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I am Depressed

One day a young married HIV infected person shared with me that she was depressed and wanted to end her life as people around her thought that she was unfaithful to her spouse. The real reason we found out later was that she had undergone multiple surgical procedures in the last 4 years to conceive a baby.

Her  Depression was real.

The same evening, I met a young working adult who also shared being depressed and wanted to end his life. The reason being his team lead did not like him and spoke sternly to him as he had missed meeting his target consistently for the last 3 days.

His Depression was also real. 
        
A little paradoxical as it may sound the reasons may be diverse however the manifestation is real. Being Sad, Unhappy or Depressed especially in young working adults is very a common complaint with phraseology “I am depressed because……… Sometimes the reasons are manageable and sometimes they are not.

As a mental health expert, I can vouch that the symptoms of this modern day epidemic called Depression impacts the person suffering from it, his family members and indirectly his workplace.
Scientifically speaking a person is considered clinically depressed if he/she has lost interest in activities which were previously pleasurable like watching movies, socializing, clubbing, shopping, surfing, outdoor sports or simply watching nature etc, Other important signs are loss of appetite for food or sex, lack of self care, personal hygiene, disturbed sleep, weight loss or weight gain, persistent low mood or feeling blue, a feeling of helpless in the current life situation or hopelessness for the personal future lasting for a period of more than 3 weeks, The associated symptoms are irritability, crying spells and an increased consumption of alcohol, smoking or drugs.

Additionally in young working adults the probable early symptoms of depression could be lack of attention to details and persistent errors at work in spite of repeated reminders, constantly speaking negative about self and others, irritable, argumentative, being late for meetings, distracted during important conversations , complaining of exhaustion all the time. These take a toll on the young person’s morale, self-esteem, performance rating and ultimately his career progress.   

The amazing part about this psychological problem in the context of work place is it can be corrected by simply getting back your earlier rhythm ie a regular schedule to eating, sleeping and exercising. By sharing emotional concerns or talking with significant people in one’s life, talking to a senior at work, or a counselor, a spiritual guru or an elder also does wonders in a few cases if complicated by other illness or life event meeting a health expert for therapy will be prudent.  

An Emotionally Healthy Life is a gift of a responsible individual to himself.

    

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