Did you ever sit patiently and imagined after reading about depression that, unknowingly you have been a patient of Depression for years? If yes, well I'm in the same line as you! From loneliness to losing your loved ones - anything can give birth to depression.
According to the researchers, - 'Majority of Indians go through depression without their knowledge. It is because we in Indian society don't welcome such diseases as the real ones. After all, they are unseen.'
According to the survey done by the ICICI, the Spokesman revealed the fact that 'More than 65% of the teenagers falling under the age group of 22 to 25 had experienced depression at the very early stages of their teenage.'
But, thanks to today's NGOs, psychologists, counselors, and higher studies. Because of them, we are broadening our mindset on increasing the psychologists, counselors, and other depression strategists to eradicate it from roots.
The data below is more than enough to throw light on how frightening this disease can be!
World Health Organisation: Depression Facts, 2019-2020
- Severe mental health conditions between the teens of 10 years to 19 years of age contribute to almost 16% of the disease concerning globally.
- Depression has surpassed every other mental disease and stands at number 4 in teenagers between the age of 15 to 19 years and acquires the number 15th place for the folks aged between 10 to 14th, globally.
- Among the age group of 15 to 19 years of age, suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers.
- The age group of every 1 out of the 6th person is between 10 years to 19 years.
- Unaddressed mental health issues at the time of teenage cover the future line stages of adulting affecting their mental, social, physical, and psychological health.
- Almost 50% of mental health diseases initiate at 14 years of age. At this age, most of them remain either hidden or untreated.
Key Triggers of Depression in Teenagers
Nobody can understand the pain of what fingerprints the challenging times can leave upon others until and unless we face it! Certain traumatic events in life can not only cause a sense of loss, grief, emptiness, sorrow, and pain but can also lead to DEPRESSION!
What Traumatic Events I'm referring to?
- Witnessing the divorce cases in families
- Lack of love and all time negligence in the family
- Severe illnesses like cancer
- Traumatic Accident
- Death of your pet
- The early death of a family person
- Unable to clear exams after putting 100% on them.
- Sudden loss of job
- Breakup with something whom you dreamt of getting married
According to the researchers, 'Grief may lead to depression in almost 60% of the cases. Rest can deal with such traumas without letting it lead to depression. Though they feel a sense of loneliness, belonging to meet their lost loved ones but they still are in control of their emotions as compared to the people suffering from depression.'
Chronic Illnesses are the ones that take a longer time than expected to cure completely. It might take years to completely get vanished or might never end up getting cured.
Chronic Diseases Examples
- Heart Disease,
- Kidney Disease
- Lupus
- Diabetes
- Multiple Sclerosis
- HIV and AIDS
- Hypothyroidism
- Arthritis
How to control Chronic Diseases?
- Morning Meditation
- Proper Healthy Diet
- Daily 1 hour Exercise
- Prescribed Medications, Drugs
- General healthy Lifestyle Habits
How Chronic diseases lead to depression?
- Creates Sleeping Disorders
- Makes you dull, lazy and disturbs your exercise schedule
- Creates a sense of worthlessness
- Affects your relationship bonds with others
- Leaves you alone, sad and depressed
- Hurts you from inside
- Highly affect your office work productivity leading to unsatisfactory outputs
According to the specialists, - 'The on-time treatment of depression can cure the chronic diseases by more than 70% affectability.'
The hippocampus as studied in biology is a smaller part of the brain where all of your memories are being stored. It has more than 40% records of leading to depression in people with its smaller size.
According to one of the studies done by the brain researchers, -
'Antidepressants lead to the neurotrophic effects in the brain of the depressed person helping the depressed person to deal with the biological conflicts and issues. It does so by helping the brain to strengthen the nerve cells minimizing the risk of them from dying.'
As said by the experts, people born with a smaller hippocampus are at a higher risk of developing depression at some time in their life. Apart from this, there isn't any single brain region or cell that gives birth to depression rather the different other areas of the brain may contribute to yield the depression symptoms.
According to the researchers, 'Several medications taken to treat the body illnesses may lead to the higher risk of depression.'
Medications that increase the risk of depression are -
- Corticosteroids
- An Acne Treatment Drug named Isotretinoin
- Beta-Blockers (Blood Pressure Treatment Medicine)
- Barbiturates
- Interferon-Alpha (An Antiviral Drug)
- Benzodiazepines
- Opioids
- Anticholinergics (An Stomach Pain Relieving Drug)
Medications hold the power to change your mood instantly. The higher the dose of medicines, the higher will be the most swings or fluctuations in mood than usual. These fluctuations when dealt with the external world factors might lead to depression.
According to the psychological experts, - 'Depression can be inherited via genes from the family members.'
As per the experts, - 'Children of parents who went through a depression at least once in their lives are at an 80% higher risk of suffering from depression in comparison to the children of the normal parents.'
Almost 20 to 50% of teens who developed depression had at least one of their family members who faced depression at least once in their life, as per India Conclave Data.
Multiple genes of Depression inherited from the family line come in contact with each other to form Depression.
According to the researchers, - 'There is no single gene causing depression. Rather multiple genes work together and react with the external environment to develop the symptoms of depression.'
The stress hormone cortisol is responsible for developing depression among teenagers.
According to the researchers, - 'Teenagers overbuilding the pressure of stressful events on their brain is at a higher risk of developing depression than those teenagers who can cope up with it.'
What stressful events can trigger depression among teenagers?
- Starting a new job/business
- Getting married early
- Completing graduation with high grades
- Breakups with their romantic partners
- Loss of a loved one
- Being the sole earning member of the family
- Nobody to lookup for help
- Buying a new home to settle after marriage
- The pressure of huge loans
- No friends to talk to
- Sustaining with the current occupation for long
Depression being one of the most severe diseases has its global presence. Detecting the disease and acting upon it at the right time has become the need of the hour!
Without knowing the proper areas or roots that trigger depression can lead to making this condition even worse. Help each other, to make this world - a better place!
References
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/causes-depression