Me, Myself and Depression

Depression for me was a scary thing to deal with. When I first started showing symptoms of depression I didn't have a clue of what was going on, I just knew something wasn't right with me. My passion for the thing I loved and wanted to accomplish in life started to decline, I consistently dealt with mood swings, My appetite grew bigger and I became very isolated. During these episodes, I would become very mean to the people I love. It wasn't until years later that I found out that what I was dealing with was depression. I didn't talk to my family about it because I thought they wouldn't believe me. Many people who have friends/family members who deal with depression believe that it's in their head and/or seeking attention. This is not true, to help people better understand this disease we must ask why what, and how? Why does depression impact people? What is depression? and How to treat depression? Understanding these questions can help people who deal with depression to overcome depression.

For people who don’t deal with depression, the first step needs to be understanding what depression is, Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home. There are many other symptoms of depression such as loss of appetite, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling guilty/unworthy, difficulty concentrating, a Decrease in hygiene, and DEATH. People who are experiencing depression either don’t know that they are or they have been diagnosed, but scared to talk about it. Being able to not talk about it usually results in suicide attempts or DEATH. When a person kills themselves is when their family is trying to figure out why this happens. All along for the last year, months, or weeks, this person has been screaming for someone to help. But because people don’t take this disease seriously, unfortunately help comes too late.

Depression can occur due to life challenges such as a death in the family, stress from work/school, bullying, divorce, it can also be genetics. Some people also develop depression during season changes, this is called seasonal depression. Seasonal depression usually starts in the late fall/early winter and leaves when the summer is coming. However, I didn’t know that depression could be passed down through genes. Scientific research proves that the mother’s depression and her anxiety during pregnancy can be inherited and can cause anxiety and depressive disorders in the newborns [9]. It is estimated that the people, whose first-degree relatives suffer from depression are 1.5 to 3 times more likely to develop depression. According to some studies, depression can be associated with genes occupying a fixed position on chromosome 8, 15, and 17 (. Holmans P, Weissman M, Zubenko G, et al. Genetics of recurrent early-onset major depression (GenRED): final genome scan report. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164(2):248-58.) It has been proven that more than two-fold higher depressive symptoms affect young people implicated in bullying, both in the concept of the perpetrator and the victim. The consumption of psychoactive substances by adolescents seems to be also a significant problem [26]. Depressive disorders, the mental and emotional instability are associated with all sorts of attempts to escape from reality and the daily hardships, which contributes to the stress exponent, loss of energy, psychomotor slowing, changes in biological rhythms, appetite, immune, and use by the youth stimulants such as cigarettes, drugs, increasingly fashionable boosters, and alcohol. The frequency of using these substances by adolescents is increasing with each passing year. Despite a great number of health-related programs and prevention, young people are not sufficiently aware of the dangers and they even do not realize how it can influence their future. (. Saluja G, Iachan R, Scheidt PC, et al. Prevalence of and risk factors for depressive symptoms among young adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(8):760-5).

The best thing about depression is knowing that it can be cured with medication, dieting/exercise, and in most cases finding a good therapist. There are some people who do all three and some do one out of the three cures. Being patient with them and helping them find something that works is better than them killing themselves. Because no matter how depression makes a person feel, they are loved. Family and friends so make sure that person knows and feels that every chance they get. Depression is a real illness and help is available. With proper diagnosis and treatment, the vast majority of people with depression will overcome it. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, the first step is to see your family physician or psychiatrist. Talk about your concerns and request a thorough evaluation. This is a start to addressing mental health needs. (https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression)

South University Library: What causes Depression https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.su.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=fec42a95-ba86-4b0e-8edd-d27f850b4f7a%40sessionmgr4006