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Depression
By
Omar Hafeez
Depression
eats your insight like a termite. It seeps through your
mind and soul. It perturbs your nervous
system as if your nerves are being pierced with
needles. It throws you into a whirlpool of weird and
confusing thoughts. Besides rusting your abilities and
potentials it accelerates the level of anxiety as well.
It creates a nostalgia that gradually leads to
self-destruction. It darkens your world with despair.
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All over the world
this epidermic has taken its toll on people of all ages
from youngster to old age. Very few are lucky to escape
the myth of this disastrous disease. Different surveys
conducted by Health Organizations over different periods
show that the graph of this disease is exacerbating with
passage of time. Depression is a result of frustration,
grief, anger, betrayal and remorse. Why there is a major
increase in suicidal deaths, cases of drug abuse and social
crimes now a days? The major cause of these is the state
of untenable depression. The intensity of frustration
is so soaring that it obstructs their ability to think
and act reasonably. People afflicted with this disease
are fed up with their surroundings and also themselves.
They lack interest in social, cultural and family affairs
and eventually lose all charms of life.
Depression is a phenomena which encircles you if your
will is weak. Remember, ” When there is a will there
is a way”. You have to fight and work your way out
because no body will come to rescue you of your worries
and problems. To get rid of depression you must stress
on every commitment of your life, should not take things
lightly, always be focused on your work, should not lose
opportunities and always keep in mind the importance of
time. This will make your life much simple and easy. Avoid
haphazard work. Trust your natural instincts, abilities
and credentials. Never ever lose glimpse of any hope,
continue with your hard work and pray for the best of
times.
Grow the habit of reading, enjoy songs and music, watch
movies, talk to people and spend more time in recreational
activities rather then thinking. Try to keep a big smile
on your face. Have a look at people around you, realize
their troubles and learn from them how they are coping
with life. The faithfuls should try to seek refuge in
Allah’s benevolence. Devoted and deep prays before
the Creator is another source to generate the positive
inflow of blessings which repulse the negative impulses
and drives a man to endeavor for doing better for himself
and still better for the humanity.
Depression can lead to such health hazards as hypertension,
heart problems and other life threatening diseases. The
decision is up to you either fight or surrender. Counter
it with your wit because this is the real test of your
life. Life is a journey to a destination; there are many
obstacles and hurdles. Overcome them in the wisest of
manner and never feel aloof in hot and humid desert of
life. God has created an Oasis in desert too.
The author is a student of BCS in SZABIST Karachi. |
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Anxiety
With anthrax
in the mail and “never ending” war under
way, it’s hardly surprising that lot of people
are feeling anxious these days. For most of us, the
tightness in the stomach comes at moments of crisis,
but it’s manageable, and it goes away again.
For others, though-especially those who tend to be
anxious anyway-the feeling can be overwhelming. And
while such severe anxiety can be transient, it can
sometimes persist for weeks-or even longer.
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Fortunately,
there are plenty of things you can do about it, including
taking medication-but that’s last resort. The first
step in dealing with Anxiety. It’s normal to feel
anxious in reaction to the catastrophe. Don’t avoid
it; talk to your friends and family.
Next, try whatever you normally do to relax. No alcohol;
that might take the edge off briefly, but the anxiety
will return. Much better to try healthy anxiety reducers
like deep breathing, exercise yoga or meditation. A hot
bath is also a good idea, and a cup of herbal tea can
do just what it says.
But what if your anxiety is sustained and acute? If you
have the following symptoms and can’t shake them,
you may want to see a professional: an inability to relax,
a free-floating, persistent sense of distress, difficulty
concentrating, trouble sleeping and rapid heartbeat. And
for these, a psychologist or psychiatrist might recommend
medication.
Which kind depends on the nature of the anxiety. If it’s
part of a chronic, underlying problem such as depression
or something called “ generalized anxiety disorder,”
the doctor would probably prescribe a so-called selective
serotonin re-uptake inhibitor such as paxil. Such inhibitors
take up to six weeks to begin working. But by putting
your brain chemistry back into balance, they can get rid
of the outward symptom- the anxiety. If your distress
is a specific (though out-of-control) reaction to an outward
stimulus like the current crisis, then paxil and the others
are wrong. Episodic anxiety is best treated with an entirely
different class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, including
Valium Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin. These work within minutes,
not weeks – but they’re potentially addictive,
so they shouldn’t be used for more than two weeks
or so.
Finally, if anxiety is making it tough to fall asleep,
there are sleeping pills. These include Halcion, Ambient
and Restoril-and, like other true antianxiety drugs, they
carry the potential for abuse. It’s O.K to use them
if you really must. But it’s better to deal with
insomnia in other ways first-if you’re tossing and
turning, leave the bedroom and try reading. These pills
are strong medications that should be used only with caution,
and under doctor’s advice. |
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