Do you sometimes feel like your head is foggy? You can't remember where your keys are, you forget half of your shopping list, you have a hard time keeping your mind focused at work... If these are common to you, the reason may be deeper than you think. Most of the time, this is due to the depression we've all heard of, or as doctors call it, ``Major Depressive Disorder''.
What is Major Depressive Disorder?
Simply put, depression is not just a feeling of sadness. It is a treatable, common mental health condition. In this condition, you may feel sad, depressed, and have a loss of interest in things you used to enjoy. This can affect your job, household chores, family life, and even your physical health.
Doctors call the mental confusion that comes with depression 'cognitive impairment.' That means the impairment of thinking, decision-making, and memory.
Imagine, Samantha is a bank employee. She has been having a hard time concentrating on her work for a while now. She gets confused with her calculations, and she can't immediately understand what her customers are saying. It's the same when she goes home. When she starts cooking, she forgets what to put in the food. She thought it was because she was tired. But it was only when she saw a doctor that she realized that she had a condition called depression.
The table below lists some other common symptoms of depression.
| Symptom category | Do you feel this way? |
|---|---|
| Behavioral changes | Restlessness, unable to stay in one place, pacing back and forth, wringing hands. Sometimes talking and walking so loudly that others can see. |
| Difficulty thinking | Difficulty concentrating on work, inability to make even simple decisions, forgetting things. |
| Food and sleep | Changes in appetite (sudden increase or decrease). Weight loss or gain without dieting. Sleep problems (sleeping too much or not sleeping). |
| Emotions and energy | Extreme fatigue, a feeling of not being able to do anything, a feeling of being worthless, and a feeling of being worthless. |
| Serious symptoms | Feeling frustrated with life, thoughts of death, or suicidal thoughts. |
The most important thing is that if one or more of these symptoms persist for more than two weeks , don't worry about it and definitely see your doctor.
What is 'Cognition'? Let's understand it simply.
The word 'cognition' may sound a bit complicated, but its meaning is very simple. It refers to our 'thinking abilities'. In other words, the way our brain works. Think of our brain as a computer. 'Cognition' is the software programs that run on that computer. These are what help us recognize information, understand it, and respond to it.
These cognitive abilities are needed for everything from talking to a friend to going to the store to buy something. There are mainly 6 types of these abilities.
- Attention: The act of choosing one task and focusing your mind on it. For example, when studying, paying attention to a book without thinking about other things.
- Executive function: Planning the day's work, making decisions, and remembering information to get things done. Like making a list of what to buy before going to the store.
- Learning and memory: Learning something new and remembering it in the short and long term. Examples of this include remembering something you learned yesterday and remembering the name of an old friend.
- Language: The ability to express our thoughts and feelings in a way that others can understand.
- Perceptual-motor skills: The ability to understand and act on information (sights, sounds) received from our senses, such as our eyes, ears, and nose. For example, moving away from the sound of a car on the road.
- Social cognition: Understanding the emotions and intentions of others and managing our emotions in a socially appropriate manner. A good example of this is being able to tell if someone is happy or sad by looking at their face.
When you have depression, all of these abilities gradually begin to weaken, just like the software programs on a computer slow down.
So what is the solution to this? - Cognitive Remediation
The good news is that there is a treatment that can help with these thought disorders caused by depression. It's called 'Cognitive Remediation'.
This is a wonderful thing. Simply put, this is like exercise for the brain, or physiotherapy for the brain.
This treatment involves engaging in a series of specific, planned activities that help rebuild areas of the brain that have been weakened by depression, such as attention, memory, and decision-making. These can often be computer programs or exercises done with a specially trained therapist. These exercises challenge and strengthen the weakened parts of the brain.
This treatment method is used successfully not only for depression, but also to overcome cognitive impairments caused by other mental health conditions such as `(Schizophrenia)`, `(Bipolar disorders)`, `(ADHD)`, `(OCD)`.
But there's one important thing to remember. Cognitive restructuring is not a stand-alone treatment. It works best when combined with antidepressants and other psychotherapy prescribed by your doctor. So, if you're interested in this, it's best to talk to your doctor about it and get started under their guidance.
Take-Home Message
- Depression is not just sadness. It is a condition that directly affects your mood as well as your ability to think, remember, and make decisions (cognition).
- Symptoms such as forgetfulness and inability to concentrate can also be part of depression. Doctors call this condition ``cognitive impairment''.
- If symptoms of depression persist for more than two weeks, do not suffer alone, but definitely see a doctor for advice.
- Cognitive Remediation is a treatment method that helps rebuild impaired thinking skills, similar to brain exercise.
- This treatment is most effective when used in conjunction with other treatments prescribed by your doctor. Never self-diagnose or self-treat.
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