Ankur Bhaskar Kashyap
Starting from wanting to stay in bed all day to decreased energy levels to low enthusiasm, chronic sadness, and over thinking even on the smallest of issues, there are subtle yet vital signs of depression.
Some say it’s all in the head, however, it is not always true. Certain external life events can make one feel depressed, ranging from family pressure, a death in the family, ending of a relationship, financial instability, and terminal illness can push one to the black hole of depression.
A lot of students are forced, from a very early age, to take up a goal by their parents and well-wishers in which they have no interest. They might want to pursue something else, but end up fulfilling someone else’s desires. Their minds want to convey something else to their parents and guardians, but fear makes them suppress their emotions. And, in this way, those unsaid emotions and suppressed feelings create a room for depression in their minds.
If an individual, who is very close to his/her parents, wakes up with the news of their demise, he/she will be pushed to the edge of depression. At that moment, whatever activity he/she was doing comes to a halt. As a result, depression gets a chance to rule their mind. Whereas there are individuals who can deal with the same case of loss with emotional control and the will to go ahead in life, some break down due to emotional stress and grief. So, genes are also to be blamed for depression.
Imagine a group of friends in a get-together talking about their lives and sharing their life experiences. There will always be someone who is quiet and lost. Immediately, that person will be labelled as an introvert. But, that might not be true. Maybe the individual was thinking about how to cope with the recent loss of a family member, or pondering whether he/she will have a successful career. Those thoughts of over-thinking raises the level of the negative stress hormone known as Cortisol in the body. If the person tries to open up about his/her struggles, answers like “It’s all in your head; you are just thinking too much” are often received. As a result, it compels the person to hide their emotions and bury it deep within. This leads to further negative emotional turmoil, leading to depression.
Their brain function starts deteriorating, the heart cries out for help but the fear of being judged as weak forces them to end their life as it is seen as the last resort to end their pain. Hence, we should be careful and always lend a helping hand and be empathetic towards someone who is caught up in this vicious circle of depression.
