Understanding Clinical Depression

Introduction:

 In this new age of development, competition, and fast life, we are already in the middle of ‘mental health crisis’. As per WHO, we are approaching a  ‘mental health pandemic’, leading to suicidal deaths, which is going to be much bigger than the one of Covid 19 we experienced in our recent past. In the run for money, the human race has totally neglected self care. More than 50% Americans are on prescription drugs. Their future generations are more likely to be born with faulty genetic sequencing, encouraging such disorders. In this blog, we will shed light on understanding clinical depression, its root causes, how it is initiated, various self help coping methods, treatments and therapies. We will also discuss how it affects our life in general. Remember, Awareness is the key and self help is a priority, if you really want to excel in life.

What is Clinical Depression?

Clinical depression, also referred as major depressive disorder (MDD), manifests as sense of despair, no purpose, continuous sadness, highly restricted activities and loneliness. But its not just fleeting sadness, it shadows every aspect of one’s life. It hampers daily activities and shatters the need to being and existing.

Depression Symptoms:

While viewing deep into Clinical Depression, we discover that there are many additional distressing symptoms, impacting overall emotional and cognitive health. These symptoms include:

1. Persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness..

• Loss of interest of pleasurable activities once pleasurable, leading to a purposeless life.
• Physical Fatigue and mental lethargy. One feels life is burdensome in general.
• Disturbed circadian rhythms rendering to insomnia or hypersomnia disrupting states of rest and wakefulness.
• Changes in appetite patterns.
• Feelings of worthlessness, becoming self-critical, eroding self-esteem and residing in a sense of inadequacy.
• Loss of concentrating, decision making, repetitive thinking pattern, making tasks appear herculean..

• Suicidal thoughts or planning death, feelings of hopelessness and meaninglessness.

Root Causes of Clinical Depression:

Depression causes can be many. It is very important to identify the root cause so that method of dealing with it is better targeted. Whatever the cause, symptoms largely remain the same. The main root causes are:

1.  Biological Factors: Imbalances in neuropeptides or brain chemicals. Serotonin and dopamine equilibrium is disrupted, predisposing depression.

• Genetic Predisposition: Susceptibility to any mental disorder increases if one has a family history, or a hereditary component.
• Environmental Stressors: past life Trauma, stressful working environment, relational conflicts, or financial hardships can trigger onset of depression.

• Cognition Vulnerability: constantly thinking negative, un resourceful coping skills, and rumination escalates depressive symptoms.

Difference between sadness and clinical depression:

Being sad is a normal reaction in difficult situation. Losing a job, loss of a near and dear one, loss in stock market are certain life situation where anybody would be sad. But it fades away within a week’s time. One is capable of thinking ones way out of such a situation.

Clinical depression creeps in when the sadness lasts for more than 10 days. It starts interfering with normal and every day life functioning. There are three levels of depressive episodes, namely mild, moderate and severe, based on severity of symptoms and functional impairment.

Impact of depression on individuals and society:

Individually, it affects all areas of life including family, relationships, career, education etc. the impact on society are isolation, negative social interaction, giving strong reactions to peers. If the treatment is not initiated, it may lead to co occurring mental and physical disorders. It hampers the immune system.

Seeking Help: 

Mental Health challenges is the next pandemic, says WHO. Today, various online consultations are available that helps break stigma around mental health. Always keep Self help a priority.

Treatment Options:

Various forms of treatments are available that offer hope and strength to ones in clinical depression or major depressive disorder. These include:

1. Psychotherapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), and psychodynamic therapy are very helpful in exploring underlying emotional challenges, thought patterns, and cultivate coping skills.
2. Pharmacotherapy: Antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), rebalance neurotransmitter levels, alleviating symptoms of depression.
3. Lifestyle changes: Cultivating habits like regular exercise, nutritious diet, adequate sleep, and stress management techniques, work wonders against depression.
4. Social Networks: Reconnecting with long lost school friends, family members, or peer support groups are of great help in reestablishing contact with self. It also enhances sense of belonging, much needed in such times..
5. Mindfulness and Meditation: Practicing mindfulness-based interventions is one answer to 1000 problems. To name a few techniques, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), are great help to cultivates self-awareness, acceptance, and equanimity.

Conclusion

One suffering from depression wants to come out of it but can not find a way. Embracing hope serves as a north star that helps heal and restore. Only empathy, understanding, and awareness has the key to the locks of stigma around mental illness. You are not alone. We can be your north star  in your struggle. Together we can. We assure you of a  stronger, wiser, and more resilient future.