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Do you feel sad most of the time, even when you are with your family or friends? Have you stopped taking an interest in any activity? Do you have sleeping disorders? If so, you may be suffering from depression or stress related issues. Research, says that women suffer from depression and stress more than men do. However the reason behind this is not understood well. When women suffer from depression, they face trouble in their daily activities and at times become seriously ill. This may be the time to see a psychologist who can help you to come out of the situation.
What is depression?
Depression can be defined as an experience when you feel low most of the time and have lost interest in things that you usually enjoy. You may notice certain changes in your appetite, sleep and remain de-motivated and even withdraw from your friends or family members. Considered as a mood disorder, depression can affect people in different manners. Based on the age and the role you play in life, you may face the problem. Some causes of depression may be genetics, hormonal factors, chemical imbalance, medical illness, stress and etc.
Different types of depression:
Depression can be of different types and this can be actually determined by the psychologist. Based on the diagnosis, further medical treatment is offered to the person. Mainly there are two types of depression-
Major depressive disorder: This disorder is a combination of various symptoms that usually affects a person’s work, eating habits, sleep and study.
Dysthmia: This type of depression usually lasts for a longer period of time and the symptoms are less severe but it can affect your normal life and day to day activities.
Psychotic depression: This mainly occurs when the depression is severe and is related to hallucinations and delusions.
Seasonal affective disorder: This basically happens during the winter months when the sunlight is less.
Postpartum depression: This is diagnosed in new mothers, especially within one month after the delivery of the baby.
What is stress?
Stress can be defined as the body’s response to particular situations and it is subjective. It is often seen that something that is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. It can affect the physical as well as the mental health and human behavior. Your body releases chemicals and hormones to cope up with the challenge and this may increase the heartbeat, your brain works faster and you may have a sudden burst of energy. All these have a harmful effect on your body.
Different types of stress:
Acute stress: This is the most widely experienced stress and it is caused by daily work pressure or demands that one has to meet. It is basically inducted as a reaction to anticipated demand or immediate threat. Acute stress is short termed and doesn’t have enough time to cause damage to the health. It is manageable and treatable.
Episodic Stress: This type of stress usually happens when someone suffers from acute stress too frequently. It is seen in people who are unrealistic, unreasonable or self-inflicted. It is not a chronic stress, but it develops from continuous chaos, crisis in life or disorganization. People with “Type A” personality usually suffer from episodic stress. It includes ceaseless worrying, long periods of emotional distress and anxiety disorders.
Chronic stress: This is simply the opposite of acute stress and is brought by long term exposure to stresses like traumatic experience, unhappy marriage, poverty, relationship conflicts, political problems, unwanted career chronic illness and etc. This kind of stress can even lead a person to cause self harm, commit suicide or resort to violence.
In this category of Motherszone, we will discuss more about women’s depression and stress and how to overcome the situation.
