Signs of depression and anxiety are not very difficult to look out for. We usually know when somebody in our circle is going through a depressive phase. However, we do not identify it as a threat to our well-being and hence do not take the required medical care. There is often a tendency to see mental illnesses as not bearing any direct consequences to our life. We tend to wait it out, hope for it to pass with changing circumstances.
Studies suggest that we have been overlooking a grave danger in our approach towards mental health and its overall effect on our life-span. The journal of Psychiatric Services conducted a research that proved that on an average, people with depression (those not even in the need of psychiatric care or medication) died five years earlier as compared to others. This usually happens in two ways- one, excessive stress leads to physiological changes in our body affecting our vital organs, and two, it leads the patients to adopt unhealthy lifestyle and habits like inactivity, poor diet and smoking and drinking.
Heart disease is one of the most common side effects of depression. Insomnia and other characteristics of depression weaken the immune system therefore increasing vulnerability to minor diseases as well. While depression might not lead to a chronic disease itself, it adds complications in the case of those who are already suffering from some form of long-term illness.
What does treatment do?
The most important benefit of treatment is, it prevents relapse. Since depression binds an individual in a vicious cycle of negativity, most people gp through multiple depressive episodes in their lifetime. Due to this, they are more susceptible to the side-effects of depression as compared to those who seek help.. Diagnosis and treatment prevent relapses and therefore wane out the risks associated with it. The theory of treatment of depressive disorders rests on removing the systemic negative bias in thinking that patients of depression develop over time. This is done through a combination of therapeutic and medicinal treatment.Cognitive Therapy has come out as a very effective way to treat depression.
How does Cognitive therapy work?
As life gets more complex with time, it gets harder for a person to point outtheir problems. With time as unresolved issues pile up, people usually enter a habit of self-pity.They blame themselves for everything, constantly demeaning the self. Cognitive therapy helps the person recognise and correct negative automatic thoughts by disassembling their complex problems andhelp with figuring out plausible solutions.. It is usually a person’s inability to find a way out of their problems that makes depression seep in. Cognitive therapy rearms a person with ways to find solutions to their everyday problems.
Say yes to a happy, fulfilling life.
Depression is like getting lost in a forest. If you are not taking medical help, you are hoping to find the right path on your own. You may do it on your own, but if you don’t, you would have spent your entire life lost. Depression brings down the overall experience of living by clouding a person’s mind and thoughts with negativity and pessimism. It might not be a disease in the conventional sense of the word, but it is as fatal as any of them.
It has come out to be a mounting problem in the world today as more than 264 million people (approx. 10%) from all age groups are victims to it globally. People’s casual attitude towards it makes it hard to take conclusive steps in this direction. Social stigma surrounding mental health disorders makes it harder for one to open up even to their closest confidante. Break the chain of depression by opening up! Make sure you visit a therapist today!