Cynthia Lee“Alone in a room, someone is crying.
In your eyes I portray strength.
Alone in a room, someone is screaming.
In your eyes I am strong.
Alone in a room, someone is calling out for help.
In your eyes I am fearless.
Alone in a room, someone is dying.
In your eyes I am vibrant.”
-Cynthia Lee
What is Depression?
Depression is a silent killer with its symptom sometimes unknown to everyone. Depression is a major depressive mood disorder. It can affect the way you think, feel, and operate within your day to day activities such as working, eating, or sleeping. Depression is something that should be taken seriously. If you suspect someone has these symptoms please intervene and get help. The symptoms are:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
- Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
- Irritability
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
- Decreased energy or fatigue
- Moving or talking more slowly
- Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Appetite and/or weight changes
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment
Not everyone who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some people experience only a few symptoms while others may experience many. Several persistent symptoms, as well as low mood, are required for a diagnosis of major depression, but people with only a few – but distressing – symptoms may benefit from treatment of their “subsyndromal” depression. The severity and frequency of symptoms and how long they last will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness. Symptoms may also vary depending on the stage of the illness.
Depression disorders are not something that is obvious in some people. Celebrities such as Robin Williams and Chester Bennington have excelled in keeping their condition a secret for several years. The art of being one person to the public eye and battling your demons in private can cause severe damage to one’s mental state. The internal battle is real and friends and family need to take the smallest of symptoms as a serious matter. Too many times have people confined in someone about their feelings and they were picked on or laughed at because they are not taken seriously. People only notice when those same thoughts became suicidal, that someone may have a problem.
Cyberbullying on social media have also been linked to depression among teenagers and adults. Social media is used greatly with teenagers and have become the new way to communicate and share information with their peers. Social media has become a way of life to many teenagers and adults with nearly 90% using some form of social media. Several adults and teenager hesitate to tell someone when they are being bullied for a number of unknown reasons, so it is important to talk to your loved one if you suspect they are being bullied. Many states have attempted to step in and put laws in place to stop cyberbullying but voices need to be heard.
The World Wide Web has made it so convenient for people to design platforms for communication and the sharing of information, but can also make them feel more alone in a world so virtually large. Having access to a large scale platform such as social media could empower someone to create a new person, a better person, a person without flaws. They may hide their depression in the false images of perfection, while deep inside they are mentally dying. Many times people are caught up in their own world that they forget when someone is calling out for help. We need a fighter in the fight against depression and cyberbullying. People need to be vigilant and speak up if they suspect someone they love, a friend, or some random person social media post shows signs of depressive activities.
If you are someone you love is experiencing suicidal thoughts please contact 911 as soon as possible.
Information courtesy of National Institute of Mental Health.
[the_ad id=”17851″]
You must log in to post a comment.