Thursday 20 June 2013

Depression

Depression is...

Common

One in five people are expected to go through depression at some point in their lives. 

Difficult to spot

Sometimes, those suffering from depression hide their true feelings from their friends and family. Some others do not even know that they are suffering from depression, because they think that they don't have anything worth feeling depressed about.  

Know the signs:
  • Periods of sadness or continuous low moods
  • Finding difficulty in enjoying things once pleasurable (i.e. sports, art)
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Difficulty sleeping, or staying asleep
  • Lack of energy
  • Loss of interest in sex
  • Socialising less than usual
  • Feeling restless
  • Feeling hopeless, or worthless
  • Thoughts of suicide, or self-harm
Non-judgemental

Depression can affect anyone, at any time. It doesn't matter if they 'have it all'. Someone who is well-liked, with a great paying job and a family can be just as depressed as someone who is in a less fortunate state.

Complex

Contrary to common belief, there are many different types of depression:
  • Major depressive disorder - Someone is diagnosed with this type of depression when they experience persistent depressed moods that lasts for at least 2 weeks at a time, and suffer from at least five of the symptoms described above on a daily basis. If something positive happens to them, they are not likely to see their mood improve.
  • Atypical depression - Those with atypical depression experience the same type of symptoms as those with major depressive disorder, but will see their mood improve if something positive happens to them. They also suffer from less depressive symptoms than those with major depressive disorder do.
  • Psychotic depression - This is a subtype of major depressive disorder, and is diagnosed when the sufferer experiences psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations in addition to their depressive symptoms.
  • Bipolar disorder - People who suffer from bipolar disorder see their moods swinging from one extreme (depression) to the other (mania).
  • Cyclothymia - Cyclothymia is a mild form of bipolar disorder.
  • Dysthymia - A mild form of major depressive disorder
  • Postnatal depression - A type of depression that affects women after giving birth
  • Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - This form of depression affects sufferers during a particular season. Winter, most commonly. People are not sure of what exactly causes SAD, but it is linked with a lack of sunlight.
Depression is not...

Curable

Sadly, there is no cure for depression. There are however, ways to combat it:
  • Therapy (there are many different types, so do your research to find the one that works best for you)
  • Medication (the same goes for medication. It usually takes a bit of trial and error to find the drug that works best for you
  • SAD lamps
  • Healthy eating
  • Excercise
  • Reduce stress
  • Get sufficient sleep
  • Acupuncture
  • Find some relaxation techniques (yoga, deep breathing etc)
  • Have a good support system around you (friends, family, therapists etc)
Finding something that works well for you takes time and patience. Don't lose heart if one form of medication or therapy doesn't work out for you. It often takes a few attempts to find the one that is right for you.

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