Most of us have felt sad or depressed at times. This is considered a normal reaction to a loss or struggles of life.
But when strong sadness, including hopeless, worthless and helpless lasts for several days to weeks and does not let you live your life to the fullest then, it is something more than sadness. You might be suffering from clinical depression, a medical condition which is treatable.
How will I identify if I am suffering from depression?
You can conclude that you are suffering from depression when you have these below-mentioned symptoms for a few weeks:
- A depressed mood for the entire day, mainly in the morning
- Feel lack of energy or tired almost every time
- Feel guilty or worthless almost every time
- Not able to focus or remember things, and reach a conclusion
- Can’t sleep or you sleep for long hours
- Feeling no interest in any of the activities
- Most often think about suicide
- Feel restless
- Gain or lose weight
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Suffering from cramps, headaches, and pains
- Digestive problems
Right treatment
There is not a specific “depression test” to find out if one is suffering from depression or not. So, most of the time doctors find out by doing a thorough physical and background verification of the person. During the examination, the doctor will want to know things, like:
- When the symptoms started
- For how long they lasted
- How serious they are
- Does anyone in your family suffer from any kind of mental illness or depression
- Do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
- Did you suffer from depression at any time before? If so, how was that treated at that time
If your doctor finds out a physical cause for your signs, he or she may start your treatment or may refer you to a mental health expert. This professional will find out the best treatment for you. This treatment can include medicines like antidepressants, a kind of therapy known as psychotherapy or if needed, both.
Are there any warning signs related to depression?
Few of the warning signs related to depression include:
- Always thinking about suicide
- Shift from sadness to happiness or becoming calm suddenly
- Clinical depression that gets worse with time
- Making comments like being helpless or hopeless
- Meeting or calling loved ones or close friends
If you or someone you love shows any of these signs, contact a mental health expert immediately.
If the symptoms of depression are causing problems in your relationship, family or work life and you could not find any clear solution for it, then consult a doctor. Discussing things with a doctor or medical counsellor will avoid things from getting worse, mainly if you suffer from symptoms since long.
Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, as popularly known as a treatment for individuals whose signs of depression do not get treated with medicine or who suffer from severe depression and require immediate treatment.