Depression: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Management

Major depressive disorder or clinical depression

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is a common mental health problem. It is estimated that 5% of her adults worldwide suffer from it. If left unmanaged, the condition can worsen and persist for a long time.

In severe cases, it can develop into a condition that can lead to self-harm or even suicide. But don’t worry about depression. There are appropriate management strategies available to manage depression-related symptoms.

In order to successfully deal with depression-related situations, there are some facts you should know.

Everything you need to know about depression

Depression is a mood disorder. It adversely affects a person’s mental health.how it affects

Think, feel, and act so that normal daily activities are disrupted.it can lead to

Some emotional and physical complications of the individual.

It is normal to feel sadness and grief when life is at a disadvantage, such as losing a loved one or losing a job or business. But depression is different from these emotions. Depression can be identified when symptoms persist daily for at least 15 days and are accompanied by other symptoms along with sadness.

symptoms of depression

Depression affects people of all ages. Depression has been found to be more prevalent in women than in men. Children, teenagers and the elderly also suffer from these problems.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Some common symptoms are listed below.

• Feelings of unhappiness, emptiness, tears, despair, etc. for no apparent reason.
• Loss of interest in usual activities that were previously enjoyed.
• Frustration, frustration, anger even for trifles.
• Anxiety, restlessness, worthlessness.
• Sleep disturbances, loss of sleep or oversleeping.
• fatigue.
• Aches, pains, cramps, and digestive problems with no specific cause that do not relieve after treatment.
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions.
• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, or suicide.

For children and teenagers, symptoms may include:

• Negativity, sadness, worry, anger, irritation, pain.
• At that time they refused to go to school.
• They eat and sleep more than usual.
• Occasionally they become overly sensitive and avoid social interaction.
• Self-harm and attempted suicide.

Adults may have the following symptoms:

• Personality changes and memory problems
• Body aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, decreased libido
• social cutoff
• suicidal thoughts or feelings

risk factors for depression

Depression can affect anyone at any stage of life. Some factors that contribute to depression are:

• A personal or family history (hereditary) of depression.
• A significant life change, stress or trauma.
• Biochemical changes in the brain.
• In older people, depression is Diabetesmenopause (especially women), cancerheart problems, and chronic illness.
• especially elderly people living alone.
• Research suggests that when people suffering from depression are investigated with other medical conditions, their condition worsens.
• Low self-esteem and a pessimistic view of life can lead to depression.
• Individuals continuously exposed to violence and abuse stress Or poverty prone to depression.
• I suffer from chronic pain.
• Regular consumption of some recreational substances such as alcohol and medicine.

Depression management

Depression is one of the most treatable mental health problem. More than 80% of her depressed patients who receive treatment sooner or later have a positive response to treatment. Nearly all patients show symptom relief after treatment. Treatment options can be categorized as follows:

1. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is used to treat mild depression. However, for moderate to severe depression, it is used with drugs. Treatment is based on conversation with the patient.

Here, therapists help patients identify negative emotions and thoughts within themselves and improve their thoughts and behaviors to respond positively to challenges. Among various psychological therapies, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most popular and effective in treating depression.

2. Medicine

Prescription drugs are antidepressants. They help alter the brain chemistry that contributes to depression. He may see some recovery in the first week or two after using the drug, or the full effect he may not see for two to three months.

For patients with symptoms of depression, 6 months or longer of medication is generally recommended. Long-term treatment may be recommended to reduce future risk for certain people at high risk.

3. Complementary medicine

People with mild depression can improve their symptoms with treatments such as massage, acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback. They can also be taken with medication.

4. Brain stimulation therapy

Brain stimulation therapy can help people with severe depression who have not responded to other treatments. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most common of all three.

This involves brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia. It is usually managed by a team of trained medical professionals, including a psychiatrist. It has been reported to be an effective therapeutic strategy for curing depression.

5. Self-help and coping strategies

Proactive coping is one of the important and successful strategies for dealing with negative situations. Regular exercise creates positive emotions and boosts your mood. get quality sleep, eat healthy Regularly avoiding alcohol and spending time with children and loved ones can help reduce symptoms of depression.

Conclusion

Depression is prevalent as a major illness. But help is available. With proper diagnosis and management, it can be easily overcome. If you suffer from depression, see a psychiatrist immediately. Discuss your concerns and ask for a careful evaluation.

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