Depression
Dr.VS.Suresh Phd., Email :bksureshv@gmail.com
Persons with nervous problems are either neurotic or psychotic.These two groups are fairly well-defined .Actually they have little in common,expect in the case of the deeply depressed person in which case the distinctions are not so clear.
Individuals suffering from the more pronounced types of mental disorder are sometimes said to insane,but the term insanity is a legal one,not a medical term.An insane person is one who cannot distinguish right from wrong or assume responsibility for his own actions.In the case of a psychotic person the whole personality is involved,and he is completely out of touch with the real world around.Not so the neurotic person often require hospitalisation,neurotic persons rarely do,unless they have some additional physical problem.
Another distinction between these two major groups is that the psychotic person is usually brought to the doctor by his friends,while the neurotic comes of his own accord.He knows he is sick,and he usually wants help.Most often he is suffering from a nervous depression.
Reactive depression.This is a simple depression or sadness which is usually brought on by some catastrophe or unhappy event,such as losing one's home or business in a fire,or perhaps by the death of some loved one in the family.When something like this happened most pass through a few days or weeks of sadness ans then try to carry on as best they can.The grief lasts a long time,and he may be so disturbed as to be unable to do his normal work.
Why is he now so deeply depressed?A careful survey of his early childhood will probably show some real problems.And while such a person may have appeared to be perfectly normal all his life,there may have been times when he felt his whole world was more or less falling apart.In spite of this he was able to get along somehow,but he always felt somewhat weakened and deprived of the normal satisfaction of life.The recent catastrophe,such as losing his business,may have been more than he could take-the last straw.
Psychotherapy or mind treatment or Yoga(pranayama,mudra,brahmavidya) is advisable in all cases of reactive depression.It is most important for the person to gain an insight into why he is so depressed.This will help to prevent further episodes.If he becomes so severely depressed as to contemplate suicide,he would be given serious treatments which is available.
Delayed grief reaction.
When some loved one dies,it is perfectly natural to weep.Failure to grieve may indicate some personality disturbance what should be corrected.These peculiar mixed or ambivalent feeling are often a sign that all is not well.A normal amount of grief is nature's way of releasing tensions.Abnormal reactions should be discussed with someone who understands the mechanisms of the human mind,so that a more normal response will develop.This may help to avert a complete mental breakdown in future.
Attempted suicide.
Some people threaten to commit suicide mainly to see how the family will react.They ;may never actually carry this out,but such threats should always be taken seriously,for they indicate a troubled mind.Also the time may come when they may become depressed enough to carry it out.Remember,the person who never smiles is always depressed.Strangely,the greatest risk is when he appears to take a turn for the better.This may be the moment when he planed to end his life.
Manic depressive or moody people
Some people are unusually bright and witty.They are often "the life of the party," make friends quickly,and are perfectly at ease.They seem to have boundless energy and are often highly successful in business.But these breezy,happy-go-lucky people often show marked changes of moos.After a period of tense excitement and brilliant success,they may descend into deep despondency and gloom.This is what doctors call a manic-depressive psychosis,a peculiar mental disorder that has been recognized for thousands of years.
Not all manic-depressive persons go to extremes.Some are more easily depressed,others are often elated.Some swing to both extremes.One day they are on top of the world,able to do anything they turn their hand to.The next time you see them they are in the depths of despair,unable to do anything at all.These are the"crazy people"who often get things done in the world.
During the manic or excitable stage they are overactive and ceaselessly on the move.They seem to require much less sleep than other people.They think more rapidly than the ordinary person,but their ideas often lack balance and direction.As these feelings of excitement build up,they finally reach the euphoric talkative stage and may carry on with clowning performances that may easily be mistaken for signs of happiness.
Such action are never normal.They indicate a severe illness,which unless checked,will lead on to an exhausting state of delirium.Following this the person may descend into a severely depressed state,pacing the floor,wringing his hands,and blaming himself for all the problems of life.He is deeply suicidal and should be watch every minute.A manic-depressive may go through these peculiar cycles once or twice in his life,or perhaps more frequently,often riding the crest of the wave and then dropping down into the deepest gloom.During the active phase he may create marvellous workes of art or he may become a great success in business,only to lose everything during depression.
