OVERCOMING DEPRESSION

by Adedoyin Shobo

Man’s life is fraught with endless activities. Aspirations and hope keep him alive. Quotes like “either you are fast or you are dead”, puts him in constant apprehension of being swallowed by the world around him.

In every single normal day of man’s existence, there’s bound to be stress – everyday with its challenges. In the race of life, there’s bound to be trophies and inevitably, knocks.

Have you ever imagined what life would be when you no longer have anything to look forward to? When your world twirls and spirals incessantly in life sized “black-hole” of worlds that are just disjointed and completely unrelated?

Sure everyone does at one point in their life. For some, it’s a chronic malady, requiring all available arsenals of pyschotherapy and pharmaceutical extractions.

For others, it’s short-lived, blown away by something as simple as a shrug.

A study by the World Health Organization revealed that of all the medical illnesses, mental illness and substance abuse are the costliest to society and by far, the most disabling.

There are many known mental illnesses but the common ones include anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression.

Scientific research and theology support many claims about the mood related condition. We see from news flashes, breaking news, tabloids, other forms of communication etc. In today’s world like all times, the mind is constantly plagued by stress-related nervous disorders. Rulers, Moguls, Princes, Peasants, Celebrities alike are not spared.

Depression is hence no respecter of status or fortune. Indeed, many famous people throughout history have had it. King Solomon, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill are few of many well-known examples from history.

Frankly, what is important to remember to know is that depression is nothing to do with human weakness.

If you suffer from depression, you are, sadly, far from being alone. In fact, it has been estimated that there may be over 350 million people in the world today who have it. Depression has afflicted humans for as long as records have been kept. Indeed, it was first named as a condition about 2,400 years ago by the famous ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates, who called it ‘melancholia’.

It is mostly associated with words like gloomy, blue, sad, despondence, miserable, lethargic, neurotic.

People get depressed for several reasons.  In fact, the Centre for Clinical Intervention categorized these reasons as biological and psychological.

The biologic factors being genes, hormones and brain chemicals while the psychological factors would include thought pattern, loss, sense of failure and stress.

How do we know we are getting depressed? Are they warning signs?

Scientists say we possess cerebral capacity for intelligence and the ‘reptilian brain’ which generate a constellation of emotions. If we feel love, fear, happiness, excitement, pain and pleasure. We can also feel depressed.

Although the experience of depression vary from person to person, some of the common symptoms include feeling of sadness, down or miserable most of the time, loss of interest or pleasure in most of their usual activities for more than two weeks ( according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV).

Other signs of depression may include: grumpiness, irritability, loss of energy or fatigue, sleep problem (too much or too little), changes in appetite or weight, feeling of worthlessness, problems with concentration, loss of interest in sex, feeling of emptiness, thinking about death. More so, these symptoms are often accompanied by anxiety or anxiety-related disorders.

A study conducted by a health promotion agency in the New Zealand found that long term unemployment, alcohol problems, social isolation, women (during or after child birth), lack of sleep, poor diet and exercise, chronic illness (diabetes, heart disease, Crohn’s disease), loss of loved one(s) or living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, are among the leading causes of depression.

Medical research has contributed immensely to the management of depression in terms of pharmacotherapy (e.g. the SSRIs among medicines) and psychotherapy. Even then, knowledge is still largely inadequate and available therapies are not without unavoidable cost which further limits their effectiveness.

However, looking up to the supernatural may be a ‘way-to-go.’ Trust me!!!

Diverse socio-anthropological histories around the world can attest to this fact. The ancients had that conviction in what is believed to be the ‘essence’ of life.

This belief in an inherent purpose makes us uniquely different from atoms, particles and any other romantic ideas, man can explain about creation.

Lastly, let me suggest some healthy tips that would immensely reduce this mood-related disorder:

- Stay fit and healthy; 

- reduce alcohol use; 

- get enough sleep; 

- create balance in your life (identifying and managing stress); 

- spend time with people you love and trust, and do things you usually enjoy. 

And for God’s sake, live one step at a time. Live deliberately and with conviction.