Celebrities such as Deepika Padukone, Lady Gaga, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Demi Lovato, and J.K. Rowling, to name a few, have spoken up and shared their experiences on fighting depression!
Incidentally, a person suffering from depression may not even know it. In India, particularly, there is not much awareness on this matter. Here is all that you need to know about depression…
What Is Depression?
Jay Shetty, a You Tuber, explains what depression is. “People think depression is sadness. They think depression is crying or it is being quite. But depression is when we smile, but we want to cry. It’s when we talk, but want to be quiet. It’s when we pretend that we are happy, but we are not. Depression is not always obvious.”
How can you know when someone close to you is suffering from depression?
To begin, one has to understand that grief and depression are two different things. Grief can be caused due to many reasons such as death of a loved one, end of a relationship, loss in business etc. But grief lasts only for a few days, not depression.
Signs of Someone Going through Depression
You are in Pain
According to a study, people with depression are more likely to have intense or disabling neck and back pain. When someone is in a negative state of mind, the body suffers more and it automatically percolates in the body. You will feel a headache or stomach ache more often.
You are always tired
Depression often comes with an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. This is the most common sign of depression and it can also lead to excessive sleep. If you feel sleepy throughout the day, consult a doctor!
Change in Appetite
Food habit witnesses a drastic change. Some people will have increased appetite and gain weight, while others won’t feel hungry and will lose weight.
Uncontrollable Emotions
It is outburst of anger in a minute and the second moment you may be crying! Depressed people face a lot of ups and downs emotionally. Depression can cause strong mood swings. They report feeling hostile, grumpy, argumentative, foul-tempered or angry.
Loss of Interest
People who are depressed do not take interest in doing things that they loved doing before. This is the biggest indicator of depression! If your mother, brother, wife, husband, begins to excuse himself/ herself from participating in any social activity or anything for which they use to get excited, consider it a sign of depression and look for advice!
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Lifeless existence- Loss of Enthusiasm
Life is enthusiasm! Those suffering from depression exhibit ‘lifeless’ behavior. They lack motivation to get up in the morning. People, in general, look forward to a new day, breakfast, work or classes, among others.
But those suffering from depression have an empty feeling, absence of motivation, zeal, reasons to work or do something. They lose their meaning and purpose of life.
If you see signs of depression in you or anyone else for more than 6 to 7 months then it is serious depression. First, accept that you have depression, and do not take it negatively because depression nowadays is very common.
Then find out what signs you see in yourself persistently. Visit a psychologist, but if a person is behaving abnormal and it is hard to control then he or she should be taken to a psychiatrist to balance brain and body chemicals. But to know why the person is in depression and what is the root cause of it one must go to a psychologist.”
Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
“I thought it was stress. So, I tried to focus on work, and surround myself with people, which helped for a while. But the nagging feeling didn’t go away. My breathing was shallow, I suffered from a lack of concentration, and I broke down often.”
“I felt like a zombie. I couldn’t access my emotions. I thought postpartum depression meant you were sobbing every single day and incapable of looking after a child. But there are different shades and depths to it.”
“I take medication daily to fight mental illness and depression, and I don’t feel bad about it.”