Clinical Depression and Its Prevention

Clinical depression is stated as a common psychiatric disorder that is marked by persistent mood swings, loss of interest in usual activities where the person does not derive pleasure from anything. At this level the person may need clinical intervention to come out of it. This form of medical illness involves the mind and body and can completely transform the patient’s personality. From having problems in doing normal day to day things, it can push a person to the brink of having suicidal thoughts.

This is a chronic illness and needs treatment for a long period of time. But the good news is that this with proper medication, psychological counseling and other treatments, a person can be completely cured.

Symptoms

1. Guilt: The patient may suffer from pangs of guilt with an excessive feeling of worthlessness. This may affect his work and later he can develop social phobia.
2. Sleep: The basic pattern of sleep gets disturbed. While some patients complain of insomnia or disturbed sleep, others complain of sleeping too much and do not feel fresh on getting up, even after a deep sleep, all night long.
3. Weight change: People in depression behave differently. While some gain weight because they eat too much, others loose weight because of loss of appetite. Whatever the case, a depressed person does experience a change in weight.
4. Temper: During depression people tend to be very short tempered and irritable and tend to loose their temper over trifle maters.
5. Self loathing: During depression, the patient may go through a phase of self loathing.
6. Suicidal thoughts: The person may have suicidal thoughts and may even attempt it.
7. Lack of sex drive: There is marked decrease in the sex drive during this phase, affecting men more severely than women. Men may suffer from erectile dysfunction due to this.

Prevention

Certain steps and precautionary measures can help to avoid this problem in most cases. Follow these steps-

1. Don’t stress: Learn to take things lightly. Stress can build anxiety which in turn can get people depressed and over a period of time, this manifests itself in the form of chronic depression.
2. Laugh a lot: There is nothing like a good laugh to get over depression and beat stress. So learn to laugh your heart out at the smallest opportunity.
3. Therapists: Never shy away from seeking help from a therapist. Going to a therapist does not mean that you are mad. It just means that you are matured enough to understand that you need help. A good therapist can easily guide you out of your depression by helping you with your coping skills.
4. Pop the pills: If you are on instructional drugs be regular with their administration.
5. Exercise: One of the best ways to get over stress and looming depression is to sweat it out by exercising. The rush of energy will refresh your mind and releases some feel good hormones. Exercising also decreases the level of cortisol in the blood. This hormone can cause stress in the body.
6. Diet: Eat all the feel good food. Studies have shown that diet rich in vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids and sucrose can make you feel good about your self. A rich, well balanced diet can help fight depression and decreases you dependency on tranquilizers and antidepressants.
7. Fluid intake: Increase your fluid intake by drinking at least five liters of water everyday. This not just keeps you hydrated, but also detoxifies your body by excreting the toxins out of the body along with sweat and urine. Accumulation of toxins in the body aggravates the symptoms of clinical depression.
8. Talk to your family: Instead of sitting and brooding over your problems all alone, share them with your family and friends. A heartfelt conversation can do you a world of good and can easily bring you out of depression.
9. Learn to relax: Whenever you feel that the stress is getting too much, let go and do something that relaxes your mind. This could be anything, from indulging in a hobby to taking time out for a vacation.
10. Learn to let go: Depression could also be a form of guilt of past deed or anger towards a particular person. Learn to forgive yourself and others. This will make you feel better from inside and also helps to get over depression.

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