THE DEMON😈😈 OF DEPRESSION.

almost 4 years ago

Depression is the state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future.
It is also a period of unhappiness or low morale, which lasts longer than several weeks and may include ideation of self-inflicted injury or suicide.

Health wise depression is classified as a mood disorder. It may be described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities.

Having known the meaning let's talk a little about this deadly silent demon that has the ability of taking peoples life away silently.

I call it the silent eliminator, yes because it has the power to take life away if not well managed or addressed. It is one thief that doesn't need to mask its face before stealing from you. You may wonder what its steal, here is it, it steals your Joy and peace of mind, those are two essential things every human mind needs, joy and peace.

Husbands have lost their wives, wives have lost their husbands, parents have lost their children all to this deadly demon. Once heard of a doctor that jumped into a lagoon and died. One would ask why a doctor should do such, being that most people believes that he has everything forgetting that depression can cause a man to behave abnormal.
Many young people have lost their life due to depression, some because of failed relationship, some because of poverty, some due to failure at school, some because of lack of love and care from people the expect. Many things causes depression some of which are;

1. Family history:-

You’re at a higher risk for developing depression if you have a family history of depression or another mood disorder.

2. Early childhood trauma:-

Some of your childhood events has a huge way of affecting the way your body reacts to fear and stressful situations.

3. Brain structure:-

There’s a greater risk for depression if the frontal lobe of your brain is less active. However, scientists don’t know if this happens before or after the onset of depressive symptoms.

4. Medical conditions:-

Certain conditions may put you at higher risk, such as chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

5. Drug use:-

A history of drug or alcohol misuse can affect your risk.

6. Low self-esteem or being self-critical:-

This is one major thing that even me face most times, but as I grow I get to shake myself off it. Low self-esteem has a way of killing g someone's morale, the moment you feel unloved or uncared for, you tend to be jealous of everyone around you which will eventually land you in depression. Thinking less of yourself is very dangerous and can make you do what you wouldn't believe you could do. Everything starts from our mind set.

7. Personal history of mental illness:-

If you have personal history of mental illness, then it is very possible to fall into depression more frequently than you could ever think of.

8. Stressful events, such as loss of a loved one, economic problems, or a divorce:-

These explains it all, loosing a love one can be so traumatizing that you loose guard, for example loosing your sponsor, loosing your husband, wife, child, father, mother, siblings etc.
Another thing is loosing having an economic problem, where you do not have money to meet your immediate needs, have money to go to school, start a trade etc. Most people get or fall into depression when the get a divorce from their spouses some even get to hang themselves if their mate(especially the females folk) get married and they are still single at 40.

Possible symptoms of Depression:-

The symptoms of depression can be experienced differently among men, women, and children differently.

Men may experience symptoms related to their:

1. Mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness

2. Emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad, hopeless

3. Behavior, such as loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, engaging in high-risk activities

4. Sexual interest, such as reduced sexual desire, lack of sexual performance.

5. Cognitive abilities, such as inability to concentrate, difficulty completing tasks, delayed responses during conversations

6. Sleep patterns, such as insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, not sleeping through the night

7. Physical well-being, such as fatigue, pains, headache, digestive problems.

Women may experience symptoms related to their:

1. Mood, such as irritability

2. Emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless

3. Behavior, such as loss of interest in activities, withdrawing from social engagements, thoughts of suicide

3. Cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly

4. Sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, sleeping too much

5. Physical well-being, such as decreased energy, greater fatigue, changes in appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, increased cramps

Children may experience symptoms related to their:

1. Mood, such as irritability, anger, mood swings, crying

2. Emotional well-being, such as feelings of incompetence (e.g. “I can’t do anything right”) or despair, crying, intense sadness

3. Behavior, such as getting into trouble at school or refusing to go to school, avoiding friends or siblings, thoughts of death or suicide.

4. Cognitive abilities, such as difficulty concentrating, decline in school performance, changes in grades.

5. Sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much.

6. Physical well-being, such as loss of energy, digestive problems, changes in appetite, weight loss or gain.

Solution to Depression

A depress mind doesn't think straight so on that note these are some possible solutions to end or curtail depression.

1. Find small ways to be of service to others.

Try to get involve in something that will cause you to serve others, from there you might likely get to see that what you are feeling depress of is small compare to what people are passing through.

2. Find workable goals that give you a sense of accomplishment:-

Most people feel guilty when talking about goals because they set unreasonable or unworkable goals. A goal is workable if it’s:

Something you can control (i.e., it doesn’t depend on others)
Manageable (i.e., not overwhelming)
Realistic for you (not for someone else)
Measurable (i.e., you know whether or not it is done or getting done)

3. Pleasant Events: Schedule pleasant activities or events:-

Don’t wait for yourself to be “in the mood.” For example, give yourself permission for a 30-minute “vacation” or schedule a healthy hobby every day. Just remember to do these activities with the right attitude. Also, practice gratitude — take time to notice what went well today, not just what went wrong. Consider keeping a gratitude journal. Know that being grateful for your blessings doesn’t mean you have to discount your problems.

4. Engagement: Stay in the present.

This practice is sometimes called mindfulness. As best you can, during activities try not to be in your head with self-judgment. You may not be able to turn off the self-judgment, but you can notice it and bring yourself gently back to the present. Research shows that people with higher self-compassion also have higher self-worth or self-confidence.

5. Exercise: And, eat right too:-

Doing moderate exercise about five times a week (30 minutes a pop) can dramatically help your mood. Moderate exercise is a level of activity where it is difficult to sing from your diaphragm while doing it. Also pay attention to how the type of food or drink you’re eating influences your mood. You don’t have to do fad diets, but anyone will be depressed if they frequently binge on carbs, junk food, and energy drinks. Remember the virtue of moderation.

6. Relationships: Focus on people who lift you up.

Interact frequently with others that bring you up (not people that bring you down). While it’s OK to have some alone time, find a balance and don’t isolate yourself or the depression will linger.

7. Sleep Regularly; Try to keep a regular sleep schedule.:-

Keep a balance with not too little and not too much sleep. Staying up late one night and then sleeping in excessively the next day is a sure-fire way to feed depression. Also, don’t try to solve problems late at night when your brain is half-asleep.

As you practice these coping skills, know that you’re on the path to overcoming depression.

There are other possible ways of curing depression but I just picked a few you can as well drop yours in the comment box.

References:-

1. Health Depression

2. Ways to overcome depression without medication

I remain