Depression is extremely common. Many factors can contribute to depression including family problems, job stress and divorce etcetera. However, the exact cause of depression is still not clear. One theory is that depression results from an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Sometimes, medical problems like diabetes, heart disease and many hormonal issues can also lead to depression. Alcohol and drug use are also common reasons.sni
People with depression have many symptoms in common like low mood, sleep and appetite problems, low energy and feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. In more severe cases, a person can begin to experience feelings of paranoia or even hallucinations or thoughts of suicide.sni
Remember that depression is not the same as feeling temporarily sad (which happens to everyone) or generally feeling stressed or worried. The main difference between these sorts of feelings and depressive illness is the severity of symptoms and fact that in depressive illness, symptoms persist for weeks or months. And they generally do not get better without professional help, whether medications or psychological treatment.sni
Misconceptions about depression
Depression is a moral weakness
This is one of the commonest myths about depression that it is a moral weakness, the result of sin/gunnah, character or personality flaw and that if a person just exerts enough will power, they can overcome it. In fact, all research now identifies depression as a medical illness which needs treatment for a person to recover.sni
Depression and black magic
This is another belief prevalent in countries with large uneducated populations. In fact, it has existed for thousands of years and is a result of mankind’s dark ages when we had no knowledge of the natural phenomena. It was quite common in ancient times to sacrifice babies or women to appease angry gods. Today, we no longer offer sacrifices to gods to make it rain or to keep away floods and earthquakes. However, the belief that depression is because of the evil eye or black magic is still prevalent in our society.sni
Depression is not curable
Another misconception which is disproved every day by people who recover from this illness with proper treatment. One of the major reasons people with depression do not recover is because proper treatment is not provided early enough.sni
Psychiatric medicines are addictive and life-long
This is actually completely untrue. Depression is usually a chronic illness, therefore treatment usually also needs to continue to at least several months and sometimes longer. A general rule of thumb is that treatment for a first episode of depression has to be continued for at least six to nine months.sni
For repeated episodes of depression, treatment may need to continue for one to two years or sometimes, it may need to continue indefinitely. This is the same as all chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension where treatment usually continues for months or years. Periodically, the effects of medicines can be re-evaluated and in some cases, the medicine can be reduced or sometimes stopped. This varies from case to case.sni
Depression can be self-treated by will power
This is also one of the most common and most harmful myth. This causes enormous harm to patients and their families who suffer needlessly. A person with milder forms of depression can take steps to improve their own mental health, anything more than the mildest depression usually requires professional help.sni
Tips for mild depression
If someone has mild depression, some easy ways to recover from it might include improving diet and making sure one gets enough sleep. Eat a healthy diet with less processed sugars and carbohydrates. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of water and avoid carbonated and artificially sweetened beverages. Make sure to get at least seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night.sni
Stay away from alcohol and drugs. As far as possible, make time for relaxation. Get regular exercise and avoid negative people and relationships. Do yoga, take a walk, read a book and stay away from excessive use of computers, cell phones and tablets.sni
If you are a spiritual person, regular prayer and other rituals of your faith can also be a powerful barrier against depression. All these things need to be practiced on a daily basis.sni
When to seek help
If your condition does not get better after a few weeks of lifestyle changes, seek professional help. Psychologists are trained in psychotherapy, counseling or talk therapy. Psychiatrists are medical doctors trained to prescribe medications for mental illness.sni
It is important that whoever you see takes the time to listen to you and tries to understand what is wrong. If they do not make an effort to understand your distress or try to push you to take medicines when you do not want to, walk away and find someone else. Recovery from depression takes a while so you need to work with someone you can trust. You may not need medicines and if your psychiatrist recommends them, ask him or her if they are really necessary or if psychotherapy can help.sni
Whatever you do, do not ignore your symptoms. While momentary sadness and stress usually goes away by itself, the illness of depression needs proper treatment or it may get worse.sni
Get the help you need for yourself or your loved ones. Recovery may take a while but you can get your life back.sni
By: Dr Ali M. Hashmi, Professor of Psychiatry, King Edward Medical university, Lhr
