In 2017, the WHO revealed that approximately 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression. This is why seeking to understand why depression poses itself as a silent killer is a smart move.
Depression is a mental health condition not limited to age or gender. It can manifest as either mild, moderate, or severe depression.
Below are reasons why depression is a silent killer:
1. It has varied symptoms from person to person, making it hard to detect.
Because of the diversity of symptoms (such as loss of appetite, insomnia, lack of concentration, etc.) that depression brings, many people mistake depression for other ailments that share similar symptoms. This makes it an effective slow poison and silent killer. Many persons who are depressed tend to pretend about it without letting people know what they are going through. It is crucial to hurriedly seek help from a licensed medical professional if you notice symptoms for two weeks at a stretch.
2. It can lead to suicidal thoughts
Depression is a silent killer because it causes people to withdraw from friends and family or seem more irritable than usual without reason.
Unfortunately, those suffering from depression may not realize these behavioral changes themselves. This withdrawal makes them more susceptible to suicide, heralding it as a silent killer. Depressive symptoms can be as simple as noticing a friend eating less or spending more time alone.
3. It is not necessarily triggered by something
Its possible to feel depressed even when things are going well. Depending on the individual, this kind of depression can be initiated by chemical imbalances and other factors. Although external factors like stress or trauma can cause mental disorders like depression, some people are born with a tendency to develop clinical depression later in life.
4. The wrong notion of depression as a weakness rather than an illness
Its not a sign of weakness; its an illness. Would you call someone weak if they got typhoid? One of the reasons why depression tends to be a silent killer is the stigma that comes with it.
Stigmatizing depressed patients for mental illness is like making fun of someone having a fever, diabetes, cancer, or any physical medical condition.
A depressed person might be sick but certainly not hopeless. Do you know that some of the most accomplished individuals in history suffered one form of depression? Some of them are Winston Churchill, Dwayne Johnson, Bulz Aldwin, Lady Gaga, Michael Phelps, and Abraham Lincoln. Their stories will inspire you.
5. Depression cannot be cured overnight
Depression cannot be cured overnight, but it can only be treated over time, making it a ‘slow poison’ Depression is also a silent killer because it leads to heart disease, obesity, and sleep disturbance.
When the depressed are treated more kindly, stigma is curbed, and the silent killer in depression gradually becomes stripped of its venom.
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See also: How To Become Your Own Therapist
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