Depression – The underrated weapon

To all the beautiful people out there,

I am going to touch upon a topic that is often neglected. This widespread yet underrated phenomenon is called as depression. Yes, people rarely speak about it, for the fear of being judged. However, you are not alone in this world. There are N numbers of people suffering from depression. They don’t speak about it, they don’t go for medication, and they don’t care about it, which eventually makes them have suicidal thoughts. If you open up about it, you can save lives. You can either save yourself or someone around you.

If you think you suffer from depression, speak about it to someone you trust. Someone who wouldn’t be judgmental about you. Someone who would consider this as a serious mental illness. If you find someone suffering from depression, turn as the source of comfort for them. Medication is a must for this lethal condition. You need to cure them as soon as possible. Most people would tell that it’s just another phase. But it’s not a phase where you can get cured by pretending to be happy.

Never ever consider that it’s a passing phase of your life. It’s a curable yet a deadly disease that can cost your life, if not cured at the right time. Even a perfectly happy person can have depression. Even if you have jubilant things going on around you, you can suffer from depression. Hence, it doesn’t have anything to do with your emotional state. It’s a goddamn disease that affects your mind and changes the course of your life. The most apt meaning of depression is major depressive disorder. The phrase itself screams that it is a disorder. And that’s why you have different types of depression – clinical depression, postpartum depression, seasonal depression, psychotic depression and atypical depression. Everything has a remedy of its own.

There’s no specific cause for depression. Anything can trigger it. It might be an underlying childhood trauma or constant bullying or witnessing something gruesome. Depression multiplies over time even without you noticing it. So, how can you find if a person is suffering from depression?

1.      Social detachment

2.      Excessive weight loss or weight gain

3.      Constant fatigue

4.      Mood swings

5.      Feelings of hopelessness

6.      Excessive sleeping or insomnia

7.      Suicidal thoughts

8.      Losing interest in things that they liked

9.      Slowing down of activities

10.  Losing concentration

If you find the above mentioned symptoms in you, immediately consult a psychologist or psychiatrist. A psychiatrist can guide you and prescribe medicines or drugs according to the type of depression. A psychologist will counsel you and recommend natural treatments for depression. These treatments include changes in your diet, meditation, and taking in mood-enhancing supplements.

Always remember, you can definitely cure depression, but only if you talk about it. The first step that you must take towards curing depression is to find someone whom you can trust. If you don’t find anyone to talk to, seek medical help directly. Let us take an oath that depression would soon be completely eradicated.

 Note: This content has already been published in Thought Catalog and in my personal blog ‘Musings Lounge’. I have made a few changes to the post and submitted here.