Depression in today’s society
There are many reasons for depression in today’s world. The most frequent activities related to depression in today’s society are alcoholism and drug usage. Other causes are economic and social problems, eating disorders such as obesity, gambling addiction, grief over the death of a loved one or a family problem such as divorce, and posttraumatic stress such as in the case of 911 or in war veterans.
Today’s cure for depression is most times medication. However, depression could be more easily cured with changes in lifestyle.
If depression is very severe it can manifest itself in thoughts of suicide or the actual act of suicide. Thoughts of suicide are actually a passive aggressive wish to hurt people or commit murder. Suicide is murder of the self.
In the case of extreme depression such as suicidal and murderous thoughts, medication, hospitalization, and therapy should be used.
But in most cases, we do not know who these suicidal individuals are. Suicidal depression keeps people from seeking help due to the fear of being found to be crazy or insane. This can also increase the depression. In extremely severe cases of depression, the person may be unable to seek help for himself.
In the case of the student at Virginia Tech who killed 32 people including himself – mass murder and suicide, he was apparently seeking help, or was referred for psychological help, but the help was not in the form of continuing therapy, which may have relieved this person of his condition. He apparently went in for a few sessions and received a prescription.
Oftentimes although a person is in therapy he may not tell the therapist all that is occurring in his life. Therefore the therapist can not correctly diagnose the condition. It becomes expedient that therapists learn to interview patients in a way that will help the patient bring out what he is holding back. This may require extreme skill on the part of the therapist.
Many people suffering from depression may not have the financial capabilities to render them full and useful sessions of therapy which can run into a lot of money for either the patient or the patient’s family.
It is a known fact that drugs and alcohol cause depression. Health professionals need to get to the facts about a person’s condition before prescribing drugs for depression. Drugs and alcohol are running rampant in today’s society. According to statistics compiled by the US Department of Justice 112 million Americans ages 12 or older (46% of the population) reported illicit drug use at least once in their lifetime.
The root cause of the depression should be examined and then the patient should undergo extensive therapy to remove the cause.
In most cases depression is considered to be medical depression or a medical illness treated by medication; and even considered hereditary in some cases. In the case of alcohol and drug dependency there is also the hereditary factor.
Once the cause is removed the person can begin to come out of depression through lifestyle changes.
* eating a healthy diet
* exercising regularly
* indulging in happy activities such as dancing, watching comedy movies rather than horror
* listening to uplifting music
* engaging in creative activities such as outdoor sports like golf, tennis, and swimming
* improving relationships – relationship activities should also be increased such as finding a mate if there is none, renewing the relationship with a mate if there is one
* doing volunteer work or finding a job you love
Sometimes the root cause of depression can be a loss of anything and the person will undergo a temporary depression, but should come out of it naturally after a time of grieving, however if grieving continues indefinitely, and depression continues or gets worse, the person should seek help. Here is where the harm could happen. The person seeks help and does not get the right or adequate help. The person feels depressed but does not know that it is from the loss and the mental health practitioner inadequately diagnoses and treats the individual. The person seeks solace in alcohol and drugs thereby exacerbating the condition. From normal grieving and depression he goes into advanced depression and is given medication rather than therapy. He may be given drugs while at the same time indulging in illicit drugs and alcohol making the situation even worse.
It is important in today’s society, that cases of mental depression be adequately diagnosed and treated, so that these persons can live a full and productive life.
It is also important in today’s society to remove the causes for depression such as alcohol and drugs. Drug enforcement needs to maintain and continue it’s active campaign against drugs. Drugs and alcohol should not be encouraged among the youth of today. It has now been found that children using alcohol at early ages before age 21 are actually destroying brain cells that are still developing. This can cause impairments in judgement later in life.
For more information regarding the incidences of drug and alcohol abuse among populations go to the Department of Justice website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dcf/du.htm.
For more information about Depression go to NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) at www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-publication.html.
Information regarding the effects of alcohol and drugs can be found at http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/alcohol/guide/info-alcohol.htm.
