HEALING MIND!! HEALING YOU!

Archita Gupta ¹ , Dr. Kathika Chattopadhyay ²

¹PG Scholar , Part 1 , Department of Psychiatry , 2019 – 22

²Head of Department of Psychiatry

ABSTRACT

The term depression has been used like an umbrella term for describing various states of mind of an individual at once. Now the usage of this term has become even more common than it used to be. In this new developing era not only the adults but also youth and adolescents are very easily exposed to it. There are many factors and causes which determine this exposure and one should be careful of, also we come to know of them gradually as we further continue reading. Most of all however, points towards the growing level of interpersonal relationships that the youth develops.

Keywords – Depression, interpersonal relationships , suicide , management of pshyciatric condition

INTRODUCTION

It is true that depression has always been seen associated with the different neurochemical changes happening in the brain, wherein, hormones also play a major role in it’s development. There might be several other causes which are responsible for depression at a younger age. According to some of the popular studies and researches, interpersonal relationships play a quite major role in development of depression at a young age ^[1]. There have been many studies in the past, focusing on emotions related with the different kind of relationships and the type of impressions they result in. Therefore, this as a factor is very important for us to consider if we were to diagnose depression in any child or in young adult. However, there are several other reasons, such as peer pressure, anxiety, exam review, study related anxiety and stress. All these causative factors can in turn be corrected with the help of a good nurtured interpersonal relationship, where one is open to share and express all his/her concerns and in return can expect a good outcome or advise ^[1].

Depression therefore, these days has become a common entity among youth and we need to separate this as a cause when we investigate adolescents and students for any kind of illness. It (major depressive disorder) may be described however, as a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. It causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home ^[2].

Research shows that positive relationships with family and friends promote emotional well-being, while negative relationships with family and peers confer risk for depressive symptoms . Youths’ perceived social support is a commonly used index of positive interactions (i.e., how much they think that their family and friends will help during times of stress). Perceived social support is linked to emotional distress through various mechanisms including stress-buffering, attachment theory (Brumariu & Kerns, 2010), and relational regulation theory. Importantly, negative interactions are not the opposite of social support, but are best conceptualized as distinct aspects of interpersonal functioning (Sentse et al., 2010), such as conflict and emotional neglect with family and friends, both of which relate to depressive symptoms in youth. Studies have consistently shown the more negative relationships one has the more they are at risk for emotional distress. Clinical interventions for depression have shown that targeted work on interpersonal relationships can lead to the successful alleviation of symptoms across youth populations ^[3].

Symptoms :

The type of signs and symptoms these individuals may exhibit may be seen under two different arrays – physical and emotional. Such people are bound to feel or experience mood disturbances and loss of interest in daily activities.

Emotional symptoms :

· Low mood

· Loss of interest in all or most daily activities

· Social withdrawal

· Stress and anxiety

· Feelings of negativity for friends and family

· Feeling as though life is meaningful

· Difficulty in concentrating

· Confused thoughts and incoherence

· Thoughts of suicide, with plans made with full details

Physical signs:

· Loss of appetite

· Liking the darkness in room better than any well lit room

· Use of alcohol and drugs

· Insomnia or excessive sleep

· Feelings of constant fatigue and tiredness

· Excessive gastric and digestive troubles, such as, bloating, flatulence or indigestion

· Brittle nails

· Skin texture pale or gray

· Lack of interest in public appearance, i.e., may not take interest in the details in what he/she looks like when meeting other people or appearing on occasions or events.

When to be concerned ?

When we encounter such an adolescent or child who exhibits atleast 5 or more signs and symptoms as mentioned above we should be aware that person may be undergoing a state of depression. Also, if there are regular suicidal thoughts it is necessary to see a doctor in such cases for proper counselling and treatment. However, there also may be attempts of suicide which require emergency help from doctors and hospital. Some cases may also require hospital admission.

How do the interpersonal relationships affect the psychology

Since all of us are well aware, that there are few relationships which are very close to our heart we nurture them carefully. On the other hand, if we do not get reciprocation in the same manner, it upsets us and we tend to take them seriously. It creates a negative impression in our mind and we start being affected emotionally. At the adolescent age the child usually starts distancing themselves from their immediate family and instead start finding more comfort in company of friends and people of same age and mentality. Therefore, they are bound to be exposed to a lot of different people with whom they develop very different kind of relationships. These relationships are although very superficial but are mostly wrongly considered as very deep and meaningful and therefore, are emotionally distressing ^[3]. Since, there has been distancing from family there is a lack of proper support and guidance, and then they start finding comfort by indulging into wring habits, such as drugs and alcohol, which again draws a lot of mental pressure. After this when they feel trapped in such a situation (since they do not discuss any of their emotions and feelings due to feelings and guilt and embarrassment), there are thoughts of suicide or escape.

How to prevent depression and thoughts of suicide

As a parent or a family member of the one affected, it is important to always monitor such persons and give them a constant feeling of comfort. It is also important to make to a point to have regular conversations and be well informed of what is happening in day to day lives of our child. The environment at home should be so supportive and comforting that everybody can share everything with each other without the feeling of embarrassment. In this developing era, it is utmost important for us to understand that as individuals we are exposed to all kinds of impressions from childhood and a restricted type of environment will make us vulnerable to feelings of shame and guilt ^[4].

As a person suffering from depression and complicated or poor interpersonal relationships we should always remember that relationships that we form outside the family are all short lived and temporary mostly, therefore we should not be affected entirely of them and start thinking them as our lives. It is important to constantly share our feelings and day to day activities with our family and friends and always try to seek guidance in situations we feel we don’t see a way to mend things. It is always important to remember that we have constant support from our family and it is equally important to extend that support back. This helps not only our family but we as a person also tend to remain emotionally stable by knowing the experiences of others and drawing our own lessons which help us in the long run.

Conclusion

This tells us that maintaining good relations as well as understanding their real depth is equally important. It is not always possible to prevent depression but it’s detection at the earliest stage can help to get it treated effectively. Also, it is equally important to reach out for support and boost self esteem.