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Depression has been dubbed the “most common mental illness” in the world. Affecting about 26% of the whole adult population in the USA, it is predicted that depression will be the second cause of disability in the world. You may have seen movies and television series portraying characters that may have had depression, but what are its leading causes and common symptoms?
Causes of Depression
There are several causes for depression, and it varies in form from person to person. There is no definite or only cause for this debilitating mental illness. To shed light on this dilemma, here are the leading causes of depression:
- Past physical, sexual, or verbal abuse
- Side effects from certain medications
- Personal conflicts and disputes between family and friends
- Death of a significant person in one’s life
- Hereditary cases
- Major events such as graduating or marrying and losing a job
- Substance abuse brought about by alcohol or drugs
- Co-existing with other mental illness
Symptoms for Clinical Depression
It may seem that due to some Hollywood portrayals, depression has a misconception as severe sadness. However, that is not simply the case. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-5, a person must be having five or more of the following symptoms:
- Depressed mood most of the day or nearly every day (feeling sad, empty, hopeless)
- Diminished interests in all or almost all activities
- Substantial weight loss or weight gain
- Hypersomnia or insomnia nearly every day
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation
- Loss of energy or fatigue
- Feelings of worthlessness and or inappropriate guilt
- Diminished capacity to think or focus
- Persistent suicidal ideationsor attempted suicides
All of the symptoms should heavily affect occupational, social, and other important areas of daily living over a 2-week period. If you think that you are experiencing the symptoms, it is best to consult your nearest or local psychologist and discuss such experiences. To have more intensive information on depression, you can read the DSM-5 full section on depression.
Getting Help
Despite depression being the most common mental illness, this does not mean that people suffering from the disease will live life in turmoil forever. Having a mental illness is not the end of anyone’s life nor is it a reason to stop living your life fully. There are several ways to help anyone who has depression.
One of the most common ways to overcome depression is undergoing therapy. Therapy session involves talking to your psychologist and doing some activities. Being in a therapy session requires the affected person to likely open up or talk about events or things that might have caused his or her depression. This takes a lot of emotional strength to muster. If there are no available psychologists in your area, you can always opt for online therapy services. However, there is another way to combat depression, and that is through taking antidepressants. But what exactly are antidepressants?
Antidepressants
Antidepressant medications help correct the chemical imbalance in a patient’s brain that may cause mood and behavior changes. Such medication is used in alleviating the symptoms of several depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric illnesses. According to statistical data during 2013, about 23.3 million Americans are taking antidepressants.
Such data suggest that antidepressants are highly accessible for anyone. However, some still struggle to obtain the drug due to its retail price. But don’t worry, there is a way to buy antidepressants in a lower price. You can buy prozac online without prescription. Prozac is a kind of antidepressant, for a lower price. It is obtained through an online transaction and delivered right on your doorstep for you convenience.
Depression is no joke. It’s a lethal condition in its own form. If you are experiencing its symptoms or your loved one is going through this dejected stage, the best time to do something about it is now.
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