Depression, An Invisible Killer

Depression is an idiosyncratic issue that influences the individual’s behaviour, style, mood, attitude and other extreme cases as well. It entangles the quiet life of an individual and confounds it around the terrible atmosphere and leaves the victim paralyzed. There are innumerable pieces of evidence depicting that depression endeavours at self- mischief or self-destruction. It influences how you behave, feel, think and may lead to a variety of physical problems. It is a devastating, surreptitious assault, and a disastrous medical condition that impairs the potential and working of the human brain. The one who is hunted by has feltlike a lifelong prisoner and is treating the colourful world with a blurred vision. The one who is trapped by it loses the bond or the association with the family members, either in some cases transitory or others permanently. Depression is a wound that never appears on the body surface but is more hurtful than one which causes bleeding. It is a common mental illness occurring worldwide that is more prevalent in women than men and is now considered a major contributor to the “World of diseases “occurring in all sections of the society regardless of the status they have. It interrupts the person’s life and in its worst condition, it can lead to suicide. As per the reporting of WHO,800,000 people leave this world every year and the cause is none other than suicide and is the fourth leading cause of deaths in the age group 15-19-year-olds and second-leading death cause in the age group of 15-29 -year-olds. With this soaring rate, it has become the fifteenth leading cause of death globally, It means one soul is snatched from us every after 40seconds. It downgrades the individual’s dignity in society and prompts the family to lock them inside their bedrooms. Depression is what makes your activities stagnant and provoke your body towards the lackadaisical nature by giving away the feeling of interest and care. The research unearthed things behind the blanket by making it clear that depression is not due to a single factor but a mixture of events and factors that lead an individual to experience what is called depression, “A SILENT THIEF OF THE PLEASURE”. Despite the factors causing mental disability, the economic recession due to Covid-19 becomes one more factor that negatively affected people all across the globe. During this unprecedented situation of Covid-19, it is reported that in U.S. 4 in 10 adults are showing the symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder. The research found it hard to outline the case of suicide under the age group of 5 but the age group 7-20 experience large such cases since they are by nature vulnerable to mental health problems especially during the teenage period (transition stage). They also experience depression because of a lack of courage to face failure, however, it is a part and parcel of life which gives us a promised potential to have success in the looming time. In Kashmir valley, a suicide case has received a line in the daily newspapers and showing rising trends when compared with the past years. According to studies, 79 per cent of the rural and urban population in the valley experience, depression and the cause is Unemployment, financial crisis, business loss etc. Surprisingly, about 24000 men and women attempted suicide in the last 17 years in the Kashmir valley alone of them 3000 have been successful. These cases were traced mostly under the age group of 16-25 years old. Abandoning ourselves from mysterious, fraught and filthy things may bless our life with long-lasting contentment and by this, we may achieve success in every sphere. Parents too can extinct this depressive disorder from their children by giving an iota of help as they face failure, rather aggravate their tension by expressing anger and throwing harsh words lackadaisically. They can motivate and develop positivity in their pupils by giving them time and love. It is very unfortunate to mention that we all whether it is head of the family or other members of it are fully indulged in the use of electronic gadgets may it be the time of lunch or the dinner or the fundamental meetings of life it is what made our life so troubled and pessimistic. Parents possess a pivotal role in safeguarding their teenagers from these depressive disorders and should take responsibility for it, otherwise, they by their own eyes will see the destructive future of their buds and will fail to fix impressions in them.
Biology of Depression: Amongst the factors of depression, the biological factor alters the functioning of what is called Neurons which communicate via chemicals known as neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, serotonin, Norepinephrine etc. Neurons are apart from each other by a space known as a synapse. When they want to talk to each other, neurotransmitters are packaged in the vesicles of the presynaptic neuron. After crossing the space, key receptors take up these neurotransmitters, like serotonin receptors take up serotonin. Each neurotransmitterin an individual has its brain chemistry. Any imbalance in these chemicals in the brain can degrade the mental health then than the individual. It indicates that a low level of neurotransmitters may initiate depression, but the question is “What causes this contraction”? It is a breakdown in the brain’s circuit which results in feelings of depression. Potential causes of chemical deduction revealed by research include a shortage in specific enzymes in the pathway, less receptive sites, and low production of specific hormones.
Neurotransmitter imbalance and aftermath: No one is concerned with the “fight or flight” response and other body movements with adrenaline. The downfall of this chemical messenger becomes the cause of anxiety, high blood pressure, loss of alertness, appetite, foggy brain, trouble in concentration and unmotivated thinking.
Serotonin: This chemical messenger is responsible for mood change and makes our body alert and gives messages when to sleep, eat and digest. Its shortage gives us a large picture of the development of symptoms of depression like emptiness, anxiety, feeling frustrated, worthless, loss of pleasure.
Dopamine is often called a “feel-good chemical, which develops a positive feelings, motivation and interest in various activities, places and people when it interacts amongst nerve cells. A low level of Dopamine affects our motivation and interest in activities we once loved the most and other symptoms include anger, petulance, belligerence, apathy towards family and friends, desire to remain alone and many more. Depression is eventually instigating one for self-harm and how to minimize the cases is need of the hour. One of the biggest methods we have is to educate and aware people regarding suicide stigma through daily newspapers. Seemingly suicide cases in the vale of Kashmir have remained limited to just cover a story, why not depth analysis of it is seen is itself a concern. To eradicate this stigma various social programs should also be generated to make people familiar with all that is related to depression and its consequences, otherwise, it seems that a ripple for human resource depredation is approaching, and the cause will be none other than suicide stigma in the valley of Kashmir.
(The author is a freelancer. Views are his own)
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