In this generation, many people don’t think of the significance of depression. Some even make jokes about the subject. Most of these jokes make this condition sound light-hearted and laughable but in reality, it is a very serious mental condition. As stated in the article, “Facts About Depression”, published in 2014 by Chris Iliades, “depression affects more than 23 million Americans every year and it is the most serious brain disease in the United States.” The World Health Association also estimates that around 264 million people globally are affected by depression as stated in their article titled “Depression” published in 2020. If there’s anyone here that knows someone personally who struggles with this issue then you should know what a toll it can put on someone’s life. If you don’t then I’m here to tell you more about it.
Today I want to show the real effects of depression and inform you of the hardships that this condition brings. The three main points I’m going to be focusing on today are self-doubt, irritability, and health issues that come along with depression. As said by Tartakovsky in “How Depression Damages your Relationships,” published in 2014 when dealing with depression “many people experience self-doubt, which can affect their everyday relationships.” The deterioration of relationships proves that depression doesn’t just affect the person dealing with it but the loved ones around them. You’re probably thinking that everyone experiences self-doubt throughout their life, and although that is true when dealing with depression self-doubt isn’t just every once in a while it’s a constant feeling. Self-doubt makes it hard to stay or become motivated to do any sort of tasks that normally wouldn’t be an issue. It also makes you feel as if you’re constantly at battle with your thoughts, thinking, “Am I good enough?” “Am I worth it?” This can cause someone to isolate themselves and not reach out for help causing a downward spiral in their health. When this occurs it can cause the person to lose people once close to them because they unintentionally push them away. Although self-doubt may seem like something that everyone goes through it is also a common sign of depression and should never be ignored. Along with self-doubt, a sign of depression is irritability. Even though feeling irritated is a normal occurrence for anyone, it is also a sign of depression. When a person is struggling with their mental health feeling irritable is a constant struggle that many tend to brush off. When a person is feeling irritable, small things that usually wouldn’t bother them causes stressful situations that can lead to a spiral in the worst direction.
The Article Depression Basics published in 2014 from, “The National Institutes of Health”, states that men tend to show the irritable trait more than women do cause them to feel angrier towards small mishaps and very tired throughout the day. When feeling irritable when depressed the person tends to be angry with themselves rather than the people around them this usually starts from childhood coming from traumatic events. Men tend to misread their symptoms as something different and never realize that they could be experiencing a depressive state leading to what could turn into an even more serious condition. Depression doesn’t only affect a person’s mental health and emotions. Long-term undiagnosed or noticed can cause physical health risks that could be very serious and life-threatening. According to Nancy Schimelppfening in her article, “7 facts you should know about depression”, published in 2020, Depression is caused by an imbalance in the brain also known as neurotransmitters that regulate moods, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Dopamine is known as the “feel-good” hormone, it’s what makes us feel pleasure and satisfaction. Serotonin is another key hormone in the human body, it regulates our moods and feelings of happiness. Lastly, norepinephrine is the hormone that contributes to increasing the heart rate and blood pumping from the heart. The theory stated is that having too little or even too much of these neurotransmitters can contribute to depression. Since depression is such a complex issue within the brain when it goes untreated or even unnoticed it can cause your physical health to decline. Information from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides that people struggling with depression for a long period can experience increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and reduced blood to the heart. Over time this can lead to heart issues such as heart attack, strokes, and heart failure. with all of that said, from the very few symptoms I’ve talked about today including self-doubt, irritability, and health issues, it proves that depression has true hardships that come along with the condition.
Works Cited
Margarita Tartakovsky, M. (2014, July 04). How depression damages your relationship & what you can do. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-depression-damages-your-relationship-what-you-can-do#1
Depression basics. (2016). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml
Iliades, C., Parch, L., Marks, J., Hurley, K., Seitzer, M., & Rauf, D. (2014, August 5). Facts about depression: Who’s at risk? – depression center – everyday health. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/facts-about-depression-whos-at-risk.aspx
Schimelpfening, N. (2020, August 03). 7 facts everyone should know about depression. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-facts-you-should-know-1067617
Heart disease and mental health disorders. (2020, May 06). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/mentalhealth.htm#:~:text=People%20experiencing%20depression%2C%20anxiety%2C%20stress,and%20heightened%20levels%20of%20cortisol
Depression. (2020, January 30). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression