Depression

Depression

Depression can lower your quality of life and is an unpleasant, incapacitating disorder. There are treatments out there that can improve your life. The first step is to strike up a dialogue.

Define depression.

People frequently describe themselves as being depressed, yet the definition of depression that we use and the definition that health experts use are probably not the same.

Depression is a painful and incapacitating condition. Additionally, it raises the chance of suicide. It's critical to seek help because spells of depression have a tendency to persist longer and occur more frequently if left untreated.

Depression is a mental health illness characterized by an almost continual sensation of melancholy and a loss of interest or pleasure in formerly pleasurable activities.

Why am I experiencing this?

Depression can be brought on by a variety of events, such as the death of a loved one, job loss, traumatic experiences, or marital issues.

The majority of the time, multiple factors contribute to depression. The likelihood that someone may experience depression can be increased by a family history of the condition, ongoing physical health issues, a lack of social support, and significant life events, but this does not guarantee it.

It's not just you.

In Australia, depression is quite common.

In Australia, one in nine adults will experience depression. In the veteran community, it occurs more frequently. One in five currently serving soldiers, one-third of Gulf War veterans, as well as about a quarter of Vietnam War veterans suffer from depressive illnesses.

a sense of guilt.

Many depressed people experience intense guilt feelings.

For instance, after a deployment, you can feel bad that you survived or weren't hurt physically but others weren't.

When you attempt to adapt morality from a civil or peaceful setting to a fighting one, you could occasionally feel bad.

Because of the nature of military activities, these criteria aren't always relevant, and you might not have had the luxury of time to consider what has turned out to be a decision that will change your life.

There may not always be a good or acceptable alternative in military life. It could take some time to adjust to these trying circumstances. This is a typical reaction, and therapies have been created to support veterans struggling with these problems.

What therapies are effective?

There are depression treatments that work. The majority of people will recover from depression rather fast with psychological counseling. To assist regulate unfavorable emotions and other depression-related symptoms, this is commonly taken with antidepressant medication.

Depression and veteran seniors.

Depression in later age can be brought on by declining physical health, loneliness, and the death of loved ones.

When older individuals are depressed, they frequently do nothing about it. Others don't believe in talking about mental health or don't want to confess they're not functioning, while others don't want to concern their family or friends.

Many senior citizens (as well as their friends and family) incorrectly believe that depressive symptoms like difficulty sleeping, inexplicable pain, difficulty concentrating or remembering things, or loss of interest in life are just a natural part of becoming older.

For some people, a particularly depressing day may lead to thoughts of self-harm or even suicide. These are typical signs of depression:

feeling depressed, hopeless, and wretched with sentiments of worthlessness, helplessness, and despair

fatigued easily, lacking enthusiasm, and having trouble getting motivated

loss of enjoyment and interest in routine tasks

the decrease of appetite and weight

losing interest in sex having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much having trouble concentrating, remembering, and making decisions having suicidal or death thoughts.