The other day, I came across a video that very well explained depression. It is not necessary that people around you who seem to be happy and content with life are actually happy. They may be hiding their true emotions behind their lovely smiles. A person who is a social bufferfly for the world can be lonely deep inside. The best employee of the year may actually have a very low self-esteem and considers himself/herself worthless.
Depression does not always ring the doorbell, sometimes it just enters your life silently. A person suffering from depression may not always have the obvious symptoms. There have been cases, where the individuals themselves did not know that they were depressed. They ignored their symptoms thinking them to be just a bad phase which should pass soon. But, it never passed and the condition worsened.
The depressed souls may be afraid to share their feelings with others because of social stigma. Or, may feel that nobody will understand their condition.
Depression affects your mood and behaviour. You may feel low, sad, hopeless and even suicidal due to depression. Not just mental health, depression impacts your physical health too. The melancholy harms both your body and mind. Depressed people may experience weight changes, chronic pain, heart disease, weak immune system, insomnia and gastrointestinal problems.
Emotional suppression, bottling up emotions and not expressing your feelings are not the solutions to fight depression. First and foremost, it is very important for a depressed person to understand that it is ok to ask for help. You need to trust people and confide in them. And, rest of the society needs to understand the situation of the people suffering from depression. The least we can do to help them is to listen to them, empathise with them. After all, we will feel happy only when people around us are happy.
Depression can be treated with the right kind of support, lifestyle changes, medication, therapy and a change in person’s outlook. A positive outlook on life always leads to a happier life.
