Depression is not ‘mere sadness’, time to focus on mental health: Patna Doctors

PATNA: Sushant Singh Rajput’s death by suicide, as confirmed by Mumbai police, has brought the focus firmly on clinical depression and other mental health issues.
Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists say depression is not mere sadness and it is high time that this disease and other forms of mental disorders be taken seriously and the stigma surrounding seeking mental healthcare is removed.
According to city-based clinical psychologist Dr Binda Singh, suicide is not an impulsive decision but an amalgamation of multiple thoughts, sleepless nights and not having someone to talk to. “It’s the responsibility of the family members to keep an eye on the victim, who constantly give signs about the mental troubles they face. Talking about death, showing sudden interest in spirituality, not caring about anybody are some signs of depression,” she said.
“Those who go to other cities for job or studying are more prone to getting depressed. For instance, a very intelligent student from a school in Patna went for higher education in New Delhi, where she was bullied for being a Bihari. Hence, family members should make sure that they constantly call or video call them. Besides, they should make sure that they make regular visits to them,” she added.
Delhi-based mental health expert Dr Vidya Nair believes the feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness are the ‘red signs’ of depression. “People with clinical depression are most of the time gloomy and sad. The shine in their eyes is lost and it is easily visible. Loss of appetite, gastric problems and fatigue could be initial signs of mental ailments,” she said.
She added, “Parents and family members can actually spot the changes in their habits and behaviour. For instance, somebody who used to love going out suddenly stops meeting people, or stop taking a shower. These are the early clues of depression. Besides, giving statements like ‘I want to die’, should not be taken lightly.”
Elaborating on early signs of depression, Dr Binda echoed Dr Nair, “For people, who are not aware about being depressed, should keep a check on themselves as several feelings that they ignore may end up giving long-term problems. Constant feeling of tiredness, feeling choked or disinterested in things that they earlier loved are some of the few signs of depression, which people should never ignore.”
Talking about the stigma attached to seeking a psychiatrist’s help, nodal officer and associate professor at the de- addiction centre at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Santosh Kumar, said that this social stigma surrounding mental illness continues to prevail and needs to be tackled.
“People are not open enough to go to a psychiatrist for help due to the fear of being judged. If somebody needs help, they should be taken to an expert because nobody except them will be able to understand their problems,” he said.
He added that people should not run away from medication. “Counselling helps those with mild depression. For people with severe depression, medication plays a very important role,” he said.
Meanwhile, terming depression as not just a ‘mere sadness’, Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) assistant professor in psychiatry department Dr Sourabh Kumar said, “We all feel sad but depression is something vast. It is a complete change in habits.”
He also focused on the importance of counselling, which in medical terms is known as psychotherapy. “Based on the level of depression, people with short-term depression and long-term depression are treated with different kinds of psychotherapy,” he said.
Patna: Sushant Singh Rajput is being seen as pride of Bihar across the country and many things were going for him, still he allegedly took the extreme step of giving up his life at a young age of 34. An achiever, who had used to make wish- list of things he wanted to do, reportedly succumbed to depression on Sunday.
Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists have claimed that it’s high time that depression and other forms of mental disorders should be taken seriously, rather than stigmatizing it. Psychological experts claimed that seeking counselling in case of abnormal functioning due to various reasons, including acute pressure in professional life or setbacks in personal life should be dealt with counselling and not by mere medications. Such counselling sessions have become all the more relevant due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
City-based clinical psychologist Dr Binda Singh says suicide is not an impulsive decision but an amalgamation of multiple thoughts, sleepless nights and not having someone to talk to. “It’s the responsibility of the family members to keep an eye on the victim, who constantly give signs about the mental troubles they face. Talking about death, showing sudden interest in spirituality, not caring about anybody are some signs of depression,” she said
“Those who go to other cities for job or studying are more prone to getting depressed. For instance, a very intelligent student from a school in Patna went for higher education in a college in New Delhi, where she was bullied for being a Bihari. Hence, family members should make sure that they constantly call or video call them. Besides, they should make sure that they make regular visits to them,” she added.
Asked about the few early signs of depression, Singh said: “For people, who are totally unknown about being depressed, should keep a check on themselves as several feelings that they ignore may end up giving long-term problems. Constant feeling of tiredness, feeling choked or disinterested in things that they earlier loved are some of the few signs of depression, which people should never ignore.”
Talking about how people stereotype seeking a psychiatrist, nodal officer and associate professor at the de- addiction centre at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Santosh Kumar said the social stigma regarding talking about mental illness prevails in the society even today.
“People are not open enough to go to a psychiatrist for help due to the fear of being judged. If somebody needs help, they should be taken to an expert because nobody except them will be able to understand their problems,” he said.
He added that people should not run away from medication. “Couselling helps those with mild depression. For people with severe depression, medication plays a very important role,” he said.
Meanwhile, terming depression as not just a ‘mere sadness’, Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) assistant professor in psychiatry department Dr Sourabh Kumar said: “We all feel sad but depression is something very vast. It is a complete change in habits”
He also focused on the importance of counseling, which in medical terms is known as psychotherapy. “Based on the level of depression, people with short-term depression and long-term depression are treated with different kinds of psychotherapy,” he said.