Depression

What is depression?

Depression is an illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of pleasure in activities, which negatively impact our day-to-day life. Depression is a common illness, impacting close to 28 crore people worldwide. 

How to identify depression?

• Feeling sad most of the time

• Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities

• Changes in sleep or appetite

• Feeling tired or weakness

• Difficulty in thinking, concentrating or making decisions

• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness

• Thoughts about death or suicide

What causes depression?

An imbalance in the level of chemicals such as serotonin have been associated with depression. Psychological factors including thought processes, stressful life experiences and the social environment also play a role. It’s important to remember that depression is not a sign of weakness or something to ‘snap out’ of, but rather a health condition that requires proper treatment. 

When to seek help?

While it’s normal to feel sad sometimes, depression is a disorder that impacts not just our emotions, but our thoughts, behaviours and physical health as well. Depression is diagnosed when symptoms continue for more than two weeks, and effect our relationships, academics or work.  

What is the treatment for depression? 

The treatment of depression depends on the severity of the symptoms. For mild depression, various forms of psychotherapy can be used, the most common being cognitive behavioural therapy. Moderate to severe depression also require the use of antidepressant medicines.