Depression in All Its Aspects
Depression is a psychological disorder that, however present it may be in life and close to us, many of us avoid talking about or even naming. It is mysterious and often denied, yet in reality it negatively affects the life satisfaction and emotional well-being of one in five people in society.
In this article, I will look at depression, a condition people think they know a lot about, yet one that part of society does not take seriously enough or understand: what it is, why it develops, how it can be prevented, and how to cope with it.
What Is Depression?
First, let’s explain what the often-heard term depression means. Depression is a psychological disorder characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest, belonging to the class of conditions known in mental health as “mood disorders”.
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a diagnosis that can be given to anyone when at least five of the following symptoms occur together for two weeks:
· Feeling sad all the time
· Changes in appetite: overeating or loss of appetite
· Suicidal thoughts
· Feelings of hopelessness
· Loss of interest in daily activities
· Loss of pleasure in activities
· Feeling tired all the time
· Sleep problems
· Slowed speech and movement
· Feeling worthless and guilty
· Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
Various tests can also help us understand whether a person is depressed. One of the most commonly used is the Beck Depression Inventory. If you like, you can search for it online and take it yourself (it is a 21-question test). It is worth saying right at the start: if you have most of the symptoms above and also score high on the Beck Depression Inventory, it is important to take this seriously and seek professional support.
It is estimated that 20% of people worldwide experience depression or a similar mood disorder at some point in their lives. So even if it is not a problem we are facing right now, it is a concept we should know about in advance.
Depression is different from grief. The feelings we have in response to the end of a relationship, the loss of a loved one, financial problems and other life difficulties can sometimes resemble those felt during depression, and may lead people to describe themselves as “depressed”.
· It is completely normal to experience painful feelings after a traumatic event, the loss of a loved one, a breakup, losing a job or being rejected. These emotional reactions usually come in waves and ebb and flow. In other words, they are mixed with positive emotions and do not surface as pure unhappiness. In depression, however, there is a sadness and low mood that covers most of the time for at least two weeks.
· People who are grieving usually do not lose their self-respect. People with depression, on the other hand, often develop a sense of worthlessness along with a lack of love toward themselves.
Knowing the difference is important so that help can be sought when needed.
What Causes Depression?
Genetic, biological, psychological and environmental factors all play a role in the onset of depression. When mental health problems are common in a person’s family, the likelihood of developing depression, along with many other mental health problems, also increases. However, this does not mean that someone with no mental health problems in their family will never experience depression. It is hardly possible to say whether genetic or environmental factors are more influential.
As far as we can see, traumatic experiences, the loss of a loved one, difficult relationships, and stressful experiences that exceed one’s ability to cope can trigger the onset of a depressed mood. As the process continues, sometimes difficult external factors keep the negative mood going, and sometimes no maintaining factor is needed at all, and a self-perpetuating cycle of depressive thinking takes hold.
It is important to know that none of the negative and difficult life events I have listed are clear-cut causes of depression. When people develop negative thoughts and beliefs, especially about themselves, after the negative events they experience, a depressed mood can slip into a self-reinforcing state. For example, if a person who has separated from their partner develops a thought such as “My partner left me, so I must be unlovable; no one could ever love me!”, this and similar thought patterns will push them toward depression. If instead they develop a realistic thought such as “My partner left me, but this is not about any trait of mine. Even if I made mistakes, everyone makes mistakes, and my partner had their faults too.” they will experience their sadness in a healthy, ordinary way, and the chance of falling into a chronic cycle of self-destruction will decrease.
In short, we can say that people with a family history of mood disorders who face difficult life events are more likely to experience depression. Life experiences and their psychological imprint are usually too personal to be seen from the outside, and every individual can find themselves in this difficult process through their own unique experiences.
What can be done to protect against depression?
Just as we can take preventive measures against illnesses that show themselves clearly through physical symptoms, we can also protect ourselves to some degree against psychological disorders and strengthen our immunity. Many people take an attitude that belittles mood disorders and does not see them as illnesses. In reality, depression is both a very difficult illness in its own right and a trigger for other conditions. For example, psychiatric treatment is often provided alongside cancer treatment, and this is an important factor in helping the patient recover. It is also known that depression increases the mortality rate after age 50 fourfold. For these reasons, taking precautions in advance and protecting ourselves against depression will benefit both our mental and our physical health.
