Every one of us goes through ups and downs in our moods. Mood disorders have affected mankind from the beginning of records. Mood disorder is also clinically referred to as depression.

• Causes of mood disorders:

Although doctors are not really sure about reasons for mood disorders, research has proved that our brain is in charge of our positive as well as negative moods. Our brain is controlled by various chemicals and also neurotransmitters like: dopamine, histamine, serotonin, epinephrine, melatonin, glutamate and so on. All these neurotransmitters transmit, amplify and transform the signals within neurons; all this  is done with extreme care to preserve a delicate balance.

If anything goes wrong with this delicate balance of chemicals it results in mood disorder or depression. To put this in simple words – any unwanted or unexpected changes in life; like: losing a job or the death of a loved one can disturb this balance of chemicals for a short while.

• Symptoms of mood disorders:

Mood disorders can vary from person to person, however there are many common signs and symptoms. They can be listed as follows:

• Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and restlessness
• Persisting feelings of sadness
• Loss of  interest in things you loved most
• Decreased self esteem
• Downfall in energy level
• Sleeplessness or too much sleeping
• Thoughts of suicide
• Difficulty in concentration
• Difficulty in taking decisions
• Drastic change in appetite
• Guilty feelings

These are symptoms associated with mood disorders. If you find any 5 symptoms from this above list persisting for more than two weeks; you might be at risk of mood disorder or depression.

• Treatment for mood disorders:

It is of utmost importance that the mood disorder diagnosis is done correctly. Treatment for mood disorder in one person is not applicable to the other. Each case has a different line of treatment. The treatment may depend upon a few basic things as below:

• Age, medical history and general health
• Severity of symptoms
• Mood disorder type
• Tolerance of medications and also therapies
• Known cause of mood disorder
• Your preferred type of treatment

Mood disorders can be cured completely with the proper treatment. Treatment has to depend upon comprehensive evaluation of the patient and also of the family. Below are the types of treatment;

• Medications: To treat mood disorder various medications are available. With suitable medication mood disorder can be cured.
• Psychotherapy: This focuses on changing the thinking, views and surrounding environment, helping out in difficult relationships, etc.
• Family therapy: Family support is the most important part of the mood disorder treatment.

Mood disorder treatment may consist one or more of the above mentioned treatment types depending upon the need.

Mental health problems in men have not been given the importance and attention that they have been silently appealing for. Though, men and women both have mental health problems, the health awareness and research has focused mostly on women. The reason for this women-oriented approach could be because women are more vocal and outspoken about their problems and do not feel inhibited in discussing their problems with friends and relatives. Hence, their problems get highlighted and the search for the solution gains momentum.

Men, on the other hand, rarely acknowledge any mental health problem. They are more concerned and concentrated on the physical aspect of their being, thereby largely ignoring the mental aspect of their health. Normally, men will avoid discussing any emotional issue especially if their health care professional is a female. The reason for not acknowledging and hence not discussing any emotional problem could probably be the notion that men who discuss emotional problems are considered weak. This misplaced concept of manliness often tends to disguise the mental health problems in men which then often remain untreated. This wound in the mind then slowly starts gnawing away at the mental health which may ultimately turn into a major problem of far reaching consequences.

Recognizing these short-comings would be the first step to self-awareness and understanding of the mental problems. Understanding and acceptance of mental health problems in men is vital and it is only then that one seeks the solution to the problem. Greater awareness and shunning age old and often erroneous beliefs will go a long way in helping to arrive at a solution for the problems of mental health in men.

Depression and Suicide – a Major Mental Health Problem in Men:

The number of women who suffer from depression is much larger than men. However, statistically it has been found that the possibility of men succumbing to the eventual consequence of their depression – suicide – is almost four times more than women. This may lead us to believe that the effect of depression in men is comparatively more and far deeper than in women.

The logical reason for this chilling revelation could be that men simply refuse to acknowledge depressive symptoms in them and the same could be said of the physicians who are treating them.

Men readily acknowledge and accept physical problems such as body pain, lethargy, irritability, sleep problems, disinterest in work, lower sexual drive, weakness, etc. Men would walk the extra mile to get their physical problems sorted out.

On the other hand, mental health problems in men such as unexplained sadness, despair, worthlessness, illogical guilt feeling, alcohol or drug dependence, etc. would be swept under the carpet without much ado with the reasoning that it is temporary problem and will sort itself out. Men may not even acknowledge that these symptoms deserve a serious consideration and urgent medical assistance.

