Mr. R, 30 year old man came to see the psychiatrist after his wife got fed up trying to tell him to get off the bed and go to work. "Doctor, I am tired, tired, tired. I didn’t want to come here today but I know I am not what I used to be 4 months ago. I feel sad all the time, I have no motivation to go to work, I have no interest in eating and I am having trouble sleeping well at night. My wife is very worried; she thinks I am blaming myself for everything in our lives. I really think I am responsible for my whole family's stress. Things are hopeless Doc!"

Statistics

Depression is one of the most common mental Illnesses in the world and is in the top ten causes of years lost to disability according to the world health organization. According to several studies done in India, the prevalence of depression ranges from 7.9 to 8.9 per thousand population. In urban parts of India, the prevalence was nearly twice of that in rural areas. (Grover et al, IJP)

Is depression easy to identify?

If someone researched online to understand depression in India, plenty of articles come up and one can read about it. Newspapers try to do their part to let the public know that there is an illness called Depression. Yet, very few people seem to realize they are depressed or that a family member is not "lazy" but depressed. People try to “keep going" and this makes things worse. 

What is depression?

Depression is an illness which is manifested as:-

• Feeling sad always (sometimes without any reason) or emptiness, irritability, feeling low (This is much deeper than feeling sad once in a while)
• Loss of motivation or enjoyment in activities that were fun before
• Feeling tired or fatigued, aches and pains
• Difficulty in sleeping well ( finding it hard to go to sleep, sleeping too much, waking up multiple times, or waking up very early)
• Loss of appetite , weight changes
• Poor concentration (people might feel they have "memory problems")
• Many people complain that they feel guilty all the time, some people talk of feeling hopeless and even worthless.
• There are people who think about committing suicide and sometimes they do succeed.

Do I have to have all the listed symptoms?

No! One does not have to have all the listed symptoms to have clinical depression. People vary in how they experience depression. 

Everyone's body and mind is different. Some people might experience most or all of the symptoms, some people might have a few.

Why do people get depressed?

Depression is an illness, influenced by biological, social, psychological and environmental factors. Depression can run in families, it has a genetic component.

Can Depression be treated?

Depression can be treated. There are different types of treatments which include medications, therapy or a combination of the two. There are other forms of treatment which are based on the severity of illness.

Medications: there are many different medications that help one overcome depression. The medications commonly used for depression are not addicting and don’t necessarily have to be taken for a lifetime.

Talk Therapy or counselling is a form of treatment that helps persons with depression. One can talk to their treating psychiatrist on the best form of therapy.

What can I do to get better?

Other than seeing a psychiatrist, you should also

• Exercise, eat healthy, stay away from drugs of addiction. 
• Reach out to friends that you trust, do not isolate
• Read and educate yourself about depression
• Give yourself time to get better.