Depression a mental health condition characterized by an overwhelming feeling of sadness, isolation and despair that affects how a person thinks, feels and functions. Also known as mental depressive disorder, it is a mood disorder which causes a persistent feeling of low mood or sadness and the often-profound loss of interest in things that usually bring you pleasure, or aversion to activity. It can affect a person’s thoughts, behaviour, motivation, feelings, and sense of well-being. People experiencing depression may have feelings of dejection, hopelessness and, may significantly interfere with a person’s daily life, sometimes promptings suicidal thoughts. It can either be short term or long term. Depression can affect people of all ages, races and socioeconomic classes, and can strike at any time. The condition is found in twice as many women as men.
There are different types of depression that may vary in presumed cases, timing, duration, or may involve different types of symptoms. The treatment for different types of depression varies too.
It’s believed that depression is caused by an imbalance in the brain’s signalling chemicals, and a number of distressing life situations, for instance; abuse, loss of a loved one, job loss, financial troubles or a divorce. Also, depression arises from a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Additionally, certain medical conditions, some sedatives and induction of hormones may trigger depression.
a. Grief and loss
Losing a loved is very hard on every person. Grieving people may experience many symptoms of depression, like trouble sleeping, poor appetite and losing interest in activities. Some grieving people, if not advised, supported or given professional help, may end up being depressed.
b. Poor nutrition
Poor diet, for instance deficiencies in a variety of vitamin and minerals, can cause symptoms of depression. Diets either low in omega-3 fatty acids or with an imbalanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, and those diets high in sugar are associated with increased rates of depression.
c. Illness
Certain illnesses, such as thyroid disorders, Addison’s disease, chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer or coronary heart disease, liver disease and severe head injury, can cause depression symptoms. Also, the stress of having a chronic illness may trigger an episode of major depression.
d. Abuse or stressful life events
If someone has experienced physical, sexual, emotional abuse or stressful life events, the chances of developing depression are high. These experiences may also increase the vulnerability to clinical depression later in life.
e. Certain medical drugs
Some drugs, such as corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, statins, stimulants, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, antiviral drug interferon-alpha and isotretinoin (used to treat acne), can increase your risk of depression.
f. Genetic disposition
Family history of depression can be a contributing factor in the depression of a person. Like some diseases, depression can run in genes, a person may develop depression without a particular trigger coming into play. A person is at a higher risk or developing depression if they have a family history of depression or another mood disorder.
g. Dysfunctional families
Families are key pillars to every person’s life. When a person comes from a dysfunctional family; domestic violence, lack of love and appreciation, may lead to depression. Parents should get the basics right, make the home environment peaceful and avoid causing stress to their children. Families and homes should enhance love, care and support, lack of that may make someone feel unloved and unappreciated, which may lead to habouring self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
h. Financial stress
Financial constraints, high cost of living and poverty, contributes greatly to the number of cases of depression. When a person loses his/her job and unable to provide for their family, is often a catalyst for depression. Life can be tough, not only for people from poor backgrounds but also rich ones and high social set-ups, when even the relatively well-off have to take up two or three jobs to make ends meet. Financial stress and lack of job security, may make a person see like the world is coming to an end and that life was not meant for them.
i. Exposure to adversity
Being exposed to traumatizing scenes, for instances; witnessing murder or suicide, mass killings, gun shooting or war zone, can expose a person to a lot of emotional and psychological trauma. Take for example, the police personnel who see macabre killings, doctors or nurses in hospitals, a person exposed to suicidal behavior by family or friends, or even a person who has served jail term, they are often prone to depression.
j. Lifestyle
Getting some sort of fame, can expose an individual to extreme levels of anxiety, stress and pressure. This often leads to misuse of alcohol and drugs, disrupted sleeping patterns, physical distance from friends and family, thus affecting the physical and mental health of the person.
k. Fame
Getting some sort of fame, can expose an individual to extreme levels of anxiety, stress and pressure. This often leads to misuse of alcohol and drugs, disrupted sleeping patterns, physical distance from friends and family, thus affecting the physical and mental health of the person.
