Depression is also known as major depressive disorder, a common and serious medical illness that makes you feel constantly sad or lack interest in life. People might get depressed or unhappy at any time for no apparent cause. There is no age limit for depression. It affects how you feel, think, and behave and can lead to many emotional and physical problems. It is capable of decreasing your ability to function work and live normally. Depression isn’t usual weakness or fatigue, and one can’t simply snap out of it. It may require long-term treatment. But don’t get discouraged. Medication, psychotherapy, or even both can help most individuals feel better. Everything you need to know about clinical depression is included in this article.

Every year around 3.8% of the population is suffering from it. Of the 3.8%, over 5.0% are adults, and 5.7% are adults older than 60 years. WHO has estimated that around 280 million in the world are suffering from this disorder. There is no age limit for depression but most cases are seen within the age limit of people in their late teens to mid-20s. As compared to men, women are more likely to experience this disorder. Studies show that one-third of women will suffer from major depressive episodes in their lifetime. Depression tends to suicidal thoughts, every year over 7 lakhs of people die due to suicide. Suicide is the leading cause of death in teens and people who are in their mid-20s.

What are the main symptoms of depression?

Depression is noted to occur only once during a lifetime, but typically in multiple episodes. Postpartum symptoms are present for most of the day, almost every day, throughout these episodes. These symptoms are different for children, teens, and older adults. Some common symptoms are:

• Sad, hopeless, and empty
• Frustration
• Lack of interest
• Lack of energy and tiredness
• Reduced or increased appetite
• Food cravings
• Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements
• Guilt, worthlessness feelings, self-blame
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
• Suicidal thoughts
• Headaches and backaches
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or hypersomnia

Also, check the best ways to cure insomnia without medication

Symptoms in children and teens:

Some of the signs and symptoms of depression in adolescents and teens are similar to those in adults, however, there are some major differences, such as:

• Younger children feel sadness, irritability, clinginess, worry, aches, and pains, refusing to go to school or being underweight.
• Whereas teens have symptoms like sadness, irritability, feeling negative and worthless, anger, poor performance, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive, using recreational drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest in activities, and avoidance of social interaction.

Symptoms in older adults:

In older adults, it goes undiagnosed and untreated. They feel reluctant to seek help. Symptoms may be slightly different in older adults, such as:

• Memory difficulties
• Personality changes
• Physical aches or pain
• Loss of appetite
• Willing to stay at home
• Suicidal thoughts

What causes depression?

It’s tough to define the specific cause of depression. Like many mental disorders, factors are:

• Biological differences: People with this syndrome appear to have physical changes in their brains.
• Brain chemistry: Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that likely play a role in depressive disorder. The function and effect of the neurotransmitters and their interaction with neurocircuits maintain mood stability, a primary role in its treatment.
• Hormones: Postpartum is caused or triggered by hormone changes. These changes result from pregnancy and during the months of delivery and from thyroid problems, menopause, and other conditions.
• Inherited traits: It is more common in people whose blood relatives also have this condition.

Is depression curable?

There is yet no remedy for postpartum blues. Symptoms may go eventually with time, but not the condition. You can reach remission and enjoy a long healthy, and happy life with good treatment and care.

Treatment for depression

There is no treatment for it, but we can reduce it eventually over time. Along with therapy and medication, there’s a lot you can do on your own to fight back. Behavior change, physical activity, lifestyle, and thinking are natural treatments. Some natural ways to treat depression are:

Natural Treatment Through Diet

• Eat veggies or take vitamins: Vegetables or supplements with vitamins B6, B12, folic acid, iron, and trace minerals help essential neurotransmitters in the body. Multivitamin tablets enhance the amount of serotonin (5-HTP) and dopamine. An increase in serotonin levels reduces depression.
• Reduce sugar and carbs intake: Eating refined sugar/carbohydrates fluctuates blood sugar levels which may cause blood sugar. It may turn to cause symptoms like depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
• Eat more nuts, seeds, and fish: Consume more omega-3 oils found in salmon, cod, sardines, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and flax to ensure that your nerves and neurotransmitters are healthy.
• Herbal Supplements: Herbs like St. John’s Wort are well-known for improving serotonin levels in the brain.
• Stay away from alcohol and reduce caffeine intake: Alcohol is a depressant, and caffeine is a stimulant that links to depressive disorder.

Natural Treatment Through Daily Activities

• Exercise: Regular exercises increase the natural endorphins in the body that make you feel better.

Similar read: best exercises to improve mental health

• Listen to music: Music will raise the mood. In spite, you can dance to the beat and sing along. It will ultimately transform your spirit, which is beneficial.
• Socialize: Socializing is beneficial to both the intellect and the physical. It avoids the loneliness feeling. but also it helps sharpen memory, and cognitive skills, and increase your sense of happiness and well-being.
• Meditation: Meditation relaxes your mind from stress, anxiety, and depression. Daily meditate for at least an hour so you can feel better.
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps to regulate mood and relieve sadness. So, expose yourself more to the sun every day through walking. In addition to this, you can also use Vitamin D tablets.

Along with the natural methods, you can also reduce it by using SSRIs like antidepressants which increase the serotonin levels in the brain.

However, depression has no cure, but by following all the above methods you can cure depression naturally. You can also eventually reduce dysthymic with the antidepressants when the natural remedies don’t show much impact. Also, you can buy medicines online with discounts from online medical stores. Hope this article helps you to get rid of depression.