All About Depression

“A positive attitude gives you power over your circumstances instead of your circumstances having power over you.”

— Joyce Meyer

Phrases like “I’m so depressed” or “this is depressing” are used so freely in the world today. People tend to use it to explain away small incidents which didn’t go their way or a small fight with family members and friends. But what people should know is that depression is a very real issue that affects over 300 million people worldwide.

So, what is depression? According to the WHO it is “a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration.”

Some widespread assumptions about depression are:

• Depression isn’t a real illness
• People can simply snap out of it
• Depression affects only women
• If you are sad you are depressed

These are mainly misconceptions. However, if you do know someone exhibiting signs of depression here are some things which you can do:

• Get in a routine: set up a routine for your day to day activities. A set routine will help bring some structure to your life and help you get back on track.
• Set a goal: set daily goals for yourself. They don’t have to be big goals, little ones such as washing the dishes everyday will help you feel more accomplished.
• Exercise: exercise releases endorphins, these are feel good chemicals in your body. Daily doses of endorphins can help rewire your brain in positive ways.
• Reach out to a counsellor: professional help is always available. Reach out and talk about it with a counselor who can help you work on moving forward.