Contents:
- Medical Video: Concussion / Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- 5 due to untreated depression
- 1. Heart disease
- 2. Addiction
- 3. Brain damage
- 4. It's hard to establish relationships with other people
- 5. Suicide
- So, do not underestimate the symptoms of depression
Medical Video: Concussion / Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
According to the National Institute of Health in the United States, 80% of people who experience depression can recover within a few weeks and months after undergoing treatment. Unfortunately, in Indonesia the awareness to recognize the symptoms of depression and go to a psychiatrist or psychologist is still very minimal.As a result, many people simply ignore depression without seeking treatment or consulting experts. In fact, if depression is not treated, the impact can be life threatening. Consider five of the following untreated depression.
5 due to untreated depression
1. Heart disease
A number of recent studies have shown that the effects of prolonged and untreated depression are triggering various types of heart disease. Starting from strokes, coronary heart disease, to heart attacks.
Depression makes a person more susceptible to heart disease because of an imbalance of hormones in the blood. During depression, the brain constantly receives signals of threats.
So, the brain releases stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, into the blood. The high levels of both hormones increase blood pressure, make your heart rate irregular, and over time damage blood vessels.
Research published by Oxford University in 2014 also revealed that people who suffer from depression have a tendency to die higher due to heart disease. Especially a few months after experiencing a heart attack.
2. Addiction
If depression is not treated properly, you are at high risk of becoming addicted. Whether it's addicted to drugs, liquor, cigarettes, or gambling.
This is because some people mistakenly think things that become opium can help them overcome symptoms of depression. For example, feeling hopeless can disappear for a while due to drug use.
In fact, drugs actually cause more damage to brain circuits and body systems. As a result the mood that is actually regulated by the brain also becomes more chaotic and difficult to control. After the effect is exhausted, despair is even more abundant.
3. Brain damage
There has been a lot of research that studies the effects of depression that is not treated in the brain. According to Dr. David Hellerstein, psychiatric specialist from the New York State Psychiatric Institute, depression causes abnormalities in the brain structure in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate.
This can lead to a decrease in cognitive functions of the brain, namely thinking, communicating, making decisions, and remembering everything. In some cases, chronic depression that is not treated can also trigger mental disorders such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder.
4. It's hard to establish relationships with other people
In addition to the various consequences of depression that are left to health, your relationship with those closest to you will also be disrupted. Human social life is regulated by the hormone serotonin.
Meanwhile, depression makes you lack of serotonin. As a result, you also find it more difficult to socialize and establish good relationships with closest people such as spouses, children and friends. You might prefer to be alone and stay away from family.
5. Suicide
Reporting from the health site WebMD, about 90% of people who commit suicide show symptoms of depression. So, depression that is left alone slowly can increase your risk of dying from suicide. In fact, suicide is very likely to be prevented if you or the closest person asks for help from a health worker.
In people with depression, suicide is not a way to look for attention or a form of revenge on people who hurt him, but rather because of biological factors.
That is, serious mental disorders experienced make the brain lose cognitive ability to think clearly and weigh choices. The imbalance of chemicals in the brain also triggers a sense of despair, as if there really is no point in continuing to live.
If you feel the urge to end your life, immediately ask for help from the closest person and experts. You are also advised to consult directly with a psychologist or psychiatrist.
So, do not underestimate the symptoms of depression
These adverse effects occur quite often because many people are not too concerned about this one mental illness. Most think that depression is not a disease and will heal by itself. In fact, depression is a dangerous mental illness if not treated immediately.
So, let's start now more concerned with this mental condition. You can show concern and support campaigns about depression and mental illness by attending the event Ribbon Run.
Ribbon Run is a fundraising event organized by the i3L Student Executive Body (Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences), which aims to create awareness and change public perceptions of depression and mental illness. The Ribbon Run will be held at The Breeze, BSD City on September 9, 2018.
To find out more information about this event, you can directly visit the Ribbon Run official website here.
