Depression is most commonly referred to as a mental health condition. For most people, depression feels lonely; you almost feel as though no one else could possibly understand or experience what you’re going through. So it may be surprising to learn that depression affects over 250 million people in the world.
Depression and its symptoms vary widely but typically involve feelings of sadness, lack of motivation, hopelessness, loneliness, and similar feelings. While they range in severity, depression symptoms can linger for weeks, months, or years. In severe cases, depression requires intensive ongoing treatments.
Typically, people who struggle with depression wait too long until they seek any intervention. As a result, they sometimes feel the symptoms are the result of their circumstances. While this can certainly be the case, depression is often attributable to things like hormone imbalances, genetics, and other chronic issues.
Finding early and appropriate treatment for depression is the best way to overcome the symptoms and improve your quality of life. If you or someone you know is dealing with depression, here are some things you should know.
Why Depression Happens
Depression happens due to a mix of social, psychological, and medical factors. You can feel depressed because of something simple like lack of sleep. Significant life events like the death of a relative can also lead to depression. Unfortunately, most people who experience depression fail to get proper treatments. They feel like their symptoms will pass or blame themselves for how they feel.
Now, however, medical professionals suggest a variety of ways to treat the symptoms of depression. Even if treatments fail to eliminate symptoms entirely, they go a long way to make people feel better and shorten the duration of any symptoms.
Treatments for Depression
As we’ve said already, treatments will vary based on the severity of symptoms and how long they persist. There are things, though, that anyone can start doing immediately to feel better and overcome feelings of depression. Fighting depression usually requires a bit of trial and error. Different people will respond differently to treatments. However, trying the following things to see if they make you feel better is important. Here are some basic things you can do.
Get More Exercise – Getting in shape is often a great way to fight back against depression. If you feel better about yourself, have more energy, and stick to a routine, it’s harder for depression to take root. Regular exercise gives you more dopamine, and you can typically find some sort of social exercise or class that brings you into a supportive social setting more frequently. If you feel stuck inside feeling down all the time, get outside and go for a walk. Eventually, you turn your walks into runs and start seeing a difference in how you look and feel.
Get Your Diet Right – Likewise, the food you eat greatly impacts the severity of your symptoms. Unhealthy people with poor diets can enter into binge cycles, turning to food for comfort. After they eat a bunch of junk food, they usually feel worse about themselves. Focus instead on fueling your body with good foods that will keep you feeling strong throughout the day. Eat more protein and vitamins to balance your moods and keep you on your game.
Ask for Help – Whether it’s asking friends to spend time with you or going to see a therapist, asking for help is one of the things that stops people from getting the treatment they need. For whatever reason, people choose to suffer through bouts of depression on their own. Ask for help when you start to feel depression coming on, join support groups and find friends who lift you up. Spending time around positive influences makes a big difference.
Recognize Triggers – Depression can sneak up on you, but signs of oncoming depression are often easy to spot. Do what you can to record your actions, where you were, and other circumstances before depression set in. For example, avoid watching sad movies, listening to sad music, staying up too late, etc. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you make it easier for depression to take hold.
Peptides & Treating Depression
Tesofensine is a popular peptide known for its ability to inhibit serotonin-noradrenaline-dopamine reuptake. It was originally studied for its effects on Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s, but research indicates its other uses. In studies,
Tesofensine appears to promote cognition, learning, and memory via the cholinergic pathway. This pathway ultimately leads to increased BDNF levels in the brain. BDNF stimulates neuron growth and has been shown in previous research to benefit subjects with depression, cognitive decline, and certain neurological conditions.
Seek Professional Medical Support
In the most severe cases of depression, patients should seek medical intervention. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal ideation, self-harming, or other serious effects of depression, more robust interventions are likely needed to reduce symptoms and start you on recovery. Above all, it’s essential for anyone struggling with depression to know that they aren’t alone and that depression is a common disorder that affects millions of people worldwide every day. There is hope, and with the right treatment you can find a path toward fewer bouts of depression.
