Depression / Psychosis

The word depressed is a common everyday word. It is not uncommon for people to say "I'm depressed" when in fact they mean "I'm fed up because I've had a row, failed an exam, or lost my job", etc. The ups and downs of life are common and normal. A person usually recovers fairly quickly.

A true depression lasts for at least two weeks and is characterized by low mood and other symptoms each day. Also, symptoms may become severe enough to interfere with day-to-day activities.

PSYCHOSIS - It is how a person thinks and how they perceive, they feel, they sense things that do not exist; they find it difficult to recognize what all is real.

Some of the earliest signs of Psychosis are

• Drop In grades or in job performance.
• Trouble in thinking clearly or concentrating
• Suspiciousness or paranoid ideas with others.
• Spending a lot time alone than usual
• Intense new ideas, having no feelings at all.
• Poor self care – personal hygiene.
• Trouble communicating.
• Not able to differentiate reality from fantasy.

Who gets Depression?

Two out of three adults experience depression at some point in their lives. Sometimes it is mild or lasts just a few weeks. However, an episode of depression serious enough to require treatment occurs in about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men at some point in their lives. Some people have two or more episodes of depression at various times in their life.

Symptoms And Early Signs Of Depression

• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness
• Angry outbursts, the feeling of irritation, frustration on even very small issues
• Loss of energy and interest in most or all normal daily activities, like hobbies, outing, sex, sports, etc
• Sleeping disorders, including sleeping too much or insomnia
• Feeling of tiredness or restlessness, so even small tasks take a lot of effort and time to complete
• Weight loss and reduced appetite or vice versa
• Slowed thinking and thought analysation, or sometimes overthinking
• Feelings of worthlessness, fixating on past failures or self-blame

What can I do to get better?

• What can I do to get better?
• Reach out to friends that you trust, do not isolate
• Read and educate yourself about depression
• Give yourself time to get better.