Millions of people suffer from a
depressive illness!
They thought that
depression is just a normal occurrence in their lives, which will
go away after a short while. They just haven’t realized how
serious depression can be.
The Online Encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA defines
depression:
Depression, in everyday language,
refers to any downturn in mood, which may be relatively transitory
and perhaps due to something trivial. This is differentiated from
clinical depression which is marked by symptoms that last two weeks
or more and are so severe that they interfere with daily
living.
In the field of psychiatry the word depression can also have this
meaning but more specifically refers to a mental illness when it
has reached a severity and duration to warrant a diagnosis. The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) states
that a depressed mood is often reported as being: "... depressed,
sad, hopeless, discouraged, or 'down in the dumps'." |
Wikipedia - The Free
Encyclopedia |
Did you know that words related to depression have been searched over
993,000 times on the Internet for May 2005 alone? Much attention
has been centered to this international health problem as the
rigorous challenges of modern times continue to devastate those who
cannot cope with it.
Extreme depression can
ultimately lead to suicide.
No one is safe from being affected by depression because it
affects everyone.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a male or female, rich or poor,
educated or uneducated.
Once a person starts becoming depressed, he or she usually
behaves in a manner that intensifies the illness.
HOW DOES DEPRESSION AFFECT THE
INDIVIDUAL’S BEHAVIOR?
Depressed people have some or more of the following
characteristics:
• They lose interest on their love life, career, friends,
and family.
• They experience loneliness, hopelessness, gloom, and
indifference to their surroundings. It is a feeling of extreme
despair.
• They seek to escape from problems and even from life
itself. Thoughts of leaving home, running away or avoidance of
others is common. They feel life is hopeless and worthless.
Suicidal thoughts are lurking in their minds.
• There is a tendency to escape from the company of others
because of an unexplained fear of being rejected. Their withdrawal
consequently brings on some rejection by other people. They cancel
scheduled activities, become uninterested to return phone
calls, and seek ways to avoid talking with or seeing others.
• They are overly sensitive to what others say and do. They
may misinterpret actions and suggestions in a negative way and
become irritable because of those mistaken assumptions. They
complain and cry a lot.
• They have a general loss of self-esteem. They feel more
and more negative about life’s events, and they even question their
own personal worth. Their self–confidence level is extremely
low.
• They experience negative changes in physical
activities––appetite, sleeping and sex. Some lose interest in
sexual activities. Some lose interest in food while others
gouge themselves with all the stuffs they can eat. Some sleep
constantly while others cannot get to sleep easily, or they wake up
in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep again.
• There is usually an underlying feeling of guilt. They
often feel overly responsible for other people’s feelings.
• Depression often makes the depressed dependent upon other
people. This further aggravates a feeling of helplessness, which
makes them more upset.
• They have difficulty expressing and handling their
feelings. Anger is especially difficult for them to control.
Because of a sense of worthlessness and lack of knowledge in
dealing with their situation, they get more enraged in themselves.
This can be directed outward at others.
Above ninety-five percent of even the most depressed individuals
can be totally cured if the condition is identified at the early
stages.
It is essential to know
and take action when the early warning signs of depression are
manifesting.
This Website tries to
help you...
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