Depression- the mental illness, the nightmare, that we all dread is quite a common disease. Every now and then, we hear about someone going through it and having a tough time living. Depression is not so easy to cure and so according to experts, prevention is better than cure. Though it is a mental illness, and the person suffering himself plays the biggest and the most important role in curing it, he can himself never do it completely and needs assistance, therapy and sometimes, even medication.
However, one must know whether or not it’s just the natural blues that he’s getting or it really is depression.
It is completely normal to grieve, cry, feel sad, lonely when going through testing times but as time passes, the pain gradually lessens and you start getting back on track with your life and emotions. These are the blues. It’s a part of being a human that you’ll go through emotional ups and downs and at the same time, continue living. But if the sorrow, loneliness, anger, interfere with your lifestyle and you’re unable to bounce back even after a considerable time, then it’s an issue that must be looked into.
SYMPTOMS OF MAJOR DEPRESSION
Here are a few points that can help you differentiate between depression and blues:
- Laziness, fatigue
- Losing motivation for everything in life
- Feeling hopeless and not capable of achieving anything in life
- Losing interest in hobbies or activities that you love
- Poor focus on studies, work, etc
- Having difficulty in thinking, making decisions, finding solutions, etc
- Lack of or excessive sleep
- Feeling less or more hungry
- Weight gain/loss
- Having suicidal thoughts
There are more symptoms that suggest depression but these are the main ones.
IMPORTANCE OF DIFFERENTIATION
Though it is pretty difficult, it’s really important to know the difference between these two in order to take the proper steps towards a healthy life. The normal blues go away with time, and are usually a result of upsetting or sad life events, etc. But when depressed, sadness persists. It may be due to genetics or tragic losses, life events, etc. Depression does not always have to hit instantaneously as a whole, but it can slowly creep up on you and you start pulling yourself out of social activities, work, etc. And before you even know that it’s depression, it’ll be way upon you. But do not fret! As you’re not alone, about 18.8 million Americans go through depression each year! and it’s curable. So you just have to see a psychiatrist and along with that, you have to play a critical part in pulling yourself out of it and do things a little differently to help you snap out of this. Also, discuss it with your family and close friends. They’ll surely be of great help and will motivate you. Soon you’ll be living a productive life full of health and happiness!
