Facts to Convince Someone Depression Exists

Facts to Convince Someone Depression Exists : Depression is a common mental disorder that has both mental and physical symptoms. It’s a combination of feelings that can make it hard for someone to go about his or her daily life in a normal way. While not every case of depression is severe, certain symptoms can affect the physical, emotional, and energy levels. Severe cases of depression are referred to as clinical depression.

The diagnosis rate for depression is extremely low. Over 300 million people worldwide have chronic depression, but only one out of five people are actually diagnosed.

That’s three hundred million people walking around undiagnosed and untreated for a condition that affects their lives, their relationships, and their overall happiness. To spread awareness about depression, here is a list of facts that you need to convince someone that it exists.

Depression is not just sadness

Depression is a serious mental illness that can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or economic status. An estimated 16.1 million American adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2015.

Mental health experts say that depression is not just a negative state of mind or feeling down. It is an actual chemical imbalance in the brain that can be treated with prescription medications, support groups, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

However, in some cases, depression doesn’t respond to treatment easily. Therefore, new scientific developments like ketamine treatment are being introduced. Ketamine treatment is said to dramatically reduce suicidal tendencies and thoughts in a depressed person.

These treatment centers are cropping up everywhere, but if you live in a big city, like Chicago, chances are you might have a ketamine clinic in your neighborhood. If you are looking for ketamine for depression in Chicago city, you will find plenty of credible clinics that administer it under the supervision of a qualified doctor.

How is ketamine treatment carried out?

Ketamine was used as an anesthetic before studies found that it has antidepressant effects. It has only recently gained attention in treating depression and other psychiatric disorders.

Several studies have demonstrated that ketamine produces a rapid antidepressant effect in patients with treatment-resistant depression, meaning who had previously responded poorly to conventional antidepressant therapies.

Studies have also shown that ketamine can reduce the symptoms of suicidal ideation within hours after its administration. However, ketamine’s unique pharmacological properties present significant challenges to its use as a standalone therapy option in treating depression and suicidal ideation.

Depression looks different for everyone

Just as with any other mental health condition, there is no one-size-fits-all description of what depression “looks like.”

The term “depression” can mean different things to different people. It is often used as a layman’s term to describe negative feelings, such as sadness and hopelessness. In fact, in the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, defines depression as:

Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful.)

(Note: In children and adolescents, this may be just an irritable mood.)

Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observations made by others.)

Symptoms of depression include:

Sadness for more than 2 weeks
Feelings of hopelessness or guilt
Sleeping too much or too little
Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
Fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
Not being able to concentrate, remember details, or make decisions
Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
Irritability, restlessness
Frequent headaches, stomach aches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
Thoughts of suicide

Many people are reluctant to believe they are suffering from it

Many people believe that depression simply refers to feelings of sadness or someone just having a bad day. Some even go so far as to think the person experiencing it just needs to “get over it.”

However, depression is a serious mental illness that can affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. The symptoms can also be physically debilitating.

What is it like to live with depression?

Depression is characterized by a persistent sadness and anxiety and often includes a combination of symptoms like loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia, low energy and fatigue, and feelings of hopelessness.

Depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages worldwide, and is the leading cause of disability globally. Clinical depression (also known as major-depressive disorder) affects nearly 7 percent of adults in the United States every year.

More women are diagnosed with clinical depression than men — about two times as many as men — but this may be due in part because women are more likely to seek treatment for depression.

How to convince someone who is in denial?

If someone you know is depressed, they may not want to talk about it. Sometimes, they may even be in denial that they are depressed.

If you’re concerned that a friend or loved one has depression, you can talk to them and let them know that you care about them. You can also suggest that they visit a health professional.

Here are some tips for how you can offer support:

Listen. The most important thing you can do is listen to the person who’s depressed. You don’t have to solve their problems; just being there and listening to them is the most important thing you can do.

Try to encourage them to take part in normal activities, but don’t push too hard if they don’t feel like participating.

Encourage them to get help. Let them know that many people have depression and there are things that can help — like therapy and medication.

Don’t blame yourself for another person’s depression or try to “fix” it yourself by telling them what they should do. You can’t make anyone else get help or change how they feel, even if you really want to.

It’s better just to listen, offer your support, and let them know your door is always open if they need someone to talk to.

Conclusion

The fight against depression cannot be taken lightly. Understanding depression is key toward changing your thinking about it as an actual clinical condition. The more you understand how the brain and mental health work, the better prepared you will be to convince someone to seek help in case they’re showing symptoms.