As the world marked the World Health Day yesterday, one couldn’t escape the evident lack of understanding on one of the many under-reported aspects of health, which is mental health.
There are many diseases that more than often prove fatal. As the world grapples with the most fatal diseases, there are some medical conditions that can lead to an individual ending his or her own life. Depression is considered a major reason for the rising number of suicidal trends around the world even among the people who have the most ideal life.
In majority of the cases, patients are oblivious of the fact that they are undergoing a medical complication but a curable disease nevertheless.
According to experts associated with American Psychiatric Association (APA), “depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.”
Depression’s symptoms can vary from mild to severe. The severe conditions can lead to thoughts of death or suicide.
More recently, there have been a number of suicides, including those of the famous designer Kate Spade and celebrated chef Anthony Bourdain. People from all strata of life commit suicides and the trends underline the fact that depression has nothing to do with wealth, success or faith or even the lack of it.
Some of the most unexpected celebrity suicides led social media to explode with posts and messages, pushing for people to “Check in on your stronger friends” and lively messages like “You are NOT alone”. Yet most people, who suffer from depression, do not step forward and speak out about their condition and experience.
APA further shares: “Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can strike at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime.”
Shehar Bano Rizvi, a Pakistani expatriate, has been living in Doha for 14 years. A social media influencer, Rizvi has suffered from depression and speaks about her experience openly.
“I never knew it could happen to me until I left Karachi some 14 years ago. I got married and moved to Doha. It changed everything in my life. I left my family, my job and my country to move to a new place, with no friends and no career.”
“Like every newly married woman, I enjoyed that break for about six months. Everything was perfect, but then sadness started to creep in. I didn’t want to go out; getting out of bed every morning seemed like a daunting task and even I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.”
She says she has been very happy with her husband. Yet, there was a cloud of sadness hovering over her. “My husband figured out that I missed my work. I restarted my work that helped me jump back at life.
“But then, sadness hit me again when I was dealing with infertility and going through its emotionally exhausting treatment. Questions, comments and remarks like when will we have a baby, why don’t I stop working and focus on starting a family continued to mock me.”
The depressive episode got so severe for her that she thought about ending her life. “I had suicidal thoughts and that’s when my husband reached the conclusion that it wasn’t something that I could deal with myself or he could talk me out of. I really needed professional help.”
Initially, Rizvi was reluctant to go to a specialist. She also found it very hard sharing her condition with the specialist. “For the very first time, I was telling a stranger how I felt, with tears rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably, as I confessed about my darkest and deepest thoughts and fears. The psychiatrist immediately knew I needed help and put me on medication.”
Her condition started improving as she followed the psychiatrist’s prescription. “In as little as two weeks, I started to see a difference. I was able to get out of bed and go out. I was able to function and it got better and better with time.”
Speaking about what can one do to help oneself, she said: “Exercise can do wonders for your brain health. A single workout increases the levels of neurotransmitter like serotonin in the brain and uplifts your mood almost immediately.
Diet can also have an impact on
your brain health. For example, leafy greens like kale, avocado, berries, bananas, walnuts etc. are considered good for your brain health.”
She believes that depression is real. “It has nothing to do with how strong (or weak) your faith is; how fulfilling and blessed your life is, or how ungrateful you are for sulking and not being thankful to God for all the blessings in life.”
Martyn Stewart is a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society. He is an international educator, consultant, author, coach and motivational speaker. He is currently head of psychology at Doha College and the creator of ‘The Fear Project’ which has been developed to assist individuals, schools and companies to address issues with mental well-being and psychological health.
The expert lays stress on proper diagnosis. “We hear the word ‘depressed’ thrown around carelessly and it can stigmatise people or lead to self-fulfilling prophecies and poor decisions. With so much information available on the Internet and in the media now about psychological disorders, it is difficult to know what to trust. People want their information quickly and this can lead to incorrect self-diagnosis. A diagnosis of depression needs to be made by a trained clinician. They use very specific criteria of symptoms to draw their conclusions. There are many symptoms of depression and also many different types.
Talking about dealing with depression, Martyn said that besides clinical treatment, there are many coping strategies that can be employed. “Depression has both physical and cognitive symptoms. It means that treatments could target brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters which are linked to mood.
“Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is usually offered in conjunction with drug treatments. There are many types of CBT but they all work by challenging the patients to address and change the faulty thoughts that have been used to maintain the depressive condition in the past. Techniques used can include ‘thought catching, cognitive re-structuring and rational emotive behaviour therapy which involves disputing or challenging the patient’s irrational attitudes and beliefs, in order to replace them and build new rational ones. CBT has become the most widely used therapy for depression in many countries.
“If one programme of treatment has not been successful, it is important not to get disheartened as an alternative programme may be more effective. In situations like this, in coping with depression, it is important to ensure that your support systems and environmental stimuli are positive and productive. You want to be around upbeat, understanding and productive individuals in your family, friendship and social circles.”
The expert believes that the triggers of depression are different for everybody. He has some pieces of advice to share. “Some general measures which are believed to minimise depressive episodes are; to eat healthily and exercise regularly, ensure you get enough unbroken sleep, and exercise your mind regularly by reading and problem solving activities.
“Further, reduce time on social media. Prolonged time on social media is associated with rising rates of psychological disorders including depression — especially in young people aged between 10 and 19. Limit your time around toxic people with negative habits and behaviour. Avoid intoxicants such as alcohol, nicotine and drugs.”