A few years ago, Bill (not his real name) had almost everything in the world. He had a dream job. He got his own house and car. He was basically secured financially. Plus, he had a beautiful girlfriend whom he went out with for several years. There was almost nothing he could ask for in his life.
The Breakup
One day, Bill’s girlfriend told him that she wanted a break up, saying that she needed time to be alone. He was devastated. He pleaded to his long time girlfriend to reconsider but she wouldn’t give in. After that, he went into a stage of depression. He couldn’t work efficiently. He developed insomnia. The things he loved doing like bowling with the boys on Fridays, he lost his interest in them. He avoided friend and families. He isolated himself from everyone.
Death and Transcending Depression
Then, one morning, Bill committed suicide. A neighbour found him dead on the floor of his room, holding a note. With it, he said he felt worthless. He couldn’t do anything right and thought he was already a burden to everyone around him.
Upon learning this, his ex-girlfriend went into her own depression. Ever since then, she couldn’t find herself to date anyone else, not because she still loves her ex but rather, she was afraid that the same thing will happen again to the next guy she would date.
A Beleaguered Household
Bill’s family embraced depression. Everything was gloomy in their house. The mother mourned for weeks due to the death of her son. Bill’s brother and sister, who used to be lively teenagers, became shy and quiet. Even the father was burdened, affected by the concerned looks of co-workers and friends. He despised bringing up the issue and loathed the fact that his son’s suicide is the hot topic wherever he went.
Welcome to the world of depression. The story of Bill is just one of the many stories we hear about this grave illness. Though almost everyone knows about depression, a lot of us still don’t understand how badly its effects really are. And it will not just affect a particular individual but also to the people surrounding him. Thus, we take depression for granted, thinking anyone can overcome it easily.
The Dangers of Depression
Depression hurts. It will not just hurt you emotionally, but also mentality, and if left untreated, it could also bear physical manifestations. Your daily routines will be affected by it. Even your family, friends and peers will loom about it, perhaps getting affected as well. If nothing is done for depression to be cured, things could get worse. And even if it is cured, it has a chance to come back and haunt the individual once more.
So if you’re depressed, how can you deal with what you’re feeling? First, you have to know what the symptoms are. Here is a list of things or behaviours that you should watch out for.
- Lack of appetite or a tendency to overeat – you may tend to lose or gain so much weight when you’re actually not trying to
- Depressed mood – you’re frequently sad or empty.
- Decrease in pleasure or interest – the thing you love doing doesn’t interest you that much anymore.
- Sleeping disorders – you have a hard time sleeping or you tend to oversleep. You also have a hard time getting out of bed when you wake up.
- Fatigue – you are often tired and lacking of energy
- Lack of concentration – you have a hard time thinking or to concentrate on your work
- Feeling of worthlessness or guilt – you feel that you are worthless or you feel you are guilty over things you have no control on
- Suicidal tendencies – you begin to think of suicide as an escape
When you feel you have one at least one or a number of these symptoms, it is always best that you consult with your psychiatrist. He or she can evaluate your condition and make an assessment on what you should do. Depending on your shrink’s suggestions, you make antidepressants, go into rehabilitation/sessions or just apply self medication. Before all the consultations are over, the shrink makes sure that you are ready, in case depression decides to make a comeback.
What to Avoid
Now that you know a great deal about depression, let’s focus on what you should avoid. Never ever take depression lightly, regardless if you’re the afflicted or the pacifier. Remember, any negative stimulus can worsen an already bad situation.
Depression is not an individual issue. It should be a group issue. If there are commercials about aids awareness and breast cancer, why not also take heed of depression hurts commercials? Depression is much more common than the two mentioned and somehow, just as deadly.
As said earlier, depression is one of those conditions that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yet with proper preparation and cooperation, depression can be controlled, if not totally cured. Just hang on.
