Depression: A silent killer

Lets talk about a real disease, Depression.
Yes, Depression is a real illness. It affects an estimated 1 in 15 adults in any given year. Moreover 1 in 6 people will experience depression at some point of time in their life. Depression can strike at any time but at average it first appears during late teens to mid 20's. Women are more likely to experience depression. Some studies show that 1/3rd of women will experience major depression at least once in their life time.

What's Depression?
Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how a person feels, the way he thinks and how  he acts. Fortunately, depression is treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person's ability to function at work and at home.

How to identify if you or any of your close one has Depression:
Following are some of the common symptoms of Depression:
1.Feeling sad or having depressed mood.
2.Fatigue and loss of energy.
3.Slowed movements and speech.
4.Thoughts of death or suicide.
5.Difficulty in concentrating, thinking and decision making.
6.Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.
7.Change in sleep patterns (sleeping less or more)
8.Change in appetite.

It is important to note here that some medical conditions can mimic the symptoms of depressions, so it is important to rule out any other medical issues before taking any steps in this regard.

How to help a friend/family member you knew has depression:
Here are some of the tips that could help:-

1.Know their schedule so that you can talk to the person their appropriate time.

2.Be their to listen to them and have patience.

3.Take their feelings seriously.

4.Try to familiarize yourself with their emotional state as much as you can.

5.Encourage and persuade them to get help.

6.Let them know about support services, if any.

7.Importantly,back down if they are not ready to talk.

8.Respond to emergencies in case they are in danger.

9.Never discount the feelings they express.

Treatment of Depression:

Depression is among the most treatable mental conditions. 80% to 90% of people with depression eventually respond well to treatment. Almost all patients gain some kind of relief from their symptoms.

Below are some of the options available to a patient suffering from depression:

1.Medication: Antidepressants and in some situations psychotropic medications may be very helpful.

2.Psycho-therapy or talk therapy: Psychotherapy alone can be helpful in treating mild depression. In case of severe depression psychotherapy in combination with anti depressants are often used.

3.Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): ECT is used in patients who failed to respond to above treatments. This is with the case of severe major depression or bipolar disorder. 

Finally there are a number of things people can do to help reduce the symptoms of depression. for many people, regular exercise helps create a positive feeling and also improves mood. Other things include getting regular quality sleep, eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol etc can also help in reducing the symptoms of depression.

Wishing you all a healthy life..

Thank you.