15 Important Facts you should know about Depression

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 4 April 2017

The theme of the World Health Day 2017 is ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’. Encourage people with depression to talk about their feelings. Depression can easily be treated with psychological therapies and medicines. Learn about these and some other basic information on depression issued in public interest by SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation).

The wounds of depression are unseen, but they hurt more than the ones that bleed. Seek professional help and get better.

Facts about Depression

  1. Depression is the commonest disorder of the mind and affects people of all age groups.
  2. It is caused by imbalance of chemicals in the brain.
  3. Stress plays a major role in this disorder.
  4. Feelings of sadness for over 2 weeks without a clear reason, with changes in sleep, appetite, energy and interests, and difficulty in performance at work/school are signs of depression.
  5. It is very different from usual mood swings that occur in everyday life.
  6. Unexplained physical symptoms like persisting aches and pains in one or more parts of the body (eg: headache, backache), palpitations, chest pain and gastric symptoms can be signs of depression.
  7. Women of all age groups are more prone for depression and exhibit more physical symptoms.
  8. Depression is very common in people with chronic physical problems like cancer, diabetes, cardiac ailments, thyroid problems, etc.
  9. Persons with depression can feel hopeless and worthless and may wish to end their lives.
  10. A large number of suicides are the result of underlying depression
  11. Alcohol abuse/dependence can cause depression and also be an effect of depression.
  12. It can be easily treated with medicines, psychological therapies, cognitive behavior therapy and life style modifications
  13. Talking to someone who cares will help. Do not hesitate to seek professional help if needed.
  14. If it is not treated, depression affects quality of life adversely.
  15. Healthy food habits, adequate sleep, regular physical exercise, hobbies, good socialization, and avoiding smoking and drinking can reduce the risk of depression significantly and also help recover from it.

Issued in public interest by SCARF [SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION(I)]

Community
Mental Health and Wellbeing
SCARF Schizophrenia Exchange
PatientsEngage General Community
Condition
Cancer
Depression
Diabetes
Stress
Changed
Tue, 04/04/2017 - 18:52

Stories

  • Priya sitting on a green patch with a basket of fresh food next to her sharing her management of hypothyroidism
    How I Took Charge Of My Life And Thyroid
    Priya had for years allowed hypothyroidism and its related issues to get the better of her, till she finally turned around and decided to make lifestyle changes and battle it head on. This is the story of how she emerged a winner. Early Symptoms When I was a teen in the early 1990’s, my poor mother spent hours every morning trying to get me out of bed. I held my stomach or head, faking intense pain. I even locked myself in the bathroom, poured water into the toilet and simultaneously made…
  • Image: Marianne with her 3 sons and her husband
    I Want To Fight Diabetes To Stay Alive For My Grandchildren
    Marianne de Nazareth, 60, who has diabetes, began controlling her sugar levels in all earnestness after she received a jolt with partial loss of her eyesight. Now she is super conscious about her diet and runs with a passion. Take a leaf from her journey. To be diagnosed with diabetes at 35 was the lowest point of my life. It was during the birth of my third child, Steve, that I was detected with borderline sugar. But I never really had time to bother about it. I was caught in the throes of…
  • Image indicates a caregiver holding the hand of an older person
    Life Lesson I Learnt Watching my Papa Die
    We prepare ourselves for everything, but most of us are in denial about death. Aparna Das shares the one final lesson her father taught her during his last few days as he breathed his last. My father was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in October 2017. Of course, he and all of us did everything in our capacity to save him. But he passed away on the 20th of April 2018. The three days leading to his death were probably the most painful that our family had faced collectively. But I have a…
  • Image: People in a team building exercise at work lying on the floor and laughing
    Are You Open to Learn, Laugh and Let it go?
    Laughter coach Santhanaram Jayaram talks of the benefits of laughter in the work place and how you can bring laughter into the work place to reduce stress and ease tensions. #WorldLaughterDay The climate of the work environment has certainly changed over time because it used to be that you checked your humor at the door. We use to associate laughter as a bad thing and would not take anyone serious if they laugh too much.Anyone who was caught cracking it up or laughing would most certainly have…
  • Image: A young lady in a summery white crop top, a cool drink with a straw in hand, dark glasses in the other hand
    Tips for a Healthy Summer for People with Chronic Conditions
    With summer upon us, our body systems can go through various changes just like the outside temperature. With certain chronic conditions like diabetes, skin allergies, thyroid problems, the weather change can be even more bothersome with unwanted symptoms. Here are a few tips to best cope with the sizzling hot season. Food tips for summer: Eat smaller meals through the day instead of fewer, heavy meals. Stay hydrated! Keep a bottle of water handy at all times and sip it through the day. To make…
  • Image: Stock pic of a bright healthy liver in the hands of a medical professional
    The Liver Is A Very Forgiving Organ, But Has Its Limits
    Dr. KR Vasudevan, Director Liver Transplantation, PSRI Hospital talks about the major risks for a liver disease and how to keep our liver healthy. Also, are herbs and supplements safe for the liver?  #WorldLiverDay NonAlcoholic Liver disease or NAFLD is the most common cause of Hepatic disease around the world. Why is that? Increasing opulence has brought about changes in life style. Availability of processed food and decreasing physical activity has resulted in accumulation of body fat.…
  • Image: Stock pic of a man sitting depressed, holding his head, next to a window
    Don't Be Escapist. Don't Be Angry
    Jack (name changed to protect identity) is a 60 year old man in Singapore who struggled with reactive depression and is now on the way to recovery. Background Jack was working and living a fairly uneventful life with his wife and 3 daughters, until an accident and surgery in 2006 left him with a hip problem that required him to stop working and undergo therapy sessions, plus put up with pain and restricted movement. Naturally this affected the family’s financial situation, but as his wife was…
  • Image: A stock pic of a man running on a road in purple shirts, greyish-purplish t-shirt, red shoes
    A Health Check Up Was His Lucky Charm
    A year ago, Anand (name changed to protect identity) might easily have been any of the quiet pleasant young corporate professionals that one meets at work, or one of the family men that one sees with their kids in a mall. Except, behind the normalcy and everydayness of his life, was a constant mental struggle that began in his early years. The Growing Up Years Growing up in a lower middle-class family, Anand felt that his parents’ roles were reversed, confusing him as a child. He saw his mother…
  • Image: Employees working out next to their desks
    The Healthy Break for Desk Bound Employees
    With ‘Sitting is the new smoking’ belief gaining ground globally, offices are beginning to introduce the workout culture to beat the health risks of a 9-5 desk job. Siemens, a European conglomerate and one of the largest industrial manufacturing companies, has started The Healthy Break in all its offices across India. PatientsEngage talks to Mr. S Ramesh Shankar, Head, Human Resources, Siemens. Working out in office is still a new concept in India. Your company, Siemens, is one of the few…
  • Mariyam with her father in a nice outside setting
    It Brought Perspective To My Father’s Illness and Its Impact On My Life
    Talking and writing about health related experiences is still not common in Asia.  This International Women’s Day, we reach out to three dynamic women who share their experience as patient or caregiver to understand their motivations. In the last part of the series, we feature Mariyam Raza Haider.   1)    Why did you choose to blog? My strongest reason for blogging was to bring perspective to my father’s illness and its impact on my life. As I began writing about…