Depression? All that they need is your support to fight the enemy within
Bengaluru: The city’s Victoria Hospital treats around 10 cases of attempted suicide a day and of them at least four are triggered by depression, going by its doctors. So prevalent is depression today that a huge majority of those who walk into the psychiatry department of the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) for treatment suffer from it, according to department head, Dr H Chandrashekhar.
In fact, almost 30 per cent of those who walk into any of the Public Health Centres and General Hospitals have depression, he says. The premier National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) in the city too sees some 15 to 20 fresh cases of clear depressive disorders every day, going by its director, Dr B N Gangadhar. And Dr. Pallavi Arvind Joshi, consultant( psychiatry) with Columbia Asia Hospital, Whitefield, says of her 250 patients around 70 to 80 per cent suffer frequent episodes of depression and anxiety.
But Bengaluru is not alone in seeing a rise in cases of depression as the National Mental Health Survey says common mental disorders (CMDs) like depression, anxiety and substance use today affect nearly 10 per cent of the population and nearly one in 40 and one in 20 suffer from past and current depression respectively.
But Dr Gangadhar says he is seeing a positive change in people seeking help for mental health issues. “The stigma attached to depression has certainly reduced and more and more people are willing to come out and speak about it. Also, many people are asking and opting for non-medicinal treatment options like yoga and psychotherapy , which is a good sign,” he adds. The treatment varies depending on the severity of the problem. Dr Sabina Rao, Consultant, Department of Psychiatry, Sakra World Hospital says if the depression is mild to moderate, evidence-based therapy forms such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) are used to treat the condition. “And in cases of moderate to severe depression, SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are the most commonly used medications. Less commonly used medications are TCAs (Tricyclicantidepressants). There are several other options and alternatives to the above medications which can be discussed with a psychiatrist. These medications are not addictive and can be tapered off at a later stage when an individual feels well and after discussion with the treating psychiatrist,” she explains
But clearly diagnosis is important. Going by Dr Gitanjali Natarajan, Head, Department of Clinical Psychology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, sometimes when a person’s distress leads to physical ailments, he or she is subjected to unneccessary medical investigations and treatment while the depression remains masked.
“We need better awareness among both healthcare professionals and the masses about depression and factors that make us vulnerable. Primary health centers and highly equipped hospitals alike give poor consideration and value to psychological interventions. Often unqualified people or lay counsellors are allocated the duty of screening and managing depression. This results in more damage than benefit in the long run,” she warns.
Depression emerged as a major concern in a survey of 1000 respondents conducted in February 2017 by YourDOST.com, an online counselling and emotional support platform, with over 66 per cent of the respondents seeking counseling to cope with it. A majority of the participants were between 18 and 25 years old. Of them 40 per cent were from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and another 40 per cent from small towns such as Bathinda, Palakkad, Shillong and Gwalior. "Just like when we have a cold or fever, we go to a doctor, we should seek support if something is troubling us enough to disrupt our lives. Depression worsens if you don't get support. Be kind to people suffering from depression and try and help if you can. It can happen to anyone, and heals faster if they have a support system," says Ms Richa Singh, CEO and Co-Founder of YourDOST.com.
