Depressive disorder is a long period of sadness, loss of happiness, or lack of interest in activities. A depressive state is not the same as regular changes in mood or sentiments related to daily living. Sadness is not depression, as many people mistakenly believe. It's common to feel sad after losing someone you care about, being fired from your job, or going through a difficult time.
Sometimes, feeling down is not the same as depression because sadness is a feeling that passes. It's also expected to have moments of loneliness. A person suffering from depression finds it challenging to establish a solid emotional bond with anybody, even those closest to them. Depression is a dangerous illness. Never undervalue how terrible depression is. A person with depression loses motivation, optimism, and energy.
Sometimes, it is difficult to know how to help or what to say to someone suffering from depression. Being a sympathetic listener is much more important than trying to give advice. We have to be a good listener. Often, simply talking can significantly help someone suffering from depression. Encourage the depressed person to talk about their feelings and be willing to listen; it is the best we can do for someone with this mental illness called depression. Although medications such as antidepressants can help calm depressive symptoms. As family or friends of a young person who suffers from depression, the way we can help is by being a sympathetic listener, which is much more important than trying to give advice. We do not try to fix someone with depression. We have to be a good listener.
ABC News article by Dana Alkhouri addresses how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the mental health of many young adults. When the pandemic came, schools, malls, parks, offices, and sports areas were closed, and millions of people had limited social interaction; the most affected were those young people who led a more active and social life before it. According to the CDC, 75% of young adults have reported struggling with anxiety or depression during the pandemic, while 25% reported severe suicidal ideation. The timeframe of the article was written on February 21, 2021, during the middle of the pandemic, when the country was suffering not only an economic crisis. But also, young adults were having mental turmoil due to forced isolation and confinement. This situation affected all young people around the United States. Dr. Shekhar Saxena of The Harvard School of Public Health states, "The figures that we have from the U.S. suggest that almost two-thirds of the young adults have some symptoms of anxiety or depression or other psychological problems." Even when the COVID-19 crisis is over, Saxena explained that 10% of these adults will have long-lasting effects from mental health issues they're currently dealing with. This article is essential since it opens your eyes to a situation that many households suffered during and after COVID-19 with the youngest members of the home, triggering a series of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The article shows us the testimony of a family who lost their teenage son due to an apparent suicide caused by depression from being locked up. A young boy that, before COVID-19, was a happy, active, and social child. Jordan Corcoran, an advocate and founder of a mental health organization, mentioned, "Isolation is a major part of dealing with mental illness." This topic makes us reflect that confinement or isolation cannot be an option for a future world crisis since it leaves more severe and long-term damage of mental illnesses to an entire generation of young people. The COVID-19 pandemic not only brought and left an economic recession, unemployment, and death but also left a large number of young adults in depression and a high number of suicides. Even after more than three years, it continues to affect a considerable group of young people who still suffer from the consequences that the confinement and isolation left in its path.
I didn't know the face of depression until I saw it in my son. Since he was little, he was always the happiest of his two brothers. He had the gift of making people laugh through his acts, dances, and gestures. He was what we call in Mexico "el alma de la fiesta"(the party's soul). He had many friends and was one of the most popular at school. He was a normal boy to me. If someone had told me that one day he would suffer from depression, I would think they were crazy. The quarantine of 2020 arrived, and we all locked ourselves at home; that's where he started to change. In the first months, it didn't seem to affect him. Then he locked himself in his room more and more, he started to lose contact with his friends, and his moods began to change: anxiety, chronic sadness, lack of appetite, hours in bed, and no motivation at all. But like any illness, it does not knock on the door and only enters without warning. Or, well, maybe I saw the signs but didn't take them seriously; I thought they would pass. After all, who didn't feel like they were losing their minds during the pandemic? However, his personality, mood, and behavior changes were warning signs of a more serious problem. I was not sure if my son was depressed or just being a teen,"
Depression in children and young people is increasingly common at this time. The 2020 pandemic brought out the seriousness of the situation among young people since they felt that they were losing meaning and control of their lives, leading them to a negative mental state. I believe that when young people and children are isolated from their daily activities, such as playing outdoors, going to school, playing sports, etc. This situation can cause a lack of control over their emotions since human beings are not created to be alone; good company is always positive, such as family, friends, or simply the interaction between human beings in our daily lives. Depression does not discriminate against age and does not warn when it arrives. During the pandemic, there were two classes of young people: those who managed to get ahead despite the adversities and difficulties of being locked up and those who, before the pandemic, already had symptoms of depression, and the confinement came to wake up and aggravate the situation of their mental health. Even at this time, many young people continue to suffer from the consequences of this situation, trying to adapt and integrate again into a life they had left behind, and many of them have needed the help of professionals and their families. They had to fight with all kinds of feelings, such as sadness, fear, anxiety, and lack of desire. The family has played the most crucial role in the emotional recovery of these young people since listening and not judging is the best method for young people to get out of this deep hole called depression. The writer Andrew Solomon once said, “The majority of people who manage to get out of depression are the ones who know they are loved.” Depression is not something that can be cured; it is something that is treated with patience, love, empathy, and encouragement. Someone with depression wants to be heard and not judged. If someone in our family suffers from depression, the best thing we can do to help them is to be good at listening to them.