Introduction
In today’s society, people are more likely to contract a variety of diseases as they spend time in different environments. One such illness is depression, which is not uncommon, and people may become depressed without realizing it. The important thing is to have proper knowledge of the disease and how to deal with it.
What is depression?
Depression is a common yet serious medical illness that negatively affects a person’s mind, speech, and behavior. Luckily, the disease is treatable. Depression can affect the way a person feels and lead to grief and/or a loss of interest in activities that a person used to enjoy. Depression may also cause a wide range of mood and body issues that can impair one’s ability to perform well at work and at home (Torres, 2020).
Symptoms of depression
Depression is not just about feeling sad or “blue” all the time. Depression can trigger a range of symptoms. Some symptoms may affect your mood, while others may affect your body. Symptoms may also be continuous or may be intermittent. Not all depression patients experience the exact same symptoms. Symptoms vary in severity, frequency of occurrence, and duration (Higuera, 2020).
Causes of depression
For some people, depression may be caused by an upsetting or frustrating incident, for example, death or bereavement, divorce, disease, layoff, worries about work or finances, and so on. It is often a combination of different causes that triggers depression. For instance, a person may feel depressed after an illness and then undergo a bereavement or other traumatic event, which may trigger depression. The following are some of the examples:
- stressful events
- personality
- family history
- giving birth
- loneliness
- alcohol and drugs
(NHS, 2021).
Different ways of treating depression
There are many treatments that you can do on your own, in parallel with therapy and medication. One natural treatment for depression is to change one’s behavior, including physical activity, lifestyle, and mindset. Here are some things that you can do by yourself:
Make a routine. Routines provide us with a positive structure and enable us to better control our mental and physical health. Routines also give us more time for the activities we love and enjoy while also signaling the shift in the time of day, letting us know when to eat, sleep, exercise, get sunlight, and relax.
Set goals. When you are depressed, you feel that you cannot do anything, but if you make a goal, you can push back. Goal setting, the practice of setting and achieving smaller, more manageable goals, has a beneficial impact on your motivation and helps you internalize the idea that you can achieve the bigger goal.
Exercise. Being depressed can leave you feeling tired, which may discourage you from becoming more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you suffer from depression, and it is especially beneficial for people suffering from mild to moderate depression. Any type of exercise is beneficial as long as it is enjoyable for you and you do enough of it. Exercise should be something you enjoy doing; otherwise, it will be difficult to find the motivation to do it on a regular basis.
Eat healthy food. Folic acid and Omega-3 fatty acids may help alleviate depression (R. Morgan Griffin, 2012).
References
Higuera, V. (2020). Depression: Types, Causes, Treatment, and More. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/depression [Accessed 7 December 2022].
NHS (2021). Causes – Clinical depression. [online] nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/clinical-depression/causes/ [Accessed 7 December 2022].
R. Morgan Griffin (2012). 10 Natural Depression Treatments. [online] WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/natural-treatments [Accessed 7 December 2022].
Torres, F. (2020). What Is Depression? [online] Psychiatry. Available at: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression [Accessed 7 December 2022].