Individuals suffering from the more pronounced types of mental disorder are sometimes said to insane,but the term insanity is a legal one,not a medical term.An insane person is one who cannot distinguish right from wrong or assume responsibility for his own actions.In the case of a psychotic person the whole personality is involved,and he is completely out of touch with the real world around.Not so the neurotic person often require hospitalisation,neurotic persons rarely do,unless they have some additional physical problem.
Another distinction between these two major groups is that the psychotic person is usually brought to the doctor by his friends,while the neurotic comes of his own accord.He knows he is sick,and he usually wants help.Most often he is suffering from a nervous depression.
Reactive depression.This is a simple depression or sadness which is usually brought on by some catastrophe or unhappy event,such as losing one's home or business in a fire,or perhaps by the death of some loved one in the family.When something like this happened most pass through a few days or weeks of sadness ans then try to carry on as best they can.The grief lasts a long time,and he may be so disturbed as to be unable to do his normal work.
Why is he now so deeply depressed?A careful survey of his early childhood will probably show some real problems.And while such a person may have appeared to be perfectly normal all his life,there may have been times when he felt his whole world was more or less falling apart.In spite of this he was able to get along somehow,but he always felt somewhat weakened and deprived of the normal satisfaction of life.The recent catastrophe,such as losing his business,may have been more than he could take-the last straw.
Psychotherapy or mind treatment or Yoga(pranayama,mudra,brahmavidya) is advisable in all cases of reactive depression.It is most important for the person to gain an insight into why he is so depressed.This will help to prevent further episodes.If he becomes so severely depressed as to contemplate suicide,he would be given serious treatments which is available.
Delayed grief reaction.
When some loved one dies,it is perfectly natural to weep.Failure to grieve may indicate some personality disturbance what should be corrected.These peculiar mixed or ambivalent feeling are often a sign that all is not well.A normal amount of grief is nature's way of releasing tensions.Abnormal reactions should be discussed with someone who understands the mechanisms of the human mind,so that a more normal response will develop.This may help to avert a complete mental breakdown in future.
Attempted suicide.
Some people threaten to commit suicide mainly to see how the family will react.They ;may never actually carry this out,but such threats should always be taken seriously,for they indicate a troubled mind.Also the time may come when they may become depressed enough to carry it out.Remember,the person who never smiles is always depressed.Strangely,the greatest risk is when he appears to take a turn for the better.This may be the moment when he planed to end his life.
Manic depressive or moody people
Some people are unusually bright and witty.They are often "the life of the party," make friends quickly,and are perfectly at ease.They seem to have boundless energy and are often highly successful in business.But these breezy,happy-go-lucky people often show marked changes of moos.After a period of tense excitement and brilliant success,they may descend into deep despondency and gloom.This is what doctors call a manic-depressive psychosis,a peculiar mental disorder that has been recognized for thousands of years.
Not all manic-depressive persons go to extremes.Some are more easily depressed,others are often elated.Some swing to both extremes.One day they are on top of the world,able to do anything they turn their hand to.The next time you see them they are in the depths of despair,unable to do anything at all.These are the"crazy people"who often get things done in the world.
During the manic or excitable stage they are overactive and ceaselessly on the move.They seem to require much less sleep than other people.They think more rapidly than the ordinary person,but their ideas often lack balance and direction.As these feelings of excitement build up,they finally reach the euphoric talkative stage and may carry on with clowning performances that may easily be mistaken for signs of happiness.
Such action are never normal.They indicate a severe illness,which unless checked,will lead on to an exhausting state of delirium.Following this the person may descend into a severely depressed state,pacing the floor,wringing his hands,and blaming himself for all the problems of life.He is deeply suicidal and should be watch every minute.A manic-depressive may go through these peculiar cycles once or twice in his life,or perhaps more frequently,often riding the crest of the wave and then dropping down into the deepest gloom.During the active phase he may create marvellous workes of art or he may become a great success in business,only to lose everything during depression.
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