Being on the Autism Spectrum brings unique challenges to the table for the child as well as the family. Being a parent/sibling/caregiver of an ASD individual means a lifelong commitment towards the child’s development through ages. But the ultimate goal is to prepare our children to be independent as an adult. Our existence is temporary and that’s the bitter pill we all have to swallow eventually.

As a sister of a gifted 22-year-old boy with Fragile X Syndrome & Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the thought of him having to live all by himself, in the absence of my mother and myself, in the future still haunts me at times. And I’m sure that every parent, sibling or caregiver of a child shares this fear when he/she begins transitioning to adulthood. The dreaded ‘What next?’ strikes us at that very moment.

Transitioning into adulthood with Autism

Transition to adulthood for an individual with autism means moving out of the sheltered and secure environment. Comprehensive planning helps to make the process relatively smoother for the individual and his family. For this purpose, while preparing an individualized educational program (IEP), it is important to create a 2-year transition plan for attaining employment, vocational training, post-secondary education and independent living after leaving school.

A transition plan helped us, special educators, and other professionals to chalk out realistic goals and effective course of action with the help of the available resources. By making this a standard practice, it can help us be more aware and bring about changes in society with respect to creating more opportunities and acceptance for individuals with ASD.

I would like to emphasize the importance of working on independent living skills or activities of daily life skills (ADLs), which are the fundamental skills required for taking care of oneself like self-care & hygiene, household chores, kitchen skills and cooking, money management, and safety to name a few, without which coping with the transition to adulthood would be a nightmare for the child. It made us realize that achieving independence is a journey that begins at a very young age for children with autism as they require more time and support.

Hence, it is vital to commence planning in collaboration with the family, special educators, and therapists for ADLs training at school and home. By doing so, they would less dependent and be prepared to manage in situations when they would be all by themselves. I can vouch for this through my experience with my brother who is now able to care for himself in different settings without our assistance. It wouldn’t have been possible without the constant support and guidance from the entire school staff and parents’ support group.

Further, the transition plan can include future arrangements for skill training for adults like day-habilitation centers in the city/state where a child can be enrolled after leaving school.  A day-habilitation center is a day program in the community where young adults with disabilities can receive 5-6 hours of independent skill training and therapies.[1]

Some centers also provide residential services which can be an option for future living arrangements for adults with autism which is a concern for the parents who do not have a secure accommodation and require a space where their child will be taken care of by well-trained professionals. Even though such centers are a norm in the US, there is a scarcity of such services in India as compared to the no. of individuals in need which needs to be addressed.

Picture credits – Vogue

While observing our children transition into adult life, another major concern every caregiver faces is creating financial security and independence. I have seen my parents work day in and day out, planning finances around our education and making investments for our secure future, as soon as my brother was diagnosed. From their struggle, I learned that creating trusts is a herculean task that takes a lot of effort and persistence to make a substantial pool of finance while running a household. Families, who are a part of the community, belong to different socio-economic backgrounds. Hence, it is understood that different people can have their own sets of limitations when it comes to creating financial security.

For this purpose, Government and Non-Government Organizations have been running various centres, and schemes to provide education, training and services for persons with Disabilities. The Education, Training & Service Centres for PWDs (Department for Disability Affairs and Rights) provide schemes for citizens under the NMMC area like financial assistance for scholarships, self-employment, education and training, surgery, procuring essential services, therapies and more.[2] With right guidance from the school authorities, social services and community members, many families we know were able to get financial assistance from these schemes and create a solid financial security.

This was possible only through long-term planning at an early stage. It helped us plan and navigate our way through obstacles in order to effectively reach closer to our financial goals. Along with that, it helped us provide my brother with all the vital services like special education, occupational therapy, speech therapy and more at the appropriate time with very few hiccups. This proved to be really beneficial for his overall development as he received essential training and support which in turn helped him cope with adult life in a better way.

