Myths And Facts About Depression
Depression is a mental health disorder, which results from change in brain structure and function due to environment and biological factors.
Depression is a serious mental illness.
Depression is the result of genetic change, hormonal and nerve cell change, receptor function and brain function.
Signs Of Depression:
- Loss of interest
- Low level of motivation and energy
- Irregular sleeping
- Loss of concentration
- Anxiety
- Irritability and Anger
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Hopelessness
- Sadness
- Severe cases causes suicidal thoughts.
Various Myths and Facts are being associated with Depression.
Here are those you should know!
👉Myth: Depression is not an illness, But a weakness or laziness that is if you can’t get over it, you are weak.
Fact: Depression is a serious mental illness/ condition which is caused due to various reasons. Depression is not a weakness or laziness. Depression affects anyone as men or women, children, teenagers, adults at any period of their life. Depression is not due to the problem with your character but it is due to imbalance in your brain hormones/ chemicals.
👉Myth: Depression is not linked to poverty and malnutrition.
Fact: The production of chemicals such as serotonin and tryptophan which are responsible for the promotion of well-being is triggered by carbohydrate-rich food. Malnutrition or poor nutrition can be the cause of depression.
👉Myth: Depression is related to one’s bad life event/Bad Situation.
Fact: One may go through different life events depending upon various factors. And all life events are not same at a time. Depression starts after something bad happens like losing job, after divorce, after the death of loved/closed one’s, frequent avoid by the society, failing in the exam, breakup. Depression is triggered by lack of social support, emotional support or other health condition like heart disease, cancer, HIV, Thyroid, etc. Sometimes hormonal problems, childbirth, alcohol and drugs also triggers depression.
👉Myth: Depression carry over to the family and pass on to the generation. One should not get married if he/she is depressed.
Fact: Depression is manifested by the group of factors such as genetic, psychological or physiological. It is possible that the generation of depressed people may not inherit depression at all. People with depression can live healthy marriage life and in fact successful marriage may reduce the depression symptoms.
👉Myth: Anti-depressant can only cure depression.
Fact: Depression is associated by social support, psychological well-being. Only anti-depressant is not the treatment, but psychological therapy also cures depression. Combination of treatment that is medicines with counselling therapy is the most common treatment. Depression leads to suicide. Anti-depressants only changes brain chemistry and not your personality or thinking ability. Only people with serious and severe depressive episodes feel suicidal thoughts. It is of prime importance that family members and close one’s become sensitive and take preventive steps to the behaviors and action of the people.
👉Myth: Depression is not a real illness, it’s an imagination in person’s head.
Fact: Depression is a mental disease related to brain. It is caused by imbalance of certain brain chemicals due to various factors such as life’s stressful events, medicines, physical health, genes. People think that depression is a sadness and a weakness of character, but it is a complex mental disorder which needs social, psychological and biological treatment.
👉Myth: Depression should not be treated, it is temporary and gets better by itself.
Fact: Depression does not get over to person by its own, but some counselling or psychotherapy and sometimes medications are required for the treatment. Only few people with mild depression symptoms can get over by their own, others need treatment. Depression lasts for days, months or even years. Depression gets weaker with person’s positive thoughts and change in attitude.
👉Myth: Depression is not caused in children
Fact: Depression develops in any group irrespective of gender, age, economy or ethnicity.
👉Myth: One’s you take anti-depressants, you will have to take it forever.
Fact: Depression is not a normal part of life. It is possible to manage depression. The treatment of depression may be for short-term or long term depending upon the severity of condition. You may not have to take the medications for the rest of your life. The treatment of depression is done with medicines along with some psychotherapy to face and cope up with the challenges of life.
👉Myth: Depression affects only women.
Fact: Men’s are not comfortable to discuss their feeling or ask for help. They might be facing many social pressure. Women commonly develops symptoms of depression, so as to men. Depression affects both men and women.
👉Myth: Discussing about depression, will worsen the symptoms of depression.
Fact: Talking to a supportive, reliable, non-judgmental listener calms the symptoms of depression. In fact therapist may help to get over destructive feeling and negative thoughts. Fear of talking might worsen the condition.
👉Myth: Depression is common and rare, it will not happen to me.
Fact: Depression affects anyone regardless of age, gender, economic condition. Who states that around 5-10% people need help for depression and around 8-20% people carry risk of developing depression. Anyone can get Depression.
👉Myth: Depression cannot be treated, you will have to live with it.
Fact: Combination treatment which includes medications and psychotherapy or counselling is useful to treat depression. Before getting worse, seek medical and psychological support. Depression is the most treatable of all mental health illness.
👉Myth: Feeling sad means depression.
Fact: Sadness is one of the symptoms of depression. Depression also leads to loss of appetite, changes in sleep, and change in behavior, feeling worthless and most common loss of interest. Only sadness doesn’t mean depression.
👉Myth: It is not depression, it is because of laziness and I don’t need doctor. I am not depressed!
Fact: Depression leads to loss of interest in usual and day-to-day activities. Lots of energy is consumed and lost when you are depressed. This doesn’t mean it’s your laziness, it might be your depression.
👉Myth: Strong people can easily “snap out of” depression by thinking positively.
Fact: Depression is not like diabetes or heart disease, which anyone can just “snap out of”. It can happen to anyone without any choice. Loss of interest and laziness are the signs of depression and need to be treated with medication and proper counselling.
👉Myth: Everyone experiences depression in the same way.
Fact: There might be difference in the experience according to the physical differences in the brain. The changes in the brain and hormonal changes influence the severity of moods, thoughts and physical issue.
👉Myth: Depression is normal. It is not a big deal.
Fact: Depression is a serious mental condition. Those who suffer might withdraw themselves from the loved ones, start conflict with others, and sometime take dangerous risks too. Depression needs management and treatment. Severity and ignoring depression might lead to thoughts of suicide which becomes a big deal.
👉Myth: Depressed person cries a lot.
Fact: Some people don’t cry, while some cry terribly. They might feel emotionally blank, worthless or useless. These can be called as dramatic symptoms.
👉Myth: Adults are more prone to develop depression. Aging leads to depression.
Fact: It not always. Older people try to hide their sadness. Some symptoms like sleep pattern changes, aches, pains, and no taste in food are the challenges of aging. This might leads to loss of interest and feel depressed. In fact, depression is sometimes mistaken with dementia that is age related decline in memory. Psychotherapy is a useful part of the treatment for older people who are feeling depressed due to medical illness, life changes and loss.
Don’t ignore your depression.
Don’t manage your depression alone.
Find behavioral, medical and counselling therapy to cope up the challenges.
Be positive to deal with it.
Its OK to talk about your depression.
Accept it and deal with it.
Hope for better days is real.
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