Depression - A Modern Dis-ease
By Margo Kirtikar Ph.D.
In our present turbulent times, more people suffer from depression than what we can ever imagine. The feeling of depression for sure has always existed in stressful conditions, for as long as mankind has. When surrounded with loving family members and friends who genuinely care for your well being, the emerging out of a depressed state of mind is made much easier than if one were alone, feeling neglected and unloved, without a network of support. Interestingly, the more we immerse ourselves into the materialistic world to satisfy our physical senses and the further away we are from our true feelings, out of touch with our inner self, the more prone we are to fall into the trap of depression. Apparently, the highest rates of suicides amongst the young generation, due to depression, are found in the wealthiest countries, with the highest standards of living, such as Sweden and Switzerland and Japan. It is not surprising that we seem to have an epidemic of depression on our hands. Just look at our fast pace of life, the breaking down of families and relationships, denial of our true emotions, many singles living without companionship, children not having enough love or affection, the stress of work or family abuse, bad living habits or bad eating habits. The list is endless, no one seems to have time any more for the essential things in life. Most of all, I think, the primary reason is the fact that we in general have deprived ourselves from our own spirituality, failing to communicate with our very individual soul. Too busy living in a cold materialistic world accumulating things, chasing success, money or fame, we have forgotten the very Spirit of our existence. Moreover, in our frenzy as we rebel again traditional religion we deny God, the very Source and Force of Life. My knowledge is not that of theory but of personal experience. I, like millions of others, have also suffered, now and again from a feeling of being depressed. I know what it is like to be stuck in a black hole, depressed, I know how it feels when it seems as if there is no way out of a miserable situation. Yet, with time, reaching deep within me and connecting with the very Source, the inner Force or God if you like to call it that, a light has always appeared at the end of the dark tunnel, offering new opportunities with new pastures to explore. With time and practice, I learned how to handle these dark moments. Rather than fight it, I recognize the feeling, I acknowledge it and I allow myself to be depressed but only for a short while, say an hour, half a day, or a day, depending on the situation. But then I wake up determined to begin a new day with a fresh new positive attitude and with new positive plans. There is a lot of suppressed and denied anger, resentments, fear and guilt in depression.
Depression, which is actually suppressing negative emotions, drains you of your energy and causes chronic fatigue. Many people live with a mild case of depression for a long time without even realizing it. They live with this denial for so long that what might begin as a light case of depression could develop with the time into a major illness. A light depression left unattended, can deteriorate to become worse and then still worse. Sometimes it could lead to very serious mental problems that will eventually require serious medication and perhaps even long or even permanent hospitalization. In the United States visiting a therapist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or attending workshops for self-development is a popular and accepted way of dealing with personal problems and unhappy issues. People are more aware of the benefits of self development. In Europe, self development is mostly frowned upon or even ridiculed unfortunately. Europeans are only now, very slowly and very reluctantly, catching on to this new idea. Far too many believe falsely that talking to a friend about their problems is good enough. The reality is that friends do not appreciate at all being used as garbage bags for your problems and unhappy moods. It is also not fair to dump your problems and negative emotions, which is bad polluted energy, on to others. If you have been the recipient of an hour of listening to a friend’s complex problems and unhappiness then you know how drained and exhausted you feel after such a meeting. You say goodbye as you leave them, with a big sigh of relief, looking to breathe some fresh air to clear your mind. In the Eastern worlds perhaps they have less use for professionals in this field as families there are still intact and relatives, especially the elder generations, are always there to give love, affection, care, support and perhaps even advice as they lovingly listen to the woes of the young. Not to forget the fact of strong religious beliefs where faith and prayer can be a source of help too and work as an anchor for stability. Suffering from depression is not a stigma and it is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. The earlier one recognizes this and the quicker one seeks help, the bigger are the chances of recovery and the less danger there is of ending up with manic depression, paranoia or schizophrenia. To avoid falling into the trap here are some of the symptoms that you can look out for.
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