Home / Blogs
DEPRESSION
It is crucial to diagnose the mental disorder early and start treatment for those affected
Depression is a term that many Kenyans use loosely to denote feelings of a low mood, feeling sad after a loss, or just feeling out of sorts. However, medically, depression is a mental disorder that is characterized by a severe low mood, low self-esteem, and a loss of interest or pleasure in things one initially enjoyed. The symptoms of depression last over a long period of time.
Depression is thought to contribute to 50 per cent of suicides, affecting about 5-10 per cent of all women and 2-5 per cent of all men. It affects males and females of all races, income brackets, ages, ethnicities and religious backgrounds. It is, however, twice as common in women as in men.
Signs and symptoms of clinical depression
Clinical depression is not a depressed mood that one feels for a day or so, the symptoms of actual depression last from weeks to months, and if left untreated, even years. These symptoms include
1) Very low mood
2) Inability to experience pleasure in things previously enjoyed like work or a hobby
3) Feelings of worthlessness, severe guilt and regret, hopelessness and self-hatred
4) Poor concentration
5) Reduced libido
6) Insomnia or sleeping too much
7) Lack of appetite leading to weight loss or overeating leading to weight gain
8) Tendency to isolate oneself from family and friends
9) In extreme cases, one may experience hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that are not there, such as dead people) or delusions (strong belief about something, such as that everyone is out to get you)
10) Thoughts of death and suicide
11) Headaches, tiredness, constipation, or other unspecific symptoms, commonly known as "hapa na hapa" syndrome. Depression is likely to lead to difficulty performing daily activities. One may not care enough to get out of bed, get dressed, go to work or socialize. Men and women sometimes show depression differently. Men may experience irritability, sleep problems, fatigue and loss of interest in activities they liked previously, whereas women tend to have overt sadness and feelings of worthiness and guilt when depressed,
Feeling low is a normal part of being human. It is natural to feel sad, and people get over such moods in a while with a little care and concern.
So, is depression really a serious mental illness?
Yes it is. When we refer to depression as a disease, we are talking about clinical downheartedness and not the occasional feeling of sadness. Research shows that at least one out of 10 adults experience depression at some time in their lifetime.
More often than not, a depressed person has feelings of hopelessness and loss of energy. They fail to appreciate the niceties of life.
Let's look at her red signs of depression:
1) Depressed mood: Prolonged periods of discouragement or a sense of "not caring r anymore". Some people will not say they are sad but as you talk to them, they make you look sad about their situation. Children will not complain about being sad but they wear sad faces
2) Sadness: Inability to derive pleasure from previously pleasurable activities. Activities may include eating, sex, hobbies, sports, social events and family functions.
3) Anxiety: Most depressed people have inner distress with fear or anticipation of danger. This is accompanied by sweating, rapid pulse, or butterflies in the stomach.
4) Loss of energy: Depressed people commonly have fatigue and loss of energy in the absence of exertion. They feel like all the energy has been drained out of their body.
5) Loss of interest in usual activities: Loss of energy and motivation. Activities seem dull and uninteresting. The ability to perform one's usual tasks may decline.
6) Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness: Work, school, personal hygiene and household duties can suddenly appear un-Manageable to the depressed person. The person sees nothing but misfortune in the future. Getting out of bed in the morning may take hours.
7) I Sense of guilt, worthlessness and low self-esteem: The person will often berate themselves for perceived shortcomings.
Other symptoms of depression
8) Sleep disturbance: Most depressed people experience some form of insomnia. It can be early, middle or terminal insomnia. Some people, especially children, young adults and those with bipolar illness experience hypersomnia, which means to sleep too much.
9) Appetite disturbance: Many depressed people experience a loss of appetite without weight loss, minimal or life threatening weight loss. A few, especially young women and those with bipolar condition, experience overeating and binge eating (bulimia). They gain weight as a result.
10) Decreased libido: A loss of sexual interest and energy is also common. It may increase marital tension and worsens the persons' self-esteem. In men, the most common presentation is impotence.
11) Slowed thoughts and actions: Depressed people reply to questions with monotonous and slowed speech, fixed gaze, and slowed body movements.
12) Restlessness: Especially the elderly, many people suffering depression become restless or tense. They are unable to relax or sit still. They have purposeless activities like hand-wringing, pacing, nail biting and hair pulling in an attempt to relieve tension.
13) Suicidal thoughts: This is the most serious complication of depression. Unfortunately, it is quite common. About 15 per cent of patients with recurrent depression eventually commit suicide.
14) Difficulty in concentrating: Preoccupation with inner thoughts overrides all else. They often complain of poor memory and inability to keep their minds focused on an activity like reading or watching TV.
15) Psychosis: This is usually in the form of hallucination and delusions.
Physical symptoms:
These include, headache, backache, muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, constipation, heart-burn, Shortness of breath, hyperventilation, and chest pain that do not improve with regular Treatment.
TREATING DEPRESSION
Combination therapy is the most effective approach, involving the following:
Treat emergencies first:
This means hospitalization for people with high risk of suicide, homicide, loss of ability to care for oneself, and acute life-threatening medical conditions, such as starvation and dehydration.
Somatic therapies: This involves administration of drugs, which include antidepressants (to reduce the feelings of depression), antipsychotics (to deal with hallucinations and delusions), and sedatives/tranquilisers (to alleviate anxiety and insomnia).
Electroconvulsive therapy:
This involves passing an electric current to induce a seizure, with the patient being partly paralyzed with a muscle relaxant and under general anesthesia. It is very effective in suicidal patients.
Psychological therapy:
Individual, group and family therapy is geared towards understanding the illness, accepting its likely cause and managing it as best possible.
Focus on the activities that make you feel better such as hobbies
All the best.