Your mother is not in the mood to pamper you. Are you depressed for that? But have you tried to look into the matter why she is not in her usual form? Perhaps not. The problem of understanding someone's mind is nothing new.



Depression is not madness. Every normal human being suffers from depression. We are really not in need to consult a doctor whenever we are feeling sad. A certain period of intense sadness should not drive us mad. But if it is a long lasting experience then it needs to be clinically treated. The basic symptoms are- extreme fatigue, profound guilt sense, difficulty in taking decision, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and sometimes a haunting death wish. The problem begins when a person fails to perform his daily activities. Generally he will have no interest in social life and he will even try to avoid the company of his loved ones during this critical phase. But that does not mean that he will be complacent enough to enjoy his loneliness.

Causes of depression are still not clear. They can be due to biological, genetic or environmental factors. The biological factor can be explained as the change or fluctuation in the level of hormones in the brain. One can genetically inherit depression from the vulnerability of any of his parents. Stressful emotional situations are mainly responsible for most of the mental disorders. Tom Dick or Harry may suffer from acute depression if they are not enjoying their professional lives or if they are sacked without any notice or if they fail to bear the pressure of work they are expected to take. Family problems are quite common nowadays. A divorce can hamper the proper mental growth of a child and even his parents'. The experts are of the opinion that all three factors can work together. The whole reaction is so complicated that it is a difficult task to point out a single one as the main cause. Depression is also an outcome to a reaction to medication. In this case the cause is a simple one and this can be considered a physical illness.

At present 25 million people in U.S.A. are suffering from the ailment. The statistics show around 40 million Americans suffer from depression at least once in their lifetime. Women above the age group of 40 is the most affected section. Menopause is the basic cause of mental disorders of elder women as they undergo some major hormonal changes in this phase. We don't know why men suffer in silence. It is tough to get the exact figures as many cases are unreported or misdiagnosed. Depressed condition acts as a hurdle in the path of person's motivation to seek treatment. The data gives the account of a loss of about 15.35 billion dollars every year in the business sector of U.S.A. due to depression. People cannot work properly and the problems intensify if depressions are not treated at the right time.

The good sign is, more and more people are going for the treatment. Common men are becoming aware of the fact that depression is not a personal weakness but a biochemical deregulation with the brain itself. Depression is no more a taboo. The affected ones need to be treated with sympathy. Mere drugs won't help. They need a comfortable environment where they can speak out their minds. It is important to make them realize that they are very precious to us specially to those who nurture the death wish. If we can consult doctor for the treatment of cancer and diabetes which are marked as ?physical disorders?, then what is the problem with depression? Why we are not comfortable with the term ?mental illness?? Can we really separate ?physical? from ?mental?? What's there to hide if someone needs medical help to experience a better life? Let's not frown upon the ailment ?depression? and try to help those who are trying hard to come out of the crisis. They may be brilliant people and a bit more awareness, medicine and love can bring them back to their daily life activities.