Depression can lead to suicide if not treated: Physicians

KABUL (Pajhwok): Medical doctors have said the growth of depression was higher in women comparing to men and warned if depression is not treated in a reasonable time it could lead to suicide.

They recommend improved awareness on depression and urged people suffering from depression should be taken to the doctors at earliest.

This comes in November the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced that around half of the Afghanistan’s population suffered from severe depression.

A report from the World Health Organistaion (WHO) also announced that around 280 million people worldwide suffered from depression and a large number of these people ewer women.

Depression leads to dangerous consequences: Physicians

Psychologist Dr. Diyana Sediqi, who works at the Exxon Mental and Neurological Hospital in capital Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News: ”Depression means halt or a mental cold, this problem is one of the most severe mental disorders in the world, which causes negative feelings in a person and creates a sense of sadness and grief in a person, and impairs his ability at work, home, and outside.”

She said depression could be hereditary or could be caused due to social problems and economic difficulties.

He said feeling grief, disinterested, feeling guilty, away from society, feeling angry and reducing daily activities are some of the mental symptoms and changes in appetite more or less eating, changes in sleep, fatigue and low energy are some of the physical symptoms of depression.

Dr. Diyana said the closure of women and girls schools and universities contributed to the growing depression cases among women.

She said daily up to four patients suffering from depression visited the hospital in which girls deprived of education are also included.

She said initially the depression symptoms are low but if continued and did not controlled the patient could commit suicide as well.

Dr. Dyana said depression could be treated and the best way was setting target and occupation.

She said that patient suffering from depression should refer to the physician and asked family members to encourage their family members suffering from depression to refer to the doctor.

Neurologist Abdul Wahid Rahnvord at Sardar Mental and Neurological Clinic, said depression could have negative impact on public lives in all areas.

A depressed person, he said has problems with himself, his family, and the people of society, he suffered from problems in all areas of life, and he is hopeless about the future and cannot establish social relations.

He said the reasons that caused depression among men and women were the same but added the number of women suffering from depression was double worldwide.

He said depression has different reasons such as social, economic, biological, and hereditary and others.

He said matters like looking after family, certain restrictions in the family and society, pregnancy and child birth contributed more in growing depression among women.

Dr. Abdul Wahid said 50 percent of the total 100 to 150 patients referred to the neurology were depression patients.

Most of the female depressed patients were girls who are deprived of education.

Referring to the growing number of depression patients, he said the lack of public awareness regarding depression, negligence from depression treatment, control, no government and international cooperation in the identification and treatment of this illness were the main causes in this regard.

He stressed over improved public awareness on depression so that people have full information about this disease.

Besides awareness programs, he urged the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) government to establish psychological treatment centres as well.

He termed depression treatable and asked people suffering from this illness to refer to the doctor.

Happy depression patients after treatment

Muzhdah Mohammadi, one of the depression patients who referred to the Exxon Hospital for treatment, said due to the closure of universities she suffered from depression and this problem was growing each day.

She has been receiving treatment from the past one month and now felt better. Earlier she suffered from headache, kept herself isolated and lost her interest in the life.

Mohammad Asghar, the resident of Kabul City who suffered from depression after the death of his young brother, said: “When my brother died of cancer, life was not pleasant for me, I hated everything and I didn’t even like my children, but I am better now Alhamdulillah since I have started treatment.”

He refused to appear in front of the camera but asked people suffering from depression to refer to the doctor.

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