Depression -Ain't a joke anymore!!

What it actually is?

Did you ever feel sudden ache of hopelessness in your head? Or did you ever want to shut yourself in a room where you did not feel the need of someone's presence? Or you ever want to cry out your feelings before someone but something chokes you, that choke which feels so heavy in your heart that you feel someone broke one of its pieces.

Yes, exactly! The hollowness within us is what depression gets us feel.

It feels  like we are nothing but a human being without any emotions, without any sense of feeling, just a pain of finding ourselves completely alone around anyone and everyone.

But wow, what an irony it is!! we consider such fatal (life costing) feeling as a literal joke as if someone ought to speak for the sake of making joke of oneselves and we gotta ignore considering it as one, until it happens to one of us or the one ,we love.

No, depression cannot be taken as a joke!! It is a serious psychological problem that may even cost one's life. It is more likely to occur among youth who find themselves to be largely affected by this "so called unacceptable stigma" in our society.

Major causes

Depression may occur due to certain reasons particularly when one finds themselves to be incapable to stand out to certain norms of our society. Some of the major and basic causes are:

1- being subjected to abuse - 

A large section of the youth is subjected to physical, social or mental abuse which gets them more prompt to depression

2-  weak emotions-

It is found that depression is more vulnerable to those who do not have hold on to their emotions, i.e. even a minute actions of someone tends to affect them mentally.

3 - certain medications-

Consumption of drugs, namely, isotretinonin(used to treat acne) or corticosteroids can also increase the chances of depression.

4 - death or loss of someone-

Even losing a loved one, be it a family member or friends or any other being or may even be an animal, the person is attached to, leaves a deep mark inside their heart , consequently leading them to be depressed.

5 - major conflicts-

Quite often, even conflicts between friends or family may also prompt the person to lead to this terrible path.

Symptoms

Common symptoms are:

Anxiety, apathy, guilt, hopelessness, loss of interest,mood swings, agitation, excessive crying, social isolation, excessive hunger,fatigue,loss of appetite, weight gain or weight loss, etc.

How to overcome depression?

~ Communicate

I know it isn't easy to talk about this before everyone maybe because not everyone takes it seriously. But always remember you have your family with you, you have at least one friend with you who will listen you, who will get you out of this. Talk to them, tell them what is that one thing which is eating you from inside. Tell them you aren't happy. Tell them even little things bother you nowadays. And trust me you'll find yourself in a better place post few months.

~ form a community

Always remember you are never alone going through this phase. There will always be someone like you feeling the same, who might be going through the same phase , who, just like you might need someone to share their heart. Talk to them. Form a community ( by community I mean any social networking group where people going through the same phase can interact with one another) so that each of them understands one another and get each other out through this phase. This will surely help in development of psychological understanding within you.

~ listen to podcasts

Going through such a phase takes a lot but surely you can definitely help yourself to feel better. Listening to podcasts will help you for the same. It gives you a sense of satisfaction, motivation to build a positive mindset. Listening to podcasts of people who not only went through the same but also overcame this issue will help you to understand your weakness, analyse your strength and get rid of depression.

~ count your blessings

It is truly said " someone will always be less fortunate than you". In this tough phase where you feel completely alone, where you feel, nobody wants you, where you feel angst, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. you have your family who've been always there for you, you have your friends who always gave ears to you problems. You have a home, you have a 2-3 times meal in your plates, you are blessed to acquire education. Most people dream of this, most people do not even have access to such luxury. Remember how fortunate you are. After all counting your blessings doesn't require much efforts.

 

Keeping all this positivity in our mind , lets just be each other's strength and normalise talking about depression publicly so that no person has to face this alone. 

        

                                                                               By - Anshika Awasthi