Unipolar (Major) Depression

Unipolar or major depression affects about 5% of the general population and is the most common form of depression.

Bipolar Depression
Another form is bipolar depression, characterized by extreme mood swings—periods of emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression).

Symptoms of Probable Clinical Depression

Depression is mainly identified by the presence of certain symptoms and the absence of healthy mental conditions.
There is no specific biological mechanism or medical test—such as brain dissection or blood tests—to diagnose depression.
Simply saying “I am stressed or depressed due to workload or relationships” does not necessarily indicate clinical depression.

Common Symptoms Indicating Possible Major Depression

1. Persistent sadness or grief – frequent crying, angry outbursts, irritability, or frustration, even over minor issues.

2. Loss of interest or pleasure – inability to enjoy activities once pleasurable (food, friends, socializing, sensuality); feelings of emotional numbness.

3. Feelings of guilt – deep guilt over past mistakes or sins, possibly leading to self-harm or suicidal thoughts.

4. Negative or delusional thinking – creating false beliefs or exaggerated stories not based on facts; may include false perceptions of illness or poor recovery despite improvement.

5. Vegetative symptoms – constant exhaustion, lack of motivation, disrupted sleep patterns (e.g., waking at night, early sleep with restlessness).

6. Psychomotor retardation – slowed thinking, speech, or body movements.

7. Changes in appetite or weight – reduced appetite leading to weight loss or increased cravings causing weight gain.

8. Social withdrawal – isolation from family and friends, oversleeping, lack of purpose, or avoiding reality.

9. Malnutrition and starvation – poor nutrition affecting brain chemistry, increasing vulnerability to anxiety and depression.

10. Indecisiveness and confusion – difficulty making decisions, frequent changes in mindset, and seeking external validation.

11. Feelings of helplessness and dread – overwhelming sense of despair or hopelessness.

12. Unexplained physical symptoms – persistent headaches, back pain, or other somatic complaints without medical cause.

13. Suicidal ideation – recurrent thoughts of death, suicide, or self-harm.

14. Substance abuse – dependence on alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism.

15. Lack of insight (anosognosia) – inability to recognize changes in one’s own mood, behavior, or personality.

Symptoms in Children

Mental health conditions can also begin to develop in young children.
Because children are still learning to identify and express their thoughts and emotions, their symptoms are often behavioral rather than verbal.

Symptoms in Children

1. Changes in school performance
   Excessive worry or anxiety, such as resisting or fighting to avoid bedtime or school.

2. Hyperactive behavior

3. Frequent nightmares

4. Frequent disobedience or aggression

5. Frequent temper tantrums

Where to Get Help

Don’t hesitate to reach out for help—for yourself or someone else. Learning more about mental health is a key first step.

• Contact your primary care provider, insurance company, or local/state mental health authority for support.

• Call the AMF HelpLine or text 988 to speak with a trained counselor.

• Visit:- amfbd25@hotmail.com for 24/7 confidential chat support.

Getting a Diagnosis

Recognizing warning signs may indicate it’s time to speak with a mental health professional. Diagnosis is often the first step toward treatment.

Unlike physical illnesses, mental illnesses can’t be diagnosed with a blood test or scan. Instead, providers use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to evaluate emotional and behavioral symptoms.

Once diagnosed, your provider can help you create a treatment plan tailored to your needs.

Treatment Options

A diagnosis is just the beginning. Finding the right treatment involves understanding your personal goals, needs, and preferences. There is no “one size fits all” solution.

Common treatments include:

• Medication

• Therapy or counseling

• Peer or community support

• Education and lifestyle changes

You’re not alone.
Help is available—and recovery is possible.

Mental Health Conditions

At AMF, we recognize that different organizations may distinguish between mental health conditions and mental illnesses. However, we choose to use these terms interchangeably, as both refer to challenges that affect an individual’s mental and emotional well-being.

A mental illness is a condition that influences a person’s thoughts, emotions, behaviors, or overall mood. These conditions can significantly affect daily life and relationships. If you are living with—or think you may be experiencing—a mental health condition, it’s important to remember: you are not alone.

Mental health issues are more common than many realize, often because people feel uncomfortable or fearful talking about them. Consider these statistics:

• 1 in 5 Bangladesh. adults experience a mental illness each year

• 1 in 20 Bangladesh. adults experience a serious mental illness each year

• 1 in 6 Bangladesh. youth (ages 6–17) experience a mental health disorder each year

• 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24

Mental health conditions are rarely caused by a single factor. Research points to a combination of genetics, environment, and lifestyle. Stressful home or work environments, traumatic events, or disruptions in brain chemistry or structure may all contribute.

