Depression is a serious mental health issue that should be addressed appropriately. This disorder is usually characterized by the unusual feeling of sadness that can last for several days to months. It is not like an ordinary sensation of being down, because unlike the normal sadness that does away after a few days, depression may be harder to overcome.
According to statistics, major depressive disorder affects more women than men. It is common in adults who are 25-44 years old and quite rare for people over 65. Depression affects the person’s ability to feel motivated even in doing the things that he or she normally did, thus significantly affecting the person’s quality of life. When a person is depressed, he or she may experience feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness.
5 Ways to Overcome Depression
1. Learn about Your Depression as Much as You Can
Know your weakest point and determine what triggers it. Depression can be caused by many factors. It is important for you to know the roots of your pessimism to be able to find a way to get through it. The most common reasons for depression are separation from loved ones or anything that you have made a long attachment to it. This can be work, love issues, or a departed family member.
2. Cultivate Your Social Connections
Open the doors of communication to loved ones or close friends. You can have clarity of mind if you can seek advice from other people. A strong family foundation is a good way to overcome this condition. Depression is felt when you are hopeless of almost everything but knowing some reasons to live can help you get by in this situation.
3. Seek the Help of a Medical Professional
Mental health experts and medical practitioners are reliable when it comes to treating problems with mental health. These professionals use assessment tools made up of different questions that they will be using in the diagnosing process. These tools will try to find out the symptoms one had been experiencing to further give proper solution to it.
Some of these symptoms that are included in the test are loss of appetite, which results in losing weight; gaining weight through over eating, hypersomnia and insomnia, and too much guilt. It also includes feeling lethargic most of the time, losing interest on activities being enjoyed the most, problem on focusing, difficulty of making a decision, aggressiveness and irritability, and lastly, frequent thoughts of suicide.
4. Commit to Your Treatment
Given there are a lot of ways to treat and cope with depression, it may take some trial and error in to find one that works for you. If you find one therapy or treatment that works, stick to it. Don’t let other forms of treatment perturb it so you could walk straight all the way to recovery.
5. Strive for Lifestyle Changes
These changes include: healthier eating habits, exercise, engaging more in social activities, developing a hobby, and avoiding stress. Self-help is an important factor to cure this condition. Many people who suffer from condition tend to breakdown from their negative emotions that have influenced by personal and unfavorable experiences that they encountered. Knowing how to manage your emotions and handle your situation can help you prevent yourself from inhibiting this condition no matter how hard your problems can be
Diagnosing Depression
Depression may be a fairly common illness but it should never be taken for granted because for some, it may mean life or death.
- Depression Test – This examination can be done by people on their own when they think they might be suffering from depression. It is a simple test where an individual needs to answer several questions that will later on be matched to the interpretations that come with the test. Although it is a great tool to allow people to check themselves, this tool is never meant to diagnose, thus a diagnosis of a medical doctor is still necessary.
- Consulting a Doctor – The best way to know if a person has depression is by seeking the advice of a medical doctor. In order to make a diagnosis of depression, a doctor must be able to talk to the person suspected to have depression in order to determine if the patient experiences any signs and symptoms usually associated with depression. They usually ask a patient how they go about their day to day activities, sleeping pattern and much more.
See More: Reasons Why Men Often Plunge Into Postpartum Depression
Conclusion
If you feel that there is something wrong with you or a family member manifests an odd behavior lately. Try to analyze the person and answer these questions based on your observation on the person.
- Do you notice the person is feeling lonely all the time and see him or her staying in bed than taking time to talk to other people?
- Is the person currently in a major problem like financial issues, break up from a partner lost a job?
- Do you notice the person getting lack of sleep and lack of appetite lately?
If you answered yes on most of these questions it is better to consult an expert and see how you can convince a relative to give in to professional help. If results prove that he is suffering from this condition, medical attention can be given right away before it’s too late.
