Sadness, feeling down, and having a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities are familiar feelings for all of us. But if they persist and affect our lives substantially, the issue may be depression. More specifically we can say that, depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable.

Most of us have experienced being down and out. Especially as adolescents, where we’re hit with physical, emotional, social and psychological changes all at once. And the stresses of school, relationships, and unrealistic expectations seem to be magnified a million times. According to international statistics, depression is an epidemic, with teenagers and youths in their early twenties being especially vulnerable. Almost 8% of teenagers are affected by depression, with suicide being the second leading cause of death among adolescents worldwide. Research has found that more than one third of young people who struggle with depression don’t seek help at all.

There is no specific one cause for depression rather it depends on a unique combination of an individual’s genetic temperament and environmental conditions. Few causes may count:

• The brain’s physical structure or chemistry
• History of depression in the family
• History of other disorders (anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Stressful, traumatic events (abuse, financial issues, death of a loved one)
• Hormone changes (menstrual cycles, pregnancy)
• Certain medications (sleeping aids, blood pressure medication)

Males may experience symptoms as stated below:

• mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness
• emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad, hopeless
• behavior, such as loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, engaging in high-risk activities
• sexual interest, such as reduced sexual desire, lack of sexual performance
• cognitive abilities, such as inability to concentrate, difficulty completing tasks, delayed responses during conversations
• sleep patterns, such as insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, not sleeping through the night
• physical well-being, such as fatigue, pains, headache, digestive problems

Females may experience symptoms as stated below:

• mood, such as irritability
• emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless
• behavior, such as loss of interest in activities, withdrawing from social engagements, thoughts of suicide
• cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly
• sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, sleeping too much
• physical well-being, such as decreased energy, greater fatigue, changes in appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, increased cramps

There are many types of depression. Few major types are stated below:

Major Depression: Major depression is the most common type of depression. Often, people with major depression experience recurrent episodes throughout their lives.

Dysthymia: Dysthymia is a persistent low mood over a long period of time, even a year or more. It could be described as feeling like you’re living on autopilot.

Postpartum depression: Postpartum Depression occurs after giving birth. Mothers may feel disconnected from their new baby or fear that they will hurt their child.

Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar Disorder is also called Manic Depressive Disorder because it involves alternating between mania and depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder is different from depression, but it is included in this list is because someone with bipolar disorder experiences episodes of extremely low moods that meet the criteria for major depression (called “bipolar depression”). But a person with bipolar disorder also experiences extreme high euphoric or irritable moods called “mania” or a less severe form called “hypomania.”

Symptoms can include in bipolar disorder:

• Feeling great
• Having lots of energy
• Racing thoughts
• Little need for sleep
• Talking very fast
• Having difficulty focusing or having a short attention span
• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)
• Delusions (believing things that are not true)

Depression has treatment and can be cured. It is common to combine medical treatments, medicines and lifestyle therapies. But we prefer prevention.

Stress: We must try to lead less stressful life. Taking too much stress can lead one in depression.

Sleep: Proper sleep is very important factors in mental illness. Irregular sleep can create many hormonal imbalances in our body that may lead one in depression too.

Exercise: Exercise offers a range of health benefits including helping prevent depression. Both high-intensity and low-intensity exercise is beneficial in this respect. High-intensity exercise releases the feel-good chemicals, known as endorphins, into the body.

Low-intensity exercise sustained over an extended period helps release proteins called neurotropic factors, which improve brain function and make a person who is exercising feel better.

Many people who are depressed have low motivation for exercise, so it is a good idea to start with 5 minutes of walking or doing an enjoyable activity and gradually increase the length of time over the coming days, weeks, and months

Healthy Family life: Healthy family life is very important. Good family bonding and good friends can stop one to get into the depression zone.

Healthy Diet:

The brain needs the right mix of nutrients to function properly. For healthy mind we should start consuming unsaturated fats by cooking with olive and adding nuts and seeds to meals

We must eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, protein with tryptophan, found in fish, poultry, eggs, and spinach, oily fish containing omega-3 oils or taking omega-3 supplements at least twice a week. We must drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.

We have to limit the caffeinated drinks, such as coffee and soda. We must avoid alcohol and smoking.

Regular Consumption of foods like LICORICE/Yashtimadhu, Basil Seeds, Malabar Spinach, Green tea, basil leaf, Avocado, Chia Seed, Red beetroot, Olive, Mushroom, Centella Asiatica/ Thankuni, Ashwagandha, Sunflower Seed, Cauliflower can help in the prevention of depression .