What Is Situational Depression? The Basics You Should Know!
Depression – Depression is common but a very serious illness and if not taken care of properly may result to adverse health conditions. Depression makes you feel low and you also interest in things that you loved to do or even eat, it may also make you feel sad and unhappy at times for no known reason. Depression can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problem and may also decrease your competency at work and home.
Let’s also have a quick look at some of the symptoms of Depression:
Loss of interest in activities that once was enjoyable.
Feeling sad, unhappy or low.
Loss of energy and feel drowsy.
Excessive sleep or lack of sleep.
Difficulty in decision making.
Rise of the feeling of worthlessness and being guilty.
Slowed body movements like speech and other actions (in severe cases)
Increase in purposelessness activities like pacing, inability to sit still, shivering of the hands or legs, and so on.
Now that we have a fair idea of what Depression is and what are some of the basic symptoms of depression, now let’s have a detailed study about what is Situational Depression and the basic things that one should know about it order to get proper treatment at time.
What is Situational Depression? Situational depression is nothing but a stress related or stress type depression which occurs after one has experienced a tragic event in their life. Situational Depression also known as Reactive Depression, is a type of adjustment disorder which can make your living a daily life difficult as it makes it impossible for you to adjust to your everyday life post a traumatic event.
As already mentioned that Situational Depression can affect you only when you have experienced a traumatic event in your which has affected your heart and brain very much, thus now let’s take quick look at some of the possible causes that might cause Situational Depression.
- Illness – No one likes to be sick, but if one day you get to know that you have been diagnosed with a fatal disease? Although there are exceptions and your doctor has already told you that your case isn’t that bad but the fear of losing your doesn’t just go away thus, make you a prey to Situational Depression and this may happen even your loved is going through such an illness.
- Death of a loved or close one – Death is inevitable but it still stop us from mourning over the loss of someone beloved and you may develop Situational Depression when the death of the loved one is very sudden and unexpected thus, leaving behind a lot of things unsaid, and unable to overcome such a loss, one is bound to fall prey to Situational Depression.
- Relationship problems like marriage, family or friends – Love is the reason we are all alive today, even it is not one of our basic necessities for life but a sense of belongingness is something that all wish for and when you have to face problems with your loved one, problems that you have never expected to turn out in the manner it did may lead you to develop Situational Depression.
- Office, School or any social institution – Office, School and Colleges play an important part in our lives, our education and adult life is incomplete without being a part of these institutions, but being a part of them can be quite stressful as you have some responsibilities and duties to fulfil when you join them, which may be exact opposite to you believe or have always done, thus throwing you in a frenzy and you may end up getting affected by the pressure that these institutions have upon you thus making you an easy target of Situational Depression.
And as we get to know all the possible causes of Situational Depression, let’s also have a look at the symptoms that one might suffer from Situational Depression as getting to know these may help you figure out if someone close to you is suffering from Situational Depression or not.
- Overpowering of sadness.
- Hopelessness and feeling of guilt.
- Lack of interest in normal daily activities.
- Lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable.
- Regular Crying.
- Excessive sleep or lack of sleep.
- Losing interest in food and thus a reduced appetite.
- Loss of focus.
- Difficulties in carrying out simple daily tasks.
- Not able to focus on important matters related to work, school and home.
- Having suicidal tendencies and thoughts as well.
- Feeling overwhelmed thus making one squeaky.
Make sure to look out for the above mentioned symptoms, thus the moment you notice it in someone close by you, then you can help the person seek medical and psychiatric help, thus saving oneself and yourself as well from a bigger loss that could have happened later.
But other than the causes mentioned above for the occurrence of Situational Depression, there are some other causes as well like biological and previous life experiences that can trigger Situational Depression in a person and they are as follows:
- Having a stressful childhood.
- Existing or occurrence of mental health problems.
- Put into a life threatening or life at risk or do or die situations (many of them) at a time.
- Hormonal misbalance and abnormalities.
- Changes in genetics or gene mutations.
- Abnormalities in the brain structure and it’s chemistry.
How can you get diagnosed for Situational Depression?
Look out for your mental health condition continuously.
Get yourself checked if you feel depressed or low for more than three months.
You feel stressed more than ever and are facing difficulties while coping up with stressful situations at home, work, or school and college.
Feeling low, discouraged, guilty, and sad for a longer period of time.
Have depression and also have the symptoms of other mental conditions, leading you feel stressed.
And when you are diagnosed with Situational Depression or any other kind of mental health issues make sure to get medical and psychiatric help as most of them have proper treatment and medicines and are curable with the help of medical science as well as recreational activities and friends and family. Activities like spending family time, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising daily, developing healthy sleeping habits will help you overcome mental health related issues. Make sure to get medical help without any shame that people might think you are mad, because you really will act like a mad person if you are afraid to get yourself treated just because people and your peers might mock you. So my dear friends never do that instead make sure to get treated on time and the right way and everything will be alright.
Ref: Situational Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment (healthline.com)
What Is Depression? (psychiatry.org)