Once in a while, events in our lives disappoint us and make us sad. Having lost someone very important could lead you 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 happens among people who are not able to recover from the normal cycle of distress. They are those individuals who have not coped up from stress.
Depression may be a state of mind but it is also connected to physical changes in the 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 drives emotional centers of the brain into overdrive so that negative events make a disproportionate impact and hijack rational response systems. Literally, one cannot think clearly. It makes one ponder 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 very minimal stress because it may be inherited. On the other hand, there are people who are not able to adjust to certain changes in their lives, like losing a loved one, or even when after getting married, get depressed. These individuals may not have inherited depression but they are still prone to get depressed when they are not able to recover from their gloomy moments. In addition, a negative 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 you get depressed, you feel hopeless and sad. You may not feel any pleasure from almost anything you do. Others either lose or gain weight because of changes in appetite. There are those who will develop insomnia 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 .
Gender difference is one factor in considering depression. More women get depressed than men. This could be because of hormonal changes brought on by 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 cover their condition 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. Seeing themselves useless and unimportant could also lead the elderly to become depress.
Depression doesn’t go away on its own. You must really do something. Today, there are a number of therapies and treatments available to treat depression. Supportive counseling aids relieve the pain of depression, and tackles the feelings of hopelessness. Cognitive remedy on the other hand, changes the negative thinking, expectations, and negative self-evaluations that create depression and prolong. This therapy facilitates the person differentiate serious from minor problems and it helps one to develop positive life goals and a more positive self-evaluation. Behavioral therapy lets an individual to make constructive solutions to certain problems. This develops better coping skills. These therapies may be combined for a better and faster recovery.
Depression is more of state of mind than of biological basis. Everyone can control their mind. We can say that our minds are very powerful that our thinking affects our judgment and outlook in life, but the individual is capable of deciding whether to allow these pessimistic to push them all aside and select to see the brighter side of life.
