Handling Depression and Mental Health

 Depression is a mood disorder that involves a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It is different from mood fluctuations known as mood swings and it is regularly experienced as part of life.

 Major life events such as bereavement, loss of job, loss of partner and also loosing loved ones can cause or lead to depression. However, doctors only consider feelings of grief to be part of depression if they persist. This is an ongoing problem, not a passing one as it has been seen to be a part of human psychological make-up.

 It consists of episodes during which the symptoms last for at least two weeks. Depression can last for several weeks, months, years and in extreme cases without help it could last for a life time. 

Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral and emotional well-being. It is all about how people think, feel and behave. People sometimes use the term mental health to insinuate the absence of a mental disorder. 

Mental health affects daily living, relationships and physical health, however mental health also works in opposite direction. Factors in people’s lives, interpersonal connections, and physical factors can all contribute to mental health disruptions. As depression can affect an individual mental health and disrupt regular routine of a person.

Here are some general signs and symptoms of depression as depression is nearly twice as common among women as men according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and also rising cases among teens and college students: 

Reduced interest and pleasure in activities once enjoyed 

Changes in appetite 

Loss of sexual desire 

Sleeping too much or too little 

Unintentional weight loss or gain 

Slowed movement and speech 

Agitation, restlessness, pacing continuously

Feelings of worthlessness or guilt 

Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or an attempt at suicide   

Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions 

Things that could cause depression are: 

Environmental factors 

Genetic features 

Changes in the brain’s neurotransmitter levels 

Psychological and social factors 

Bipolar disorder 

In handling depression and mental health some possible solutions have been provided which are:

Psychotherapy also known as talking therapy which includes private counseling

Drug treatment, as a doctor could prescribe antidepressants 

Natural remedies this could involve herbal medicines 

Exercise 

Food and diet (fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil)

Life itself comes with a lot of issues which can make you depressed unconsciously but how we handle those issues would determine if we would get out of it on time and it won’t affect your mental health as reaching out and staying connected to people should always be on our minds before any thought. 

Name: Akintola Mayode Mercy

Code No: OS/21B/1596

Course: Computer Science 

Institution: Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH)

State of origin: Oyo State