How to cite this article:

Muhammad Saaiq. DEPRESSION: A MAJOR

MENTAL ILLNESS. Cenna, Volume 30, Khyber
Medical College Peshawar 1997.

TITLE:
DEPRESSION: A MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESS.

AUTHOR:

MUHAMMAD SAAIQ SELJUKI

3rd Year MBBS Student,
Khyber Medical College, Peshawar
muhammadsaaiq5@gmail.com

Alterations in the mood, temper, and disposition is

everybody’s everyday experience. Our mood goes on

changing with time. Sometimes we are quite happy, even

euphoric while at other times we are sad, upset or

depressed. All these alternations in mood are normal and

are experienced by almost everyone at some time in their

lives. In some people, however theses mood alterations

are so marked that they incapacitate the person and

interfere with the performance of routine activities. Due

to this, the individual is unable to cope with routine

challenges. Sometimes these alterations lead to life

threatening state of suicidal ideation while at other

times they prompt the person to retreat from established

facts and realities. A depressed individual experiences an

unidentified fear, sadness, hopelessness, despair, dejected

mood, disturbances in appetite, sleep and libido, and

inability to experience pleasure in usual activities.

Sometimes there is a feeling of guilt, self-reproach,

worthlessness, and low self esteem. A depressed person

loses the ability to work hard. He loses all his

enthusiasm, and always wants an escape from the bitter

facts of life. He simply is not interested in his

surroundings.

Depression is of different types and degrees. It is

classified into three main types.

1- Reactive depression

2- Endogenous depression

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 3- Bipolar affective depression or manic depressive

depression.

Reactive depression is the one which is secondary to

stressful life events. It is a major type of depression.

About 60% cases of depression are of this type. The

stressful events which may precipitate or provoke

depression include the death of near relatives, spouse or

friend, failure to have the marriage of choice, break-up of

a good relationship, failure of admission in a college of

choice, loss of job, money or property, repeated failures

in life etc. Research has proved that some medicines such

as some antihypertensives, oral contraceptives and

alcohol may also precipitate depression.

Endogenous depression is the second main type of

depression. About 25% patients of depression suffer

from it. It is serious melancholic condition. The sufferers

have a disturbed intrinsic biochemical balance in their

body. It is not due to environmental influences. The

victims are unable to cope with the ordinary challenges

and stresses in life. They experience mental and physical

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weakness, loss of appetite and weight, insomnia, guilt

and early morning awakening. They are incapable of

adequately reacting to the environment and suffer from

psychomotor retardation.

About 10%-15% patients of depression suffer from

bipolar affective depression. The sufferer experiences

mood alterations between euphoric feelings of mania and

bouts of depression. These alterations may occur as

frequently as a few days apart or as infrequently as

several years. In most cases, the periods of depression

tend to be longer than those of mania.

Depression is a major mental illness. It affects all aspects

of human life. It interferes with a man’s performance and

leads to social and other problems. The remedy of this is

of great importance. The treatment is of two types. i.e.

psychological and by means of medication (i.e.

pharmacological) . In most cases, the psychotherapy

constitutes the best remedy but sometimes the use of

drugs is also important. The patients should be trained to

learn new behavior. They should be enabled to control

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their behavior and make appropriate choices about life.

They should be given helpful advice, direction and

patience to adjust themselves to everyday challenges.

The cause and causative agent if avoidable, should be

removed. Such patients need help and proper attention.

Normal persons should behave properly towards them so

that their worries are reduced. They should create a warm

and supportive environment to allow the sufferer to

understand better and work out problems in order to lead

a usual life.

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