Depression

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how we feel, the way we think and how we act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being “depressed.”Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can strike at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. is an extremely complex disease. No one exactly know what causes it, but is caused due the variety of reasons:-

Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Changes in appetite, weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Loss of energy or increased fatigue
Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)

Feeling worthless or guilty
Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide
Sometimes depression co-exists with a major illness or may be triggered by another medical condition.

Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression. Most of the chances are occupied by female.

As with any illness, treatment should be tailored to a specific diagnosis. Some people may have a disorder that causes most of the distress, and it is reasonable to address it first. For example, if a person who is highly depressed is unable to begin treatment for an anxiety disorder, which requires high motivation and energy, it may be necessary to treat the depression far Often, however it is difficult to tell which set of symptoms is predominant, so treatment of both may start at the same time. Their symptoms responds to respond to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) medications. Choosing a therapist etc. Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it. Stop hating yourself for everything you are not,and start loving yourself for what you are.