In conclusion, I would like to say that even though the process may seem to be challenging but persistence and optimism is going to help us sail through it. An individual with ASD is not a lost cause. In fact, they have a lot of untapped potential, skills and talents that require a different approach to be understood and developed. There is hope for a better world full of understanding and acceptance for individuals with ASD. We are all in this together.

Autism Spectrum Disorder was identified over 70 years ago and since then it has undergone many revisions since the time of it’s inception. The word “Autism” came into use for the first time in 1908 when it was used to describe a subset of schizophrenic patients who were especially withdrawn and self-absorbed. On May 18, 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) mentioned the umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Today, Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined by two categories: 1) Impaired social communication and/or interaction. 2) Restricted and/or repetitive behaviors.

This April, Autism Awareness Month, we at MHT India aim to bring to you multiple research backed blogs, podcasts, webinars and products, curated by mental health professionals, in order to spread awareness about this mental disorder that is being seen in growing numbers in recent times.

Picture Credits – Carmen B

Autism Spectrum Disorder | Future Learn

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disability causing difficulty with social communication and interaction with other people, as well as, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, there is a lot more to this complex disorder.

Right from diagnosis to finding the correct treatment or child development centre can be extremely consuming for the care givers as well as for the individual on the spectrum. This process can be exceptionally difficult if you are not aware of what this complex neuro-disability actually comprises off. On the other hand, it can be daunting for mental health professionals to not have a clear understanding of the disorder that they might be dealing with.

Hence, here is one resource that can help you learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder in depth, that too from an accredited platform.

Future Learn

If you are like us who is always looking for research-backed resources to satisfy your curiosity and desire to learn about mental health? We have just the platform for you. Future Learn is an online learning platform that uses interactive tools, videos, articles, audio, and even practical activities to help the learner grasp the concepts clearly and gain research-backed knowledge for current and future needs, both academically and professionally.

Future Learn has a wide variety of courses covering many subjects such as Business & Management, Creative Arts & Media, Healthcare & Medicine, Psychology, Language, Law, Literature, Politics & Society, Teaching, Science, Engineering, Mathematics and many more. They have multiple course structures to choose from, such as short courses, ExpertTracks, Micro-credentials & Programs and even Online Degrees.

Future Learn’s online course; Understanding Autism is one of their most popular and also well-appreciated courses in the field of Psychology & Mental Health.

Understanding Autism | Course Outline

Developed by University of Kent, Understanding Autism is a CPD accredited online program; spanning over a period of 4 weeks; including weekly studies of a minimum of 3 hours.

The course covers the following topics in great depth:

• What is Autism
• Social Communication Skills
• Sensory sensitivities and Repetitive Behaviors
• Co-Occurring Conditions
• Strengths and difficulties of people on the Autism Spectrum
• Lived experiences of people on the Autism Spectrum

Want to sign up for the course or know more about their offerings? Click here.

Course requirements : The course; Understanding Autism is open for all age groups and professionals from all backgrounds. However, it would be greatly beneficial for mental health professionals who are looking for expanding their knowledge about this spectrum and also clearing the basic concepts of this neuro-developmental disorder.

Do check out the course and let us know in the comments below what your experience was like.

Happy Learning 🙂

Want to know more about Autism Spectrum Disorder and multiple resources that are available on MHT India

Why do we conduct research on a particular topic? To scientifically prove our specific point with the help of observed facts and figures. I am not a researcher nor am I thinking of becoming one but after talking to the people like me who are suffering from mental illness and what they are feeling, I decided to go the extra mile and do research on people suffering from mental health or their caregivers.

I have three mental disorders, and I wanted to prove my point that mental illness and intelligence are two different things because when I share about my mental illness with people, they think that I am weak and not be able to learn or grasp anything new or difficult but it’s not true!