l. Cultural beliefs
Certain cultural beliefs may put people in peculiar positions. Take for instance; culture that prohibit expression, show of feeling, emotions (men are not supposed to cry) and even those that overlook LGBTQI rights, space and reality. They conditioned that they are not supposed to do certain things, even when those things seem pretty normal. Thus, you find people being predisposed based on cultural imposed conditions, and as they try to repress those emotions, the higher the chances of them having worse symptomatology or experience of depressive state.
m. Adolescence
Adolescence is a stage, when prevalence rates of emotional and behavioural problems are high. This is the stage when most teens are rude, violent, and engage in alcohol and substance abuse. With poor or lack of advice in handling traumatic life experiences, may end up engaging in violent acts like school riots, burning school properties, bullying and molesting others, murder and even suicide.
n. College life
When a person joins college/university, they get some sort of freedom, which they didn’t have in high school or at home. This new-found freedom comes with bad influence, peer pressure, drugs, alcohol and sex. If the student is not strong enough and backed with good advice, then he/she will be consumed. Campus life contributes greatly to the life of a student, with breakups in friendships and romantic relationships, and the purpose and meaning of life lost. Campuses are now breeding grounds for depression, and without help, suicidal thoughts will come into play, when life becomes unbearable and relationships go south.
o. Personality
Some personality traits can put people at a higher risk of developing depression. These include low self-esteem or a habit of criticizing oneself too much. These personality traits can come from the person’s genes, which they get from their parents, or they can be as a result of experiences in their early life.
p. Loneliness
The risk of depression gets higher if someone isn’t in contact or spending time with family and friends.
q. Giving birth
Pregnancy and child delivery can make some women vulnerable to depression. Postpartum (postnatal) depression can happen as the result of physical changes, hormonal changes, and the responsibility of taking care of a new baby.
The symptoms of depression may vary from one person to another, but there are common signs that tend to show in most people. For instance, feeling empty, sad and hopeless. Often people will notice changes in your family life, social life and work. These symptoms may persist for weeks and even months, they in some cases be seasonal (they come and go). Depression affects men, women and children differently, and the symptoms of depression in men vary from those in women and in children, and vice versa.
a. Symptoms of depression in men
Symptoms of depression in men may include;
b. Symptoms of depression in women
Symptoms of depression in women may include;
c. Symptoms of depression in children
Symptoms of depression in children may include;
Depression is something that can eat you up and end up destroying you. While depression can affect virtually everybody, some people might end up being consumed by it, while others cope up with it and come out strong. Some of the activities that someone engages in while feeling depressed can help accelerate the effects of depression. There are many things depressed people can do to lift and stabilize their moods.
In order to diagnose if a person has depression, doctors may ask a variety of questions, for instance; family health history, mood and behaviour patterns (such as eating and sleeping), and thoughts of suicide. They may also ask patients to report their depression symptoms on a printed questionnaire. The person must also exhibit a depressed mood, or loss of interest or pleasure for a period of 2 weeks or so.
The doctor may also do a blood test so as to rule out that the symptoms are not caused by another medical condition, such as a thyroid problem, or due to the direct effects of a drug or medication. Doctors will then look at whether the symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. Doctors describe depression in one of three ways, depending on how serious it is:
Depression is treatable, though it might take time before the person sees any improvement. Most depressed people feel better when treated with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. Treatment should be individualized, as it various from one person to another, what works for one person might not necessarily work for another.
a. Psychotherapy
There are many different types of therapies that are effective in reducing depression.
b. Medications
There are many different medications that can help reduce the symptoms of depression. Medications are most effective when used in conjunction with therapy. Here are some classes of medication that are commonly used to treat depression.
c. Supplements
Several types of supplements are thought to have some positive impact on depression symptoms.
d. Essential oils
People with depression may find symptom relief with some essential oils.
e. Vitamins
Two vitamins are very useful for easing symptoms of depression.
f. Other treatments
If other medications or therapy have been tried and still no improvement, more extreme treatment measures may be recommended.
Victor Mochere is an award winning blogger, social media influencer, literati savant, altruistic, and a netpreneur creating and marketing digital content.
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