WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
You
must have heard the word ‘depression’ zillion times. But how much do you know
about this issue? To understand depression, its symptoms and other aspects,
here is a lowdown on the mental health problem that affects million across the
world, including young children and teenagers. We all have experienced low
phases when we have felt sad. But sadness goes away in couple of days.
Depression is a form of an illness in which a person feels sad, disinterested
and de-motivated longer than two weeks or more.
According
to World Health Organization (WHO), depression is a kind of mood disorder which
is characterized by ‘persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities
that you normally enjoy, accompanied by inability to carry out daily tasks and
activities, for at least two weeks.
HOW
CAN I KNOW IF ANY OF MY FRIENDS ARE DEPRESSED?
You
will see that your friend:
· Looks very sad
· He/she is not interested in watching TV or doing
things which he enjoyed before
· He/she will be at times found crying
· The person might withdraw and may not be interested
in socializing
· At times, he/she may express death wishes
· He/she may feel tired all the time despite little or
no physical activity
IS
DEPRESSION TREATABLE?
Yes,
depression is treatable. If the affected person is brought to a mental health
professional at the earliest, he/she will be treated with counseling or
medication, if needed. Not all cases require medication- some can be managed
with healthy changes in life style and regular counseling.
HOW
CAN I HELP MY DEPRESSED FRIEND?
· Be kind and supportive to your classmate/friend
· Encourage him/her gently to take part in various
extra-curricular activities in school
· Help him/her to follow up with a doctor or counselor
· Help him/her find solutions to his/her problems
· Try to be non-judgmental and listen to the person to
make him feel supported and cared for
· Don’t alienate the person in parties, events,
get-together
· Get support from an elder who can be around your
friend