Times have changed to the betterment of all. There is more awareness; information is available at the touch of a button. If you feel you are a victim of the symptoms of depression, seek medical assistance immediately. Depression is a common occurrence and most instances can be treated with timely medical help.

The reason for depression may be many:

• Some very distressing events in life

• Chemical imbalances in the brain

• Certain mental problems

The important thing to remember is depression is a common ailment and can be treated.

When you are suffering from depression you are physically not well and you face many physical problems such as: appetite problem, you cannot sleep, you do not have energy to work and nothing can motivate you to be cheerful. Your sexual life is also disturbed. Emotionally you are always in a sad mood, you weep many times, and feel gloomy and unenergetic. Your social life is also disturbed as you keep yourself isolated from others. You do not even like to speak to others.
Mentally you are so depressed that you see everything in a negative way; that includes your own life too. Your mind always feels that you are in danger and not safe. Therefore, you are fearful all the time. Spiritually also you are isolated. You do not think ‘why has God created me and what is the purpose of my life?’ You forget the presence of God and remember only what Satan wants. And lastly, you may wish to end your life by committing suicide. Please do not neglect depression because it can affect your whole life. Here are some tips to prevent depression which will be helpful to you.
•    Health is wealth
For preventing depression you should be wealthy in your health. To get that, you need to be regular in exercise. While doing that, make a note that you are not torturing your body. Along with your exercise; your diet also needs to be healthy. Your daily diet must include items which are nutritious for your brain. Drink more water every day. Do not get addicted to any bad habits like drugs, alcohol and smoking, etc. Taking complete rest during the night will be beneficial as it will relax your brain. Rest well and be ready to work properly, the next day.
•    Self assessment – set a goal for yourself:
You need to assess yourself truly. You cannot deceive yourself. Sometimes your parents, friends, teachers, or relatives may tell you something which will lead you to confusion. At that time you need to think about it but do not get put off by it – rather, examine yourself and then accept the truth. You should verify your weaknesses and strengths and accept them in the true sense. When you correct your feelings, your thinking will be positive and when your thinking is positive your actions will be wonderful.
Prayer and meditation also play a crucial role in preventing depression. So now you must have come to see that your thinking positively builds up your emotions and with proper control over these emotions you can stay away from depression.

Depression is something which may impact your social, emotional, mental and personal life. It is important that you take care of yourself, just by following some easy guidelines as given below.

Depression is a state of mind in which you are left with no interest in life itself. You start feeling that everything is a waste and is unnecessary. In such a state of mind you are surrounded with negative thoughts only. You start feeling that you yourself are the most horrible person. You don’t find anything good in yourself. You get bewildered and lose the desire to live. You find no purpose in being alive.

We should pray that such conditions should not affect even our most hated enemy.

If you want to save yourself from this horrible condition and want to take control of your own life, you can try the following tips to help yourself.

•    Special Physical care :

You must take care of your physical health. Do regular exercise, take a healthy diet and avoid drinks containing alcohol. Take ample water and rest. Statistics show that less people are affected by depression, of those who regularly exercise.

•    Invite positive thoughts:

Our mind is full of thoughts; some good and some bad. If we overcome the negative thoughts and support the positive thoughts we can control our feelings and thoughts and hence become able to keep depression away. Your thoughts are led by your beliefs, your emotions are led by your thoughts and eventually your actions are led by your emotions. You need to believe in yourself and accept the truth whatever it may be. This will help you to have positive thoughts.

•    Keep watch on your thoughts:

There is a saying ‘garbage in; garbage out’. If you keep putting garbage in your mind what can you expect to come out?  We must read, or watch on TV, only what is good and uplifting, so that our thought processing will be positive. Meditation could be also be a wonderful alternative.

•    Enjoy your life:

If you look at life in a wonderful way, you will surely enjoy it. Do not let it be wasted in depression. Save your life from depression and enjoy each moment of your life with the fullest energy. Do not let any chance failure or mishap take all the laughter and joy from your life. Things are not always as we expect them. We need to accept the truth with a broad mind.  If we narrow our mind it is going to trouble not only us but also the people around us. So be certain to enjoy your life, together with the sorrows that may enter it.

Being only human, it may be hard to accept all unpleasant truths so easily, but you need to be strong enough to overcome the many unexpected things that may happen to you – at least after a span of time. With these tips you can at least make a start on making your mind strong and positive. Positive thinking can be the greatest blessing for depressed people. So believe in yourself, keep yourself busy doing something good and keep thinking positive. And thus you can say ‘bye’ to depression. Take care of yourself.