Beating The Blues

Nobody knew Louise's secret.A bubbly journalist,she often had panic attacks,dry spells at work and was afraid of getting out of bed in the morning. She stopped eating well and slowly lost interest in assignments on the job.She began to spend more of her time lying in bed,smoking and drinking and getting overwhelmed by feelings of dying.Studies show several risk factors that can parachute us into depressiveness: poverty, numerous children, a sick baby, lack of a support system, low education, unemployment, marital problems and an unplanned pregnancy.In the Arab world, postpartum depression affects 18 percent to 21 percent of new mothers. In the Western world the figure is 10 percent to 15 percent.

Depression is bad for the heart.New studies bear out that patients with major depression were three times more likely to be struck down by heart disease.Even mild depressions can take the fatality rate 50% higher than normal.Depression causes stress and stress triggers an outpouring of hormones ( cortisol ) which can cause heart rate and blood pressure to surf.Depressed people are also less likely to exercise or eat right than those who don't suffer the malady.Depression is a huge cardiac risk factor, so it's really crucial to take care of your emotions.

If you are overwhelmed by feelings of isolation,hopelessness,inadequacy and failure it's time to be careful, to do a reality check.Too often someone feeling down over protracted periods of time doesn't feel anything abnormal with this but neither do they confide to friends or relatives.They march off into silence. Take it out of the closet or you could end up suffering in silence for life!Stigma,fear or just outright obliviousness can make sufferers lead a double life. Victims will tell their doctors about physical problems but reluctant to discuss their emotional problems.Cultural factors lead to misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all in nearly half of all sufferers in Asia. Left to itself it becomes a self harming tool.Self harmers struggling with all their emotional problems may get to feel that they have no one to turn to or cry out to could end up harming themselves as a coping mechanism.Sufferers are in huge emotional pain and the only way they know how to release all that built up tension is through self harm.Some go into drinking binges or drug themselves while others flee into harmful eating disorders.It is a tragic reminder of how life can go terribly cruel.

But depression also has economic consequences.Workers suffering from depression take more sick time,use health services more and are less productive.But a job can be the road to recovery.Being on the job gets you away from drowning in yourself and keep the mind busy.Confidence and a sense of purpose follow in.Being on a job, doing things, TRYING out new ways add a pattern of purpose to your life and transform your days into time worth living.

Beating The Blues

Cally Rao