15 Important Facts you should know about Depression

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 4 April 2017

The theme of the World Health Day 2017 is ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’. Encourage people with depression to talk about their feelings. Depression can easily be treated with psychological therapies and medicines. Learn about these and some other basic information on depression issued in public interest by SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation).

The wounds of depression are unseen, but they hurt more than the ones that bleed. Seek professional help and get better.

Facts about Depression

  1. Depression is the commonest disorder of the mind and affects people of all age groups.
  2. It is caused by imbalance of chemicals in the brain.
  3. Stress plays a major role in this disorder.
  4. Feelings of sadness for over 2 weeks without a clear reason, with changes in sleep, appetite, energy and interests, and difficulty in performance at work/school are signs of depression.
  5. It is very different from usual mood swings that occur in everyday life.
  6. Unexplained physical symptoms like persisting aches and pains in one or more parts of the body (eg: headache, backache), palpitations, chest pain and gastric symptoms can be signs of depression.
  7. Women of all age groups are more prone for depression and exhibit more physical symptoms.
  8. Depression is very common in people with chronic physical problems like cancer, diabetes, cardiac ailments, thyroid problems, etc.
  9. Persons with depression can feel hopeless and worthless and may wish to end their lives.
  10. A large number of suicides are the result of underlying depression
  11. Alcohol abuse/dependence can cause depression and also be an effect of depression.
  12. It can be easily treated with medicines, psychological therapies, cognitive behavior therapy and life style modifications
  13. Talking to someone who cares will help. Do not hesitate to seek professional help if needed.
  14. If it is not treated, depression affects quality of life adversely.
  15. Healthy food habits, adequate sleep, regular physical exercise, hobbies, good socialization, and avoiding smoking and drinking can reduce the risk of depression significantly and also help recover from it.

Issued in public interest by SCARF [SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION(I)]

Changed
04/Apr/2017
Community
Mental Health and Wellbeing
SCARF Schizophrenia Exchange
PatientsEngage General Community
Condition
Cancer
Depression
Diabetes
Stress

