Articles

Overcoming Depression

Depression is caused due to stress. Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings.

As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Many times, however, stress can become chronic, and may last for a week or more. This chronic condition often results from humans' ability to project their thoughts into the future, such as when a person keeps a recurrent and stressful thought in his or her mind.

For children in particular, the emotional burden of coping with personal or family related problems can often be a deciding factor in the course that their adult life takes. Children outwardly appear very resilient, but inside, the pain and distress caused by bereavement, abuse, bullying and many other issues can, if bottled up, distort the child's perception of themselves and the world and later, leave them ill-equipped to deal with adulthood.

Studies show that one in five children have mental health problems and almost half of these are moderate to severe. Without treatment these children are at risk of suffering greater problems in years to come, including criminal activities, depression, difficulties in forming relationships and even suicide.

Depression involves unhappiness, negativity, anxiety, perhaps feeling sorry for one's self, distress, weeping and desperation. Depressed people often lose interest in many activities and social contacts because they find no pleasure or enthusiasm for their usual activities. They may become unconcerned and socially withdrawn.

Unrelieved tiredness, excessive sleeping and insomnia are common as are poor appetite, over eating, weight loss or gain, feelings of inadequacy or worthlessness, regrets, poor concentration and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. The most common reasons for depression are marital, romantic, work stress or family problems.