Dr Maxwell Adeyemi
Quite often people die by suicide and those around them lament that they didn’t know they had had any problem, didn’t notice any sign of depression and wondered why the person took his or her life. Depression is real and can creep into a person’s life and wreak havoc without any visible symptoms.
If left untreated, depression can undermine a person’s relationships, disrupt workflow and make maintaining sound health very difficult, if not impossible. It can also lead to suicide.
Depression, also called a major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a common mental health disorder that affects over 280 million people globally. It is characterised by persistent feelings of sadness, inability to feel pleasures and reduced energy levels for no clear reason. At some point in our lives, we have been sad and overwhelmed. But when someone is depressed they can experience this feeling of sadness persistently for a long time.
Causes of depression may include:
* Biological factors like genetics, chemical imbalance, and hormonal changes.
* Psychological factors like negative thinking patterns, personality type, and traumatic childhood experiences.
* Social factors like adverse life events and financial difficulties.
There are vulnerability factors that can further increase the risk of developing depression, especially in women. They include early maternal loss, lack of confiding relationships, unemployment and having more than three children who are under the age of 14.
[caption id="attachment_1006717" align="alignnone" width="510"] Dr Maxwell Adeyemi -[/caption]
It is crucial to be able to identify the symptoms of depression, not just for ourselves but for the people around us as well. This is because people can act normally yet be fighting a losing battle against depression.
Symptoms of depression may include:
* Constant fatigue: Feeling tired, exhausted, and drained of energy can be a pointer to depression. Studies have shown that 90 per cent of people with depression experience fatigue.
* Poor concentration: Losing your train of thoughts frequently during conversations is an indication that you are struggling with your memory, and that might be related to a depressive illness.
* Increased appetite: Unlike the typical poor appetite experienced in depression, increased appetite, referred to as “emotional eating” is also a symptom of depression. People with depression sometimes eat to satisfy emotional and not physical hunger.
* Behavioural symptoms: When someone who is the life of the party suddenly becomes withdrawn, angry, or irritable, depression may be the cause. Research shows that men are more likely to experience anger or irritability than women.
* Physical symptoms: People with depression sometimes complain of physical symptoms like headaches, backaches, body pains, joint pains, etc.
Depression has many faces. It is possible to be depressed and
