How do I treat myself from depression with the Qur’an ?

• What is depression?

• Overview of depression:

•  Depression or major depressive disorder is defined as that feeling that negatively affects the affected person, his feelings, way of thinking, and behavior through severe and long - lasting symptoms and signs, in addition to affecting him in carrying out his work and daily functions normally, as it goes beyond that. The feeling of sadness for a few days that most people experience, and depression is the most common psychological disorder, and despite the spread of this disorder, there are many undiagnosed sufferers who hesitate to make the decision to see a doctor or psychologist, and this can be attributed to many reasons; Some people may be ashamed of the idea of ​​being diagnosed with a psychological disorder , and others may see their depression as a weakness in themselves and not a real medical condition. It should be noted that there are and are available many effective treatments that help treat and recover from depression, and return to practicing daily activities on a daily basis. Therefore, it is very important to see a doctor if you feel persistent symptoms of depression. This is because this disorder has complications for the affected person: such as negatively affecting his lifestyle, increasing his thoughts about suicide, and deteriorating the person’s health condition if he is afflicted with other disorders and chronic diseases .

• Symptoms of depression 

• In fact, the symptoms and signs appearing on a person with depression vary depending on many factors: such as age, gender, and cultural background of the person affected. For example, younger children may suffer from difficulty in expressing feelings of depression. In this case, you will find the child more irritable or complaining of some physical symptoms. Teenagers may also be observed to be rebellious, decline in their studies, socially isolate themselves, or increase in risky actions. It should be noted that Depression is difficult to notice in older people. As it is usually believed that the symptoms appearing on them are due to advanced age or other health disorders, and the following is a statement of some of the most prominent symptoms and signs of depression:

• Decline in mood: People with depression usually feel sad, lose hope and motivation, annoyance, easily irritable, frustrated, and angry. Sometimes people with depression do not feel the events that happened to them as a result of their depression and describe this as feeling stressed and losing emotions in general, so that the decline continues. Mood all or most of the time, and the person himself or those around him may notice this. 
• Loss of interest: (in English: Anhedonia) A depressed person does not feel any interest or pleasure while performing his work, his daily activities, or his hobbies that he used to enjoy in the past, and he may also lose interest in the people around him. 
• Changes in appetite and weight: It is possible for a person with depression to change their appetite and weight, whether by increase or decrease. The effect of depression may be that the patient's appetite increases and he increases his intake of certain foods, such as ready-made foods and carbohydrates, or that his appetite decreases and he becomes forced to force himself to eat.
•  Sleep changes: Depression usually leads to sleep disturbances, such as the sufferer having difficulties sleeping, or waking up early every day, or suffering from insomnia (in English: Insomnia), or hypersomnia (in English: Hypersomnia), and rarely feels The depressed person should rest after sleeping in both cases.
•  Increased or lethargic movement: The affected person may show some symptoms of irritation, such as increased movement of the hands, increased pacing, boredom and restlessness, or the complete opposite of symptoms of slowness and lethargy, such as slowness in movement, thinking, and speaking.
•  Fatigue: or loss of energy needed to carry out activities. The affected person may need periods of rest during the day, and may also face difficulty in starting or completing daily tasks.
•  Feeling of worthlessness: or a feeling of exaggerated guilt about some things that he did or did not do. The depressed person usually feels like a failure, inferiority, or that he is an unqualified or worthless person.
•  Poor concentration: A depressed person may have difficulty thinking, concentrating, and making decisions, in addition to being easily distracted and sometimes losing memory.
•  Thinking about death or suicide: It is possible that the suicidal ideation that the affected person suffers from is merely a feeling of losing the value of life, but it may be severe in some cases in which the affected person is seriously thinking about ending his life.

• Causes of depression

• There are many theories circulating to explain the causes of depression, and perhaps the most common of them is the chemical substances and reactions that occur in the brain . However, there are millions or billions of chemicals in the body that could be responsible for a person’s mood and outlook on his life and related matters. There are many other factors that may be biological or external influences that could have a role in the possibility of people suffering from depression, and although there is not yet a specific and known main cause of the infection, we will mention below some of the factors that could be It has a role in the development of depression:

• Biological differences: It is believed that people with depression may have physical differences in brain shape. 
• Brain chemistry: There are chemical substances in the brain called neurotransmitters, which studies have shown that their functions and influence have a major role in controlling people’s moods, and thus the feeling of depression and how to treat it. Among the neurotransmitters that play a role in this is: Serotonin. Dopamine, and norepinephrine.
•  Hormones: An imbalance of some hormones may have an effect in stimulating or causing depression. This imbalance may occur during pregnancy , or due to problems in the thyroid gland, or in the postpartum period , or upon reaching menopause.
•  Genetics: Depression is often more common in people who have other family members affected by it, and scientists are trying to uncover the genes that cause depression.
•  Other life factors: such as: exposure to trauma, abuse, loss of loved ones, exposure to financial problems, chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke , heart disease, or psychological disorders such as stress. : Anxiety), eating disorders, in addition to the nature of personality; Such as: lack of self-confidence or weak personality. 