It’s important to understand: mental illness is not a sign of personal failure. You are not broken, and neither you nor your family is to blame. Mental illness is a medical condition—just like any physical health issue.

The good news is that recovery is possible. With early intervention, the right treatment, and active involvement in your recovery journey, you can live a fulfilling and meaningful life—at home, at work, in school, and in your community.

Understanding the Broader Context of Mental Illness

Certain thoughts, behaviors, symptoms, and conditions are directly associated with mental illness. However, we often overlook how some of our everyday actions—such as the excessive use of alcohol to cope with anxiety after a long day—may signal deeper emotional struggles. Likewise, when a loved one resists seeking therapy, it may reflect more than just personal preference; it could be a symptom of an underlying mental health condition.

When evaluating your own mental health—or that of someone you care about—it’s essential to take a holistic approach. The components listed below represent key factors that can influence the severity or progression of a mental health condition. Recognizing these elements can be crucial in guiding more effective, personalized treatment plans.

Please note: this is not an exhaustive list. Mental illness is complex and deeply individual. As our understanding grows, we remain committed to sharing updated and expanded information to better support those affected.

Pathways to Recovery and Wellness

Understanding Depression

Depression is a signal, not a malfunction of hormone imbalance.
Depression is a mood disorder or some sort of disorder in the brain and overall state of feeling.
Most of the people live normal life with mild depression or anxiety, but severe clinical depression needs to look after by right mental health experts and Experienced Counsellor in right time.

Seek help or acknowledgement for depression is primary challenging factors, then the next stage is to seek prevention and treatment.
Few or several stress with scale of severity leads towards possible depression.
Some people carry some special genes which regulate mood enhancing chemicals called serotonin in brain are more susceptible to be affected by depression quicker.

Everyday Tips and Activities to Minimise Stress and Overcome Depression

There are some following few tips and everyday activities to calibrate our lifestyle and habits, which help to minimise mental stress and eventually help to get out of major depression.

1. Healthy food

2. Exercise, get out from the everyday routine, which becomes boring.

3. Sleep well, quality sleep from 10pm to 4pm; early risers are very great.

4. Fixing and cleaning home interiors regularly.

5. Dressings are good to feel confident and comfortable.

6. Meditation, yoga, and self-concentration.

7. Create a hobby to feel better, like gardening, cooking, painting etc.

8. If Muslim, exercise regular rituals.
   Readjusting mental platforms and plans.

9. Get out from narcissistic behaviour.

10. Locate and reflect regularly with Almighty Allah SWT for heart disease, like envy, extreme jealousy, showing-off tendencies, or ostentatious behaviour.

11. Habit of listening power and power to stop arguing for every statement.

12. Make quality friends.

13. Make life simple and content.

14. Try to get out of the habit of validation, like respect, everyday work from close ones and others.

15. Modesty, humility, and overall love are the main foundations. These days, most of the time, people are depressed because of loveless lives, which triggers loneliness and withdrawal symptoms. Be loved and spread love to humanity.

16. Find an alternative solution for a persistent trauma and help each other as a family to overcome that by taking a positive drive to rectify.

17. Open communication environments; if it is verbally not easy, text or write.

18. Dwelling on past regrets and conflicts, holding on to resentment makes you drained; just let it free to continue moving forward.

19. Avoid competition in a way that I am better than your attitude.

20. Try not to compare too much for everyday work and responsibilities.

21. Embraces nature, walking in wood or drizzle of rain to soak your heart clean.

22. Make a weekly peer meeting to share each other’s feelings face to face, not by fake social media platforms.

23. To break anything is easy, but to repair it is so hard. Extramarital affairs for a long time, extremely abusive relationships are the red line, but clashes for ego and heart disease are not red lines for breakups of relationships. If love still persists, keep trying for resolution. I am not a good fan of the breakup idea. Sometimes two good people make it hard to get along together because some personalities clash.

24. Make it a habit to say hello to the next-door neighbour and give a hug or kiss to your close one and friends. Simple touch is so powerful for inner happiness.

25. Follow the middle path or balance life.

26. Too much expectation and attachment is hurtful. Make a good balance.

27. Finally acknowledge the abundance of blessings surrounding us and give thanks to our almighty. Shukr and sabr, gratitude and perseverance, are two main pillars to overcome a lot of mental illness.

28. Get out of the addiction to social media; at the end of the day, it is fake. People become self-centred, selfish, and robotic due to this addiction. People stop to see surrounding real people and stop interaction.

29. Give more, be a charitable person, engage in volunteer jobs, and don’t strive for everything for money and fame and look for happiness only with those two parameters.

