DEPRESSION: WHAT IS IT, AND HOW CAN WE START TO HEAL?

Designed by Bethany Stelling

What is depression?

Depression is a mental health disorder characterised by persistent feelings of sadness, lack of interest or pleasure in activities or a sense of helplessness. This is when a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours are affected, which often leads to difficulties in their daily functioning. When depressed, you lack interest in doing that which you enjoyed doing before. These feelings can last for days, weeks, months and sometimes years.

Many people in our society today are victims of depression, myself included (I will write an article to give my personal account and how I survived it later – do follow my work on this platform if you’d like to hear more). A survey of approximately 40 participants which I carried out on LinkedIn showed that 78% of respondents had been depressed, while only 11% says that they have never been depressed. According to WHO, approximately 280 million people in the world have depression. These statistics make it clear that depression is a major ailment faced by the world’s populace.

The most common causes of depression may include – but are not limited to – the following: stress, traumatic events like divorce or major accidents, family history and others. If you or someone you know is depressed, kindly seek professional help. The most common effects of depression can be categorised into three sections: physical effects, emotional effects and behavioural effects.

 Physical effects of depression:

1. Weight loss
2. Decreased libido
3. Fatigue/tiredness
4. Slow speaking/motor movement
5. Weakened immune system (which can cause frequent illness)
6. Insomnia/oversleeping
7. Loss of appetite/over eating
8. Digestive problems
9. Pains or aches – headaches, muscle tension

Emotional effects of depression:

1. Guilt or self-blame
2. Excessive worrying
3. Increased frustrations
4. Persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness or helplessness
5. Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
6. Low self esteem/feeling of worthlessness
7. Increased sensitivity to rejection and criticisms
8. You will lack motivation
9. Feeling of isolation, loneliness and disconnection from others
10. Suicidal thoughts

Behavioural effects of depression:

1. Changes in sleep pattern
2. Physical ailments
3. Agitation- restlessness, pacing and inability to sit still

How can you start the healing process?

1. Ensure you seek for professional help: whenever you feel depressed, don’t keep it to yourself, endeavour to seek the help of licensed mental health professionals like a psychiatrist or a psychologist.
2. Express yourself: engage in activities that will enable you express yourself, such as art, music, writing, etc.
3. Self care: ensure you are taking proper care of yourself. Remember the saying “no one cares more than oneself”. Do exercises that will make your body calm. Ensure you take proper care of your diet, have sufficient sleep and engage in other various hobbies.
4. Seek social support: avoid isolation by all means. At all times, try to mingle with friends and family.
5. Create a routine: haven’t you heard that great men always have a routine? It helps them succeed in their daily activities. You too are a great person! Create a sense of purpose and usefulness.
6. Avoid alcohol and drugs: run from these harmful and dangerous substances, as they will not help your situation – rather, they will gradually take hold of you and most likely make it worse. Stay away.
7. Limit stress: do you know that stress can cause depression? When you engage in strenuous activities and you experience emotional or physical stress, you are, albeit for a short while, more prone to experiencing depression. Therefore, try to avoid stress as much as possible.
8. Set up realistic/achievable goals: we easily get worked up when we see our goals not actualised. Some go on to set unrealistic goals for themselves, like owning an estate within one month or making a six-figure salary without properly mapping out a feasible plan. Then, if this goal isn’t actualised, they tend to spiral. What you need to do instead is to break down your task into smaller, achievable goals to avoid being overwhelmed.
9. Be mindful and meditate: indulge in meditation or mindful activities that will soothe your mind and spirit.
10. Challenge and disapprove negative thoughts: use cognitive restricting techniques, like focusing on positive experiences and achievements or identifying and labeling automatic negative thoughts amongst others, to stop negative feelings and thoughts taking hold.
11. Mind and body techniques: engage in activities like yoga, deep breathing, exercise and progressive muscle relaxation.
12. Medication: a psychiatrist can prescribe medication if needed, e.g. an antidepressant. Don’t self-medicate, always meet with a professional to work out the best option for you.
13. Time and patience: it takes time to heal. Don’t rush anything, just stay calm and follow the due process. You will heal eventually.

Do you find these ways to heal from depression useful? Stay glued to this website as I will write my story of how I survived depression. If you found this article useful, kindly comment or share your experience with me via talktobrightchucks@gmail.com.