Depression Depression affects people of every color, race, economic status, or age. Unfortunately, not everyone recognizes d

Depression
    Good morning, today we’ll talk about the topic of depression. As we know, depression is very common and affects people of every color, race, economic status, or age. Unfortunately, not everyone recognizes depression when it happens to someone they know. People who don’t understand may react to the depressed person’s low energy with criticism, scolding them for acting lazy or not trying. Some people mistakenly believe that depression is simply an attitude a person can change or a mood they can shake. It’s not that easy.
    Many people just don’t realize that depression can cause so many problems or so much pain. Sometimes even people who are depressed don’t take their condition seriously enough. Some people have the mistaken belief that depression comes from weakness or is a character flaw. This myth causes some people to hide their depression. Feeling embarrassed, they may avoid getting help.
    In today’s lecture, we will cover three domains of depression, namely causes, symptoms of depression and the way to get over it, in order to draw a rough picture of this issue.
    Firstly, let us begin with the causes of depression. Actually there is no single cause for depression. Many factors play a role including genetics, life events, environment, and medical conditions.
    Research has revealed that some people inherit genes that make it more likely for them to get depressed. But not everyone who has the genetic makeup for depression actually gets depression. And many people who have no family history of depression have the condition. So, although genes are one factor, they aren’t the single cause of depression.
    Life events—for example, the death of a close family member or friend—can go beyond normal grief and can sometimes lead to depression.
    Family and social environment also play a role. For some teens, a negative, stressful, or unhappy family atmosphere can affect their self-esteem and lead to depression. Social conditions like poverty, homelessness, and community violence can make it more likely for people to become depressed.
    Substance abuse can cause chemical changes in the brain that affect mood—alcohol and some drugs are known to have depressant effects. Certain medical conditions can affect hormone balance and therefore have an effect on mood. When these medical conditions are diagnosed and treated by a doctor, the depression usually disappears.
    Secondly, let us take a look at the symptoms of depression. These are 12 major symptoms that people have when they’re depressed:
    1.Depressed mood or sadness most of the time (for what may seem like no reason)
    2.Lack of energy and feeling tired all the time
    3.Inability to enjoy things that used to bring pleasure
    4.Withdrawal from friends and family
    5.Irritability, anger, or anxiety
    6.Inability to concentrate
    7.Significant weight loss or gain
    8.Significant change in sleep patterns (inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get up in the morning)
    9.Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
    10. Aches and pains (even though nothing is physically wrong)
    11 .Pessimism and indifference (not caring about anything in the present or future)
    12.Thoughts of death or suicide
    When someone has five or more of these symptoms most of the time for 2 weeks or longer, that person is probably depressed. Sometimes people go through bouts where these symptoms are really intense; other times these same feelings could be present at a lower level all the time for years. Depression is more than feeling blue, sad, or down, but a strong mood involving sadness, discouragement, despair, or hopelessness that lasts for weeks, months, or even longer, and interferes with a person’s ability to participate in their normal activities.
    Now let’s see how to get help if someone gets depressed. Depression is one of the most common emotional problems. The good news is that it’s also one of the most treatable conditions. There are professionals who can help. In fact, about 80% of people who get help for their depression have a better quality of life—they function better and enjoy themselves in a way that they weren’t able to before.
    Treatment for depression can include talk therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
    Talk therapy with a mental health professional is very effective in treating depression. Therapy sessions help people understand depression and what they can do about it.
    Sometimes medicine may be prescribed for a person who has depression. When a doctor prescribes medicine, he or she will carefully monitor the person to make sure he or she gets the right dose. The doctor will adjust the dose as necessary. Medicines can take a few weeks before the person feels the medicine working. Because every person’s brain is different, what works well for one person might not be good for another.
    Up till now, we’ve mentioned the causes, symptoms of depression, and the way to get over it. One more suggestion I want to give to the friend of the depressed people is that friends need to step in if someone seems severely depressed and isn’t getting help. Although it’s important to be supportive, trying to cheer up a friend or reasoning with him or her probably won’t work to help depression or suicidal feelings go away. Depression can be so strong that it outweighs a person’s ability to respond to reason. Even if your friend has asked you to promise not to tell, this is a situation where telling can save a life. The most important thing a depressed person can do is to get the right treatment.