Depression – The Signs and Treatment

We all know that our world is full of miseries and failures that may prove to be too much to handle at times. Repeated failures will no doubt put us in a downward spiral of life and throw us into the pit of depression. Once we go into depression it is our belief that there is no way to get out of the situation. However depression can be well treated and the patients can be cured.

Before beginning of the treatment one has to understand the different signs that are generally associated with depression. Some of the signs are:

• People will suffer from insomnia and will remain in conditions of wakefulness. Sometimes they will wake up very early in the morning
• There will be a drop in concentration levels and they will be unable to focus their attentions on anything. Their thoughts too will be incoherent and random
• There will be a drop in the levels of physical energy and a continuous sense of tiredness will engulf the person
• People tend to lose their appetite and eat less and so there will be a loss in body-weight. There may be at times just the opposite happening and they will begin to eat more. In addition to that they will lose interest in almost anything and everything that they had been associated with. In a sense nothing will appeal to them
• The thoughts of failures and insults all through their lives will start to cram up and will attempt to destabilize the minds. This may lead to a feeling of guilt, bad and sometimes even anger for not having done something at the right time
• There may also be some physical pains associated with depression that will lead to feelings of pain in the stomach, body aches etc
• People also feel the burden of failures that will bog down an individual. The burdens may creep up as being an unsuccessful son/daughter/brother/sister or a failure in life and being a hopeless cause
• As part of severe depression people sometimes harbor thoughts of killing themselves and even making attempts to do so
• They also turn towards alcohol and drugs to divert their minds elsewhere

People who suffer from depression can be treated by a variety of methods. No method can be foolproof and the treatment changes as and when the situation demands:

• A very basic form of treatment is exercising. This will increase the blood circulation and flow of blood into the brain. The most thing of all is that it will help clear the mind off the negative thoughts that tend to follow in idleness
• Trying to find some social support. It is a self-effort. Agreed that it is quite hard during that period as the mind doesn’t like to feel something but if one has the desire to get out of it then one has to make the effort
• People are encouraged to follow a diet of carbohydrate rich food as it helps produce serotonin which in turn will lead to feelings of well being and wellness
• Allow the person to get more sleep which in turn will help relax his nerves and keep his mind fresh
• The reduction of stress is a major factor in reducing depression. This can be achieved through changes in lifestyle by throwing out stress related factors like too much work or unsupportive relations
• Being brave and asking help from a therapist. This too is a self-effort. The practitioner will prescribe medications like Prozac, Paxil etc. as  he deems fit
• Finally, psychologists help to clear out the problems and help one to lead a normal life

The root causes of depression differ from individual to individual and each case should be treated accordingly. Patients might not respond to a way of treatment which had been successful in another case. Sometimes even a mixture of methods is needed to find the right cure. Obviously it goes without saying that a person suffering from depression needs a lot of support from his associates.

Dr.Williams has been working on subjects like mental disorders, depression treatment, mental health and now he loves to share his experience through his articles about anxiety disorder treatment, st louis psychiatrists, depression treatments and many more.