Depression! Very much in me …and you ?

Depression as a mental condition has been gaining better recognition and wider consciousness in the recent years. The recent suicidal deaths of celebrities Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington & Robin Williams, though tragic, have again captured the imagination of millions regarding depression. Also the theme of World Health Day 2017 is declared as “ Depression- Let’s talk” by WHO.
Depression, like most of the mental conditions/disorders, is not easily or quickly determinable nor the treatment straightforward. Fever or infections are self evident in day or two. Tons of tests readily available to identify infections and tons of drugs to choose from; paracetamol, antibiotics and vaccines etc etc. More importantly, we, non medically trained public, normally know when to approach doctors or take help, well in time.
Depression manifests itself in the behavior of the person. Hence, it’s manifestations are usually treated as bad or aggressive habits by his/her surrounding ( friends, family, colleagues etc). Bad behaviors are followed by usual consequences of reprimanding, scoldings, alienation, or more dosage of motivational goals etc. which further aggravate depression.
But how do one reach clinical in depression. What sowed the seeds of depression and how common are they in our lives?
Lets start with thinking about leading a ‘normal’ life. In today’s ‘normal’, there are many ‘Dos’, ‘Donts’ and ever evolving ‘should haves’ in an increasingly competitive environment. No matter how natural or otherwise, aspirations and goals of people have been setting new record highs, probably since these terms came into existence.
For good or bad, often we strive hard to be the other person, often dubbed as “ idols”. Naturally, there is a huge gap between aspiration and reality. ‘All men are created equal’ is limited to the basic bio hardware. But, we are a highly motivated species. Hardwork, sacrifices and perseverance will make up for the gaps and achieve the ever changing concept of “success”. So what comes with “ success”? A lot of good things, but then their is a concept of “ growth” , “ maintaining leadership”, “ legacy”, “love” etc etc etc.. goes on and on, until death do us apart. So that is our prevalent normal.
Don’t want to preach but in the downside, we are giving so much of our lives into this ‘pursuit of success’ that our lives barely resemble balanced. Nor we often ask the question, “Am i happy?”. Reactions are often quite intense to the inevitable disappointments, distractions, small failures and rejections of everyday life.
These negative emotions build up over time. Most of us handle them well and recover, probably from another positive event. Few may have extended episodes from a string of unfortunate events. And if the surrounding is not supportive or aggressive, may be then, it runs the risk of feeding depression into becoming clinical.
Without visible change in your behavior to others or responses from your surrounding, how often have you experienced episodes of extended sadness, low confidence, lack of interests or even indulgence? Often. It is more common than we realize, though with varying degree.
Cutting things short, we are constantly in this cycle of “ depressed” & “rejoiced”. Killer aspirations and subsequent unbalanced life aggravate and create larger swing in this cycle. “Bad” behaviors should run thru the lens of possible depression before reaching the acceptable — not acceptable conclusion. Depression should not wait to reach clinical levels for support and understanding from the surrounding.
Probably, self consciousness and self recovery are the most reliable means. And for sure, consciously striving for a balanced life and balanced views goes a long way in maintaining our sensibilities. It is important to constantly self discover and rediscover various aspects of one’s life. Those seemingly minor wishes, wants and indulgences collectively constitute a big factor in our well being. And in it by itself will present many smaller moments of rejoice and achievements, which will constantly conserve self confidence, limit negative energies and offer opportunities to resolve issues.
