The Reality of Major Depression

by Neelesh Sathish

Introduction:

Major depression is a very common and highly serious mental health disorder in our globe. It can cause severe symptoms to the human body that can affect how someone thinks, feels, or even handles everyday activities such as sleeping or eating.

Causes and Risk Factors:

Major depression is typically diagnosed when a person has a ‘persistently low or depressed mood, anhedonia or decreased interest in pleasurable activities, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, lack of energy, poor concentration, appetite changes, psychomotor retardation or agitation, sleep disturbances, or suicidal thoughts’ as stated by the National Instutute of Health. In other words, major depression rises due to someone being in a sad state for a very long time. This prolonged sadness can be due to certain events that dented an individual’s life or certain illnesses already present within the individual. An example of a certain event would be the passing of a loved one. This could cause individuals to feel very dejected as they are losing someone they’ve known for a very long time. An example of a certain illness would be Alzheimer’s. Someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's would constantly feel sad as they know their health and memory are slowly vanishing.

Symptoms and Signs:

There are many symptoms linked with depression. Such symptoms include anxiety, suicidal thoughts, saddened feelings, constant tiredness or lack of energy, as well as loss of pleasure in most or all normal activities. These symptoms can typically be seen on a day-to-day basis through different everyday activities during settings like school, work, or even home.

Treatment Options:

Although major depression is presented as a serious case world-wide, it does have several treatment options. One of the treatment options is medication. The medications used for treating major depression are called antidepressants. Antidepressants affect chemicals within the brain (neurotransmitters) that correlate with mood and behavior. Another treatment option for major depression is psychotherapy. During psychotherapy, patients will talk about their condition and their health issues to a mental health professional (typically psychologists). This will help positively change certain thoughts and behaviors causing major depression. A third treatment is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This treatment is otherwise known as a ‘last ditch’ treatment for patients with life-threatening major depression who haven’t positively responded to other treatments. This process essentially passes a mild electrical current through the brain to stimulate a seizure which will help restore the brain’s chemical balance and alleviate symptoms.

Coping Strategies and Self-Help Tips:

There are many ways someone can cope with major depression. One of the most effective ways someone can cope with major depression is through doing activities that make you feel content. For example, these activities could be relaxing on the beach, listening to music, or even playing an instrument. These activities vary with each individual. Another great way you can cope with major depression is by spending time with other people. Being lonely and isolated from other people could worsen major depression significantly so it is vital to spend time with other people like your friends and family. Lastly, another way to cope with major depression is to stay educated about it. Knowing different treatments and studies being done for treating major depression can help boost confidence which will help with lessening the condition.

References:

“Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression#:~:text=What%20is%20depression%3F,sleeping%2C%20eating%2C%20or%20working. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

“What Is Depression?” Psychiatry.Org - What Is Depression?, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

“Major Depression.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 15 Apr. 2024, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/major-depression#:~:text=While%20each%20person%20may%20experience,sleep%20or%20sleeping%20too%20much.

Bains, Navneet. “Major Depressive Disorder.” StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Apr. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559078/#:~:text=The%20etiology%20of%20Major%20depressive%20disorder%20is%20believed%20to%20be,serotonin%2C%20norepinephrine%2C%20and%20dopamine.

Staff, Familydoctor.org Editorial. “Depression and Alzheimer’s Disease.” Familydoctor.Org, 30 Aug. 2024, familydoctor.org/depression-and-alzheimers-disease/#:~:text=Depression%20is%20very%20common%20among,places%20or%20see%20people%20anymore.

“Depression (Major Depressive Disorder).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 14 Oct. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007.

“Tips for Living with Major Depressive Disorder.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/depression/major-depressive-disorder-tips. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.