What is depression and how should one deal with it?

Depression is a commonly floated term in the media, however most people don’t know its exact definition. Most confuse depression with unhappiness and assume the feeling is temporary and passes on its own. However, depression is a serious clinical condition. It leaves the patient with a deep feeling of hopelessness that rarely passes on its own. Moreover, it is often hard for victims to come to terms with the fact that they are suffering. Worse still they fear being labelled ‘mad’. The onus, therefore, falls on family and close friends to recognize the warning signals. To help you identify, we’ve mentioned below common symptoms or warning signals of depression:

• Sleeping for extended periods of time: Depression makes people feel a general sense of hopelessness. This is why one of the main symptoms of depression is a person sleeping for extended periods of time. Depression makes a person feel they have nothing to look forward to by waking up and facing the day.
• A marked change in appetite: If someone close to you has a sudden and prolonged change in eating habits, it might signal a deeper emotional problem. People suffering depression go to extremes: either they binge eat or they avoid eating to the point of starvation.
• Loss of interest in social life: If a friend or a loved one suddenly loses interest in regular activities, it is a sign of depression. By losing interest, we do not mean temporarily for a day or two. The person suffering usually gives up or quits socializing, participating in hobbies or going outdoors.
• Extended periods of illness: Depression is a psychological illness but it does have a profound physical impact. People with depression are known to suffer painful debilitating headaches for extended periods of time. Depression can also cause digestive problems, eating disorders, irregular menses, flu, and insomnia.
• Disinterest in personal upkeep: One of the main bipolar disorder symptoms, extreme mood swings can cause a person to lose complete interest in personal hygiene and upkeep. If you notice a friend or a family member suddenly stop combing their hair or leaving themselves unkempt in any similar fashion, it is a sign of depression.
• Sudden expression of worthlessness: Does someone you love keep saying things such as ‘what is the use of doing anything’or ‘it is all my fault’ a lot? Watch out for these lines for they are a clear sign that someone is going through depression. Depression takes away a person’s reason for being and the motivation to take action in life.
• Increased dependence on substance: Depression usually finds an outlet in substance abuse. Victims of depression often channel their inner turmoil through an addiction. The addictions vary from person to person. The main ones are cigarettes, alcohol, and caffeine. Extreme cases of depression lead to drug addiction.

What can you do to help someone with depression?

Depression does not go away on its own. Contrary to popular myths cheering up a person suffering from depression will not make the condition go away; it will merely suppress the symptoms temporarily. Depression needs to be treated clinically for the symptoms to truly come under control. Homeopathy offers safe and natural treatment for the symptoms of depression. Homeopathic medicines are safe and free from side-effects that affect libido and appetite.

Homeopathic treatment for depression focuses on identifying the cause of the distress. Depression is not a uniform condition. It manifests differently in almost every person. Homeopathic treatment for depression focuses on improving serotonin levels which affect our moods. Homeopathy aims to improve the overall quality of life for each age group. Do not let depression steal away your loved ones from you. Consult a homeopathy consultant today for safe and comprehensive healing options.