Millions of people today suffer from mental disorders that are discarded as imaginary or made up due to the non-existence of any hard proof. How can you ever prove to someone that depression or Alzheimer’s is a disease? Want to show them the MRI scans? Well, that won’t work.
So in such a case, facts are the only way you can convince one to believe in mental disorders. Today in this article, we will discuss some of the most common facts about depression that everyone today should know. So let us go ahead and jump right into it.
Important facts relating to depression
Most people consider depression to be a minor mental disorder that can be either wished or prayed away. But that is not the case. It is a major, widely spread and highly effective mental disorder that affects everything from your social behaviour to your physical health. Here are some of the important facts about depression that one should know;
1. Counting the numbers
Going through depression, you don’t have to be ashamed of everything. You might be surprised to find out how many individuals from all age groups, gender, and ethnicity. According to a study, around 7.1% of the adults in the US have gone through a depressive mood at least once in their lifetime.
Another study suggests that around 13.3% of the teenagers in the US have experienced a serious depressive mood once in their lifestyle. This would make 17.3 million adults and 3.2 million children every year and that in just one country!
2. Types of depression
Depression works differently for everything, so there is no single way of treating it, much like other medical conditions. According to research, depression comes in different forms: persistent, postpartum, psychotic, seasonal, and major depression.
Since the underlying cause or the condition itself isn’t the same; therefore, the treatment plan varies from patient to patient. Health professionals come up with a personalized plan after accessing the patient’s condition. It is mainly composed of antidepressants, various types of psychotherapy, and in extreme cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
3. Major causes of depression
Depression can be triggered by several internal, external, and environmental factors. It is a common mood disorder but, at the same time, is also a serious one that is caused by a wide range of factors, making it hard to diagnose in the initial stages.
Research suggests that due to the high stress and anxiety levels, the production of cortisol is increased in the brain, which affects the release of the happy hormone known as serotonin. The suppression, low-levels, or imbalance of serotonin in the brain can lead to serious mood swings that can cause depression.
Trauma is also known to be a leading cause of depression. Since in most cases, patients end up in denial or self-blaming mode after a trauma. This ends up losing interest in their life or starts acting out a double life to cover up their sadness, anger, or hurt.
Other than that, your genes, hormonal imbalance, or seasonal changes can have a huge impact on your brain as well. Your neurotransmitters play a major role here, so an increase or decrease in serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine can trigger your depressive mood within seconds.
4. Ashamed
Many people start with minor depression but end up with extreme depression, which can lead to self-harm. The reason behind that they are either afraid or ashamed to open up to someone in their friends or family. They feel that being depressed is a form of weakness or that their loved ones won’t understand where they are coming from.
Due to the hold there, they refrain from getting help from a professional and end up things like drugs or CBD vape juice to cope with the constant sadness and empty feeling inside. The sense of shame prevents them from getting the help they need, and that is what led to 264 million cases of depression worldwide back in 2017.
Ways to treat depression
As mentioned above, treating depression varies from person to person. The best way is to get professional help and do as the health care provider suggests. Here are a few other ways that can help you treat or prevent depression as well;
- Learn how to cope up with the hard times.
- Keep yourself entertained or busy when going through a bad day to avoid sinking in your bad thoughts.
- Find a person who you trust and open up to them every once in a while to let it all out.
- Stop over-thing as it isn’t doing you any good.
- Start eating healthy to provide your body with the required nutrients to keep your mind fresh and healthy.
- Invest in herbal supplements that help you stay calm. You will find CBD concentrate for sale, and it has proven to work great when fighting mental disorders and pain.
Fighting depression is like fighting your inner self. Sometimes you might find a reason, whereas other times, you might not even understand why you are depressed. So instead of second-guessing yourself or experimenting on yourself, get help from a professional right away to get that healthy mindset of your back and start enjoying life like before.
Thanks for reading this post. I hope you find it useful. Please feel free to share this post with your friends and family. After all, sharing is caring!