Depression, anxiety, and stress are very common conditions that everyone experiences in their life now and then. If you are unhappy in such a specific situation that doesn’t mean that you are in depression. Feeling down from time to time is normal but when negative feelings take hold of you for longer than usual then you may have depression. It is a mental disorder that causes a constant feeling of sadness and unshakable dark emotions.
Depression can develop for a short period of time, from few days to a few months or it could be for a longer period of time, lasts for several months, or in some cases lasts till several years.
Conditions of Depression
Depression is always considered a mental illness but believe it or not depression hurts physically as much as it tortures you mentally. There are two conditions with which depression is associated.
Physical Depression
People feel physical pains in a state of depression. Research has shown that depression makes the feeling of pain worse. Emotional symptoms of depression are connected with physical symptoms like chronic pains and stomach problems. Here are a few of the most common physical symptoms of depression.
Headaches and migraines
Muscular pains, backaches, and joint pains
Vision issues
Abdomen cramps, irregular bowel schedule, digestive problems
Menstrual pains
Exhaustion, fatigue, and low energy levels
Sleeping disorders
Changes in appetite
Mental Depression
Depression is a serious medical illness that negatively affects our feelings. The overwhelming feelings of sadness, guilt, or hopelessness may push your close friends or family away from you. Depression not only affects the body but mind also. Some symptoms of depression are life-threatening. Here are few mental depression symptoms.
Upset and sad
Lack of self-confidence and self-esteem
Suicidal thoughts
Lack of focus or decision making power
Unexplainable aches and pains
Psychological disorder
The feeling of emptiness or restlessness
Main causes of Depression
It is very difficult to define the causes of depression. Numerous factors combine to develop the causes of depression such as:
Certain health conditions: People with chronic pains and diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, heart diseases, low thyroid, insomnia, hormonal disorder, PCOS, skin problems often have depression. Anemia, cancer, giving up smoking or even some infectious diseases can cause depression. People with depression find it very hard to resolve their health problems.
Certain traumatic incidents: Effects of certain trauma in an individual’s life can badly impact his health. Traumatic experiences such as physical abuse, parents' divorce, and road accidents can enhance the development of depressive disorder.
Addiction to Social Media: The addiction to the internet, video games, and social media have also been connected to the cause of depression especially among teenagers. Excessive use of the internet may create a high level of psychological arousal resulting in poor sleep, limited physical activity, poor eating habits, weak family bond, and of course depression.
Genetics: According to the latest research if you have a family history of depression then you are at risk of developing a depressive disorder.
Certain Lifestyle: If you have such a lifestyle in which your sleep patterns are irregular or your dietary habits are very poor or you have no time for exercise or perform any physical activity then all these poor choices of life lead you towards depression.
Relationship Issues: One of the major causes of Depression is relationship issues. The communication gap and small fights transform into a long-lasting problem. A study in the American Journal Of Psychiatry found males who don’t have a healthy relationship with their parents and siblings, are more prone to develop depression in their lives. Numerous studies have found a strong link between Relationships and depression.
Types of Depression
The effects of depression are different for everyone. There are different types of depressions that affect an individual differently.
Here is a list of different types of depression and how they affect it differently.
Major depression
Major depression is also known as clinical depression or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Most people compare depression with sadness. MDD is a disorder, not a temporary emotion. People with MDD experience depression every day. They could have a loving family, friends, a suitable job but could still have depression. The symptoms of MDD can last a few months or even a few years. MDD is an extreme form of depression. Its symptoms are under below:
Feeling down, grief, sadness
Insomnia, sleeping disorder
Suicidal thoughts, self-harm
Lack of focus, inability to make decisions
Loss of temper without any solid reason
Feeling emotionally weak, worthless, hopeless
loss of appetite or maybe overeating
Persistent Depression
It is also known as dysthymia or chronic depression. Persistent depression is not as extreme as major depression but it still makes daily life miserable. This type of depression may last for more than two years. Some symptoms of persistent depression include:
Insomnia
Poor appetite
Low-self esteem
Lack of energy
Lack of interest in things you once loved
Lack of focus on work
Memory problem
The symptoms of persistent depression last for several years so sometimes people feel that it is a normal routine of their daily life so it is very difficult to point out these symptoms. When these symptoms become their habits so, persistent depression turns into major depression.
Bipolar Depression
Bipolar depression is formally called manic depression. In this mental condition, people feel extreme mood swings that include emotionally high or low. Sometimes an individual can feel extremely happy, full of energy and when a mood swing occurs, they feel sad, low, and heartbroken. Severe cases of bipolar depression include hallucinations and delusions. Let’s compare the symptoms of bipolar depression.
