Every once in a while, events in our lives disappoint us and make us sad. having a bad day could lead one to say ”I am so depressed.” Some people utter that depression feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. In our lifetime, it is quite normal to feel depressed on a certain point but chronic depression occurs among people who are not able to recover from the normal cycle of distress. These are people who are not able to deal with stress.
Depression is not just a state of mind but it is also connected to physical changes in our brain. Depression is said to be caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters that carry signals in the brain and nerves. Excess activity of the stress response system propel emotional centers of the brain into overdrive so that negative events make a disproportionate impact and hijack rational response systems. One literally can’t think straight. It makes one think over and over about the difficulties and disappointments one until that’s all one can focus on. Depression could be both caused by the genes or the environment. To most, being depressed is inherited. They are inclined to be depressed even when faced with mild stress because it may be inherited. On a different note, there are individuals who has not adjust to minimal changes in life. For example, failing in an exam. Depression can always creep in. These individuals may not have hereditay depression but still they are prone to be depressed when they are not able to recover from their gloomy moments. Moreover, a unenthusisastic personality characterized by a low self-esteem, and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. As said earlier, it is normal for people to become depressed but only for a short while. When depression prolongs, it could lead to other psychological disorders.
When one is depressed, one may feel hopeless and sad. You always find displeasure in the things that you do. Others either lose or gain weight because of changes in appetite. There are those who cannot sleep at night while others would develop hypersomnia. Someone who is depressed can either be restless or exhausted that a little movement is a very great effort for them .
In taking a look at depression, one should also take into account diffrences in gender. Women are almost twice as likely to become depressed as men. Reasons could be attributed to changes in the hormones of the body like puberty, menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy. However, records of men becoming depressed may come in small numbers because men less likely seek help when they are depressed. Men usually mask their depression with drugs or alcohol. On an interesting fact, a high number of men are seen to commit suicide due to depression. Elder people are also prone to becoming depressed. This can be attributed to the fact that most of them are having problems living alone with their children having their own lives already. Feelings of being useless and unimportant could also lead older people to become depress.
Once you have the disorder of depression, the disorder wont leave you on its own. One must do something with it. We are lucky that in the present, treatments are therapies are easily available to teat depression. Supportive counseling helps relieve the pain of depression, and tackles the feelings of hopelessness. Cognitive remedy on the other hand, adjusts the negative thoughts, expectations, and negative self-evaluations that create depression and maintain. This therapy helps the person distinguish serious from minor problems and it helps the person to build up positive life goals and a more positive self-evaluation. Behavioral therapy allows the person to try solving certain problems in a more constructive way. This develops improved coping skills. These therapies may be combined for a better and faster recovery.
Though depression may have biological basis, it is still a state of mind. Everyone can control their mind. The mind may be very powerful in instilling thoughts that could affect one’s judgment and outlook in life, but the individual is capable of deciding whether to allow these pessimistic rule over all away and decide
to view the brighter side of life.
