http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/depression-understanding-it-is-half-the-battle-won/
One out of 20 people in the world suffer from depression but sadly many of them are forced to live in denial about the disease.
So how is depression different from sadness?
Sadness is part of the life without which happiness would have no meaning. To feel sad during major life crises like the death of a loved one, losing a job or the ending of a relationship is normal. Depression on the other hand is a condition where there is prolonged sadness and an individual’s mood isn’t tied to life events. While healthy individuals have moods related to life events, people suffering from depression suffer from disproportionate amount of sadness and guilt. It is a serious medical condition in which the symptoms make it difficult for the person to function in society, often leads to poor physical health and severe emotional pain.
How common is depression?
One out of every 20 people you know probably suffers from depression. The numbers are hard to pin down for a mental illness like depression because the symptoms are seen as a continuation of everyday-life behaviour. However, considering that 1.8 lakh Indians commit suicide every year and there are 20 times more attempts, which means at least 36 lakh people in India are surely suffering from major depressive disorder.
But a cure is not hard to find…
Mental illness is a big problem in our culture, in fact any culture. People don’t like to acknowledge that they aren’t a fully functioning member of society (whatever that means) and there’s a tendency to hush up mental illnesses. It’s almost considered taboo to visit a counsellor or psychiatrist to seek help. Perhaps it has something to do with the way mental illnesses show distinct changes in our personality, cognition and behaviour – the very things that define our being; unlike a physical illness where a certain organ or part of the body is affected.
One out of 20 people in the world suffer from depression but sadly many of them are forced to live in denial about the disease.
So how is depression different from sadness?
Sadness is part of the life without which happiness would have no meaning. To feel sad during major life crises like the death of a loved one, losing a job or the ending of a relationship is normal. Depression on the other hand is a condition where there is prolonged sadness and an individual’s mood isn’t tied to life events. While healthy individuals have moods related to life events, people suffering from depression suffer from disproportionate amount of sadness and guilt. It is a serious medical condition in which the symptoms make it difficult for the person to function in society, often leads to poor physical health and severe emotional pain.
How common is depression?
One out of every 20 people you know probably suffers from depression. The numbers are hard to pin down for a mental illness like depression because the symptoms are seen as a continuation of everyday-life behaviour. However, considering that 1.8 lakh Indians commit suicide every year and there are 20 times more attempts, which means at least 36 lakh people in India are surely suffering from major depressive disorder.
But a cure is not hard to find…
Mental illness is a big problem in our culture, in fact any culture. People don’t like to acknowledge that they aren’t a fully functioning member of society (whatever that means) and there’s a tendency to hush up mental illnesses. It’s almost considered taboo to visit a counsellor or psychiatrist to seek help. Perhaps it has something to do with the way mental illnesses show distinct changes in our personality, cognition and behaviour – the very things that define our being; unlike a physical illness where a certain organ or part of the body is affected.
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