 Hi, Psych2Goers and welcome to another video. Psych2Go would like to thank you immensely for all the love and support you've given us. Today, we explore yet another perspective on a disorder rampant world over, so let's begin. Have you been diagnosed with depression or seriously suspect you might have it? Have you been struggling with feelings of loneliness, emptiness and hopelessness? Depression is a mood disorder associated with persistently negative feelings that significantly affect your thoughts and behaviors. Depression can happen to anyone at any age, but even as the leading cause of disability in the world, with millions suffering from it globally, there are a lot of harmful myths and misconceptions surrounding depression, which makes it an enigma all the more. Before we begin, we request you to not use this video as a medium for self-diagnosis. We aim to help you learn more and to better understand through our videos, inculcating compassion and being better able to help those suffering. If you resonate with any of the signs mentioned, seeking professional opinions is the way to go. With that said, here are seven things you must remember when feeling depressed. Number one, depression is more than just sadness. Unlike sadness, depression isn't just something you get over or snap yourself out of. Sadness is a part of the natural spectrum of healthy human emotions that all of us experience at certain points in our lives. Everybody gets sad sometimes, but not everyone who does is necessarily depressed. Depression is far more chronic, persistent, and severe than your usual bout of sadness. A depressive episode can last up to months or even years at a time, especially if left untreated, and it needs to be treated with the help of a mental health care professional before it can get better. Number two, depression can be sudden. Do the people around you say things like, look around, you have so much to be grateful for, or there's no reason for you to feel depressed? Do you often beat yourself up for feeling depressed just because you think you shouldn't or you don't have any reason to be depressed? Rarely, if ever, does depression seem to have a good reason for it. A person can be wealthy, successful, smart, and attractive, but still suffer from this mental illness. And though a lot of people find it hard to understand why someone with so much to be grateful for would ever fall victim to depression, the terrifying truth is it can happen to just about anyone. Number three, depression is never your fault. Even after endless studies, researchers remain uncertain as to the true nature of depression and the causes behind it. Depression is believed to be caused by a combination of factors that range from biological, such as an imbalance in serotonin and dopamine, genetic, such as having a relative with depression, social, such as a lack of close interpersonal relationships, and environmental, like being a victim of child abuse. But none of these causes are ever your fault. So how are you to blame then? Number four, depression can have different symptoms. Did you know that not everyone displays the same symptoms for depression? It can manifest in a number of different ways and in varying degrees. While some people who are depressed lay in bed all day and sleep, there are those who suffer from insomnia and stay up all night. Some lose their appetite and almost completely stop eating, while others start overeating and gain weight instead of losing it. There are times when physical symptoms like fatigue, body aches, and migraines become more prominent than emotional ones like feelings of worthlessness and loss of motivation and interest. Or vice versa. In short, depression doesn't always look the same way for everybody. So when you're feeling depressed but people keep telling you you seem fine or that there's nothing wrong with you, it does not in any way invalidate your feelings. They're still valid, even if others can't seem to understand what you're going through. Number five, depression doesn't define who you are. Do you now find yourself learning to live and cope with your depression? Or does it still consume most of your days? In any case, it's important to never ever lose sight of the fact that your depression does not define you. It does not define your life and it certainly does not make you who you are. There's so much more to you than your mental illness. Some of the most influential and most accomplished people in the world like Abraham Lincoln, Sylvia Plath, and Vincent Van Gogh have struggled with depression for most of their lives. But they rose above it all and managed to make their life mean something more. Number six, depression is more common than you think. Have you ever felt like no one on earth could ever understand what you're going through or relate to the things you're thinking or the way you're feeling? If your depression is starting to make you feel more isolated and alone, remind yourself that you're not alone and that there's nothing wrong with you. Depression is actually a lot more common than most people think. Based on a recent survey by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2018, over 25% of people from all around the globe suffer from depression, making it the number one most prevalent mental illness in the world, which brings us to our next point. Number seven, depression is highly treatable from therapy to medication to self-help. There's a lot of tried and tested treatment options to help those suffering from depression. According to the American Psychiatric Association, over 80% to 90% of those with depression respond well to treatment and learn to manage their symptoms over time. So now you ask, why is it still prevalent? The problem is, though, of all the people affected by depression, only 43% seek professional help. And we have the countless taboos and stigmas to thank for that. Depression is a very real and very serious mental illness, but you don't have to fight it all on your own. Don't be afraid to ask for help, nor let the stigmas attached deter you. No matter how bad it gets, there's always hope that things can get better. Reaching out to a psychologist or a counselor and getting the help you need can not only improve your life, but also encourage others to break away from the stigmas and seek help. We hope we were able to give you a little insight into the thought process of those who suffer from depression. Do any others come to mind? Let us know in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, be sure to hit the like button and share it with someone who needs to hear this. Subscribe and hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video. Thanks so much for watching and we'll see you real soon.