Lately, I have become very anxious about so many things, the fear of if something would grow or not, and the possibility of something just going wrong somewhere, what about the ability to take care of my Son the way I would love to.
There is just so much that gets me very anxious, until I read somewhere that there is a link between being anxious and being depressed.
Depression is real, and we know the several negative consequences associated with it, but maybe understanding the link between anxiety and depression would create a better insight on why we should be less anxious.
According to WHO, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression can be highly destructive to a person's life to the point that, relationships gets affected, good health becomes more difficult, and in severe cases, lead to death.
Depression is a mood disorder and when it happens, it creates a feeling of emptiness, sadness, and absence of joy. Depression is deeper that what we refer to as mood swings, it is more intense and chronic.
While we are very familiar with depression, it would interest you to know there is something also called anxiety disorder which has a close relationship with depression, as a matter of fact, some people regard them to having a close twin relationship.
One of the strong characteristics of depression is that, the depressed person would feel anxious at all times. What does that tell us, it simply means the consistency of an anxious feeling in a person is a pathway to being depressed.
A depressed person would also not want to engage in activities that they initially used to consider fun. Restlessness, frustration, and easily getting irritable are other strong signs to watch out for in a depressed individual.
Loss of appetite, ache, pains, or stomach problems that does not get better even with medical treatment is a sign of depression too.
Having the thoughts of suicide is often the final stage of depression, when the affected person feels there is no longer hope or anything to hold unto.
There has not been one major reason discovered to be the cause of depression. However, there have been realized biological, psychological, and genetic reasons for depression.
These reasons have been realized to be the possible reasons why a person may get depressed. The use of alcohol and drugs can also trigger depression. Having a blood relative that use to be depressed means there is a very high probability that the trait continues in the family.
Depression can last for weeks, months, or years depending on how severe the situation has gotten. Some treatment plans usually enables room for eventual good result as it helps with shortening of symptoms.
Signs of depression should also be watched out for in children, as children could experience depression in the same light as adults.
A depressed child would most likely show signs of depression through; clinginess, persistent crying, not speaking out as much, and low energy. Depression is real in both adults and children, and has to be treated with a great sense of urgency and concern.
For Further Studies
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8933#is-it-curable
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-023-00032-
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02699931.2017.13302
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/depression-anxiety.html