Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistently low mood and a feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Persistent Sadness & Loss of Interest in Life. Depression seems to be more common among women than men.
While we all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, some people experience these feelings intensely, for long periods of time (weeks, months or even years) and sometimes without any apparent reason. Depression is more than just a low mood – it’s a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health.
Cause of Depression
While emotional state of mind can occur due to many factors but below mentioned factors are most important ones
- Chemical imbalance in brain – We have neurons for transmission of data from one cell to another in our brain. When the chemical composition of these transmitters becomes unbalanced we face depression.
- Genetics– People with family history of depression can get it from their family.
- Female sex hormone – Females have high tendency to suffer from depression than males. They are prone to depression during the times of their menstrual cycles, menopause , childbirth and so on.
- Poor Diet & Nutrition– Not taking proper diet and not having proper Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids can lead to depressed state of mind. In addition to this thyroid disease, liver disease etc can lead to depression.
- Drugs and alcohol- Taking few drugs without prescription of doctor or taking it for long time can lead to depression. Same goes with long time and regular use of alcohol.
- Grief or loss in the family- If you are mourning or sad for someone whom you have lost in the family can lead to depression.
Symptoms of Depression
Sadness, feeling down, having a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities – these are symptoms familiar to all of us. But, if they persist and affect our life substantially, it may be depression.
Overcoming Depression:
Being depressed can make you feel helpless. You’re not. Along with therapy and sometimes medication, there’s a lot you can do on your own to fight back. Changing your behavior- your physical activity, lifestyle, and even your way of thinking — are all natural depression treatments.
Set goals. When you’re depressed, you may feel like you can’t accomplish anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for yourself.
“Start very small,” Cook says. “Make your goal something that you can succeed at, like doing the dishes every other day.”
Exercise. It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It may also have long-term benefits for people with depression. Regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways.
Enough sleep. Depression can make it hard to get enough shut-eye, and too little sleep can make depression worse.
Start by making some changes to your lifestyle. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Try not to nap. Take all the distractions out of your bedroom — no computer and no TV. In time, you may find your sleep.
Eat healthy. There is no magic diet that fixes depression. It’s a good idea to watch what you eat, though. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of your eating will help you feel better.
Challenge negative thoughts. In your fight against depression, a lot of the work is mental — changing how you think.
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