How Best to Deal with a Loved One Going Through Depression

No matter how optimistic we may be, many situations in life can bring us down, from the death of a loved one, to a devastating breakup. Nevertheless, sadness is a normal part of the range of emotions we feel. However, should we find it difficult to snap out of our sadness or fail to see a solution to our situation, then what we are feeling is more than simply just the blues. Dealing with depression can be difficult for a person to face. But how can you tell if your loved one or a good friend is going through more than just a rough patch?

Identifying the Symptoms of Depression 

 

Did you know that depression affects 7% (16 million) of American adults? How do you distinguish between sadness and depression? 

 

Depression is a persistent, long-lasting mental health condition that interferes with a sufferer's everyday life. It affects many aspects of a person's well-being and functioning. Unlike sadness, which can be triggered by a painful life event, the extent to which depression takes hold and drags a person down is much greater. So how do you identify the signs and symptoms if you suspect that someone you know is suffering from depression? 

 

Be concerned if your loved one has any of the following symptoms: 

 

 Low energy 

 

Physical fatigue 

 

Difficulty focusing, concentrating or remembering 

 

Difficulty in making decisions 

 

Decreased libido

 

Feelings of emptiness, sadness, or guilt 

 

Interpersonal withdrawal from others 

 

Changes in sleep and appetite 

 

 Thoughts of suicide 

 

Persistent feeling of anxiety 

 

Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism 

 

Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities 

 

Aches and pains, headaches or digestive problems without a clear physical cause that do not ease with treatment. 

 

Not everyone experiences every symptom when dealing with depression. Some people experience just a few, while others experience many or all. It is worth noting that several persistent symptoms alongside a low mood may be a sign of major depression, and that symptoms may vary depending on the stage of the illness. 

 

Furthermore, how long the symptoms last, as well as their severity and frequency, will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness. In the case of mild depression, individuals may persistently feel negative or blue. If it's moderate, depression will start to interfere with their everyday lives. Be on the lookout for signs such as not getting out of bed, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, filing papers or completing assignments. 

 

To sum up the difference between sadness and depression, while a sad person may not want to get up and go to work, they still do. A depressed person, on the other hand, might fail to get out of bed at all (unless the consequences of doing so are grave, such as getting fired). A sad person will still make an effort to hang out with friends, but someone who is depressed is more inclined to ignore texts or calls completely.

How to Talk to a Loved One About Depression 

Once the symptoms have been identified, seeking psychiatric help is not required immediately. The person may feel more comfortable sharing what they are going through with a close friend at first. Naturally, it may be hard to know what to say when speaking to a loved one about depression. You may worry that he or she will get angry, feel insulted or possibly ignore your concerns. You may also be unsure about what questions to ask and how best to be supportive. 

 

However you approach it, bear in mind that it is more important to be a compassionate listener than it is to give advice. It is not your job to 'fix' the person. The simple act of talking to someone face to face may be of enormous help to them. On this note, a single conversation will not be the end of it. You may therefore need to express your concern and willingness to listen over and over again. So aim to be gentle, yet persistent.  

 

Breaking the ice: 

If you're unsure about how to start a conversation with your loved one about your concerns, try the following: 

 

I have been concerned about you lately. 

 

I have noticed differences in you and wondered how you are doing. 

 

I wanted to check in with you because you have seemed pretty down lately.

 

Encouraging your loved one to open up: 

Showing interest in how they are feeling may make it easier for your loved one to open up about how they are feeling. Questions you can ask include:

 

When did you begin feeling like this? 

 

Did something happen that made you start to feel this way? 

 

How can I best support you right now? 

 

Have you thought about getting help? 

 

What you say helps: 

Being supportive with your words may help. Focus on offering words of encouragement and hope. You can say things like: 

 

You are not alone in this. I'm here for you. 

 

You may not believe it now, but the way you're feeling will change. 

 

I may not be able to understand exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help. 

 

When you want to give up, tell yourself you will hold on for just one more day, hour or minute - whatever you can manage. 

 

You are important to me. 

 

Your life is important to me. 

 

Tell me what I can do to help you.  

 

But be sure to avoid saying: 

 

It's all in your head. 

 

We all go through times like this. 

 

Look on the bright side. 

 

I can't do anything about your situation. 

 

Just snap out of it. 

 

What's wrong with you? 

 

Shouldn't you be better by now?

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Alzheimer’s memories could be switched back on with implant

Alzheimer’s sufferers could once again remember the faces of loved ones, or find their way back home, after scientists developed a way to boost memories.

In a groundbreaking pilot study,  researchers recorded memories as they were being formed and then later played them back into the brains of 10 patients.

They found that it increased memory performance by up to 37 per cent.
 
The study focused on improving episodic memory, which is the most common type of memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease, stroke and head injury.

Episodic memory is information that is new and useful for a short period of time, such as where you parked your car or left your keys.

“This is the first time scientists have been able to identify a patient's own brain cell code or pattern for memory and, in essence, write in that code to make existing memory work better, an important first step in potentially restoring memory loss,” said a professor of physiology/pharmacology and neurology.

“In the future, we hope to be able to help people hold onto specific memories, such as where they live or what their grandkids look like, when their overall memory begins to fail.”

"We envision this system being made into an implant to provide continuous support to a person’s ability to encode and store new memories.

"A patient would visit with a clinician periodically to ensure the system is working properly, but the closed-loop system is being designed to continuously read, analyze, and support the patient’s innate memory function." 

Around 850,000 people are suffering from dementia in Britain, and around two thirds have Alzheimer's diseasee, in which sticky amyloid plaques build up in the brain, preventing brain cells from communicating, and wiping out memory.

For the new study, researchers enrolled 10 epilepsy patients who were already participating in an separate experiment mapping their brains, and so already had electrodes implanted in their heads.

The participants were asked to study a simple image - such as a coloured block - while their brain activity was recorded. Scientists then blanked the screen and asked them to choose the correct image from five options.

They found that when they asked people to remember, while playing back the recorded memory into the hippocampus region of their brains, their performance improved by 37 per cent. The hippocampus is responsible for forming memories, and spatial recognition and is one of the first areas to be damaged in Alzheimer’s disease.

In a second test, participants were shown a highly distinctive photographic image, followed by a short delay, and asked to identify the photo out of four or five others on the screen 75 minutes later. They found that playing back the recorded memories boosted recall by 35 per cent.

“We showed that we could tap into a patient's own memory content, reinforce it and feed it back to the patient,” added the Dr.

"Even when a person's memory is impaired, it is possible to identify the neural firing patterns that indicate correct memory formation and separate them from the patterns that are incorrect.

“We can then feed in the correct patterns to assist the patient's brain in accurately forming new memories, not as a replacement for innate memory function, but as a boost to it.”

Commenting on the research, the experts said the study provided important ‘stepping stones’ into understanding how memories form, which could one day lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

The Dr. says: “Future tests using this method in people with Alzheimer’s could represent a vitally needed new form of treatment for dementia.

“With no new drug for dementia in the past 15 years, and one person developing the condition every three minutes, it’s more urgent than ever to find new ways to treat the condition.

“These kind of ‘first-in-human’ studies are important stepping stones to understanding how we make memories.”

The Dr. added: “People with Alzheimer’s disease often have difficulty recalling recent events, even while still being able to remember things that happened decades earlier.

"Techniques that boost a person’s ability to lay down new memories could potentially help tackle one of the most common symptoms affecting people with dementia.

“Complex technologies like this take years of research to hone, but improving life changing symptoms like memory loss is an urgent goal for dementia research. To accelerate progress towards new treatments we must see continued investment in research.”

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