To shift the mindset of people towards mentally ill people is my ultimate goal. While I was doing research on the same, I got to know it’s been decades but there is not much awareness on mental health in India. People with mental illness intentionally hide their illness at work in fear of being judged by others, because it will not happen a single day whether it will happen numerous times till you get irritated and aggressively fight or leave. Many of them resigned their jobs because of mental illness.

Picture credits – Nature

It was very sad to notice a 24 year old and 68 years old are saying the same thing that awareness is not there! Interview after interview instantly made me realize there is a huge gap between the awareness which we are getting and the acute awareness we need to create. We are not looking for sympathy, but empathy would be nice for a mentally ill person. 

In India, people are very superstitious. That is the main reason people face difficulty in accepting unconditionally the cognitive science behind the conscious mind. In the Hindi language, there is only one harsh term for mental illness i.e. Mad. We don’t even have words in our dictionary for mental illness. 

It is an ideological challenge to tell people about mental illness in India, and it’s not only a complex problem in rural areas but also in urban areas. We are undoubtedly missing an open dialogue on mental health. 

While researching, I approached people to help me out in writing a research paper but as the days passed by and I realized that nothing fruitful was going to happen then I again approached the respectful participants keeping their identity confidential and took their interview for a research book and self published it. I typically published the raw content because I genuinely wanted it to be seen nakedly as what a mentally ill person is trying gently to convey.

Mind boggling fact that came out of the independent research is extremely valuable. It tells precisely that mentally ill and mentally retard are two different terms with different meanings. People who have mental illness sincerely want to tell the truth about their illness but it is because of complex society that they remain silent. Mental illness is a result of chemical imbalance in the brain; it is not a self-generating act or problem.

I have also seen differences in my reality after taking effective medications on considerable time. It is something that I want to share and say it is okay to be not okay. Our eternal soul is greater than our conscious mind and body. We should gratefully acknowledge our spirit and seek divine guidance from within.

We should reconsider our holistic approach towards mentally ill people so that they can willingly come forward and voluntarily share their compelling story with all of us.

Author : Ms. Shivani Thapliyal

Mental Health Life Coach, Author; End of Mental Health Stigma

Let’s get united and talk about mental health in an innovative, encouraging way!

It is true that mental health can lead to many challenges for the individual and their family. Ms. Shivani’s experience provides a new lens filled with optimism and hope for others who are battling with their mental health issues. Mental Health Today wants to thanks Shivani for sharing her personal story about a mental illness and providing true awareness to people.

Want to know more about Ms Shivani and her journey?

Parents of children with autism are exposed to mental health challenges such as keeping patience, managing focus and calm, not losing hope as well as depressive and anxious thoughts. When taking care of their child, parents easily neglect their health, especially mental health. 

Moreover, the pandemic has caused additional burden on parents of children with ASD as they can no longer send them for school classes or other activities that they were earlier engaged with. Furthermore, there is no assurity in terms of when things will go back to normal. Amidst such changes, taking care of self before others becomes imperative. 

Managing mental health of parents of children with autism can now be addressed digitally. The pandemic has transformed the digital world especially in terms of healthcare. Keeping that in mind, MHT has compiled a shortlist of several mobile apps that can assist parents of children with Autism in taking good care of their mental health. 

Mind Alcove App

Download the App here

The Mind Alcove App comes with features such as journaling and mood tracking. With the help of journaling and mood tracking, parents of children with autism can understand their moods and emotions better at a go of a click. Upon gaining more awareness about self, one can take better decisions, avoid triggers causing negative moods and thereby improve their quality of life.

Download the app from your PlayStore or AppStore and take better care of your thoughts and emotions whenever parenting gets challenging and cumbersome. 

Eka Meditation App

Download the App here

The benefits of Yoga for mental health cannot be ignored. The app from Eka Meditation focuses on the same. The app focuses on mental and emotional wellbeing and seeks to help its users build a personal yoga practice at home. 

Relieve anxiety and improve sleep with guided programs comprising movement, relaxation, concentration, and meditation.