Stories

  • Upcoming Webinar: Sarcoma - A Forgotten Cancer
    Navigating Care and Survivorship Issues of Sarcoma, A Rare and Forgotten Cancer Sarcoma is a rare and complex type of cancer that is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. It also requires a multi-disciplinary approach. There are also long term issues that survivors face. We speak with a distinguished panel of sarcoma experts and survivors who are trying to address the various diagnostic and survivorship challenges of this forgotten cancer Our panelists are Dr. Sameer Rastogi, Medical Oncologist…
  • Overlay text of late effects of cancer treatment
    Long Term Effects of Cancer Therapy
    Very little is talked about the late effects and long term effects of cancer therapy. Dr Sushma Agrawal, Professor, Department of Radiotherapy, SGPGI, Lucknow, India addresses questions around late effects in cancer survivors and the impact on quality of life. The intent of this article is to ensure that patients and their families are prepared and can discuss this with their physician and to take pro-active steps to prevent or manage these effects. 1.   In your opinion, time-wise,…
  • धूम्रपान छोड़ने के बाद मेरे सांस लेने में और सो पाने में सुधार हुआ है
    रमेश कोप्पिकर 35 वर्षों से भारी धूम्रपान करने वाले व्यक्ति थे और उन्होंने धूम्रपान छोड़ने के कई असफल प्रयास किए थे। आखिरकार उन्हें जब दिल का दौरा पड़ा तो उन्हें निकोटीन की लत और धूम्रपान की आदत से हमेशा के लिए छुटकारा पाने का हौसला मिला। पढ़िए उनके द्वारा शेयर की हुई उनकी कहानी। मैंने सिगरेट पीना 23 साल की उम्र में शुरू करा था- उन दिनों मैं बीएचयू वाराणसी में इंजीनियरिंग की पढ़ाई कर रहा था । मैं कैंपस के हॉस्टल में रह रहा था और मैं और मेरे दोस्त रात के खाने के बाद टहलने जाया करते थे। बीएचयू का…
  • A woman in an open field with a pink board in hand
    Committed To Looking After My Body, Mind And Soul While Living With Pancreatitis
    Shruthi Meera Shankar, 36 from Bangalore has been tackling Pancreatitis for the last seven years, a condition that has changed the course of her life. She discusses here how she has learnt to live with an almost incurable condition which increases her risk of Pancreatic Cancer. Please tell us a bit about the health condition you were diagnosed with and when you were diagnosed? Since 2013 I’ve been living with and managing Pancreatitis, although it was first diagnosed in 2014. Pancreatitis is an…
  • Upcoming Webinar: Say Yes To Life Say No To Tobacco
    31st May is World No Tobacco Day Tobacco causes many diseases and high rates of mortality. Cigarette smoking and chewable tobacco are both harmful to us. We bring together a distinguished panel to not only talk about the risks but also practical steps on how to quit tobacco Our panelists are Dr. Anil D. Cruz, President - UICC, Director - Oncology Services, Apollo Hospitals Dr. D. Raghunadharao, Dr. B.C. Roy awardee and Chief Medical Oncologist KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad Dr. Ashok Kumar…
  • कोविड 19 की वजह से चिंतित और तनावग्रस्त बच्चों को सहारा कैसे दें।
    परमीत कौर सोनी मेंटल हेल्थ फाउंडेशन, कोलकाता  में कंसल्टेंट  क्लिनिकल साइकोलॉजिस्ट हैं। इस लेख में वे बताती हैं कि जब परिवार के किसी सदस्य या करीबी रिश्तेदार को कोविड का निदान मिले तो परिवार के अन्य सदस्य बच्चों को स्थिति से जूझने में सहायता  कैसे कर सकते हैं। हमें ऐसा कई बार देखते को मिलता है कि जब परिवार में किसी को कोविड हो तो सभी उम्र के बच्चों की चिंता अधिक बढ़ने लगती है, यहाँ तक कि उनमें असुरक्षित महसूस करने के कारण चिपकू होने की प्रवृत्ति भी बढ़ जाती है। हमने क्लिनिकल…
  • Announcing Live Webinar Series in English and Hindi on Steps To Emotional Health
    Steps To Emotional Health During The Pandemic
    We are all struggling with various issues during this second wave of the pandemic. PatientsEngage has started a live webinar series every Tuesday (English) and every Thursday (Hindi) at 7pm IST with experienced counsellors who will help us understand what we are going through and share practical and actionable tips on what we can do about it. In the first of the series on 11th May 7pm IST, we spoke with experienced Psychologist Hvovi Bhagwagar on what we can to deal with the negative news…
  • I Bled For Seven Months Due To Endometrial Cancer
    Asha Sharma, a young engineer, narrates the harrowing delays she faced in diagnosing her endometrial cancer (also called uterine cancer) and wishes to use her hardships and learnings to strengthen advocacy for women’s health.  2018 was a difficult year for me - both professionally and personally. At work, it was after 10 years as Physical Design Engineer at SanDisk (now Western Digital) that I had changed my domain to signaling and power integration engineer. I had taken a vertical…
  • चीला - वेजिटेबल ऑमलेट रेसिपी
    यह एक विशेष वेजिटेबल आमलेट है -उन दिनों के लिए के लिए जब मुझे अंडा खाने का मन नहीं होता. झटपट बनाया जा सकता है । सामग्री (6 चीले बनते हैं) ½ कप (60 ग्राम) चावल का आटा ¼ कप गेहूं का आटा 1 बड़ा चम्मच मैदा 2 बड़े चम्मच बेसन ½ कप छाछ या आवश्यकतानुसार 1 प्याज (बड़ा), कद्दूकस  किया हुआ 1 टमाटर, कटा हुआ 3 हरी मिर्च, कटी हुई कुछ करी पत्ते, कटे हुए नमक स्वादअनुसार ½ टी स्पून सरसों के दाने चुटकी खाने वाला सोडा (वैकल्पिक) 1 बड़ा चम्मच तेल तरीका सभी भिन्न प्रकार के सूखे आटे को नमक के साथ मिलाएं। फिर…
  • Every Depression Episode Is A Learning Experience
    Sangeetha Param, 26 a mental health advocate continues to deal with depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and has survived suicide attempts. She talks about her relapses and her inner struggles to stay afloat. She is also a motivational speaker.  **Trigger Warning - reference to self harm** Sangeetha Param had previously shared her journey from diagnosis to mental health advocate here  How did the latest relapse begin? Was it sudden or gradual? The relapse…