Depression Management

Everyone goes through highs and lows in life. It is normal to feel down when a mishap occurs in your life, things don’t go as you desire or you feel heartbroken- the feeling generated is sadness. However, when sadness endures for a long time and disrupts normal life, it is a psychological disorder called depression or clinical depression.

Depression goes a step ahead of sadness into a very serious condition, in that it hampers your day-to-day life, your ability to work, eat, sleep or do anything like a healthy individual. People, who are depressed, feel hopeless, grieved, lonely, and worthless and are prone to low self-esteem and despair.

The intensity of depression can be measured by the number of symptoms that a person shows and the time period in which they take place. The more frequent the display of symptoms, the greater the depression, and the more dangerous it is. Depression can go to the extreme of suicide if left untreated. Out of every ten people who suffer from depression, more than one commit suicide.

The state of depression can be checked by the following symptoms. If you observe five or more of these within the period of two weeks, you are highly likely to be clinically depressed. These symptoms, however, must not be related to or influenced by any drug intake, illness or medication.

1. Sadness and irritability You must feel ‘sad’, ‘empty’ and low. It may also be characterized by irritability.

2. Low pleasure You must not feel excited, happy about anything. No activity or environment gives you pleasure or feeling of being interested.

3. Abnormal sleep pattern You may feel insomniac (not being able to sleep)or sleeping too much (insomniac). In either case, you feel that your sleeping pattern is odd.

4. Changes in weight More than 5% of weight changes within a month. You must either lose notable weight or gain.

5. Listlessness Lack of energy is a symptom of depression.

6. Feelings of worthlessness You must hold yourself guilty for whatever bad that happens. You devalue yourself at all times and feel that you are not worth anything.

7. Thoughts death Depressed individuals have recurring thoughts of death and suicide.

8. Withdrawal from people/activities You must isolate yourself from the people you know and the activities you carry out normally.

9. Sensitivity to criticism.

A slight criticism can make you feel very depressed and you may cry easily.