The Void

Darkness and sadness are symptoms that are associated with depression but there is one symptom that people tend to forget; emptiness. The feeling of the void, where you know something is missing but you cannot put you finger on it. There are still many people who think that depression is not a disease. Which means that they are not aware of the consequences of being depressed. Let's explore some facts about depression that most people don't know.

The Truth

Firstly, it is not a myth. The emptiness is very real. Every depressed person might have different symptoms, but at some point feeling the emptiness is inevitable. At that point they don't know what to do anymore. For them, their hobbies are not worth the effort anymore. Nothing can quench their thirst. How can we help people when there is nothing we can do to change their mind? The first thing we usually do is suggest them to get medication or to get a therapist. Indeed, these are a good solutions to think about for long-term results but it doesn’t fix the emptiness problem right away.

The Help

We might of thought that seeing a psychologist and taking pills is enough but it’s not. The only thing a depressed person can do is wait and go through it. Also, while digging deep with their therapist they can find the root of their emotional problem. When we rationalize we tend to think of solutions in order to help our friends or family members in that state. We suggest to them to do some exercise or to go outside and hang out with people. Unfortunately, these words can only hurt them more as there is nothing they can do when their brain has enabled the emptiness. Sometimes some people might have “a moment of freedom” like I usually call it, where that emptiness fades for a day or two. It might not happen to everybody. Therefore, it is still important to stay positive for those people as they need all the help they can get from others. Just being there for them can help them feel supported.

There are other things that could help such as vitamin D or a change of environment. Although, the thing with depression is that the situation and place where the patient is doesn’t always matter. It is up to the psychologist to see if a change of air would be a good thing or not for the depressed person.

The Science

According to some research done at Harvard University, there would be no exact source as to what would cause depression physiologically. The only documentation that can be found on the matter suggests that a change is happening chemically in the brain. This change could be due to a person’s thoughts. For instance, a person that would be sad for a long time could develop depression by disrupting the regular flow of his or her body.

In addition, it would seem 15 percent of depressions are caused by a physical illness or by medication side effects. Which is why before accepting medication for depression, it would be a good thing to get your health checked in case the problem lies somewhere else. All of which brings us to this question; if 15 percent of depressions have a precise cause, then what about the other 85 percent? This is still one of which scientists have many hypotheses on. You can find more about the research done on depression on Harvard University’s website.

In all, we should be careful of what we are letting ourselves think most of the time since it will most likely have an impact on our body. Constant negative emotions could leave to being depressed with a feeling of emptiness. Therefore, even if we do not have a wide array of knowledge in what causes depression, in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones it is crucial to always do more research.