DEPRESSION: A SILENT KILLER

Saturday, November 19, 2011


A few days ago, I got a text message from my boyfriend that he heard a news that a student committed suicide by jumping off from the third floor of a mall. Whaaaat?!!! In a mall?!!


Here is an article from http://www.sunstar.com.ph by Florence F. Hibionado.

Nursing student jumps off mall, dies



Tuesday, November 15, 2011
ILOILO CITY (Updated 4 p.m.) --


 Unable to take the school pressures, a graduating nursing student ended her life Tuesday morning by jumping off the third floor of a mall in this city's financial district.
Authorities rushed Vina Marie del Rosario, 22, to a nearby hospital after she jumped from the third floor of the Atrium mall at General Luna St. here. Doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Click here to read the rest of the article....
When I gotten the news and I told others about this. There are mixed reactions.
" Kaluoy man...." (I feel sorry for her)
"Pasapak-sapak. KSP-Kulang sa Pansin, sa mall gid"(She just wants attention In all places she does it at a mall)
"Buhi pa cya?" (Is she still alive?)
"Basi gabusong?" (Maybe she is pregnant?)
"Hindi na cya mabless sang simbahan eh."" (Some says that person who committed suicide would often denied funeral rites and even burial in a Church )
Based on several new articles, the woman that jumped off the 3rd floor of the mall had a history of taking anti-depression medications and has recently been experiencing stress on her thesis in school. It is easy to be an outsider and judge the "jump-er" as someone seeking attention. However, people doesn't see the gravity of emotional turmoil that the woman might have been undergoing for several days, weeks, months and years. It is also easy to say that "it's just a thesis". But you see, people who is experiencing depression are wired differently from others. They have a lower tolerance to stress and poor adaptation to changes. It is mainly caused my imbalance chemical hormones in the brain. So yes, in a way, they can't help it by reacting quite differently from others. It could also be genetic. And other factors like lack of emotional support or poor relationship with family & friends can hold true. But not all of these applies to all depressive people, I should carefully add. Everything is a case-to-case basis. They are some depressive patients who has a supportive parents, siblings  and friends but still the underlying  "gnawing sadness" prevails in their system. Parents or the family should not blame themselves for this condition or if suicide attempts or deaths resulted to this condition. They could just help as much as they can but 90% of the success rate of fighting this "silent killer" is the perseverance of the depressive person to fight this condition. This reminds me of the teenage book I read years ago called Lisa: Dark and Bright by John Neufield. 

It is a story of a 16 year old girl who is battling with depression. She is struggling with it and tells directly her parents that she is ill and needs help. However, it was met with denial and was brushed off by her parents as teenage melodramatics. But her friends noticed the subtle changes in her behavior, they device a plan to help her. They offered their support and availability, plotted in how to get Lisa's parents to listen so Lisa can get the professional help that she needs.
Sorry for dampening your spirits with all these "blues clues" talk because here is the good news. This condition is treatable!!! It is best to consult your family physician or psychiatrist though before trying to be Little Miss Psychiatrist. you would so more harm than good. so consult, consult, consult! It needs to be diagnosed first. I am not talking of premenstrual moodiness or intermittent bouts of insecurity. It must qualify in the DSM IV Criteria of Major Depressive Episode:
* 5 or more following symptoms present during the same 2-week period and represent a change in previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms (either depressed mood or loss of interest) present:
-depressed mood most of the day
-markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or all most activities
-significant weight loss or weight gain
-insomnia or oversleeping nearly everday
-psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly everyday
-fatigue or loss of energy nearly everyday
-feelings of worthlessness
-diminished ability to think or concentrate 
-recurrent thoughts of death
*symptoms causes significant distress or impairment in social. occupational or other important areas of functioning
*persist longer than two months
Persons experiencing these symptoms should consult a doctor for further instructions. If depressive disorder is diagnosed, the person would benefit immensely through anti-depressant medications and counseling. It is also beneficial to have a very strong support group, good compliance to medications & counseling, constant supervision and perseverance to fight this condition.
 Happiness is attainable. It is can be a steep climb for others but they'll  will get there.... So now, people,  Don't worry.... Be happy! ♪♪♪Na--na-na-nana--nana♪♪♪
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