Depression: It's Okay Not To Be Okay

A person suffering from depression experiences a pain which is beyond description. Laurel K. Hamilton has rightly said,"There are wounds that never show on the body, that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds." 

Sadness ,felling down and having a loss of interest in daily activities are familiar feelings for all of us . But if they persist and affect our lives substantially, the issue may be depression. 

Depression is the main cause of disability worldwide. It can affect adults , adolescents and children. Depression is different from the mood fluctuations that people regularly experience , people do feel worthless , tired and prefer to be alone without any human interactions but these feelings are normal and cannot be defined as depression. But when these feelings become regular and unavoidable they become the symptoms of depression . It is an ongoing problem , not a passing one . It consists of episodes during which the symptoms last for at least 2-3 weeks , and can even last for months or years. No age group over 25 has a depression rate higher than 10% but the younger groups all do , and the rate among college-age adults has increased immensely. . This is because people do not consider depression as a disease and unintentionally tend to ignore it . 

Factors that are likely to cause depression are : 

1.Genetic features 

2.Environmental factors 

3.Physiological and social factors 

4.Additional conditions , such as bipolar disorder. There can be many possible causes , and sometimes, various factors combine to trigger symptoms.

 Depression is treatable, and managing symptoms usually involves the following:-

1.Support 

2.Psychotherapy 

3.Drug treatment: Some people use natural remedies, such as herbal medicines, to treat mild-to-moderate depression .                   

Keep in mind , "No storm , not even the one in your life can last forever. The storm is just a passing over." -Lyanla Vanzant 

Written By: Divyanshi Saxena