Happy Chant App

Download the App here

A unique app with features such as chanting, mindfulness and meditation. Since compassion and mental health are more important than ever right now, we came up with the idea of creating a system which helps users cope with stress, anxiety, a lack of concentration and much more. HappyChant is intended to bring positive change to people’s lives, offering a friendly and easy-to-use support system for you to practise the science of chanting mantras and thus, taking care of your mental and physical wellness.

The digital resources for mental health can be useful for parents of children with as well as without autism. Psychological practices such as journaling, mood tracking, chanting, meditation and mindfulness are some healthy habits for good mental health daily. With the help of digital revolution across the globe, practicing these habits has never been easier.

The pandemic caused by coronavirus is one of a kind situation for people across the globe. The measures undertaken to stop the spread of the virus has caused various disruptions in work and family routines. Moreover, it is a much more difficult time for parents as well as children with Autism.

Time to put your excessive worries to end. MHT Blogs have come up with unique resources for autism that can aid your child’s development even during this pandemic. Below are some activities and resources that target social skills, sensory issues, scheduling and other helpful tips for your child with autism.

1. Regularity in Daily Schedule

Parents and professionals are thoroughly aware of the fact that any individual who has autism finds it difficult to change their daily schedule or follow a new routine. Therefore, keep this in mind that if you are developing a new schedule for your child, keep it simple as well as stick with until the end of the pandemic. This can be cumbersome for parents, but I urge parents to keep the same routine everyday. 

Creating a visual schedule can help children follow it better. An example of a simple schedule is provided below that can be used as a template for many parents of children with autism:

2. Social Story for COVID-19

Sangath along with Amanda McGuinness, an organisation in India, has drafted a social story in Hindi and English that educates children with autism about COVID-19. The images provided in this social story are helpful in educating your child about coronavirus, develop good hygiene and explain why school and other places are closed during this time. 

The link to these social stories by Sangath are provided below. From here, you can download these social stories and use them to educate your child about COVID-19.

Coronavirus Social Story in Hindi

Coronavirus Social Story in English

3. Managing Sensory Issues at Home

Dysfunctional sensory systems are a common symptom of Autism as well as other developmental disabilities. Sensory Integration techniques or therapies of these senses can facilitate attention and awareness, and reduce overall arousal.  DIY sensory activities for all sensory system – visual, olfactory, oral, auditory, tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive- are all possible. Some of them are :

1. Color Mixing Sensory Bottles
2. Sensory Sniff Jars- vanilla, rose, citrus, cinnamon fragrance
3. Play a musical instrument
4. Finger Painting
5. Playing Hopscotch
6. Carrying/Lifting boxes

Read more about DIY sensory activities for autism in our previous blogs:

DIY Sensory Activities for Autism- Part I

DIY Sensory Activities for Autism- Part II

4. Stay Positive

News updates about COVID-19 can be overwhelming therefore keeping a positive mindset is an all time advice for everyone across the globe. Limit your and children’s intake of the news. Share facts about COVID-19 according to your child’s age and understanding. For you child, you are the mere source of positivity and reassurance. Try to sense their anxiety, listen to their concern, avoid being judgemental and provide them with clear information. You can also try to encourage them to stay in contact with their friends, peers and support groups by video or voice calls. 

Our last note to parents is to keep yourself as well as your children positive and healthy. Use this time to rebuild the connection with children and yourself. Ensure you and your children practise hand washing through five simple steps – wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry. You can make a visual chart of the handwashing schedule as well. Maintain a healthy diet and sleep schedule. Good health and wellness to all!

5. Happy Chant App

Download now

A unique app with features such as chanting, mindfulness, and meditation. Since compassion and mental health are more important than ever right now, we came up with the idea of creating a system that helps users cope with stress, anxiety, a lack of concentration, and much more. HappyChant is intended to bring positive change to people’s lives, offering a friendly and easy-to-use support system for you to practice the science of chanting mantras and thus, taking care of your mental and physical wellness.

