Depression is one of the serious and common diseases found mostly in young and old. It is a mental illness that involves sadness, hopelessness about the future, loss of interest in daily life, loss of appetite, the feeling of suicide, and general weakness in a healthy lifestyle. According to estimation, more than 280 million persons are affected by this disease, including 5-6% of adults and 4-5%of older people. Fortunately, it’s a curable disease. Depression affects mood, moral etiquette, thoughts, self-confidence, and energy level doing something. It is a mood disorder. In our daily lives, we come across many people who have anxiety and depression issues, and such type of people have communication gaps, no social life, and avoid gatherings.
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION:
There are many causes of depression, but some are the main and important ones. The symptoms vary among males, females, teens, and youth.
- Family history is one of the causes of depression. If your family member has suffered from this disease, you have a higher risk of depression and other mood disorders because depression is classified as a mood disorder.
- Hormonal imbalance is the cause of depression in females and young girls.
- Childhood trauma and mishap can affect your reaction to stressful conditions and become involved in anxiety and depression.
- Certain medical conditions and illnesses such as heart attack, childbirth, headache, insomnia, and many more make a person likely to become hopeless and lose interest in all walks of life.
- Environmental factors such as poverty, rejection, physical appearance, and fewer resources for a healthy lifestyle also cause depression.
TYPES OF DEPRESSION:
- PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
It’s a type of depression called dysthymia. It is an acute form of depression, healthy lifestyle resources, and its severe form is depression.
2. POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
It’s a type of depression commonly in pregnancy after childbirth, but it lasts for a week or two. It is caused by hormonal changes after childbirth.
OUR RULE IN HELPING SOMEONE WITH DEPRESSION
If we observe our family member, friend, or colleague suffering from depression, our first step is to understand that person’s condition and not overlook this matter. We mostly are unaware of this disorder and haven’t any knowledge of this disease. The main need of the hour is to educate ourselves about depression because our society considers talking about depression taboo. That’s why it’s necessary to educate ourselves about depression otherwise, we can’t help our friend or a family member suffering from this. We can get to know about it online through websites. Mostly we don’t make it a serious problem. While talking to someone suffering from depression, people say it’s not a serious issue and try to move out of this condition, although it’s a mental disorder.
A GOOD LISTENER
We should try to be compassionate and polite listeners because our little attention and time can help a patient with depression and try to engage with your friend. As friends or colleagues, we should tell that particular person that it’s a curable and treatable disease.
HELP IN FINDING A THERAPIST
If a friend is suffering from depression, we should help find a licensed therapist or a doctor. We should motivate a depressed person that medical help or a session with a doctor helps you a lot, and I’m with you in all these circumstances. Assuring your help in all thick and thin helps a depressed person feel better.
STAY IN TOUCH
We should keep in touch or contact the depressed person by messaging, phone call, or any other social media app because a depressed person tries to avoid gatherings, meetings, and socializing with friends.
DIFFERENT FORMS OF DEPRESSION
We should also know that a depressed person has different mood swings, frequent anger, indecision, confusion, and exhaustion. As friends, we should know that all these behavioral time changes are a part of depression, and we should not get tired of helping our friends because we don’t know what is in our future. If we will suffer from depression in the future, then we would also need someone for help because the basic need of depression is the availability of someone who keeps on listening to our hopelessness and sadness.
SHOW EMPATHY
We should always be polite and generous towards our friends suffering from depression. We don’t want to make him feel that it’s a burden for you to help, so always listen and solve their problems in an empathetic way.
GIVE TIME
We should give our special time to our friends because giving time can reduce depression and anxiety, and feel relaxed and happy. So try to keep time with your loved one in depression.
GIVING HOPE
A person who suffers from depression always sees the world from dark aspects and becomes a pessimist, so we should always give hope to a depressive person because hope is the main guarding light for depression as depressed persons are very hopeless and sad.
HELPING WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
Depressive persons always remain sad and think that their life and presence are of no use and the world would be a better place without them and consider that suicide is the only solution to their depressive thoughts, but don’t think that problems are temporary and suicide is permanent. So whenever a person talks about suicidal thoughts, try to take it seriously and give immediate help and conversation with the person. Don’t neglect someone’s suicidal thoughts because we have to refrain from ending his life as a person.
So a noble and responsible citizens, we should educate ourselves about depression and not consider it a stigma that depression has no existence and it’s a minor issue. However, it’s a very serious problem nowadays. We should be aware of our surroundings, and if someone suffers from depression, we should help him in any possible way.
