How Depression look like?

Depression doesn’t always look sad. It is much more than the sadness we see. It can be chronic aches, a forced smile through out the day, a friend cancelling plans in order to avoid social engagements. Many struggle in silence and never seek help. As due to stigma and social pressures help seems something difficult to access. Depression is not a one-size-fits-all-illness. Just like any other disease, depression can take many forms. Contrary to the myths, depression can happen to anyone. Though change in mood to sadness, irritability and crying spells is most common part but associated with it are changes in appetite and food intake leading to weight loss or weight gain, changes in quality and quantity of sleep, difficulty in concentrating and memorizing things, feeling lost most of the time, apathy; which is lack of initiation to do any work or to involve with any other person. Aches and pains: Many times it is the only symptom present with sadness surrounding it . And most importantly thoughts of ending one’s own life by committing suicide.

People tend to hide these symptoms or feelings as they feel they will be judged. Usually we hear these things like ” Stay strong, don’t act so weak” , “Stop crying like a girl”, ” Boys don’t cry”, ” Only weak people go into depression”, “Don’t act like a child, grow up , it happens to everyone” and so on. An endless list of advices are given which actually makes it even more difficult for people to come out . Its high time we should realise that its a treatable illness and not merely sad mood and we should help people empathetically to come out for help.