Depression By Emily Bone

Depression is one of today’s leading causes of death, and many who suffer from it, may not even realize it or even seek treatment because they either cannot afford to do so or feel like it will go away in time; which in less severe cases is true.  Often when a person suffers from depression, they can have frequent daily interruptions and if left untreated can be quite problematic, so it is always best to seek some type of help whether it be professional or by simply talking to a friend or family member.

Some of the more well-known symptoms of depression include changes in eating habits, uncontrollable mood swings, changes in a person’s weight, a person’s home life, and the sense of always feeling tired. The causes of these symptoms are believed to be either chemical or inherited from the person’s gene pool.  However, not all symptoms are noticeable.  If a person is trying to hide the fact that they are depressed, they can always alter both their outward appearance and their attitude as well.  Usually, they will wear long-sleeved shirts to hide physical abuse and when asked how they are, they almost always say they are doing fine.

Occasionally, someone who is trying to hide how they feel on the inside does so because they don’t want their family members and friends to worry all the time. A popular way for teenagers to release some of their pent-up emotion is to cut themselves with either a razor blade or whatever else they might have on hand and will often hide their cuts by either wearing a long-sleeved shirt or some type of armband.  Alcoholism and substance abuse is also a way people seek to escape from their everyday lives and is often started early in life as well.

Cutting, alcoholism, and substance abuse can have many disastrous risks to your health. Cutting can cause damage to your nervous system and death if you cut too deeply. And once your vein is cut, if no one is around to help, you will eventually bleed out. Alcoholism and substance abuse will not only affect your nervous system but other major systems as well; such as your digestive and urinary systems.  Your physical appearance will also change from such abuse. For example, loss of hair, discoloration of the skin, shallowness of the face, and weight gain or loss of the body, are just some of the physical changes.

Some of the leading medical treatments for this emotional disease include medicines such as Prozac, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, and Effexor. Alternatives for medical treatment include seeing a psychiatrist or for less severe cases, just talking about it with a close friend or family member as stated before. Seeking help should not be looked down upon as a weakness, but it should be seen as a strength because you are willing to get help and change the way you see life. Depression is controllable. People just have to seek the right treatment for them before it’s too late.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/depression/stress-anxiety-depression

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001941/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175/DSECTION=risk-factors