Many people blame “depression” for good or bad moods and temporary depressions, and depression is not something that happens only when one is not strong enough as traditionally thought. In fact, it is a disease that affects a person’s thinking, feeling and behavior.
According to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), depression is one of the top three diseases worldwide that will require attention in 2020. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, the average age of onset of depression is 32 years old, during the prime working years. But depression can strike at any age, the data pointed out that relationships are thin, the habit of thinking in a single perspective, too demanding personality is more likely to get depression. The elderly are a high-risk group because of loneliness, chronic illness, and overuse of medication.
The risk of depression is that it often goes unnoticed and is not properly treated. Caregivers often fail to associate the physical symptoms of fatigue, headache, pain, or insomnia with depression. People who are depressed often deny or ignore their symptoms, or rationalize them as being caused by stress alone, or even mistakenly associate a diagnosis of depression with a personality or willpower failure, and deliberately do not seek medical help.
What are the warning signs of depression?
Depression can be triggered by a stressful event, or it can occur for no apparent reason; it can appear suddenly, or it can develop slowly over months or years. Symptoms don’t always appear in a particular pattern; in fact, you can have depression and not “feel depressed. The key manifestations of depression can also be irritability, and loss of normal interests and feelings of joy.
1. Persistent sadness.
You may feel low, sad, or empty. You may be crying all the time, or feeling numb: neither happy nor sad.
2. Irritability.
You will be easily angered, and things that never bothered you in the past will now make you angry.
3. Feeling of anxiety.
You can be unusually nervous, worried, preoccupied with unimportant concerns, and always making a fuss. You may feel fidgety, upset, and distracted.
4. Loss of interest and joy in life.
You may lose the ability to find joy in people, hobbies or activities that you used to find enjoyable.
5. Neglect of personal responsibility or self-care.
If you were always responsive at home, at work, or at school, you may forget to pay bills, fall behind in your work schedule, or start skipping classes when you are ill. You may neglect your personal hygiene (such as washing your hair). Women who used to be concerned about their appearance may now leave the house dressed in sloppy clothes and without makeup.
6. Change in eating habits.
You may not feel hungry and become thin without realizing it. You may also gain weight by overeating.
7. Change in sleep habits.
You may have trouble falling asleep at night, wake up frequently, or wake up early in the morning and not be able to fall back asleep. You may also sleep too much and spend most of the day on the bed.
8. Tiredness and loss of energy.
You may always feel tired and have low energy. Body movements may be slower, and speech may be slower.
9. Decreased concentration, persistence and memory.
You may have trouble concentrating and staying focused on things at work, school or home. Even simple things become more difficult to make decisions about. You may also tend to forget things.
10. Extreme emotional changes.
You may experience dramatic emotional swings, going from joy to despair in a short period of time.
11. Feelings of helplessness.
You may feel that you are no longer in charge of your life, that you no longer have control over your life. You may be easily overwhelmed by stress and become more dependent on others for even simple things.
12. Sense of hopelessness.
You may have difficulty seeing a bright and positive future and feel a lack of motivation and doubt about whether life is worth living.
13. Sense of worthlessness or guilt.
You may begin to feel inferior to those around you, which can cause you to start to turn away from others. Guilt may also arise for no apparent reason. Something that happened a few years ago and didn’t bother you at all will now take over your thinking and become a burden.
14. Persistent negative thinking.
You may become pessimistic, have low self-esteem, and not believe that things will ever improve. Phrases like “I’m bad,” “I’m not good enough,” and “What’s important?” Phrases like these come to mind often.
15. Physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment.
You may be experiencing headaches, digestive problems or chronic pain. These symptoms are often associated with depression.
16. Increased use of alcohol and drugs.
You may use alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs to try to help yourself get over your depressive symptoms. Because these substances affect brain function, they may worsen depression.
17. Thoughts of suicide or suicide.
You may wish you were dead, or have thoughts like “If God could take me away, it would be a relief” or “It would be better for my family if I could just go to sleep and not wake up,” or even actually think about killing yourself. (If you find yourself planning a suicide plan, be sure to seek professional counseling or psychiatric treatment immediately.）
2 Focus on being there for the person with depression
When dealing with a person with depression, family and friends around them will often try to motivate them out of the goodness of their hearts. However, there are two key points that must be grasped: to accompany with a non-judgmental attitude, and not to rely on one’s own care. Most people think “you’re sick, I’ll help you”. What the patient really needs is “you and me together”. Listening and feeling is the medicine, and being there without value judgment is the only way to enter his world.
Also, don’t take on the responsibility of caring for a depressed person by yourself, or you may become irritable and bored first. Find support in all areas of the patient’s life, and play a bridging role so that family, friends, work colleagues, and medical staff can empathize with his or her pain. If people can help together, such as relay care, inviting the patient to stress-free social activities such as outings, and helping to maintain a normal sleep and diet, the patient will also be able to get out faster.
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