What is mental illness or depression?              

A mental illness is a physical illness of the brain that causes disturbances in thinking, behavior, energy, or emotion that make it difficult to cope with the ordinary demands of life.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of well-being that contributes to their community. Mental health is fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each other, earn a living, and enjoy life.”

Basically, it is a mental health issue that occurs most often in early adulthood. Anyone at any age may affect depression.

Mental illness affects 19% of the adult population, 46% of teenagers, and 13% of children each year. People struggling with their mental health may be in your family, live next door, work next to you, walking with you, study with you, and sit on the same sofa with you.

But, only half of those affected receive treatment. Untreated mental illness can affect physical health, lead to a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and even negatively impact life expectance.

Types of depression:

• Major Depression.
• Persistent Depressive Depression.
• Bipolar Disorder.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
• Psychotic Depression.
• Atypical Depression.

Major Depression:

You might have this type if you feel depressed most of the time for most days of the week.

Persistent Depressive Depression:

This kind of depression lasts for two years or more. It’s also called dysthymia or chronic depression. Persistent depression might not feel as intense as major depression, but it can still strain relationships and daily tasks difficult.

Bipolar Disorder:

This depression consists of periods of mania or hypomania, where you feel pleased, alternating with episodes with depression. With bipolar disorder, you might experience an episode of mania that lasts seven days or less. Someone with bipolar disorder, also called ‘manic depression, has mood episodes that range from extremes of high energy with an up mood to low depressive periods.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

It is also called seasonal affective disorder and is clinically known as a major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern, which is depression that’s related to certain seasons. For most people, it happens during winter.

Psychotic Depression:

Some people with major depression also go through periods of losing touch with reality. This is known as psychosis, which can involve hallucinations and delusions. Experiencing both of these together is known clinically as a major depressive disorder with psychotic features.

A delusion is a closely held belief that’s clearly false or doesn’t make sense. Hallucinations are when you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel things that aren’t really there. But to someone experiencing psychosis, all of these things are very real and true.

Depression with psychosis can cause physical symptoms as well, including problems sitting still or slowed physical movements.

Atypical Depression:

Having atypical depression can be particularly challenging because you may not always seem depressed to others (or yourself). But it can also happen during an episode of major depression. It can occur with persistent depression as well.

Basically, the two most common mental health conditions are:

Anxiety Disorder- More than 18% of adults each year struggle with some type of anxiety disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (panic attacks), generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.

Mood Disorder- Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar depression, affect nearly 10% of adults each year and are characterized by difficulties regulating one’s mood.

Causes of Depression:

Everyone is different; because of this, everyone has different reasons for depression. But there are certain reasons behind depression.

• Having blood relatives who had depression.
• Experiencing traumatic or stressful events, such as physical or sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, or financial problems.
• Going through a major life change, even if it was planned.
• Having a medical problem, such as cancer, stroke, or chronic pain.
• Using alcohol or drugs.
• Being a woman.
• Having low-esteem.
• Being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
• Having other mental health disorders, like anxiety or bipolar disorder.
• Taking certain medications, like sleeping pills.

Symptoms of Depression:

Men may experience:

• Mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness.
• Emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad, hopeless,
• Behavior includes losing interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, and engaging in high-risk activities.
• Sexual interest, such as reduce sexual desire, lack of sexual performance.
• Cognitive abilities include insomnia, restlessness, sleep, excessive sleepiness, and not sleeping through the night.
• Fatigue, pains, headache, digestive problems.

                Women may experience:

• Mood, such as irritability.
• Emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless.
• Loss of interest in activities, withdrawal from social engagements, thoughts of suicide.
• Cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly.
• Difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, sleeping too much.
• Decrease energy, greater fatigue, and change in appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, and increased cramps.

Children may experience:

• Irritability, anger, mood swings, crying.
• Feeling of incompetence or despair, crying, intense sadness.
• Getting into trouble at school, refusing to go to school, avoiding friends or siblings, or thoughts of death or suicide.
• Difficulty concentrating, decline in school performance, changes in grades.
• Difficulty in sleeping or sleeping too much.
• Loss of weight or gain, loss of energy, digestive problems, changes in appetite.

The symptoms can extend beyond our minds.

If you’re suffering from any of these situations, immediately talk about this with anyone or consult a doctor.

If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:

• Call local emergency number.
• Stay with the person until help arrives.
• Remove any guns, knives, medications, or others that may cause harm.
  • Listen, but don’t judge, argue, threaten, or yell.