Stress Management

Back in high school, a classmate of mine took his own life. The entire school was shocked and saddened by this tragic event. Rumor had it, he had fallen into a state of major depression when his girlfriend broke up with him and simply let it destroy his emotional state of mind. On any given day, 5% of the adult population suffers from major depression. Twice as many women than men suffer from this horrible illness. Major depression is much more severe than just a temporary sadness or mood swing. It can take over your entire life. It can affect your health, moods and everyday activities. Marriages and friendships can fall apart. Jobs are lost. People lose touch with who they are and what their purpose truly is. It is the leading cause of disability for adults.

Major depression can hit at any age and there isn't just one particular cause of it. Of course, certain traumatic events in one's life can easily bring an onset of major depression anytime. A death, an illness or a major life event can create lots of stress and depression for many people. Doctors and scientists have concluded that depression is biological and chemical, which also means that there is treatment for this illness. In fact, depression is very treatable as long as you are willing to seek help and reach out to others. Reaching out to others or to a professional is imperative in moving forward and returning yourself to being healthy once again.

The best treatment for major depression is therapy. Medication is a common and wonderful method of treating depression but therapy allows people to reach out and get help. Medication alone cannot help a person determine what an underlying cause could be for the illness or help to figure out some solutions. Major depression is not an issue to be taken lightly or be ignored. When left untreated, people can end up having harmful thoughts and wanting to end their own life. If you suspect that someone is having issues with depression, talk to them. Convince them to get some treatment. Let them know that they are not alone. In fact, they are in great company. It saddens me to know how many people suffer from major depression on any given day. I know that some of them suffer in silence, afraid to reach out to someone to seek help. It isn't something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. It's an illness that can be treated. Don't let it affect your life, take control of it before it controls you.

• < Prev
• Next >