Why is treating depression important?
Treating depression is the only way to solve this most common psychological problem today. According to official data, it is estimated that 5% of all adults in the world suffer from depression, that is, 5.7% of people over 60 years of age. An average of 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression.
Depression is very different from the usual mood swings and short-term emotional reactions to everyday challenges. If depressive episodes continue, with moderate or severe intensity, then depression becomes a serious health problem that disrupts the way a person functions. In other words, a person suffering from depression will perform poorly at work, at school, and will certainly experience a disruption in family and friendship relationships.
At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Unfortunately, the statistics are quite clear in this regard. More than 700,000 people kill themselves each year and suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29 year olds.
Therefore, depression is a very serious psychological problem that requires professional help. Therefore, if you are wondering “how to get rid of depression”, keep in mind that treating depression is the only way out of this insidious condition and disease.
What is depression?
The question we get every day from families and friends worried about their loved ones is “what is depression”. In general, depression can be described as a serious medical illness and psychological problem that negatively affects the way a person behaves, thinks and experiences things around them. Therefore, it is an illness or chronic mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest.
The feeling of sadness must be distinguished from depression. Sadness is one of the normal reactions to various stressful situations and helps to overcome the bad that happened. Another difference between sadness and depression is the intensity and duration of these states. While sadness is a short-lived feeling, depression is persistent and intense, thus affecting cognitive and emotional experiences and interpretation.
Depressed people feel lonely, hopeless, ashamed, misunderstood and rejected by society, with a sense of lesser value or complete worthlessness. The consequence of depression is a complete loss of interest in all activities and hobbies that previously filled the person and were a source of pleasure and happiness.
It is believed that the depressed state is associated with a decrease in the activity of certain neurotransmitters (serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine) that have a natural antidepressant function. Another factor in depression is the excessive secretion of stress hormones, such as cortisol. Exposure to chronic stress changes how the brain functions, so many types of depression can be explained by the accumulation of the harmful effects of stress.
Symptoms of depression and first signs of depression
In order for depression treatment to be effective, it is necessary to detect the signs of depression. Here are the common symptoms of depression:
- Depressed mood;
- Decrease or loss of interest in activities that the person previously enjoyed;
- Loss of sexual desire;
- Changes in appetite;
- Unintentional weight loss or gain;
- Too much or too little sleep;
- Restlessness and anxiety;
- Slow movement and speech;
- Fear and irritability;
- Lack of joy in life and apathy;
- Somatic pains that have no physical causes;
- Fatigue and loss of energy;
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness;
- Problems and difficulties in thinking, decision-making and concentration;
- Recurrent thoughts of death and suicide, as well as suicide attempts.
However, to suppress depression at its core, it is necessary to pay attention to the warning signs of this disease. More precisely, the first signs of depression are the most important, because recognizing them in time can prevent this condition from becoming chronic and serious.
Unfortunately, the first signs of depression are often imperceptible, that is, the majority of people do not pay attention to these initial symptoms of depression. In this initial phase of depression, a person often faces misunderstanding from the environment and society, and even when he complains about a problem, he can hear answers like “it’s okay”, “you’ll get over it”, “this happens sometimes, hold on” , and such.
