Depression: Identification and tackle it wisely
It is essential to identify this 'silent inner killer' and tackle it wisely
Main points
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Depression is a common mental disorder. Worldwide, more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from Depression
- Depression is the foremost cause of disability and is a significant contributor to the overall global burden of disease.
- Women are affected more than men, and it can lead to suicide.
- There are effective psychological and pharmacological treatments for moderate and severe depression.
Depression is a result of endless sadness and less interest or happiness in previously enjoyable activities. It disturbs sleep, appetite, tiredness, and concentration ability. Depression affects long-lasting or persistent and can affect a person's ability to function and live a healthy life. Psychological and pharmacological treatments exist for moderate and severe Depression.
Causes
1. Complex interactions between social, psychological and
biological factors.
2. Life events such as childhood adversity, loss and
unemployment
3. In low- and middle-income countries, treatment and support
services for Depression are often absent or underdeveloped. An estimated 76–85%
of people suffering from mental disorders in these countries lack access to the
treatment they need.
Impact
Depression and associated mental disorders can have a profound
effect on all aspects of life, including performance at school, productivity at
work, relationships with family and friends, and ability to participate in the
community. Research also shows strong relationships between Depression and
physical health, including tuberculosis and cardiovascular disease. Depression
affects all types of people – young and old, rich and poor – in all countries.
Women are more likely to have Depression than men.
Types and symptoms
Based on the symptoms, a depression can be mild, moderate or
severe. A person with a mild depression faces difficulty in carrying out
routine work and social activities but will probably not stop to function
completely. But during a severe depression, sufferer will not be able to
continue social work or domestic activities, except to a limited extent.
Recurrent depressive disorder: this disorder involves repeated Depression. An individual faces miserable mood, loss of interest and enjoyment, and reduced energy which results in reduced activity for at least half month. Numerous people suffer from anxiety symptoms, disturbed sleep and appetite, and may experience feelings of guilt or low self-worth, poor concentration and even some symptoms that cannot be elucidated by a medical diagnosis.
Bipolar affective
disorder: This type of Depression typically consists of both manic
and Depression separated by periods of normal mood. Manic episodes involve high
or irritable mood, over-activity, pressure of speech, extravagant self-esteem
and a less need for sleep.
Contributing factors and
prevention
Depression results from a complex interaction of social,
psychological and biological factors. People who have gone through adverse life
events (unemployment, sadness, psychological trauma) are more likely to undergo
Depression. Depression leads to stress and dysfunction and deteriorate the
affected person's life situation.
Depression and physical health are interrelated. For example,
cardiovascular disease can lead to Depression and vice versa.
Prevention programmes have been shown to reduce Depression. Effective community approaches to prevent Depression include school-based programmes to enhance a pattern of positive thinking in children and adolescents. Interventions for parents of children with behavioural problems may reduce parental depressive symptoms and improve outcomes for their children. Exercise programmes for the elderly can also be effective in depression prevention.
Diagnosis and treatment
There are
effective treatments for moderate and severe Depression. Health-care providers
may offer psychological treatments such as behavioural activation, cognitive
behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), or
antidepressant medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Health-care providers should keep
in mind the possible adverse effects associated with antidepressant medication,
the ability to deliver either intervention (in terms of expertise, and/or
treatment availability), and individual preferences. Different psychological
treatment formats for consideration include individual and/or group
face-to-face psychological treatments delivered by professionals and supervised
lay therapists.
Psychosocial treatments are also effective for mild Depression.
Antidepressants can be an effective form of treatment for moderate-severe Depression
but are not the first line of treatment for cases of mild Depression. They
should not be used for treating Depression in children and are not the first
line of treatment in adolescents, among whom they should be used with extra
caution.
Organizations
working for Depression
https://www.vandrevalafoundation.com/
https://www.hopefordepression.org/depression-facts/organizations/
https://www.hopefordepression.org/depression-facts/organizations/
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression
https://nndc.org/resource-links/
https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
Have a look on Statistics
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention Depression in the
U.S. Household Population 2009–2012.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Depression Among
Women
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
National Institute of Mental Health
Recently, Sushant
Singh Rajput, Bollywood actor, has committed suicide due to Depression on June
14, 2020. Many Bollywood people and cricketers are talking about their stories
that how they overcome Depression.
