What is depression?

Everyone is liable to experiencing form of depression in their life time. Most people may have two or three of the following common symptoms during a bout of depression.

• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Feeling useless or inadequate
• Self-loathing
• Uncertainty of one’s own thoughts and actions, requiring reassurance
• Feeling vulnerable and oversensitive to criticism
• Feelings of guilt
• Loss of energy and concentration
• Lack of motivation
• Thoughts of self harming
• Changes in weight (loss or gain)
• Disturbed sleep, or wanting to sleep a lot
• Agitation and restlessness
• Loss of libido
• Physical aches and pains

People with severe depression may also experience suicidal feelings, stop eating or drinking and suffer from delusions or hallucinations. Sufferers of clinical depression requiring treatment, often suffer relapses.

Types of depression

Manic or bipolar depression

Manic or bipolar depression is marked by extreme mood swings: ‘highs’ consisting of excessive energy and optimism, and ‘lows’ consisting of feelings of despair and lack of energy.

Manic or bipolar depression often treated with lithium.

Post-natal depression

Post-natal depression may occur after the birth of a child, any time from about 2 weeks to two years.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder is associated with winter and lack of sunlight.

Causes

Depression sometimes runs in families, suggesting a genetic component; but often it is triggered by stressful events, such as bereavement, illness, and relationship or financial challenges.

Major depressive illness is usually linked to some form of chemical imbalance in the brain. Personality traits such as low self-esteem, a negative perception of life and difficulty coping with stress may contribute to depression.

Treatment

Anti-depressants, such as Prozac, are a common treatment for depression. While there are many positive claims for anti-depressants, some users experience quite negative side effects.

Alternative ways may take more time, but may have longer term effectiveness. These methods include psychotherapy, which help find ways of overcoming depression through uncovering the reasons for behind it.

Self help groups may offer a forum for sharing their experiences with others so that they feel supported instead of isolated.

In extreme cases, depression may require hospital treatment, for example, if they are threatening or have attempted to commit suicide. If the person is deemed to be a risk to himself or others, he may have to be committed to hospital.