Highest level of energy or low energy
Extremely happy or extremely sad
Low self-esteem or over-confident
Extra protective or self-destructive behaviour
Inability to make decisions or make instant decisions
Loss of appetite or overeating
Lach of sleep or too much sleep
Situational Depression
Situational depression is also known as Adjustment disorder. The symptoms of situational depression and major depression are similar. This type of depression occurs when you have some kind of a bad situation happening in your life such as the death of your close relative, any life-threatening health issue, relationship issues like divorce, fired from work, or acting any physical or sexual abuse or any legal troubles. It could be any situation that disturbs your peace of mind. Symptoms of this type of depression include:
Anxiety attacks
Frequent crying episodes now and then
Loss of appetite
Loss of sleep
Unexplainable aches and pains
Lack of energy
Social boycott
Seasonal Depression
Seasonal depression is a type of depression that is associated with the seasonal pattern, especially during the winter season. Symptoms of seasonal depression start in the fall, it goes through the winter season. It is also known as a major depressive disorder because it may get worse to suicidal thoughts as the season progresses. Few symptoms are as under:
Social boycott
Sadness, worthlessness
suicidal thoughts
Excessive weight gain
Excessive sleep patterns
premenstrual syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome is a combination of symptoms that a woman experiences about 14 days before their periods. It affects a woman’s emotions, physical health, and behaviour during certain days of the menstrual cycle. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)is a health condition similar to Premenstrual syndrome (PMD) but is more serious. PMS symptoms increase in severity as the cycle progresses and relieves within the few days after the start of the menstrual flow. Symptoms of PMD and PMDD are as under:
Bloating or cramping
Low tolerance for noise and light
Mood swings and anxiety
Tender Breast
Body aches
Sleeping too much or too less
Food cravings
Simple changes in diet can reduce the symptoms of PMD. Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, calcium-rich foods like green leafy vegetables, and healthy fats. Avoid salt, sugar, and caffeine.
Perinatal Depression
Pregnancy is supposed to be the happiest time in a woman’s life and most of the time it is, but it is also full of emotional disorders, hormonal imbalance, and plenty of depression or stress. Perinatal depression occurs during pregnancy or in the first year following the birth of the child. You might have heard about pre-natal depression means “depression before the birth of the child” and post-natal depression means “depression after the birth of the child”. New mothers experience a huge range of physical and emotional changes. Some women experience few symptoms of perinatal depression; others may experience different symptoms. Common symptoms of perinatal depression are:
Mood swings, sadness, anxiety
Difficulty in sleeping
Weight gain
Change in appetite
Body aches, headaches, stomach cramps
Feeling of emptiness
Having trouble sitting, walking, or sleeping
Exhausted or frustrated without a reason
How to Cure Depression Naturally Depression affects thousands of people every day. Don't consider yourself helpless or alone. There is a lot you can do for yourself to get rid of depression on your own. There are several natural ways to treat yourself from depression, a few of them are as under: 1- Chamomile tea alleviates depression and anxiety. Chamomile is caffeine-free so try taking a cup of chamomile tea every day. 2- There is no magical diet plan that can help you with depression but making healthy choices can help you feel better. Nothing is definite but research has proved that foods with Omega-3 fatty acids and folic acids may help ease depression. 3- Doing exercise, running, jogging for at least 30 minutes a day helps with mental health. Exercise releases endorphins and aids to treat depression. 4- Maintaining your sleep schedule is very helpful to avoid stress. Depression doesn’t let you get enough sleep so going to bed and getting out at the same time every day regulates your sleeping schedule. 5- If you are depressed then negative thoughts can circle all around your mind and body so, practice ditching negative thoughts. If you are feeling terrible about yourself then challenge negative thoughts with logic. 6- Meditation, Yoga, or deep breathing techniques aid to control depression. 7- Socialize, make friends, go out with friends. Have fun in our life. Change is very important to break the monotony of life. So, if you are bored and you are feeling depressed then do something different, go on vacation. 8- Always spare time for family. Research has proven that whoever has a strong bond with family never gets trap in the vicious cycle of depression. 9- Donate, volunteer, or be a helping hand for others. Helping others is a wonderful feeling. The law of giving is very simple, if you want joy, give joy, if love is what you want then spread love. 10- Take responsibility for the actions that you took in your life, whether the actions were right or wrong. It is very important to own your mistakes. Mistakes have the power to turn you into something better than you were before. 11- Acupuncture accesses the pressure points of the body and helps to relieve stress and depression. 12- Hijama Cupping Therapy helps to alleviate the symptoms of depression by providing overall relaxation to the body, mind, and soul. Depression and Hijama Cupping Therapy Hijama cupping therapy helps to remove the toxins, impurities and dead cells from the body. When dead cells are out of the body then new cells generate that is rich in oxygen and healthy nutrients. With the help of the natural healing process damaged cells are being healed and chemicals and toxins are being removed from the body by the natural process of Hijama cupping therapy. Hijama cupping therapy is one of the most successful therapies regarding depression and stress management. As the toxins are removed, the muscles get relaxed and you feel energetic and strong. For the treatment of depression, the combination of three types of cupping therapy is highly recommended. Fixed Cupping Moving Cupping Wet Cupping Usually, six sessions are more than enough for the treatment of depression. For the first session, 7 organ points at the back are highly recommended. For the second session, 4 head sunnah points should be targeted. Head sunnah points are called the mother of all diseases. For the third session, fixed cupping and moving cupping should be performed on the back along the spine to detoxify the body. In the fourth session, it is important to target the client’s lower back and legs points. There are several stress points in our body and in the fifth session, these stress points are being targeted. Some of the stress points are on our hands, elbows and on foot as well. In the last session, fixed cupping and moving cupping are applied at the back of the body. Moving cupping promotes the flow of the blood in the body so after moving cupping, wet cupping is also applied to enhance the blood flow. Ruqya along with Hijama cupping helps to relieve body, mind and soul. So, metaphysical issues should also be considered as well. Positive lifestyle changes should be promoted. Exercise, regular sleep patterns and a well-balanced diet should also be included in the daily routine. Hijama cupping therapy is proven to be extremely helpful to relieve depression, anxiety and stress and restore health, happiness and wellness.