Let's talk about depression

They may respond with a dispassionate ‘I’m fine,’ they could be doing their jobs, and sticking to their usual routines, but there is always a hint that something is wrong. The macabre suicide video of 24-year-old student, Arjun Bhardwaj, who jumped off a room on the 19th floor of Hotel Taj Lands End, has once again brought to the limelight the perils of a silent killer — depression.

The causes of depression can be many, explains psychologist Dr. Seema Hingorrany, “ It is very important to reach to the root cause of the ailment, and understand where is it stemming from. It can be genetic — when the disease runs in the family, it could be due to environmental pressure, when people have low tolerance levels of dealing with failures in life or any traumatic experience that may have caused a long lasting impression on the mind, and the person is finding it difficult to get over it.”

People become confined within themselves, thanks the fear of not having assistance at hand, “When people start keeping things to themselves, there would be two reasons for it — either they feel helpless that they are in the wrong environment, or they have a fear that people will mock them and make fun of them. This is also one major reason for people to just stop communicating,” shares psychologist Dr. Kashish A.Chhabria.

The signs and symptoms are aplenty, and it is important to notice them, and act upon them at the correct time. “Gaining or losing weight rapidly, crying a lot, skin rashes, migraine, feeling constantly fragmented and lost, going numb are just a cluster of signs that one must notice. Being sad is an emotion, but prolonged sadness, and constant anxiety would also be one the signs,” Seema explains.

Expectations and reality do not necessarily match and people may start developing an attitudeof non-acceptance towards every situation thrown at them, says Kashish, “Depressed people have a lot of self-sympathy, and they refuse to see things from a larger perspective till the point where they have a victim mind-set. No matter the amount of  external materialisation offered to them, nothing will seem to impact them, since they are not happy in their head.” What they need to understand is, “Don’t take things personally, as everybody’s perception is not your reality, and don’t let them suppress your inner voice. Acknowledge and accept that things usually don’t always work the way you want them to, and there is always a way around.”

Surrounding yourself with positive thoughts and people is also a key to overcome the problem, “ It is often misunderstood that the ailment is not curable, it is definitely curable with right kind of counselling, therapy, bringing in certain important changes in lifestyle and  — most importantly  — staying away from people who are extremely critical of you,” says Seema.

On your to-do list:
Spend time in the sunshine, with nature, and animals.
Practice Yoga and breathing exercises.
Avoid eating junk food. Because when you eat junk, you think junk.
Boost your serotonin levels by practicing one act of kindness each day — be kind to yourself and others.
Dr Kashish A.Chhabria