References:

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neuroscience-in-translation/202003/how-explain-global-health-crisis-children-autism

 https://kfan.iheart.com/featured/mansour-s-musings/content/2020-03-15-try-this-covid-19-daily-schedule-to-keep-your-kids-from-going-stir-crazy/

 https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/flu_teaching_story_final%20%281%29.pdf

 http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autism-and-coronavirus-covid-19-993087 

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4 thoughts on “Helpful resources for Autism during Coronavirus Pandemic”

profevan98

August 29, 2022 at 9:56 pm

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profevan98

August 29, 2022 at 9:56 pm

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profevan98

August 29, 2022 at 9:55 pm

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Feeling a wide range of emotions is a very normal part of the human experience. There is no shame in being emotional, especially when life’s circumstances trigger the powerful emotions.

When a person’s emotions interfere with their relationships or one does feel overwhelming, they may worry that they are far too emotional. How emotional a person is does make a subjective judgment? There is no right or no wrong emotional reaction towards the emotional triggers.

That said, when emotions do feel out of control, it may signal an underlying problem.

In this article you will learn more about eight possible causes of heightened emotions, including both the psychological as well as the physical factors.

Causes of being Extra Emotional 

Numerous physical and mental health conditions can cause a person to feel extra emotional. These range from stress leading up to hormonal changes.

1. Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

People who have a history of trauma or are currently facing trauma may have emotional reactions that seem disproportionate to the situation. For example, a rape survivor might go on to experience panic when seeing someone who looks like their rapist or intense anger in response to news stories that are discussed about rape.

In fact, it is emphasised with varying degrees of research that anger is a common effect of trauma.  It is often suggested that the trauma coming from any severely afflicting situation may lead towards excessive anger and violence.

The relationship between the childhood trauma and moodiness are often displayed in our day-to-day encounters. This extracts the development of mood disorders such as depression and trauma-related conditions such as PTSD.

1. Mental Health Issues

Please note that numerous mental health conditions can affect a person’s emotions. Depression, for instance, may make a person feel sad or even angry. The specific symptoms may vary depending on the person’s environment and more so the social circle.

Please note that men may express more anger than sadness when they are depressed.

For instance: Bipolar disorder may cause shifts between the feelings of intense depression and feelings of intense joy, while anxiety disorders may make a person more fearful or even far more reactive.

1. Hormonal Shifts (That create havoc)

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. As such, changes in hormones especially dramatic and sudden changes may constantly affect a person’s emotions.

When one looks at people with hypothyroidism, it is been found that about 60% have experienced some level of depression. The thyroid does release thyroid hormone, but it can also indirectly influence other hormones.

Pregnancy, menopause, puberty, low or high testosterone, the use of steroids, and other factors and conditions that do shift hormones may also affect one’s emotions.

It is often depicted that a person’s menstruation or period can be variable as a reason for their excessive emotions, which never consistently or strongly support the claim in healthy people.

The variability is when people also report period-related mood shifts, suggesting that there is no consistent correlation between a person is in their menstrual cycle and their moods.

There is common interlink that is found between the premenstrual period and the negative moods. However, all the people with the premenstrual dysphoric disorder which is a mental health condition is also linked to the menstrual cycle which may thereby be experienced with the period-related mood shifts.

1. Socialization and Cultural Norms

Cultural norms help determine what level of emotional expression can be considered ‘normal’. A person’s socialization into this norm may affect how they judge their own emotions, as well as the particular emotions of others.

It is suggested that the male and the female children have different needs for emotional socialization. It does indicate that boys are taught and allowed to express more anger, while the girls are encouraged to express more emotion. This may thereby help explain why men may be more likely to display anger and less likely to view anger as an emotion.

