Depression is a common mental health problem of women in today’s digital and highly technology-oriented world.
It impacts the female members of the society regardless of their socioeconomic status, occupation, and civil status.
Women who suffer from depressed states typically realize that the moments when they feel “down” do not seem to vanish after a few days.
This unhealthy state of being turns into a severe health concern because it could interfere with a woman’s relationships and daily life activities.
Why do modern ladies experience bouts of depression? What are the factors that bring these chronic feelings of sadness?
- Basic Definition of the Serious Mental Health Disorder
According to health website WebMD, clinical depression is a prevalent and severe mood disease.
Women who experience this disorder feel that there is no more hope in this world. Furthermore, they encounter extreme feelings of being sad, worthless, and helpless.
In the United States, approximately 15 million individuals undergo a depressive state every year.
Women comprise the majority of these statistics. Unfortunately, almost two-thirds of these people do not obtain the medical assistance they need.
- Why Do Contemporary Women Become Depressed in Today’s World?
Women enjoy empowerment in today’s highly digital and technology-centric world. They can take on various roles according to their volition or will.
Also, the female members of today’s society possess various capacities. They can be a caring wife, a doting mother, or a dedicated career woman.
Moreover, they can help society by working as an employee for a company. Modern women also aid others by being a caregiver, a friend, a healer, and so forth.
Due to the complex roles that today’s women play, they are susceptible to struggling from an assortment of personal problems like confusion, getting heartbroken, betrayal, and so on.
Aside from challenging life events, reproductive hormones also impact the alterations in women’s mood.
These reproductive hormones are parts of their monthly menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Social pressures that are extraordinary to the life experiences of a woman make life challenging for her as well.
Thus, responding to the demands of womanhood in modern society make women feel incredibly stressed.
They can experience depression if they find these encounters already too unbearable for them to handle.
III. 11 Indicators of the Severe Mental Health Disease
Since clinical depression is common among women, the depressed female members of the society are reportedly twice as possible to develop mental illness compared to men.
Furthermore, at some point in her life, up to one in four females is possible to experience a major depressive episode.
Women can experience symptoms that are from mild, moderate, to extreme. Among these signs are the following:
- Constant feelings of emptiness, apprehension, and unhappiness;
- Never-ending physical indicators that medical treatment cannot resolve, including chronic body pains, headaches, and digestive problems;
- Dilemmas in decision-making, concentration, and recalling of memories;
- Suicide ideation, thoughts of death, and suicide attempts;
- Excessive weeping, irritability, and restlessness;
- Exhaustion, lowered energy, and lethargy;
- Loss of appetite and overeating;
- Weight loss and weight gain;
- Loss of pleasure and interest in activities like sexual intercourse;
- Feeling pessimistic, guilty, helpless, hopeless, and worthless; and
- Oversleeping, waking up early in the morning and lacking sleep.
These symptoms of depression can last for several weeks, months, and worse, even years. Furthermore, they can sporadically occur or happen only once.
- 8 Techniques for Women That Aid in Fighting Depressive Feelings
Depression can be a debilitating mental health disorder. It can severely affect a woman’s life and prevent her from living life in a worthwhile manner.
Here are eight ways that can help modern women alleviate their depressed feelings:
- Consult a medical or health professional from within the community.
Psychologists or psychiatrists are mental health professionals trained to understand the human mind and emotions.
These health experts work as therapists. They are present in every community to assist women struggling from mood disorders in getting the treatment they need.
- Make a list that includes activities that one thinks are enjoyable.
A woman can keep depressive feelings at bay by planning activities that are fun and exciting. She can engage in these recreational ventures every week.
Moreover, she would find these pursuits worth looking forward to if she writes them on a chalkboard to keep herself reminded.
She can place this notice board where she can see it easily. Whenever a depressed lady feels low, she can go over this blackboard of exciting plans to feel better.
- Set personal goals that one has always wanted to achieve in life.
Life is meaningful and enjoyable when one has personal goals to accomplish. Personal objectives represent one’s purpose.
They help a woman get her mind off of her feelings of extreme hopelessness and loneliness. A depressed lady can experience a sense of accomplishment by fulfilling one goal.
This target is regardless of whether it is a momentous activity or just a small task, such as merely cleaning a long dining table.
- Get ready to manage recurrent depressive feelings.
Medical professionals have affirmed that depression is a disease that has a cure. However, feelings of chronic sadness can return.
Hence, it pays to keep oneself prepared for these bleak episodes. A woman can write down the ways that make her stay emotionally afloat.
Furthermore, she can keep this list always within her sight.
Based on the article from Women’s Health and Fitness, an online source for fitness and wellness advice for women, “Taming the Black Dog: A Guide to Overcoming Depression” is a helpful and educational reference.
This book by Bev Aisbett is worthy of keeping within one’s reach.
- Get physically active by engaging in sweaty workouts.
Women can keep depressive episodes away by staying active and always moving. Physical exercises are among the most effective remedies for loneliness and hopelessness.
They release the terrible toxins from the body and enable a person to feel better.
- Interact with one’s trusted family members and friends daily.
Feelings of sadness can dissipate if a depressed woman engages with the other people who she values in her life.
These individuals can be her parents, husband, siblings, or close friends at work. She can utilize e-mail, social media, or text messaging to contact these essential people every day.
- For ten minutes, practice deep abdominal breathing every day.
Depressed women can help alleviate their negative feelings through this kind of breathing exercise.
Engaging in deep abdominal breathing exercises for ten minutes in a day diminishes anxiety. Furthermore, they promote tranquillity in a woman’s life.
- Embark on a self-examination or reasoning session with oneself.
During the moments when they feel well, most women may realize their depressive moods as the times when they are not thinking rationally.
Therefore, to combat these negative states of mind, they can engage in self-analysis with themselves. They can ask themselves these queries:
- a) How would an observer looking at my situation think about what I am going through right now?
- b) Is my thought 100 per cent true? Or are there other methods of looking at my present situation?
- c) What is something I can engage with today that will make me feel better?
What is an activity that will offer me pleasure and mitigate my depressed feelings?
- d) What is positive about my current situation, regardless if it is a small thing?
Their answers to these introspective questions would direct them to feel better and ward off their depressed moods.
Depression is undoubtedly a severe mental health disorder. Nonetheless, women can survive if they keep themselves well-educated on how to deal with this ailment.
After all, the digital age offers massive amounts of helpful information. Plus, assistance from social and medical groups are always within one’s reach.
