More InFo on Depression

DEPRESSION

"I'm feeling depressed!" This is a common feeling
experienced by people of all ages from time to time. If short lived,
this is a perfectly normal reaction to failures and disappointments in
life. The problem arises when depression become pathological i.e it
becomes the permanent and pervading mood of the person.

This problem is commoner than might seem. Every one in
20 persons is found to be suffering from depression at any given time.
Infact, more than one in five persons is likely to suffer from
depression in their life time.

Who is likely to suffer from Depression:

This disease knows no boundaries of age/gender. However
some people are more likely to develop depression eg. following the
death of a lived one, loss of employment, teenagers, menopausal females
and elderly people - specially those living alone.

How to recognise Depression:

This is persistent sadness of mood. The person has loss
of interest in onself, surrounding occupation and daily activities.
Forgetfulness and irritability are frequent. The person has recurring
thoughts of death and feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. The
general attitude is one of apathy.

Depression in Children:

Though it seems unlikely, depression is a common entity
in children. In fact, even a 6 months old infant is liable to suffer
from it. The commonest age however is at the onset of puberty. At this
time, due to hormonal and physical changes, the teenager suffers from
mental turmoil.

At the same time, increasing pressure of studies coupled
with unrealistic parental expectations, add to their stress and might
precipitate depression. In fact the months from March to June see a high
spurt in cases of teen suicide, as most of the major exams are held, and
results declared, during this period.

The Role of parents in Preventing Depression:

Parents can be the biggest support and emotional
anchor for their children. Perhaps the best thing they can do is to
help the child to build up good self esteem. Avoid belittling the
child, specially in front of outsiders.

It is advisable to not put undue emphasis on academic
performance alone. Every child cannot be a genius, and yet each child
has some unique talent or gift. Rather than furnishing on what he
doesn't do well - the stress should be on what he can do well and then
encouraging him to grow in that direction..

Be your child's friend - and be ready with a patient ear
and helping hand whenever he needs it.

What to do when Depression strikes:

If any of the above mentioned symptoms are exhibited by
someone close to you, do not delay in taking them to a qualified
psychiatrist. The doctor will make a definitive diagnosis and treat the
case as required - with counselling, psychotherapy and/or medicines.

The role of relatives and friends is to ensure that the
patient attends the counselling sessions and also takes medicines as
prescribed. Besides, its very important to maintain a cheerful
atmosphere and to boost the patients morale.

In conclusion, we can see the depression is a treatable
and curable. One should not attach social stigma to it. The road to
recovery may be long and at times, disheartening, but the final out come
would have been well worth the effort.