In fact, Gender and other social factors may also affect a person’s interpretation of emotions. Gender stereotyping begins in infancy. It is further suggested that the adult caregivers are more likely to view female infants’ cries as higher pitched, even though there is no actual difference in the cries between male and female infants.

It is important for people who are concerned about their own emotions to weigh whether they are far “too emotional,” whether it is even causing actual harm, or whether their emotional expressiveness is just a mismatch/ impediment with their culture plus environment.

1. Physical Health Issues

Do note that physical health issues can affect moods in several ways. For example, the physical health problems may make daily functioning far more difficult plus challenging, depleting a person’s energy and then leading towards the cause of the moodiness.

This is seen in those with a constant exposure towards chronic pain, that one may experience the mood shifts or an unusual variable of negative emotions.

Physical health problems may also directly affect the mood by changing how the brain processes information or thereby shifting all the hormones.

Let us go deeper: People with a type of dementia can be called towards the exposure of frontotemporal dementia, for example, may have intense mood shifts. They may also experience spells of aggression or intense emotions that do lead towards certain inappropriate behaviors.

1. Unmet Physical Needs

Please take a good note that the mind and body are not separate entities. This means that the changes in a person’s physical state may affect their emotions, especially when they have less energy to manage all the stress or have a demanding physical workload.

It is considered that changes in blood sugar can occur when someone is hungry, eats lots of sugar, or has poorly controlled diabetes that may cause mood shifts. A person might feel excessively emotional or not understand why they suddenly do have intense emotions.

Many people also do feel excessively emotional when they are quite tired. However, it is important to note that even certain medical conditions, such as depression, can also make a person feel tired and moody. In fact, people who do feel chronically tired even when they get enough sleep must contact a doctor.

1. Gaslighting

Dismissing someone as excessively emotional is one way to devalue their experience and dismiss the severity of the stress they are feeling. It is especially common for women to have their emotions dismissed as an excessive display of emotions.

It is suggested that this bias against women’s emotions do cause them to wait longer for care in the emergency room. In fact, the chronic pain also suggests that doctors may view men in pain as supposedly brave while dismissing women as being excessively emotional.

People, including an individual feeling the emotion, may also dismiss an emotion based on notions of gender stereotyping.

For example, a woman has often socialized to vocalize more feelings of sadness, while men are socialized to vocalize more of anger. Some people might not view excessive anger as excessive emotion but then they view excessive sadness as a sign of being overly emotional.

1. Stress

People experiencing stress may have more mood shifts or seem to be more emotional than usual.

There are several reasons for this:

Dealing with constant stress can weaken a person’s coping skills.

People under stress may also neglect their physical needs, causing them to feel tired or hungry.

Feeling inundated can make it far more difficult to deal with even minor stressors, such as a child interrupting a conversation or a spouse calling to talk.

It is vital to note that this is a normal and common reaction to stress, and it does not mean that something is wrong with a person.

However, this very reaction can also increase the stress by triggering conflict with loved ones and other challenges.

So, what is important is finding a way to manage the stress that may prevent it from getting worse.

It is crucial to note: The potential complications and challenges of being overly emotional

When a person feels unable to manage their emotions, they may react in inappropriate ways that affect their relationships, jobs, or education.

Additionally, feeling overly emotional can be exhausting and also unpleasant. Some people may feel out of control because of intense anger or even anxiety.

Some symptoms that a person might notice due to high emotions often include:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Conflict with loved ones
• Difficulty getting or staying motivated
• Increased aches and pains
• Difficulty practicing self-care

Remedies for managing the heightened emotions

The right remedy for handling intense emotions depends on the very emotion and its cause.

