Depression: It's Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

A mental illness or something else?

'Depression' is a term that is customarily being used for the last few decades. A massive volume of literature has been produced on this topic. Nonetheless, it is a very complicated term to be defined in an exact manner. Various thinkers have shared varied opinions regarding depression. Some say it is a prolonged sadness while some say it is over-thinking; thinking the same thing again and again and taking the things too much serious.

However, depression can be described as a mental illness in which a person may undergo a prolonged sadness, loneliness, disappointment and stress. It is something more than everyday ups and downs. It may not only affect the feelings of the sufferer but his physical appearance, health, behavior, academic performance, and social activities. Not only the elder ones and fully grown-ups but younger ones and teenagers can also be victimized by depression. It is common to all ages and genders with undesirable outcomes.

There are various symptoms of depression which can be easily witnessed among the people suffering from depression. A sufferer may lose interest in his daily activities; be it academic, social, official, religious or something entertaining like sports and games. One may lose pleasure and joy in delightful activities. The sufferer of the illness may be experiencing feelings of unrest, agitation or irritability. In depression, one may hardly focus or concentrate on the subject under consideration. In the like manner, one may sleep too much, or face sleeplessness or eat irregularly. There can be an abrupt increase or decrease in the weight of the person. One may have body pains and hopelessness which may drive someone to the point of committing suicide.

The symptoms of depression must be viewed differently from those of ordinary grief or sadness. Normal grief is a typical, ordinary reaction to misfortune. Misfortunes that may prompt grief incorporate the demise of a friend or family member, loss of a job, loss of a cherished pet, or any failure in everyday life, for example, separation or divorce, turning into a "vacant nester," or retirement. Anybody can encounter sorrow and misfortune, yet not every person will encounter depression, which contrasts from ordinary sorrow in that depression includes a scope of different indications, for example, sentiments of low self-esteem, adverse musings about the future, and suicide, while grief includes sentiments of void, misfortune, and longing for a friend or family member, with an unblemished ability to feel joy. Every individual has a unique way of dealing with this state of mind. (Parekh)

The causes of depression are not that commonly understood among psychologists. Similarly, there is no single factor responsible for causing depression. It may have several reasons; known and unknown. However, according to some scientists, it is due to a disproportion in some of the brain signaling chemicals. Moreover, a wide variety of distressing situation may lead oneself to suffer from depression. At times constant failures, loss of a job or an opportunity or some rare and dear one or a childhood trauma or some past emotional, sexual or drug abuse may thrust someone to undergo depression. A disturbed family life, financial issues and hectic schedule of daily routine can also be the factors responsible for depression.
Depression may be caused by some regretful feelings for one's past life events or maybe due to fearful feelings for the future happenings which are yet to happen. Some old sexual, physical or psychological mistreatment can expand the helplessness to depression later in life. Depression in somebody may result from individual clashes or debates with relatives or friends. Sadness or misery from the passing of a loved one, or of a friend or of a family member may build the danger of depression. Issues, for example, social seclusion because of other psychological maladjustments or being cast out of a family or social gathering can add to the danger of creating depression. Now and then depression exists together with a significant ailment or might be activated by another ailment. Almost thirty percent of individuals with drug abuse issues likewise have major or clinical depression. Regardless of whether medications or liquor incidentally make one feel good, they, at last, will result in depressing the one. (Bhandari)
In addition to all this, there are few other causes of depression like some old head injuries or a previous spell of some great depression that may lead toward a subsequent depression episode. Apart from these reasons, there are some biological and genetic issues too which contribute to sending a man to suffer from this mental illness. Number of times, depression finds its roots in the genes of the sufferer who belongs to a family of highly depressed people. If first degree relatives of a person are suffering from depression then he is very likely to face the same in some period of his life, however, it is not necessary. Sometimes, prescribed medications (i.e. corticosteroids and interferon) by the doctors may also lead the one to suffer from depression.

There is no hard and fast rule to cure depression as it varies from person to person. One treatment application may work for a patient, yet it can be proved as worthless and futile for the other ones. However, below are presented a few of the common remedies to deal with depression as suggested by psychologists:

• Stop overthinking.
• Throw your fear out of the window.
• Replace disappointment with hope.
• Regardless of the constant failures make new and constant endeavors to explore success.
• Forget your sense of deprivation and strive for a better and enlightened future.
• Be thankful for the bounties of nature and pray for more blessings.

The epilogue of the discussion is very simple, and that is to enable depression-victims to identify the depressed spots of their personality and try to rectify them in the best possible way.