The Sneaky Footsteps of Depression
The concept of “depression” is a common mental problem that affects our daily functioning and it does not occur in one night. It comes in a sneaky way that we don’t realize. The term also has a wide range of usage among people, whether what they feel is actually depression or not.
So, what is depression actually?
When we look at the characteristics of depression, we see that a person with depressive episodes has negative and destructive thoughts about themselves, about others and the world, and about the future, and that these arise mostly from some negative past experiences. For example, the person may hold the responsibility for an accident causing the loss of a loved one and feels guilty. Likewise, blaming oneself and self-criticism, such as “I am useless”, "I can't do anything”, are other types of negative thoughts about the self.
People with depression may also have negative thoughts and attitudes towards others and the world. With these thoughts they generalize the cases by saying for example, “Nothing works”, “Nobody likes me”, and “It is not worth it at all”. Such negative thoughts and approaches about themselves and the outer world naturally lead these people to have a pessimistic view of the future. They may say, for instance, “It will always be the same”, “I won’t be able to do it”.…etc.
People develop depression as a result of an accumulation of negative perceptions and interpretations of events. Depression comes by constant reflection of negative thoughts and emotions on ones actions.
Therefore, depressed individuals build up symptoms triggering each other after some unfortunate interactions. For example, a person with some negative childhood experiences develops low self-esteem and starts to feel worthless. Furthermore, he/she also starts to believe that other people around them think that they are worthless. Consequently, the person withdraws from society by losing interest and joy in activities. The more they stay away from society, the more they get into negative thoughts and feelings.
We can talk about other symptoms such as poor concentration, having difficulty in making sound decisions, and episodes of agitation or stagnation. Depression can be mild, moderate or major, depending on the frequency and intensity of the symptoms. The severest symptom is having suicidal thoughts and images.
Depression can be treated effectively through some cognitive behavioural approaches by addressing negative thoughts and behaviours. Medication is incorporated according to the severity of the symptoms.
The best treatment is prevention. In order to avoid depression, like other mental problems, we need to be aware of ourselves.
Adopting a lifestyle with mindfulness provides us self-awareness. We also need to practice holistic self-care which involves physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental dimensions.
Physically, for example, we can do exercises depending on our physical capacity and time factor, volunteering, socialization, and leisure activities or hobbies.
Along with religious or spiritual rituals, we can practice forgiveness and gratitude. Most importantly we need to preserve and boost our mental health in different strategies, such as staying away from negative people, positive self-talk, thinking flexibly, self-compassion, and building empathy.