DEPRESSION

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DEPRESSION

 

 

 

" I'm feeling depressed! " This is a common feeling

experienced by people of all ages from time to time. If short lived,

this is a perfectly normal reaction to failures and disappointments in

life. The problem arises when depression become pathological i.e it

becomes the permanent and pervading mood of the person.

 

 

 

This problem is commoner than might seem. Every one in

20 persons is found to be suffering from depression at any given time.

Infact, more than one in five persons is likely to suffer from

depression in their life time.

 

 

 

Who is likely to suffer from Depression:

 

 

 

This disease knows no boundaries of age/gender. However

some people are more likely to develop depression eg. following the

death of a lived one, loss of employment, teenagers, menopausal females

and elderly people - specially those living alone.

 

 

 

How to recognise Depression:

 

 

 

This is persistent sadness of mood. The person has loss

of interest in onself, surrounding occupation and daily activities.

Forgetfulness and irritability are frequent. The person has recurring

thoughts of death and feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. The

general attitude is one of apathy.

 

 

 

Depression in Children:

 

 

 

Though it seems unlikely, depression is a common entity

in children. In fact, even a 6 months old infant is liable to suffer

from it. The commonest age however is at the onset of puberty. At this

time, due to hormonal and physical changes, the teenager suffers from

mental turmoil.

 

 

 

At the same time, increasing pressure of studies coupled

with unrealistic parental expectations, add to their stress and might

precipitate depression. In fact the months from March to June see a high

spurt in cases of teen suicide, as most of the major exams are held, and

results declared, during this period.

 

 

 

The Role of parents in Preventing Depression:

 

 

 

Parents can be the biggest support and emotional

anchor for their children. Perhaps the best thing they can do is to

help the child to build up good self esteem. Avoid belittling the

child, specially in front of outsiders.

 

 

 

It is advisable to not put undue emphasis on academic

performance alone. Every child cannot be a genius, and yet each child

has some unique talent or gift. Rather than furnishing on what he

doesn't do well - the stress should be on what he can do well and then

encouraging him to grow in that direction..

 

 

 

Be your child's friend - and be ready with a patient ear

and helping hand whenever he needs it.

 

 

 

What to do when Depression strikes:

 

 

 

If any of the above mentioned symptoms are exhibited by

someone close to you, do not delay in taking them to a qualified

psychiatrist. The doctor will make a definitive diagnosis and treat the

case as required - with counselling, psychotherapy and/or medicines.

 

 

 

The role of relatives and friends is to ensure that the

patient attends the counselling sessions and also takes medicines as

prescribed. Besides, its very important to maintain a cheerful

atmosphere and to boost the patients morale.

 

 

 

In conclusion, we can see the depression is a treatable

and curable. One should not attach social stigma to it. The road to

recovery may be long and at times, disheartening, but the final out come

would have been well worth the effort.