There are some misconceptions about depression. These are the biggest obstacles to the treatment of the disease. People often act on their prejudices. They don't think about how much these prejudices hurt them. The most common mistakes are:
Depression is a medical illness. Depression is an extremely serious illness that affects both the body and the person's emotions and thoughts.
It requires treatment. Depression has genetic and biological causes. For this reason, not everyone who experiences a serious event will get this disease. It is accepted that there is a biological predisposition that can cause depression. There are some features that indicate a biological predisposition. Most people with depression have higher levels of stress hormones than other people. With some special imaging studies, a decrease in activity in some areas of the brain is observed.
The rate of good response to treatment for depression is more than 80%. With the discovery of new treatment methods, even the most resistant depressions can be improved. Generally, the dose, duration, or form of treatment is not chosen appropriately for people who cannot achieve adequate improvement with treatment. Another reason other than these conditions is the presence of another underlying disease. Some disorders, such as thyroid gland diseases such as goiter, anemia, and vitamin deficiencies, may present themselves as depression. Of course, these diseases also need to be treated.
Everyone experiences sadness and unhappiness in life. It is perfectly normal to feel unhappy, especially after a disaster. But depression is no ordinary sadness. The level of sadness and reluctance is much higher than the event. There are other accompanying symptoms as well. Symptoms prevent the person from continuing their daily life. Unlike momentary annoyances, it lasts for at least two weeks without interruption.
Depression is a disease of the body, just like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. It is a disease related to the functions of the brain, and it is as effective in treating depression as it is in other diseases. However, it is extremely important to believe in treatment and strive to get better.
Depression is more common in people with certain personality traits, but these are traits that represent responsibility rather than weakness. For example, thinking of others, being responsible, being meticulous, and feeling guilty easily. It is not possible togeneralize,e such as that those with asthma are weak people, and similar generalizations cannot be made for a medical illness such as depression. It is known that very strong people in history suffered from depression. Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, TheodoreRoosevelt, and, Beethoven are just a few of them.
Sometimes depression can improve without treatment. However, this possibility is very small. Depression that resolves spontaneously without treatment is likely to recur within a few years. After each repetition, the response to treatment becomes more difficult. Since depression is a disease that can include a risk of suicide, waiting for it to heal itself is taking a serious risk.
Depression is twice as common in women. However, one in ten men will experience depression at some point in their lives. This is a number that cannot be underestimated. Moreover, depression in men carries a higher risk of suicide. Men more often avoid seeking help and seeking treatment for their complaints.
For more detailed information about depression, you can visit our article; Overcoming Depression and Embracing Life's Joys
