Depression has become a common mental health problem. For some people, depression might only be episodic and overcome within a matter of weeks or months. However, for others the condition could persist for years, affecting their lifestyle and quality of life.
If you feel sad for more than two days in a row for no obvious reason, experience altered sleeping and eating patterns or have any suicidal thoughts, you should speak to your general practitioner about it.
Studies have shown that untreated depression leads to high inflammatory markers in the brain, similar to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Applications such as “Daylio” help patients to keep track of their mood. Establishing a pattern, whether cyclical (which might be hormonal) or weekly (possibly hitting a low after a weekend of eating or drinking too much) will help your GP to diagnose the severity of the problem. If you have been on antidepressants in the past which led to side effects that you couldn’t tolerate, try to find out what the name of the drug was and mention this to your doctor.
There are many new drugs available with newer formulations and fewer side effects. A mother with depression often can’t equip her children with the necessary tools to develop a healthy self-esteem. A chronically tired and unhappy parent will lead to unhappy children.
Depression can be treated! There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a patient after a month of treatment and seeing the light back in their eyes. If you struggle to “pull yourself together” – get help before it is too late.
By Dr Deseré Ferreira