Depression is a mood disorder where one has a negative impression of himself as useless, worthless, inadequate, of the world as dismissive towards him and of the future as gloomy. Depressed people have a disastrous way of thinking where nothing makes sense and they aren’t satisfied. Physical complaints as well as changes in diet and sleep appear. The symptoms of depression are: negativity, stress, loss of satisfaction, fatigue, decreased libido, eating disorders such as weight gain or weight loss, sleep disturbances such as sleepiness, insomnia, irregular type, lack of concentration, suicidal thoughts, headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea.
The causes of depression can be either genetical, for example the presence of certain genes, either organic where some diseases lead to depression, such as hypothyroidism, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke. Moreover the side effects of certain medication such as cortisone, the use of substances such as alcohol and other drugs, traumatic experiences in early childhood as well as difficult situations such as divorce, death, dismissal from work lead to depression.
One can overcome depression if he divides his obligations into smaller pieces and rewards himself for what he had done. Also he needs to participate in activities that make him feel happy and undertake only those initiatives that he can carry out. It is important that he has a supportive network of relatives and friends. Additionally he needs to remind himself that depression causes all this negativity and that those negative thoughts don’t reflect reality.
It should be pointed out that cognitive behavioral psychotherapy helps people boost their self esteem, eliminate their feelings of helplessness through the use of specific techniques such as focusing on their dysfunctional thoughts, changing them in order to understand better themselves, others and future. It also helps them acquire new skills so that they can cope with difficult situations.
Finally what we need to bear in mind is that someone can overcome depression with the support of his closed ones and the assistance of a mental health specialist.