Guide

But suffering from depression is hardly reason to worry. The good news is that it is almost always, completely curable. It needs professional help, attention, guidance and appropriate medication. Last but not the least important, the warmth, understanding and support by family members, friends and well-wishers go a long way in helping a depressed person return to normalcy.

A word of caution, depression is a serious illness, please do not attempt any self-diagnosis and/or self-medication. The earlier the professional help is sought, the faster will be the recovery.

• Depression : The unending sad moods
• Depression : In children / adults / elderly

• Depression : Temporary / Moderate / Severe

• The 'expectation-achievement' equation
• 'Children' worries
• Marriage rejections / Disturbed relationships / Divorce
• Matters of Sex and Alcohol
• After childbirth and in menopause
• Loss of job / money / loved one

• Can depression be cured ?
• Role of Doctor / Specialist / Medicines
• Role of alternate therapies
• Role of relatives and friends

Depression : The unending sad moods

It is quite common to feel sad and everyone goes through phases of daily ups and downs. But when these bouts of temporary sadness persist for a long time, the person is said to be suffering from depression. Temporary sadness or Reactive Depression is a kind of reaction to immediate surroundings.

Like other illnesses, depression is also a type of illness. For example, in case of fever - one goes to a doctor; for a toothache - a dentist; for an eye problem - get eyes checked. But when it comes to depression, most people, either do very little, or do nothing about it. Depressed people do not seek professional help because they believe their problems cannot be solved. Even the people around them do not encourage the depressed person to seek professional help. They believe - time is the best healer. Often people arrive at a wrong conclusion - "A vacation will solve the problem". It should be recognised that depression is a kind of illness and a vacation cannot substitute the job of a professional therapist.

Depression : In Children / Adults / Elderly

Depression is a mood disorder and therefore can strike anyone, any time. Children, adults and the elderly.

Children & Adolescents :
The behaviour of depressed children or teenagers is peculiar to the activities within their age-group. A child who often played with friends now prefers to spend time alone. A depressed child may exhibit increased activity or irritability, start complaining of physical illnesses such as stomachache or headache. There may be a deterioration in academic performance. Often they show desire to remain absent from school, exhibit persistent disinterest with a marked change in eating and sleeping pattern.

Strangely, depressed youngsters may not always seem sad, so parents and teachers may not even realize that the child is depressed. However, depressed children, in response to a direct question, often say, they are feeling sad. At this stage both, boys and girls are equally prone to depression.

Around puberty an amazing thing happens. Boys are more likely to be depressed before developing sexually, but soon after sexual development, girls become almost twice as likely to develop a depressed state of mind. This is due to extreme hormonal shifts experienced by girls during the days of menstruation. Girls also tend to become over-involved emotionally with their mothers' problems in a stressful home.

Adults :
Moving from puberty into adulthood - once again, studies have determined that women are more prone to become depressed. Adding to the list of causes mentioned above a woman has to overcome some 'self image' situations (like too 'fat' / too 'flat'), lesser assertiveness, pre- and post marriage anxieties, marriage, compatibility with husband/in-laws, child-bearing, child-upbringing etc. To add to these, she may even have to perform the duties of a working woman.

While, on the other hand, for an adult male the most of the stressful situations present themselves primarily at the work place. The search for better & more rewarding (paying!) jobs, improvement of job related skills, surviving the corporate jungle, moving up the corporate ladder, improving social status etc. are some of the likely causes for depression.

Though depression is not restricted to any specific age-group, it is seen in real life that the largest numbers of depression cases are in the adult phase of life.

Elderly :
Even elderly people fall in the relatively high-risk group. Though they tend to shift-focus from their emotional disturbances on to some of their physical symptoms. They may be aware of their state-of-mind but are unwilling to accept and admit that they have a mood disorder. Others may be aware of their depression but believe that nothing can be done about it. In still other cases their pain, anxiety, irritability etc may be attributed not to depression but to arthritis, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, thyroid disorders or such other chronic conditions.