Depression - The Surface

An alarming mental illness that is rapidly spreading and affecting the lives of many. What is it and what are some factors of its dispersion?

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“Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.” WHO declared on World Health Day 2017.

The result of WHO-PH’s latest statistics shown that more than 300 million people are dealing with depression worldwide, indicating an alarming 18 percent increase compared to the period of 2005-2015. In our country, the Philippines alone, an approximate number of 3.29 million people are living with the said mental illness and unfortunately, the battle could be described as something tougher than going through the eye of a needle because of the stigmas that are present. According to the National Institute of Mental Health of the United States, Depression is defined as:

“Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks."

The severity and frequency of symptoms and how long they last will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness. Symptoms may also vary depending on the stage of the illness, and here are the following:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood

• Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism

• Irritability

• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness

• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities

• Decreased energy or fatigue

• Moving or talking more slowly

• Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still

• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions

• Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

• Appetite and/or weight changes

• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

• Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment

There exists several forms of depression, like Postpartum depression, psychotic depression, or dysthymia but the component they have in common is that you deal with the mind- with yourself, rather, an adversary that is tough to deal with. If you are with depression, sometimes you feel low out of the blue, with little to no explanation why. It is hard to change the path that your self tells you to go through, to revise the words that keep echoing in your mind, the words that are mostly negative, that results to poor performance, low self-esteem or sometimes self-hatred, feelings of hopelessness, or in other cases, suicidal thoughts.

This is what most of our generation is going through.

As we are growing teens, our feelings are tough to handle, but there are still other inter-connected factors that contribute to the growth of the population of people, especially the Generation Z with depression.

First off the list is the never ending amount of academic works given to them. Yes, it is vital for their growth and improvement, but sometimes it gets too much and takes away their time for family, friends, and their self. People might say that they’re putting too much effort into their tasks and making them extra, but it is due to the fact that their parents and teachers set upon their shoulders a standard and a huge load of pressure. Why give that pressure? Because in this world, it is a prerequisite to learn how to be competitive in order to not get left behind. The economy has been doing poorly and to live a prosperous or stable life, one must get equipped with the endurance and strength to keep up, and since their parents are doing that, they sometimes forget or in some cases- completely don’t check up on their kids, and that affects the way of thinking of the adolescent.

To understand it further, here is a brief video from TED Ed.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, you must reach out to a friend, family or a professional. It is with difficulty but it is crucial to help your situation. Let this article remind everyone that depression is not a joke, and never is. Mental health is as serious and important as physical health. As Filipinos describe it, they are not “nag-iinarte”. It is not as simple as telling them to grow up, cheer up, or don’t be like that. The people that experience this illness doesn’t enjoy it themselves and did not choose to be that way. We must act upon this ill-fate ourselves. The population must support each other in order to grow and live in this society in a healthy manner.