DEPRESSION_THE UPCOMING PANDEMIC

 WHAT IS DEPRESSION ? 

   DEPRESSION is a disorder that afflicts over 10% of the world's population,but we as a society know little about it.Stereotypes fell us that depressed people are weak unless they happen to be a tortured artist.It can be difficult to understand depression because it's invisible . It's something abstract!

       It's a disorder defined by thoughts , behaviors and feelings rather than obvious symptoms like vomiting, rashes or fever. Those who have experienced depression are all too familiar with comments from misguided people such as :"snap out of it" or "just get up and do something ".

Even those with depression might have a hard time understanding what they are experiencing and they often blame themselves for not being able to snap out of it.

Let's see the SCIENCE OF DEPRESSION :

     Over 350 millions people affected by it .

     The exact cause of depressions are poorly understood , but we have an idea of factors that influence the illness.

1. NEURO & HORMONAL FACTS :

         What exactly is going on inside of a depressed person is there a biological basis for these intense feeling of sadness . In the past, depression was often described as simply a chemical imbalance in brain. Earlier it was believed that a lack of neurotransmitter SEROTONIN was to be blamed, which is often referred to as the "feel good chemical". However the only real evidence for that was , when some depressed people were prescribed drugs which used to increase serotonin level. It helped alleviate their symptoms.But the ancient view of involvement of certain chemicals, doesn't really capture how complex the disease is!

 Just recent years scientist began to notice that the brain cell growth and connection may actually play a larger role.When we look at the brain of a person suffering from depression, studies show that the hippocampus tends to be much smaller than average other areas of the brain,which  are also physically affected . But hippocampus region in particular controls memory & emotions and the greater a person has been depressed shorter the hippocampus becomes.

 The cells and networks literally deteriorate.It turns out that stress may actually be a main trigger in the decrease of new neuron in this area of the brain.In fact, studies have shown that when this region of the brain is regenerated and new neurons are stimulated, mood improves.Interestingly many modern drugs including those which affect serotonin levels have an indirect effect on the growth of Brain cells -this is likely why serotonin based drugs seem to help some patients but not for the reasons we once thought.Instead they promote the release of other chemicals which ultimately stimulate neurogenesis or the growth of new neurons.

2.GENETIC FACTS :

      Some scientist now believe focus should be on drugs which directly affect neurogenesis, but while your neurons and chemicals maybe the direct influencers many genetic factors have been discovered as well .One particular study found that a variation in the serotonin transporter gene leaves individuals more vulnerable to depression.Every individuals has 2 copies of the gene,ons from each parent and this gene can either be short or long .

      After tracking 800 young adults over 5 years,the study revealed that 33% of individuals with one short version of gene  become depressed after stressful life events.And people with 2 shorter genes fared ever .On the other hand those with 2 long genes were much less likely to become depressed with similar life stress.Many other genes have been identified which used to increase the likelihood of depressions too and it makes sense when you consider that depression and bipolar disorder both run in families. Studies of identical twins show that if one has bipolar disorder the other has a 60-80% chance of developing it .

3.ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS : 

       Finally we know that environmental factors play a role in depression.Living in poverty , experiencing a traumatic event or other stressful situations may trigger the disorder.

  It's being said depression doesn't always have a clear trigger which often leads to a person not understanding why they feel so down.

AREAS OF THE BRAIN AFFECTED BY DEPRESSION 

~Prefrontal complex

~Right & Left hemisphere 

~Thalamus

~Hippocampus 

~Amygdala 

~Basal ganglia 

WHAT'S THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION?

To understand what depression really is we need to talk about symptoms .

     •Sadness of mood_despite of getting success in life one feels a constant sadness . This is how it differs from normal sadness and said to be PERSISTENT AND PERVISIVE SADNESS.

     •Loss of interest from everything

     •Excessive guilt

     •Physical weakness

     •Poor concentration

     •Appetite and weight loss,but in few cases weight gain 

     •Sleep abnormalities, but in typical cases patient wakes up early in the morning.

     •Anger

     •Hopelessness

     •Social withdrawal

     •Lack of energy

     •Low motivation

     •Poor self esteem

     •Loss of interest in regular activities.

     •Ultimately suicidal thoughts.

It can be difficult to think of these thoughts, feelings and behaviors as symptoms.It can seem like someone who is depressed has decided to be lazy and sleep all day or they have decided to stop spending time with friends , family because they have a bad attitude. But remember : what's in our mind isn't imaginary .Our thoughts , feelings and behaviors are influenced by a complex series of chemicals in our brains.

How much time does depression last?

 

👉 Symptoms of depression must last at least 1 week to more than 2 weeks .They are often cyclical-this means the symptoms can come or go over a period of months or years .

A person who experiences depression once is likely to have Future episodes.

What age group has the highest rate of  depression ?

 Age                        Percentage     

 18-29                             21.0

 45-64                             18.4

 65 & over                     18.4

 30-44                             16.8

How many people die due to depression?

👉 Close to 8 lakhs people per year across the world

Countries hit worst by depression list is attached below 👇 

Which gender likely to be more depressed? 

👉 Women are twice affected than men due to depression .

      Studies reveal that 24 women who had a history of depression on average,the hippocampus was 9-13% smaller in depressed women compared with those who were not depressed.

#BREAK THE STREOTYPIC TRADITION 

      ✓ Don't feel ashamed 

      ✓ Don't feel weak yourself 

      ✓ It's a normal disease like any other disease. You just need a perfect treatment and you will be cured .

      Keep smiling ..

TREATMENT:

Therapies-

1.Psychotherapy 

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 

      CBT is the most commonly counseling technique in depression .

 In depression , 

 Negative thoughts-sadness-negative thoughts-sadness 

 We try to break this cycle.

 Ist step :

     •patient is asked to check mind 

     •when he/she feels extremely sad ,asked to remind their thoughts that why now they become sad _feeling so low 

     •most likely they'll get a negative reason for which their mood become upset 

     

2nd step : 

      • they are asked to give an alternative explanation to theirselves as if a positive signal is provided to their brains 

This is a small summary how CBT is performed .

Medication-

      •SSRIs

      •Antidepressant 

      •Anxiolytic 

Medical procedure-

    Electroconvulsive therapy _that's basically shock therapy 

A combination of medication and therapy has been found to be the most effective.

    A survey reveals that in India depression is the most common psychiatric disease.

    

   In summary depression is a disorder that poorly understood and widely spread disease.