What is Depression?
Anyone can feel down from time to time or experience bouts of emotional grief or sadness due to some unexpected life event. For instance, they grieve when someone dies, or feel the sadness and loss when a close relationship ends, or even lose a job.
All these feelings are normal and are part of the ups-and-downs of life. But clinical depression is more than just the blues, more than the expected grief after any loss, and most certainly more than a bad couple of days.
Depression is a deep and dark state, a black hole that may seem impossible to emerge from, and a serious medical condition involving a delicate balance of brain chemicals. Unlike a bad mood that you can simply snap out of, depression can severely disrupt the ability to function properly and can extend through every aspect of your life with serious consequences.
Signs of depression may include feeling somewhat flat, tired and unmotivated. As it progresses a person with depression may no longer want to participate in social activities or hobbies that they once enjoyed.
Eventually individuals with depression may even lose the drive to work altogether, their relationships become strained and they push people away and become unreachable, and the will to live a happy, productive life slowly fades.
Although
the future for someone suffering with depression may look bleak, there
is a light at the end of the tunnel – depression is treatable and those
suffering can live a happy, normal life.
Diagnosing Depression
If you suspect you are suffering from depression, make an appointment to see a psychologist or your family doctor. You will be asked for a detailed description of your symptoms, how long you have had them and how this is affecting your daily life.
A medical check is advised as signs of depression
may be similar to other medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or
Cushing’s disease. If your first appointment was with your medical
doctor, you may be referred to a mental health practitioner who will be
able to further assess the situation and inform you of your treatment
options.
What Causes Depression?
- Genetics – Genetic disposition is one of the leading causes of depression.
Studies have shown that people who have relatives with a history of
depression are two to three times more likely to develop depression
themselves. There is also a strong genetic link between depression,
anxiety and panic disorder.
- Brain chemistry
– Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and certain hormones such as the
stress hormone cortisol have been related to depression. Depression
often occurs when the delicate balance of these brain chemicals is
disturbed resulting in a general imbalance in other neurotransmitters.
- Stressful life events
– As mentioned above, the stress hormone cortisol is particularly
related to the neurotransmitters involved in depression. A stressful
life event such as loss of a job, a loved one, marital problems, or
financial issues can trigger an over production in cortisol resulting
in depletion of serotonin and depression. People are especially at risk
if they do not have the necessary social support.
- Learned helplessness and cognitive styles – Is the glass half empty or half full? Depression can result if an individual is inclined to view the world in a negative light. With a pessimistic outlook on life, even the small things become major catastrophes, and the inner critic can become over-bearing. These people often expect the worst and hardly ever see the positive side to a situation. They often assume the blame when things do go wrong and attribute it to self failure. Certain experiences can also teach an individual that they have little or no control over life events and are thus helpless. These ideas are often learnt and make us more vulnerable to developing depression.
Help for Depression
Whatever the causes of depression, the condition can have serious effects on your life, therefore it is important to find a proper way to treat it. However, it’s important to be properly diagnosed before pursuing any treatments methods. Often times, psychiatrists and other professionals will hastily prescribe pharmaceutical medication, which can have serious side effects that have been well-documented.
Therapeutic measures and lifestyle changes are just as important when it comes to treating depression, so if you decide to pursue this route, it’s very important to use psychological and wellness treatment in conjunction.
However, natural remedies for depression such as homeopathic remedies can be extremely effective in combating depression, and they come with almost no risk of side effects.
|
|
