I Am Depressed

It was a dark place, so dark that it made me think I'm blind. It's so silent that I can hear my blood coursing in my ears. Surprisingly I wasn't scared, in fact I didn't feel anything. No human could live here, other than me, because I am empty, no humane. I started walking aimlessly. I walked and walked and walked with no luck finding me. I lost hope. There is no light, I know. There will never be one. Forever, this is my life and I might not live it long. -nandini pilli

Sadness and depression

“I am depressed.” is a sentence people often use when they are sad without acknowledging its intensity. But what is the difference between feeling extremely sad and depressed? The feeling of sadness or grief is normal to every human being. Both sadness and depression involve the same intensity of low mood and loss of interest. But sadness or grieve is intermixed with positive memories whereas depression is total negativity for most of two weeks. The feeling of sadness becomes depression when a person is low for a continuous period of two weeks.While a person is depressed, they have feelings of worthlessness, self-loath, low self-esteem and they are pessimistic. Their thoughts are always dark.

You look happy, but you don’t feel happy. That is what depression does to you.-unknown

What causes depression

The causes of depression are not completely understood. It could be due to genetics, environmental, and psychological factors. In teenagers, depression is mostly due to the feeling of being lonely, ignored or neglected or even abused by people surrounding them. According to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC), 7.6% of people above the age of 12 have depression in any two week period. WHO (World Health Organization) estimated that 350 million people in the world are affected by depression and, 1 in every 15 adults is affected by depression and 1 in every 6 people will experience depression at some point in their lifetime.

How can we help them

But what can we do to help people who are diagnosed with depression? Listen to them. Most cases of depression show that the person is lonely and cannot talk or be understood by his/her family or friends. One has to be a good and patient listener to help their loved ones who are diagnosed with depression. Encourage them to seek help regarding their condition. Let them know that you are always there for them, no matter what. Understand the non-verbal language, like body language, facial expression and constant zoning out. Educate yourself about their condition and be patient with the situation you both are in. Ask them to voice their thoughts, because at times they could be suicidal.

And finally understand that depression is a mental disease that can be treated and that deep within there is a person you once knew.