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Am I suffering from depression? (Disease Query)

One out of twenty people in the world suffer from depression.

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Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : June 4, 2014 5:09 PM IST

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DepressionHi my name is Lionel and I feel very low. I don't feel like eating, drinking or sleeping. I feel like there's something weighing me down all the time. At times, I just want to take my life and end this nonsense. Can you please give me a solution? I can't go on living like this.

While we don't know you well enough to offer any clinical counselling, it's quite feasible that you could be suffering from depression. Now depression is a serious ailment which needs to be treated and affects one out of every 20 people in the world. Sadly, due to lack of understanding about the condition, many are forced to live in denial about the disease.

Basically, you've to understand that depression is different from being sad. We feel sad when we experience things in life. It's normal to feel sad when someone dies or when we lose a job. Depression on the other hand is prolonged sadness which isn't tied to your life events. It is a serious medical condition in which the symptoms make it difficult for the person to function in society, often leads to poor physical health and severe emotional pain.

Also Read

Consideringthat 1.8 lakh Indians commit suicide every year and there are 20 times more attempts, which mean at least 36 lakh people in India are surely suffering from major depressive disorder, at the very list.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of depression.

What are the different types of depression?

There are basically four types of depression

  1. Clinical or Major depression
  2. Bipolar or Manic-depressive disorder
  3. Postpartum depression (depression after delivery of child)
  4. Seasonal affective disorder (It usually doesn't affect people who live in tropical climates like India.)

Causes of depression

What causes depression? Researchers still haven't zeroed on what causes depression per se but various conditions are usually present in the sufferers. Trauma, grief, work issues, love and relationship troubles and genetic pre-disposition all have a causal link to depression. Some other factors include alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, obesity and pregnancies.

Now you see the good thing about this ailment is that there are many ways to cure the ailment, the most important one being that you accept you have a problem. Here are some solutions for your conundrum:

  • Seek professional help: You wouldn't try to self-medicate or refuse to believe you have a problem if you suffered from a heart disease, would you? The good thing is depression has a simple and cost-effective solution. It's imperative to get professional help and there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in visiting a therapist or counsellor.
  • Exercise the blues away: There has been ample research to prove that physical exercise of all form helps keep the blues away. One of the reasons for this is the feel-good hormones like endorphins and testosterone are released during exercise which makes us feel good. Even walking for 15-30 minutes can make a difference.
  • Follow a healthy balanced diet: A health, all around balanced diet is another way to keep depression at bay. For example, omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and vegetable oils play helps keep a part by helping regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin which is used in anti-depressants. Foods high on antioxidants (green tea, broccoli, oranges, spinach, pumpkin, papaya) are also a must.
  • Try yoga and other relaxation techniques: You can try out yoga, meditation, a walk in the park, reading a decent book breathing techniques and any of the myriad other methods to try and feel better.
  • Get proper sleep: Although lack of sleep alone can't cause depression it is one of the causes. So it's imperative to get some shut-eye. Make a daily routine for bedtime if you've to. Abstain from nicotine, alcohol or caffeine in the evening.
  • Share with your loved ones or support groups: One of the most effective non-medicated treatments for depression is sharing with your loved ones. However, this might not be possible for some people and this is where support groups come in handy. Not only do you get to share your feelings but you get to do it with a person who's been through the exact same problems and knows how to deal with it.

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Nirmalya Dutta

Nirmalya Dutta

An extremely obese glutton in the past, Nirmalya is a newly-converted health freak who went through a Spartan-like weight loss regime in the recent past. He lost 38 kilos in 10 months and having cracked the weight loss code, intends to share it with the world. He aims ... Read More