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The term “depression” has become almost trivialized in contemporary society to the point where it’s almost treated as a joke or a fad. Depression is a serious issue, and it can bring long-lasting problems for both your physical and mental health. Do not ignore it because it won’t just disappear or go away. It needs to be dealt with.

How it Starts

Like most mental diseases, it doesn’t have a clear indicator for when it starts. It manifests itself slowly over time. It can begin by feeling sad or lonely and gradually escalates. Afterwards, you will start isolating yourself, not have a will to go outside anymore or start consuming more alcohol or narcotics. Generally, these are all things that people do from time to time but once it starts spiraling out of control is when it becomes problematic. These symptoms are usually a sign of depression. Without getting any medical attention or Treatment, it can quickly spiral out of control.

Depression can be manifested in people from all walks of life. In the US, it’s more prevalent with individuals ages 18 – 25.

Health Complications

Some of the more frequent problems that can arise from depression include:

• Excessive weight gain or weight loss
• Alcohol Abuse
• Substance Abuse
• A heightened sense of paranoia
• Social Anxiety
• A feeling of isolation
• Problems at school or the workplace
• Suicidal tendencies
• Self-harm

Untreated Depression With Children

We are at our most vulnerable stages in life when we are in our youth. It means that children and teenagers are prone to getting softer forms of depression or even full-fledged depression. Usually, it will lead to worse performance at school and a more hostile attitude at home or school, as well as heightened aggressive outbursts, chronic stomachaches, or eating disorders.

A Common Misconception

Its become a common occurrence for people to treat depression lightly. Some even treat it as an everyday thing or that it will pass over time. It is not the case. Depression does not go away on its own. It needs to be given attention and dealt with accordingly. So if you or your friend suffer from any of these issues, make sure to pay attention so it can be dealt with accordingly. If you suspect that your friend is struggling with substance abuse, it is advisable to get a drug testing kit to be certain of your doubts.

Treatment

As we have already mentioned, depression isn’t something that magically goes away by itself as it needs treatment. So the sooner you can address it, the better. First, you should be honest with your friends and family about it. Open up to the person you think will understand the most. If this isn’t an option, then opt for talking with a professional psychiatrist regarding it. Depression can be addressed with many types of treatments. We are complex beings, and every person is different. It means that there is no single treatment procedure that will work for everyone. It differs from person to person, so don’t be discouraged if something doesn’t work as persistence is the key. Therapy is used to help you understand your problem and find an appropriate way of dealing with it. It serves as a means of helping you develop a cooping technique or why are you having negative thoughts and how you can expunge them.

– Among some of the options that can be used is medicine. However, it is not a very viable solution as it happens often that patients get addicted to them and fall into an even deeper depression.

– Another way of treatment is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). It is a treatment option that doesn’t require any drugs or medication. It is usually an option best suited if the more orthodox ways of treatment fail.

– The most effective way of treating depression remains psychotherapy. Psychotherapy or “talk therapy” is a more individualized type of therapy where it relies on the expertise of the assigned expert to figure out what kind of treatment you require.

– Another form of psychotherapy is interpersonal therapy. Its goal is to help you improve your relationship skills by being able to resolve conflicts and become better at communicating. This type of therapy stems from the belief that depression is correlated to

– Cognitive-behavioural therapy is another form of talk therapy that focuses on changing negative thoughts and behaviour patterns that make you depressed. This form of therapy is more short-term and focuses only on the problems that are directly in front of you.

Suicide

It is the worst possible outcome that can result from Untreated Depression. It’s easy to dismiss it as something trivial or irrelevant, but it can drive people to the point of no going back. Just in 2017, more than 3,000 people died due to suicide in Australia, while over 65,000 had attempted suicide. Men are almost four times more likely to die of suicide. The longer a person contemplates these negative thoughts, the more natural they become, resulting in a higher chance of actually going through with them.

Some indications of suicidal thoughts can be:

• Talking about suicide or death
• Alcohol and substance abuse
• Frequent talking about being useless or hopeless
• Frequent mood changes
• Social isolation
• Hostile behavior

Helpful Contacts

If you are struggling with some of these issues, do not be afraid to reach out. Here are some numbers that can assist you:

FriendLine is a support service that helps out anyone who feels lonely, needs to reconnect or wants to share a story or two. They are available seven days a week on 1800 424 287. You can also chat online with one of their trained volunteers. All conversations with FriendLine are anonymous.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free 24/7 confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 – 25. Their number is 1800 55 1800.

SANE Australia provides support to anyone in Australia that is affected by complex mental health issues. You can call them on 1800 18 7263, 10 am – 10 pm AEST from Monday to Friday, or chat with them online.

Editor’s note: In the U.S. the Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255 Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. For other countries click here: Learn more

About the Author

Alison Pearson is an interior design student. She is a writer and designer, and her ultimate passion is art and architecture. She is also a bibliophile and her favorite book is “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner.

%%focuskw%% | The Dangers of Untreated Depression