Deepika Padukone
has also suffered from Depression and she said "The
toughest part in the journey for me was not understanding what I was feeling,"
said Padukone. "Just having the diagnoses in itself felt like a massive
relief." She has set up the Live, Love, Laugh Foundation in 2015 to
support other sufferers. The charity aims to spread awareness of mental health
issues, having launched India's first national campaign, as well as working to
help people reach diagnoses.However, she noted that stigma and lack of
awareness surrounding mental illness can make it difficult for sufferers to
reach out.
The 30-year-actress said that in 2015, after two of her
back-to-back films failed to work and after she broke up with the then
boyfriend (whom she did not name), she slipped into Depression. Parineeti said
that she 'had no money' and 'nothing positive to look forward to' at that time.
Anushka Sharma talked about the need to normalise
anxiety and other mental health conditions. The actress shared a quote titled
Depression, which said, "Depression is a prison where you are both the
suffering prisoner and the cruel jailer." She also spoke at length about
how she wants to completely erase the shame related to anxiety and Depression.
Varun Dhawan actor had revealed how he
was really depressed while playing a psycho in the movie 'Badlapur.' However,
the actor won all our hearts when he said that he did not want to throw around
the term 'depression' loosely, even though he had gone into a shell of his own
during the filming of the movie.
Yes, even the King Khan of Bollywood had
to fight this dreaded mental health condition when he was already in a
tremendous amount of pain due to his shoulder surgery in 2010. The 53-year-old
superstar was quoted as saying, "Due to the shoulder injury, and the
suffering, I had got into a depression mode, but now I am out of it. I feel
happy and boosted with energy."
The 46-year-old movie maker went through
a year and half of struggle with Depression and anxiety. The film director also
shared in a telly interview how he had to take anti-anxiety medications for a
while. The 'Koffee with Karan' host also emphasised on the importance of
undergoing sessions and therapies, which ultimately made a huge difference in
his recovery.
Honey Singh opened up a few weeks back to share his account of suffering from bipolar disorder. At that time, he was fighting extreme emotions to an extent that he had no control over it. He shared with his fans his way of building courage which helped him face anything that came his way or on the way of his loved ones.
Manisha Koriala suffered acute clinical depression following her bad marriage with her former husband and various other factors. She opened up to the world about her mental condition and also requested for help and suggestions through social media. Today post her divorce and severe cancer treatments, she is walking stronger than ever.
Parveen Babi, the most beautiful women Bollywood has ever seen, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and a severe case of depression. She left behind, her career in Bollywood to join an ashram in the U.S but failed to cope with the same eventually ending her life.
The story of Jiah khan is known to us all. Unable to accept her failed career in Bollywood and pains in her personal life, she suffered from serious depression leading her to take the extreme step of ending her life
Indian cricketer S Sreesanth has said he suffered from deep Depression and had to fight suicidal thoughts. In an interview with Deccan Herald, the fast bowler said that he lived through dark times after being handed a life ban for spot-fixing.
References
2. Wang et al. Use of mental health services for anxiety, mood,
and substance disorders in 17 countries in the WHO world mental health
surveys. The Lancet. 2007; 370(9590):841-50.
3. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
Nice collection of Information
ReplyDeleteGrt work...need of the hour...
ReplyDeletevery informative
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ReplyDeleteThank You all !!
ReplyDeleteDr Gupta, you are sharing very informative knowledge with great explantaion.
DeleteVery good references has been shared and we can all see what this celebs have achived after emerging out of the dipressions.
ReplyDeleteAnd one line which comes into mind after reading that it may happened the dipressions may come to you in any sort of way but you can talk and share your problems to others and who knows who might solve your problem.
So keep sharing feelings and emotions to others and don't judge your self for anything because sabke sath hota hai..
#sabke sath hotha hai..
Thank You !!
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