Sunday Reading

New Delhi, 24 June 2011  

Rise In Depression

REVERSE LIFE IN FAST LANE

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

Depression has been identified as a major problem in modern-day society because of complex and fast life styles. The aggravation of the problem is not restricted to any country or category of people as both the rich and poor suffers from this ailment.

According to medical terminology, depression occurs when the neuro-transmitters are not in proper balance. Usually depressive tendencies occur between the ages of 24 to 48 when the external stresses of life are at its peak. Also, depression occurs from a combination of genetic, bio-chemical, environmental and psychological factors.

History tells us that the Greeks called long-lasting depression ‘dysthymia’, a term still in use. Those affected by it were found to be sad, pessimistic, socially withdrawn and unproductive.

However, over a period of time, depression has taken a different form and affects all categories of people --- students, executives, ordinary workers, housewives, poor peasantry and even the rich and affluent.

Studies reveal that all form of depression is common in women. Hormonal changes ---- pre-menstrual, during menopause and childbirth --- directly alter the neuro-transmitter ratios in the brain and make them vulnerable to depression.

This apart, depression is also found among a broad section of the population. Jealousy and hatred have become synonymous in our society where the fast life and yearning to move up the ladder ends in coercion and unfulfilled ambitions. This has been identified as a major cause for the growing incidence of depression.

Moreover the lack of cooperative attitudes and incompatible behaviour patterns has led to separation among couples, families and friends due to resultant depression. This affects not only husband and wife but also the whole family, specially children of estranged couples.

Remember, two or three decades ago society was quite open. As a result the family per se had lot of friends and well wishers. But in recent years, depressive tendencies cannot be eased due to a false sense of prestige, lack of friends to confide problems coupled with society becoming opportunistic and selfish. These problems which largely emanated in the West have also become quite acute in the Third World. 

Depression has sometimes been linked to hyper-tension, which has been identified as the fourth largest health problem by the World Health Organization (WHO). In India, depression is widespread as 15 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women suffer from this disorder.

Shockingly, by 2020, it is likely to rank second behind heart disease as a significant increase in the number of those affected is expected. A study in famed medical journal Lancet further revealed that depression has more of an impact on the physical health of those who suffer from it than chronic diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and epilepsy.

The onset of depression appears with vague sadness, irritability, anxiety, loss of energy and decreased concentration in work. Physical symptoms like headache, loss of sleep, increased blood pressure and various ailments, some of which may not be real, set in the sub-conscious attempts by depressed individual. On investigation, most of the symptoms might not be found medically fit for treatment.

This is not all. Depression might also lead to drug abuse and increased alcoholism. This in turn could aggravate and, if not treated properly, might lead to suicidal tendencies. Anti-depressants prescribed by doctors along with counseling by psychologists need not always help recovery.

But correct treatment could lead to 70 per cent recovery. Sadly, however, the right treatment is unavailable in rural areas in our country due to lack of experts conversant with such psychological problems.

Worse, if left untreated depression could lead to suicides. Acute pressure of work, non-attainment of desired objectives (failure to win contracts, failed love affairs, exam failure, inability to get employment and winning over the opposite sex et al) coupled with jealousy and materialist desires has resulted in increasing suicides.

In such a scenario, where depression has become a major problem and suicides are rising, along-with violence and terrorist tendencies there is need to look into our social relations afresh. Given that with rising modernization of societies and consumerism growing, depression cases are likely to aggravate in the coming years, some of which might end in suicides.

Thus, it is essential that good value education is imparted in our schools and colleges to reduce the craving for greed and jealousy which leads to depressive tendencies. Along with this, the message of peace and harmony has to be spread all over the country cutting across castes, communities and religions.

Undoubtedly, controlling depression is the biggest challenge to modern-day living. Psychologists attribute depression to changing traits in a person’s character. Recall, people earlier had patience and the capability to suffer or bear strain, but in present-day society the growing impatience and restlessness coupled with a false sense of prestige and knowledge has aggravated the problem.

Apart from this, the lack of adequate number of qualified psychiatrists has complicated the problem. Consequently, keeping the problem under control is a difficult task. One way around this is to start an awareness campaign to control hostile behaviour patterns of individuals, open clinics for counseling in all hospitals in cities and districts.

Further, corporate houses, Governments and educational institutions should be asked to appoint a part-time doctor or psychologist for counseling. Coupled with this, there is need to inculcate moral and ethical values in students and grown-ups so that there is a limit to our materialist desires. The craving for more and more has to be checked.

Hence, if some change can be brought in individual behaviour, there is a possibility of reducing depression and anxiety. This would also bring down the incidence of diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high pressure etc.

In sum, increasing depression among all segments of the population is undoubtedly a cause for great concern. Unless the social and psychological mind of an individual is restructured, depressive conditions might have a serious adverse effect on society and the fabric of society might break up. The Government needs to make urgent serious attempts to evolve ways to curb depression and make life relatively easy and simple. ----- INFA   

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)