Depression

Women are more prone to depression than men. I just found out. For different stages in her life, she stresses over different issues.

I read this from a book I borrowed from the church library, just because I want to learn more about my depressive moods. My mood swings don't really spell normal, up to 2-3 lows in a week without any apparent reason. Think I caught this Depression bug in the last few years. Out of the 18 symptoms of Depression I meet 17 of 'em. T_T Oh man!

In her adolescense, a woman grieves and is fearful of leaving her parents and home, needing to venture out by herself. Then in her 20s, the female creature basically worries about finding a mate, building a family, and at the same time trying hard to maintain a balance while earning a living.

As she rolls into her 30s, the woman starts feeling claustrophobic as her options decrease. Those who chooses to be homemakers and nurturers will experience doubts if they've made the right choice of snuffing up their career paths earlier in their 20s. Same goes for the corporate female who poured all her time and attention into her career; who will now suffer second thoughts about her priorities.

At her 40s, her male counterpart reaches the prime of their lives. The world considers them attractive and successful...as opposed to a 40-something woman who's lost the glow of her youth. Women this age tend to get depressed over the lost of their youth and physical attractive.

And the list goes on to describe how her children finally leaves her, forcing her to redefine her identity as a mother. And as women enter old age, the worse comes when they lose their spouses. Generally, women have a longer lifespan compared to men. This difference could mean an average of 7-8 years without companionship. When a life partner of many years dies, sometimes the will to survive goes with it as well.

I've seen this in my grandmother in the first few months when my grandfather died. She started making preparations to get herself a burial plot and coffin...exactly all ready to join my granddad. Thank God for children and grandkids. We flocked around her, fought her battles for her, coddled her and basically pushed her back up from the chasm she dug herself in.

The book also said some people are more vulnerable to depression compared to others. Their minds resemble fertile soil for Depression seeds. Eventhough Depression is actually a parasitical weed, we tend to treat it like a prized rose. Undeniably, there is a certain selfish pleasure derived from nurturing self-pity. So, the more attention we lavish it, the deeper the roots go. Before you know it, you're experiencing 'blues' and 'downs' and don't feel like going out, nor talking to people. All there is is just hopelessness, and the meaning of existence just blurs. That's when suicidal tendencies come in. x__x

I feel that one of the most useful ways to handle Depression is to not dwell on past hurtful events and to keep yourself distracted with physical activities. Shopping is one sure good technique if you have cash to spare ahaha... or better yet, sports or take a stroll.