Stop the stigma of mental health, depression

  • Saturday | 8th April, 2017

Nowadays all over the world, so many people are suffering from the mental health problems especially the depression. But maximum of them feel ashamed of talking about this and to see a doctor. We discussed the issue with Dr. Parul Adlakha and Ms. Samridhi Khatri.

Mental health is an all- encompassing term that includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects our thought, emotions and behavior. Our Mental health determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Bio-Psycho-Social factors contribute to mental health problems, these include:

ï‚· Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

ï‚· Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

ï‚· Family history of mental health problems

 Good mental health is characterized by a person’s ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty along with feel, express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions, and to maintain good relationships with others.

In this regard, we talked with the co-founder and Clinical psychologist of P.E.A.C.E. solutions Dr. Parul Adlakha. She told us that according to some research the lifetime prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder is 10–25% for women, and 5–12% for men.

Ms. Samridhi Khatri also co-founder of P.E.A.C.E. solutions and clinical psychologist says that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is also the most important factor for suicide and will be the second cause of Global Disease Burden by the year 2020. In India, the prevalence of depression is 9%, and the average age of onset of depression is 31.9 years.

Mental health is a part of the overall well-being of a person and bringing this perspective to the fore the WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION celebrated the World Health Day on 7th April 2017 by talking about Depression.

Symptoms and causes of depression-

We all have times when our mood is low, and we’re feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually, these feelings pass in due course. But if the feelings are interfering with your life and don`t go away after a couple of weeks, or if they come back over and over again for a few days at a time, it could be depression.

When a person suffers from depression, it interferes with daily life and normal functioning. It can cause pain for both the person with depression and those who care about him or her. It is a real illness and not a sign of a person’s weakness or a character flaw.

Sadness is only a small part of depression. Depression has many other symptoms, including physical ones. Some core symptoms are:

ï‚· Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, worthlessness, helplessness

ï‚· Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities

ï‚· Decreased energy, being “slowed down”

ï‚· Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

ï‚· Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

ï‚· Appetite and/or weight changes

In many cases, depression can be triggered by an unwelcome, stressful or traumatic event. This could be a loss of employment, the end of a relationship, loss of loved one, major life changes, like changing job, moving house or getting married, being physically or sexually assaulted, being bullied or abused.

Experiencing depression can make it hard to find enthusiasm in life. But taking an active role, and taking steps to help yourself cope with your experiences, can make a big difference to how you feel. It is a manageable condition. Managing depression requires a treatment plan, and a team of experts to put that plan to work. A small but important step towards well-being involves expressing oneself and talking about our mental health issues.

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