Depression or Major Depressive Disorder, is a serious illness that can affect all age groups at any point in their life, depression is a mood disorder which affects certain parts of the brain that result in a sad affect for a long period of time – usually a minimum of 2 weeks consistently, it can also manifest behaviorally, and physically in the way we speak, respond or react, also how our body feels like around certain people in life.
According to a national study conducted in 2023, nearly three out of ten persons (29%) have received a diagnosis of depression at some point in their life, and over 18% are presently dealing with the illness. Depression is more common in women than in men, and it is more common in younger adults than in older adults. Although depression counselling can strike at any age or moment, it often first manifests in the late teens to mid-20s.
Each person will experience depression symptoms differently, and they can range from mild to severe. These signs may consist of:
● feeling depressed, agitated, empty, and/or without hope.
● losing enjoyment or interest in things you used to appreciate.
● a noticeable shift in weight (notable increase or loss unrelated to dieting) and/or hunger (eating much less or more than normal).
● either too little or too much sleep.
● Reduced vitality or heightened fatigue or exhaustion
● An increase in unintentional movement (such as pacing, hand wringing, or difficulty sitting still) or slowed speech or movement that is severe enough for others to notice.
● feeling excessively sorry or unworthy.
● inability to focus or think clearly, forgetfulness, and/or trouble making small judgments.
● suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, or death-related thoughts.
The human experience includes experiencing periods of sadness, being “down in the dumps,” or having the blues. However, for depression to be diagnosed, the aforementioned symptoms must be present for most of the day, almost every day, lasting longer than two weeks, as well as a noticeable shift in daily functioning (e.g., in hobbies, personal relationships, and work/school performance).
Thankfully, depression can be effectively treated.
Depression types
Major depression
A person suffering from serious depression feels depressed all the time. Activities they once enjoyed may no longer pique their attention.
Psychotherapy and medicine are typically used in treatment.
Persistent depressive disorder
PDD is classified by having persistent symptoms of depression for a cycle of 2 years which hinders client’s ability to enjoy things they interest in, persistent sadness as well as other mood related difficulties, PDD is also known as dysthymia.
Postpartum depression
The term “baby blues” refers to a brief time of melancholy or elevated emotions that some people experience after giving child. Usually, this disappears within a few days to a few weeks.
The severity of postpartum depression, also known as postnatal depression, is higher.
However there might be no specific cause to this type of depression, help though should always be a priority when struggling with general well-being, reaching out to a therapist, a psychiatrist or even friends and family that we trust.
Types of therapies.
Cognitive therapy
Cognitive therapy helps in understanding negative thought patterns that cause distress and dysfunctionality in life, cognitive therapy helps in being aware of these thoughts and restructuring them to provide a different perspective as well as changing the core belief beneath these unhealthy thoughts, within the therapy session.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavior therapy focuses on modifying behaviors that might cause distress to us, behavioral patterns like addiction, treatment for OCD, systematic desensitization, aversion therapy, etc.
Behavioral therapy helps us understand our thoughts and behaviors caused by those thoughts as well.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy combines both, cognitive therapy and behavior therapy to assist clients work on their thoughts as well as behaviors that might not be helpful/healthy towards client’s well- being, some interventions used in CBT are ABC model as well as understanding core beliefs which are giving rise to ANT’s or Automatic Negative Thoughts.
Self awareness, here and now and thoughts influencing behavior and emotions is the fundamental core value of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
CBT serves as the foundation for dialectical behavior therapy. The main distinction is that it asks depressed people to accept and admit their negative thoughts and behaviors. People can learn to manage stress and control their reactions to it, accept their unpleasant feelings, and even strengthen their bonds with others by practicing validation.
Additionally, this kind of psychotherapy uses Buddhist mindfulness techniques to guide crisis coaching, where a client can phone the therapist to get suggestions on how to deal with challenging circumstances. The individual will eventually gain the ability to manage their difficult circumstances independently as they continue to hone these new talents.
Psychodynamic Counseling
Psychodynamic treatment, sometimes referred to as psychoanalytic therapy, is predicated on the idea that unresolved, mostly unconscious conflicts that have their roots in childhood can lead to depression. This kind of treatment aims to assist the patient better accept and put their feelings in perspective while also increasing their awareness of their entire spectrum of emotions, including conflicting and upsetting ones.
Psychodynamic therapy is typically longer-term and less targeted than certain other depression treatment modalities. This method might be helpful for identifying patterns in prior experiences and observing how depression may be exacerbated by certain incidents. Additionally, this method can assist develop self-awareness and enhance specific emotional abilities.
Conclusion:
90 percent of people respond really well to therapeutic interventions who struggle with depression, therapy helps people with having a new and positive perspective towards life, while also helping them to let their emotions exist within them instead of running away from them.