Many of the factors that can push us toward depression are actually beyond our control. For example, we cannot change our genes, nor can we prevent traumatic or highly stressful experiences that affect us deeply. However, we can strengthen ourselves psychologically and create a balance against the factors we cannot control. Let’s list some practices that can help with this:
· Look for helpful ways to cope with stress and increase your self-respect. (Getting social support, meditating, praying, taking up a hobby, doing enjoyable activities on your own and with friends, etc.)
· Take good care of yourself, sleep regularly, exercise regularly and develop a healthy eating routine.
· Avoid things that make you feel good temporarily but lead to a crash afterwards. (Alcohol, overeating, eating lots of chocolate, etc.)
· Bring things into your life that make you feel good. Think about your own well-being, know that this is not selfish, and ask the people around you to help meet your psychological needs.
· Pay attention to problems in your close relationships and try to resolve them constructively. Our relationships are an important factor in determining our mental health.
· Get plenty of sunlight. There is evidence that getting at least 30 minutes of sunlight a day reduces the risk of depression.
· Find meaningful life goals. These should be goals that bring your values to the fore, goals about which you can say not “I will enjoy it when I reach this goal” but “I will enjoy the journey toward this goal”.
· Even if you do not have any emotional problems, learning the thinking models suggested by cognitive behavioural therapy and applying them in difficult moments will help you a great deal. To learn them, I can recommend the book Feeling Good by David Burns. Experiencing cognitive behavioural therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy will also give you valuable experience and greatly strengthen your resilience against depression.
How does self-help work in depression?
We have come to the last part of our article. I hope this is a section our readers do not really need, or never will. The severity of depression can vary from person to person depending on experiences, genetics and other factors. Some people with depression can help themselves and improve. However, this usually applies to mild depression. With the Beck Depression Inventory I suggested above, you can find out how severe your depression is, if you have it. Severe depression requires medication and/or psychotherapy. If there are suicidal thoughts, a professional should be consulted without delay.
Whether or not we get outside help, self-help is a process that does us good, can reduce our depression and strengthens our positive emotions. Now let’s look at how to put it into practice…
· Move a lot. Fight the lack of energy that depression brings. Rhythmic sports (walking, running, swimming) are excellent antidepressants.
· Examine your thoughts. Depression is directly linked to our thoughts. During depression we usually produce pessimistic thoughts. Noticing these pessimistic thoughts, writing them down, and then looking for evidence of how true or false they are will, when done correctly, become an effective coping strategy. For example, a thought such as “No one cares about me, no one loves me.” can be very common in a depressed mood. After questioning how true it is, an alternative thought like this should be developed: “Yes, there may be people who don’t love me, but my family and my children love me, which shows that I am actually a loved person; and besides, some people not loving me doesn’t mean I am worthless.” This new thought should be logical and realistic. You can write it on a piece of paper and carry it with you to read when needed.
· You can read self-help books whose effectiveness is scientifically proven, like the Feeling Good book I mentioned above, and learn tips on overcoming depression through the exercises inside. The thought-evaluation practice I mentioned in the previous point is detailed and takes time to learn. Through books like these or through therapy, you can learn how to examine your thoughts more effectively.
· Seek social support. Meet up with your friends and relatives. You may have withdrawn into yourself. You can take a small step to break this. Sending a message to a few people you love can be a good start. Depression can also make you feel lonely, so make a point of staying in touch with people you trust and feel close to.
· Spend time outdoors. Connect with nature.
· Beyond these, the ways of protecting against depression I mentioned in the previous section will also have a healing effect during depression.
Depression is not always a problem we can solve on our own. On the contrary, by its very nature it is a psychological disorder in which interaction with other people and getting help are very important. We go to the hospital even for a sore finger, so it is completely normal to ask for help when needed with a problem like depression that affects our whole mind and body.
In a therapy session, a client of mine once said: “I think our mental health is actually like our teeth. Doing something good for it one day isn’t enough. Taking care of it every day is what really matters.”
With that in mind, take good care of yourself!
References
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Fifth edition. 2013.
What Is Depression? (2020). Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression.
