Depression2

Depression

Everybody feels hopeless, down, bummed, blue, or pessimistic every now and then, but that's normal. Depression on the other hand is often called "The Common Cold of Mental Health", as it is a "whole-body" illness which involves the body, thoughts, and mood. It influences the way of eating and sleeping, the way of feeling about oneself, and the way one thinks about things.

Depression or depressive disorder is very different from a passing blue mood. It is not a mark of personal weakness or a condition that can be wished or willed away. People with this disorder cannot simply "pull themselves together" and get better. Individuals, who do not seek treatment when they have depressive disorder, can have their symptoms last for weeks, months, or years. Proper treatment can help the majority of people who suffer from depression.

Symptoms of depression may differ from person to person and can also depend on the severity of the depression. Depression causes alterations in thinking, behavior, feeling, and physical health.

o Changes in thinking. One may experience difficulty with focus and decision making. Others account trouble with short term memory; they forget things all the time. Depression is characterized by negative thought, pessimism, excessive guilt, poor self-esteem, and self-criticism, which are all common. A few people have self-destructive thoughts during more severe depression.
o Changes in Feelings. One may feel sad for no reason at all, and some describe that they no longer enjoy activities that they once found delightful. Lack of motivation, becoming apathetic, feeling slowed down and tired all the time, and sometimes irritability and a hard time controlling the temper are common experiences in change of feelings.
o Changes in Behavior. During depression, changes in behavior are mirrors of the negative emotions experienced, they may act more indifferent because that's how they feel, and some do not feel comfortable with other people so social withdrawal is usual. The chronic sadness causes excessive crying, which is common, and some complain about everything as a result of lack of sexual activity. In extreme cases, some people abandon their personal appearance, event their personal hygiene. Someone under depression does not do very much, as a result, work productivity and household responsibilities are neglected, and some even have a hard time getting out of bed.
o Changes in Physical Health. Chronic fatigue, even with excessive sleeping, is common. Some can't sleep, or don't sleep very well and these people just lay awake for hours or awaken a lot of times during the night and stare at the ceiling. Others sleep for long hours, even most of the day and they still feel tired. A lot of people suffering from depression lose appetite, complain of aches and pains, feel slowed down, and others are restless and can't sit still.

Depression is present if these symptoms are experienced for at least several weeks, but it is not a good idea to diagnose yourself, so seeking the help of an expert as soon as possible is highly recommended. Proper diagnoses and treatment is essential because depression is treatable. Instead of worrying if you have depression, do something about it and get the help needed.