• Types of depression 

• In fact, the types of depression differ among people with depression depending on the symptoms and signs appearing on the afflicted person, in addition to the differences in its causes. Below we mention some of the most important types of depression :

• Major depressive disorder: This type means depression whose symptoms and signs were mentioned previously. 
• Partial depression: known as dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder, which is a feeling of sadness or low mood for long periods that may reach two years or more. 
• Seasonal Affective Disorder: Signs of depression appear in those suffering from this type during certain periods of the year. Mostly in the winter period when exposure to light is low, and the affected person can be treated by taking anti-depressant medications or through light therapy, but it usually disappears when the spring or summer season begins.
•  Atypical depression: is a type of depression that differs from major depressive disorder in some symptoms such as: the sufferer feels heaviness in the extremities of his body, sleeping for longer periods than usual, and increased sensitivity to criticism. It should be noted that the sufferer usually What is felt is a noticeable and temporary improvement in mood when faced with a positive event. 
• Bipolar Disorder: It is a disorder in which the sufferer goes through periods of euphoria and excessive moodiness, and other periods in which symptoms of depression appear. 
• Psychotic Depression: This type of depression is represented by the coincidence of symptoms of depression sometimes with symptoms of psychosis. Such as hallucinations , delusions, and paranoia, or as it is known as paranoia. 
• Postpartum depression:which is a woman's feeling of depression during the weeks or months following childbirth . 
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Some females may feel depressed at the beginning of menstruation, and it may be accompanied by some other symptoms. Such as mood swings, tension, and irritation. 
• Situational Depression: which is a feeling of depression as a result of exposure to difficult circumstances. Such as the death of someone close, problems at work, or the end of a relationship. 

• Diagnosis of depression

•  Below we mention some of the criteria that are often relied upon to diagnose depression:

• History of the appearance of symptoms of depression: The person is asked about the exact psychological and personal symptoms that he suffers from, and whether he has suffered from any changes during the past period of his life, which may be due to the appearance of these symptoms. It should be noted that the diagnosis of depression depends mainly on The symptoms mentioned in the previous paragraph: The diagnosis is made if the affected person suffers from five or more of the above-mentioned symptoms daily for two consecutive weeks. In addition, decreased mood and loss of interest must be among these symptoms, and the symptoms he suffers from must affect the course of his daily life. 
• Family history of depression: Since depression may be linked to genetic factors, the person is usually asked about the presence of any family history of depression.
•  Examinations and tests to rule out other diseases and disorders: The diagnosis of depression does not depend on conducting specific laboratory tests; There is no blood analysis or test that can determine whether a person suffers from depression or not, but the doctor may recommend conducting some tests with the aim of ruling out some diseases and health conditions that could cause symptoms similar to sadness and depression, such as tests for thyroid function; As symptoms of sadness and decreased mood may be caused by a person suffering from thyroid deficiency.

• Treating depression 

• Treatment of depression depends mainly on the severity of its infection. If a person is diagnosed with low-severe depression, the doctor may recommend waiting for a period of no less than two weeks and observing whether the patient improves. Studies have also shown the effectiveness of exercise in alleviating the severity of depression, in addition to the person suffering from mild-severe depression resorting to dialogue with a relative. , friends, or specialists about the nature of his feelings can help him get rid of depression, and in the case of depression of low to moderate severity, behavioral therapies , talk therapies, or drug therapies are usually recommended. However, in cases of severe depression, more than one type of treatment may be recommended. The following is an explanation of some of the types of treatments that a doctor may resort to if a person suffers from moderate or severe depression:

• Pharmacological treatment: There are many types of antidepressants. Such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Given that most of these medications are similar in effectiveness, the choice of drug treatment for a depressed person depends on other factors such as: side effects, the sufferer suffering from other health disorders, or taking other medications, the affected person’s personal choices, the price of the drug, in addition to the affected person’s previous experiences with antidepressants. Depression, if present. It should be noted that drug treatments for depression usually require time to take effect. The patient may begin to improve after one to two weeks, but complete improvement often requires 6-12 weeks. 
•  Psychotherapy:There are many types of psychological therapy used that have proven effective in treating depression . These treatments usually depend on the assistance of a specialist who enhances positive thinking in the affected person and motivates him to make the necessary changes to alleviate depression. To learn more about treating depression in general, you can read the following article: ( Methods of treating psychological depression ) .

• Advice for people with depression

• In fact, depression usually makes it difficult to lead a normal life. However, there are many tips that can be followed to help reduce the severity of the impact of depression on the life of the affected person. The depressed person is advised to talk about the problems he faces; Whether it is talking to a friend, a relative, a specialist, or a group of people who suffer from depression, making some changes in sleeping methods may help; Such as turning off electronic devices, doing some relaxation activities, and changing your diet. Such as eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, fish, and olive oil, and quitting smoking and alcoholic beverages. The person suffering from depression should also constantly try to control the negative thoughts he faces and try to change them. It is advised to avoid postponing the daily tasks that he usually does, and to try to do them. In the usual form and time, it is worth noting the importance of the impact of a person’s depression on those around him, whether relatives or friends. These people are usually advised to talk about their problems to mitigate this effect, in addition to the importance of following up on the depressed person and paying attention to signs of his thinking about suicide, such as talking about death, or that the affected person is harming himself, and the need not to neglect him, and to see a specialist as soon as possible if you notice them.

• Depression in children and adolescents 

• The feelings of sadness that a child or teenager may experience at some times do not necessarily mean that he has depression. However, if the parents notice that the child is constantly sad, for more than two weeks, and these feelings clearly hinder his ability to socialize, study, and practice hobbies and daily activities, this matter requires a psychologist to evaluate the child’s condition, confirm the diagnosis, and help him overcome feelings of sadness and depression. We will explain below the symptoms and signs, some of which may accompany a child suffering from depression:

• Feeling angry, irritable, and quickly irritated.
•  Social withdrawal, increased sensitivity, and fear of being rejected by others. 
• Constant feeling of sadness and despair. 
• Noticing changes in the child’s appetite; So that his appetite for food increases or decreases significantly.
• Noticing changes in the child’s sleep; So that his sleep increases or decreases significantly.
• Extreme excitement, screaming and crying.
• General fatigue and loss of energy. 
• Complaining about physical pain for no reason, such as abdominal pain or headache.
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness. 
• Difficulty concentrating. 
• Thinking of suicide.

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