How to Manage and Conquer Depression
Millions of people suffer from a depressive illness. They
thought that depression is just a normal occurrence in their
lives, which will go away after a short while. They just haven't
realized how serious depression can be.
Did you know that words related to depression have been
searched over 993,000 times on the Internet for May 2005 alone?
Much attention has been centered to this international health
problem as the rigorous challenges of modern times continue to
devastate those who cannot cope with it. Extreme depression can
ultimately lead to suicide.
No one is safe from being affected by depression because it
affects everyone. It doesn't matter whether you're a male or
female, rich or poor, educated or uneducated. Once a person
starts becoming depressed, he or she usually behaves in a manner
that intensifies the illness.
HOW DOES DEPRESSION AFFECT THE INDIVIDUAL'S BEHAVIOR? Depressed
people have some or more of the following characteristics:
* They lose interest on their love life, career, friends, and
family.
* They experience loneliness, hopelessness, gloom, and
indifference to their surroundings. It is a feeling of extreme
despair.
* They seek to escape from problems and even from life itself.
Thoughts of leaving home, running away or avoidance of others is
common. They feel life is hopeless and worthless. Suicidal
thoughts are lurking in their minds.
* There is a tendency to escape from the company of others
because of an unexplained fear of being rejected. Their
withdrawal consequently brings on some rejection by other
people. They cancel scheduled activities, become uninterested to
return phone calls, and seek ways to avoid talking with or
seeing others.
* They are overly sensitive to what others say and do. They may
misinterpret actions and suggestions in a negative way and
become irritable because of those mistaken assumptions. They
complain and cry a lot.
* They have a general loss of self-esteem. They feel more and
more negative about life's events, and they even question their
own personal worth. Their self-confidence level is extremely low.
* They experience negative changes in physical
activities--appetite, sleeping and sex. Some lose interest in
sexual activities. Some lose interest in food while others gouge
themselves with all the stuffs they can eat. Some sleep
constantly while others cannot get to sleep easily, or they wake
up in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep again.
* There is usually an underlying feeling of guilt. They often
feel overly responsible for other people's feelings.
* Depression often makes the depressed dependent upon other
people. This further aggravates a feeling of helplessness, which
makes them more upset.
* They have difficulty expressing and handling their feelings.
Anger is especially difficult for them to control. Because of a
sense of worthlessness and lack of knowledge in dealing with
their situation, they get more enraged in themselves. This can
be directed outward at others.
Above ninety-five percent of even the most depressed individuals
can be totally cured if the condition is identified at the early
stages. It is essential to know and take action when the early
warning signs of depression are manifesting.
Dealing with depression requires first and foremost an
understanding that it is a common and treatable illness. Its
symptoms include the following:
MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
* Miserable frame of mind over a period of time, sometimes in a
number of weeks
* Expresses grief in activities and life in general, and fails
to feel satisfaction
* Disheartened thinking - negative approach about oneself, the
present and the future
* Difficulty in focusing and remembering
* Under the dilemma in making decisions - often even the more
simple ones
* Feelings of unimportance and desperation
* Anxiety - a sense of being afraid - that something "dreadful"
is going to happen
* Phobias or doubts about specific situations
* Loss of appetite and weight loss or, alternatively, increased
appetite and weight gain
* Disrupted sleeping patterns - not much sleep or wanting to
sleep all the time
* Feeling weary and lacking in energy and inspiration
* Loss of interest in sex
* Physical symptoms - aches and pains, gastrointestinal upsets,
headaches
* Incapacity to do the usual everyday activities
* Thoughts of suicide
Various people do not try to find treatment in the early stage
of depression as they started to observe such symptoms and
thought that it will just pass away in a period of time, not
noticing how severe the health problem can be.
