Depression is one of the common diseases found to hit the majority around the world. It is a common anxiety disorder that is characterized by different symptoms of sadness, crying, etc. while many are affected from it, the majority is left untreated due to lack of understanding of the emerging symptoms. This leads to chronic conditions risking one’s life with suicidal thoughts and attempts.

Depression is what peeks into our lives daily. It is a severe mood disorder influencing our feelings, thinking, and other daily life activities like eating, sleeping, smiling, talking, etc.

Why is it left untreated?

Whenever we talk about a disease, the cure comes hand-in-hand. However, still, depression (a widespread disease found in every three out of five persons) is left untreated. The question arises why?

As analyzed by expert psychologists and psychiatrists around the world, it has been found that there are two prime reasons behind this:

• Firstly, the majority fails to recognize the symptoms. Excess crying, sadness, phobia, etc. tend to be some of the commonly found ones. People often ignore them believing that it’s just a phase. However, doctors suggest that the consistency of such expressions for two weeks gives robust evidence of anxiety disorder.
• Secondly, many people are left untreated because even if they recognize their symptoms, they are predated by self-stigma

Self-stigma: it is a phenomenon in which a person feels weaker than others and tends to be afraid of what people would think of him if he begins to survive on anti-depressants.

How common is depression?

We are living in a world full of depressing heads wiping their tears behind the curtains. Depression is not associated with the age factor. It is found in people of all ages. However, adults are found to be the leading victims. More of them are students in pressure of bulk of assignments while they have low writing skills. There are some solutions online such as dissertation writing services, they can go with them.

Reports suggest that the disease is seen to affect 16 million adults and 3 million adolescents throughout the US.

Now, what’s even worse than the depression itself? The untreated depression!-among these sixteen and three million victims, 37 and 60 percent of them respectively goes on surviving without any treatment due to reasons mentioned above.

Causes of depression

As per a world survey, it is most likely to emerge in adults. However, this is not mandatory, and people of all ages can experience it at any point in life. Even pediatrics can have anxiety disorders. Doctors believe depression to be a combination of four different factors of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental.

This may involve:

1. GENETICS- prior family history of depression especially in parents.
2. BIOLOGICAL-medicines being used to treat other diseases can cause distress.
3. PSYCHOLOGICAL-Excess use of social media and victim of cyberbullying
4. ENVIRONMENTAL-Suffering through severe trauma or stress due to reasons like death of a beloved one, failure, etc. it also involves significant changes in life such as massive loss in business, divorce, etc.

Signs and symptoms of depression

Depression is characterized by the emergence of many signs and symptoms. However, they may or may not be identical in two different patients. Every next person may experience some different alarming condition implying straight to the initial stage of depression.

However, there are a few on the list below that are found to be extremely common.

• Sadness with no reason OR feeling anxious OR empty mind and brain for hours.
• Feeling guilty and helpless.
• Feeling worthless
• Experiencing irritation
• Losing interest in things/activities you use to enjoy earlier
• Lack of energy and feeling fatigue/tiredness.
• Fluctuation in usual sleep pattern
• Being restless OR facing trouble sitting in one position.
• Facing problem in memorizing things, concentration, and taking decisions.
• Suicidal thoughts
• Excess losing or gaining weight
• Feeling like crying for no reason
• Talking or moving excessively.
• Prolonged acne, cramps, pain, and digestion problems.

Depression tends to show up with different symptoms in every next patient. This differentiation may also be because of distinct age groups. For example:

Women may feel the symptoms of sadness, excess crying, guilty, or less worthy.

Men may feel irritation due to which they will have aggressive behavior. Men suffering from anxiety disorders usually hide their feelings and emotions.

Adults are seen to be crabby and tired. They may show up with excess sleeping as the first symptom. Moreover, they may have other conditions as well like confusion, heart diseases, palpitation, and trouble paying attention to things.

Children may be stubborn in depression. Moreover, they may refuse to go to school and have a phobia of losing their parents.

Diagnoses and management

Any medical condition from the list stated above lasting for more than two weeks implies for the early stage of depression. However, seeking medical treatment for it is not an easy step as no one wants to land at that point. Keeping the self-stigma on the side, it is essential to consult your doctor for emerging conditions for proper diagnosis.

Certain things can help a patient efficiently manage his depression.

• First of all, a person must try to improve his lifestyle, eating habits, sleeping pattern, and social circle.
• Secondly, he must have a psychotherapy and one-on-one sessions on counseling with his psychologist.
• Thirdly, medication.

Sometimes, a patient may recover only from the first two steps, but sometimes, he may also need to take medicines.

Consoling a depressed mind

People suffering through depression are eagerly seeking for some support. More than help, they are thirsty of love and attention. If they are not single, the use of realistic sex dolls may be a good option.

One may always act polite and concerned for such a patient. Console him with words acknowledging him that he is not alone in the race and things like, ‘it’s just a temporary phase’ etc. however, it is often observed that at first, it turns out to be useless to console someone with such a medical condition. These patients usually get irritated with these words and oppose you for doing so. However, one must understand their state of mind and don’t take things personally.

His acts and words must be ignored believing that he is not at his best right now.

Animal like dogs can be used as a treatment for a depressed mind. Things like luxury dog beds can make these animal feel comfortable at home.

 

Conclusion

Depression is the most common disease of time. Affecting children of the growing age to the older ones, it can affect one at any stage of life. However, there was a time when there was no proper cure except for self-management. Now is the time when we have appropriate medications and skilled psychologists to have counseling sessions to discuss the issues and look for treatment.