depression can impact every aspect of your life and can also create a strain on your relationships. It affects you emotionally, physically as well as, mentally. Depression leads to extreme fatigue and also lack of energy even for the bare minimum tasks.

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People dealing with depression also experience a hard time in falling asleep (insomnia) or can feel the total opposite and sleep for the whole day (hypersomnia). As said above depression is a treatable therapy and you can use many different approaches like psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and social support can help you in overcoming and managing this turmoil. Intervening on early stages and support is the key for improving the quality of life for them living with depression. 

Causes

Depression is a condition which affects multiple aspects of our life which include their emotions, thoughts, behavior and also physical well being of the person.

Symptoms and some prominent features of depression are:-

Persistent sadness – people suffering with depression often experience a deep and a prolonged sense of low mood and sad feelings which can go on for weeks or even for months.

Loss of interest and pleasure-  depression can make us very low key which can result in the loss of interest in doing activities that once you used to love. Now it is very challenging for you to find pleasure in even doing daily chores. Depression can also make you lethargic and low in energy.

Change in appetite and weight- depression can also lead you into losing your appetite or even overeating sometimes depending on the person. These changes can result in weight loss or weight again.

Difficulty in concentrating – depression can make it very difficult for the individuals dealing with it to concentrate on things. But you fail to do so as there are millions of thoughts that are wandering in your mind. You can also face difficulty in making decisions or even remembering things.

Feeling worthless- guilt and worthlessness are some of the feelings which a person dealing with depression can get very easily. You start to question your abilities even at some minor inconvenience. And think why am I like this? Or why do I feel the way I feel? 

Physical symptoms-  if you are someone who is going through this phase then you can also notice symptoms along with depression like headaches, digestive or gastric issues, body pain or even chest pain. So depression doesn’t even affect you mentally but can also cause some amount of discomfort to you physically.

Social withdrawal-  depression makes you alone and you start isolating yourself from the crowd as we withdraw owerself from the closest people we know. Like from your family members and friends who you trust the most.

Thoughts of death or suicide-  if you are dealing with the extreme case of depression then it can lead to thoughts like taking your own life or harming yourself. If you are getting thoughts which are so extreme then make sure that you are around people who are safe and that you can get immediate attention and medical care.

But remember as depression is something which can differ from person to person therefore the symptoms can also vary from each of them to. Even the severity and the duration of depression episodes can also differ widely.

Factors that can cause you depression 

Biological factor –  depression can be caused with some alterations happening in your neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals in the brain which help in your mood regulation and also control your emotions. An imbalance in them can contribute to developing depressive symptoms. Research also says that genetics can also have a hand making a person depressed. A family with a history of depression are more likely to experience depression.

Psychological factors – if you are someone who thinks negatively in every possible situation then these distortions can also contribute to a prolonged depression as it increases the feeling of hopelessness and makes the person pessimist. Individuals who have low self esteem are vulnerable to depression as they are more likely to get negative thoughts and also criticize themselves more often.

Environmental factors –  major life changes and some traumatic events which might have occurred recently in your life like loss of loved ones, divorce, natural disaster etc. can have a great impact on your mental health. The stress taken in these situations can overwhelm the individuals coping up mechanism and can also lead one into getting depression.economic hardships is also known as the risk factor for depression.

Medical conditions- if you are already dealing with something serious such as heart disease, cancer or autoimmune disorders then it can also lead you in getting depression as these physical symptoms can strain your emotional and mental symptoms too.

Being addicted to drugs-  substance abuse can trigger and also exaggerate the present depression. Drugs can temporarily provide relief from emotional pain, but can also lead to a cycle of worsening your case.

Treatment and strategies that we can use to cure depression

If you think that treating depression would be a cake walk then you are wrong. It can get very complicated as not every strategy or treatment plan would work on your condition as everyone’s condition is very different and unique in its own way. However a combination of a few treatments can help individuals in managing their depression in a very effective way.

Therapy-  taking therapy can be very effective in helping individuals to navigate their negative thoughts patterns and also develop some coping up mechanisms. You can try taking psychotherapy, CBT ( cognitive – behavioral therapy ) and also interpersonal therapy. These can help you in getting better and also will make you have someone trusted to share your symptoms and thoughts with. 

Medication- if you are going through depression and you visit your doctor then he can always prescribe you with some antidepressants that can balance the chemistry in your brain yet again and all of these medicines can also make you alleviate your depressive symptoms. And help you cope up with them in a better way.

Changes in your lifestyle-  always remember to have a healthy lifestyle as it has a significant impact on your life and can also lead you to depression. Try to eat healthy and make sure that you work out on a daily basis, Try on getting adequate sleep, and also keep a track on your stress. 

Meditation – practicing meditation can come out to be a holy grail for your depressive condition as when you are performing meditation you are focusing on the present and also your mind is not running with millions and zillions of thought at a particular time. It will help you in managing your emotional response in a more effective way.

Self care- try to engage yourself in activities that you enjoy to do and which brings you joy and a sense of relaxation, like painting, dancing, going for a walk or even spending time.

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