UNOFFICIAL SYMPTOMS
People with depressive illness are:
* Indifferent, uncommunicative, silent
* Selfish, unaware or insensitive about the needs of others
* Dominant * Irrational and unreasonable
* Outgoing and pleasant in public, the opposite at home
* Fickle-minded and unpredictable * Makes unexplainable and
sudden references to separation and divorce
* Cruel, belittling, and critical * Take alcohol and drugs in
excessive amounts
The unofficial list of symptoms demonstrate why depressive
sickness threatens good relationships and disrupts families.
Identifying, understanding, and learning how to cope with
depression is the primary solution to end the sufferer's misery.
OFFICIAL SYMPTOMS
These official real-life symptoms are the ones doctors use to
diagnose depression.
* A consistent sad, empty, or distressed mood
* Irritability, excessive crying
* Sleep and appetite disturbances
* Chronic aches and pains that don't respond to treatment
* Difficulty in remembering, focusing, and making decisions
* Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
* Loss of interest or pleasure in activities previously enjoyed,
including sex and sports
* Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts
The amazing thing is, is that out of all the so-called 'mental
illnesses' depression is the easiest to cure. So how come there
are hundreds of thousands of people trapped in this very serious
state of mind?
Regardless of age, status in the society, or profession,
depression may affect anyone. It may exist at times of puberty,
after childbirth and/or at mid-life. Thus, this health problem
occurs at a specific period of time wherein circumstances of
life may influence your mood. Immediate depression may be caused
by particular events and losses such as death of a person close
to you or reduction of your income. There are also other aspects
to be considered, such as inherited factors associated with
depression (a history of family depression) or other physical
factors (abridged levels of neurotransmitters in the brain).
At various phases of our lives, we have all experienced being
"down and troubled." It is due to the changes in our day-to-day
living. It also affects our environment and interaction with
others. Sometimes, events apparently cause us to be more upset
and we become depressed for over a long period of time.
As everyday events influence our moods, some make the
misconception of depression as temporary "blues" or sadness. It
might be a normal grief caused by the death of your loved one.
People with the "blues" and normal grief might experience
short-term symptoms of depression.
MYTHS AND FALSE IMPRESSION
The term "depression" is used to express a depressed mood,
simultaneously with other symptoms, that exist for a prolonged
period of time. When depression is not cured, it may influence
normal performance. It is important to recognize that depression
is not a sign of frailty or a lack of determination, and not
something that you can easily escape from. It is a condition
that can be cured through proper treatment.
Because of the link between grief and depression, some make
false impressions to both. Here are some myths that needs to be
cleared up. Depressed People are Mentally Unstable and
Inefficient.
As you might experience troubles in making decision and
difficulty in concentration and memory, lack of knowledge and
misinformation leads to the thought that depressed people are
incompetent. This is certainly not true! Because depression is a
treatable illness, it can be cured by your own determination and
will power. It can be treated faster with the help of others.
Someone Must Have Brought the Depression.
All of us used to admire others and set them as our role models.
They might be our parents or other famous personalities. Some
people have been mistaken and blamed by others for causing
depression. You must understand that depression is a health
problem that can only be caused by yourself and nobody is to
blame .
Depression is God's Way of Punishing for Some Wrong Act or
Misbehavior.
This is a widespread belief in the midst of sufferers. If a
person can't find the answer for his or her sufferings, then it
might tend to make himself or herself more burdened by the
depression, causing that person to find something wrong with
himself or herself.
This piece of writing describes what depression is and looks at
the common causes and symptoms, as well as some of the myths
about depression.
No one should be ashamed of being depressed. It might seem so
difficult and sometimes unbearable; to draw yourself out of a
sinkhole of depression, but it is THE MOST TREATABLE EMOTIONAL
PROBLEM. Always remember that you are not a terrible or hopeless
person.
Particular self-help methods in this section will seem more
suitable for you to use to cope up with your depression. You can
try two or three and see if they work. If not, take a break on
something else. In general, gaining some optimism about getting
better, having a clear viewpoint, and getting family support,
along with selected self-help methods, will lead to a better
recovery from depression.
Remember - you are not alone in your troubles, and the best way
to start is to try and share the load with somebody.