Some options do include:

• Better physical care, such as exercising, eating regular meals, and getting enough sleep
• Treatment for physical health conditions
• Treatment for mental health conditions, such as medications, support groups, or psychotherapy
• Developing a strategy for managing the source of the emotion
• Better social support, including the acknowledgment that intense emotions are a common and normal reaction to stress and trauma
• Reframing certain emotions as normal rather than abnormal
• Self-care and relaxation strategies, such as deep breathing and meditation

Bottom Line

Managing Emotions is an ongoing journey which must become a way of life. It is not always situational and certain not temporary. It needs to be a permanent journey of belonging and acceptance towards oneself. Once you make something your constant practice you commit to it. This makes you better equipped to handle your emotions instead of drowning in the whirlpool of emotions.

About the Author: Ms. Trishna Patnaik

Trishna Patnaik, a BSc (in Life Sciences) and MBA (in Marketing) by qualification but an artist by choice. A self-taught artist based in Mumbai, Trishna has been practicing art for over 14 years. After she had a professional stint in various reputed corporates, she realized that she wanted to do something more meaningful. She found her true calling in her passion that is painting. Trishna is now a full-time professional painter pursuing her passion to create and explore to the fullest. She says, “It’s a road less traveled but a journey that I look forward to every day.” Trishna also conducts painting workshops across Mumbai and other metropolitan cities of India.

 Trishna is an art therapist and healer. She works with clients on a one-on-one basis in Mumbai.

Trishna fancies the art of creative writing and is dappling her hands in that too, to soak in the experience and have an engagement with readers, wanderers, and thinkers.

  

Relationships and depression can be linked. Sometimes, the relationship itself triggers someone’s depression. However, people can also experience depression even if their relationship is a happy one.

People may use the term “relationship depression” to describe depression that develops due to relationship difficulties. However, this is not a distinct medical condition.

This article will explore in more detail at the relationship depression. It will explore how relationships can affect depression and vice versa.

What is depression?

Depression is a mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is a type of mood disorder. Although some people use the word “depression” informally to describe feeling sad, depression as a medical condition is different.

People with depression can experience a number of persistent mental and physical symptoms, including:

• Feeling sad, worthless, or guilty
• Feeling irritable or angry
• Low self-esteem
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Eating more or less than usual
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Loss of interest in enjoyable activities, such as hobbies or socializing
• Loss of libido, or sex drive
• Suicidal thoughts

These symptoms can range from mild to debilitating. To receive a diagnosis of depression, these symptoms must occur most of the day or all day, nearly every day, for a consistent period of time.

There are several types of depression. Some are related to physical health conditions, such as endocrine disorders or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is related to the menstrual cycle. However, other types can be caused or exacerbated by events happening in a person’s current life or events that affected them in the past. Sometimes, relationships can be a trigger.

How can relationships affect depression?

Although relationships can be a source of contentment, they can also be a source of dissatisfaction or conflict. This can have an impact on people’s mental health.

Some examples of situations that may contribute to relationship depression include:

Infidelity

Infidelity is one potential cause of relationship-related distress. People who are in exclusive relationships can feel humiliated and betrayed if their partner is unfaithful to them. This can be emotionally traumatic.

Infidelity can also raise the risk of suicidal thoughts and symptoms that resemble those of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is seen that learning of a partner’s infidelity increases the likelihood of a depressive episode in people who were at higher risk of the condition.

Abuse

All forms of intimate partner abuse are positively correlated with new cases of depression in females. Males who experienced abuse were more likely to develop new cases of anxiety.

Although abuse can seem rare or extreme, it is actually very common. This is especially true of emotional abuse, which can include:

• Controlling, possessive, or manipulative behaviour
• Behaviour designed to subdue, punish, or break someone down
• Isolating someone from their friends and family

Long distance Relationships

Although many long-distance relationships are fulfilling, they can also be challenging. People can miss their partner during long periods apart, or they may experience anxiety about the relationship and its future.

Relationship breakdown

The breakdown of a significant relationship can cause major upheaval in a person’s life as well as difficult emotions, such as anger, loneliness, or grief. It can also mean that a person has to move out of their home, which, in some cases, means living separately from their children or pets.