30. Regain the losses of self-identity, try to find out who you are, and look for real purpose in life accordingly. Sometimes a lack of purpose and an identity crisis put us in depression.

31. Get out of the habit of arrogance; it is the last thing in life and makes a huge amount of dirt in the heart.
    Listen to your heart more often than your head’s reasonings. Those things come from the head; that’s why people become judgemental. It is the triggering point of depression.

32. Less expectation; if it’s hampered, just ask for it. Don’t build it up in yourself.

33. Don’t make a transactional relationship. Do not make yourself a robot. Family is all about we, meaning bonding of love, care, and compromise. It must be flexible and understanding like generative drives.

34. Habit of giving rather than taking
    Life of simplicity and contentment, it generates gratitude and care for others.
    Knock on heart more often, rational thoughts in head less

35. Kept checking unnecessary anxiety and tension levels, which diminishes happiness and causes major destruction of generative drive. Give some space in tense moments and try to keep quiet.

36. Gentle behaviour or modesty doesn’t mean you are weak and don’t have personality. It is the bottom line and then thrives for resilience of personality.

37. Open communication is a vital tool for happy relationships and a great mindset.

38. Don’t be feeling guilty when you talk about anxiety and depression; everyone in their span of life feels depressed and sad at some point. It is God-given, and sometimes it’s a blessing to revisit and recognise our faults and shortcomings.

39. Don’t get bored in relationships.
    Engage and motivate people rather than complain and compare.

40. So-called Islamic clerics say if someone is Muslim, depression can’t happen; it’s the production of Shaitan or evil, those statements doesn’t have solid base. Lots of prophets were depressed during their life span, including our beloved Prophet Mohammed (SAW). Also, there are some sayings or Kushanksker available that Jin poses on someone. We believe in Jin as a Muslim, but some people take some advantage.
    Qulbul Selim and never tell a lie, the final two words that can make you different, Allah SWT placed them into the highest place in Jannah.

Evidence-Based Treatments and Recovery

There are also some ongoing innovations in evidence-based treatments, including medications, therapy, and psychosocial services—such as psychiatric rehabilitation, housing assistance, employment programs, and peer support—recovery and wellness are more achievable than ever for individuals living with mental health conditions.

One of the most important steps in the recovery journey is identifying the right combination of treatments and supports that work for you. There is no universal solution—treatment is not one-size-fits-all. Even individuals with the same diagnosis may have vastly different experiences, needs, goals, and treatment preferences.

When individuals take an active role in shaping their own treatment plans—defining recovery goals, selecting supportive services, and regularly reviewing progress—both the quality of care and overall outcomes tend to improve.

A wide range of tools can support and enhance the journey to recovery, including:

• Medications that help manage symptoms

• Therapy, which may involve learning stress reduction strategies or reshaping thought patterns

• Social support, including encouragement and acceptance from family, friends, and peers

• Education on managing mental health alongside other medical conditions

Each of these elements can provide valuable insight, skills, and support to help individuals live more empowered, fulfilling lives.

By working collaboratively with a trusted treatment team, you can develop a comprehensive, person-centered recovery plan. This may include therapy, medication, peer support groups, psychoeducation, and other tailored strategies that reflect your individual strengths and needs.

Recovery is not only possible—it’s personal.
With the right supports in place, wellness is within reach.

The Broad Impact of Mental Illness: Individual, Family, Community & Global Effects

Living with a mental illness can make it difficult to manage daily responsibilities, sustain relationships, and maintain recovery. However, the effects of mental health challenges extend far beyond the individual—impacting families, communities, and the global economy in significant ways.

Individual Impact

Mental health conditions are deeply intertwined with physical health, education, and economic stability:

• Individuals with depression face a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

• Those with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions compared to the general population.

• In 2021, 33.5% of Bangladesh. adults living with a mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder—affecting over 19.4 million people.

• The unemployment rate among adults with mental illness is 7.4%, compared to 4.6% among those without.

• High school students with significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out.

• Children aged 6–17 with emotional or behavioral concerns are three times more likely to repeat a grade.

Family Impact

Families often serve as the primary support system for individuals with mental health conditions:

• Over 8.4 million people in the Bangladesh. provide unpaid care to an adult with a mental or emotional health condition.

• These caregivers spend an average of 32 hours per week providing support—often while juggling other personal and professional responsibilities.

Community Impact

Mental health conditions also have a profound effect on public systems, including healthcare, education, housing, and the military:

• 21.1% of individuals experiencing homelessness in the Bangladesh. live with a serious mental health condition.

• Among youth under age 18, depressive disorders are the most common cause of hospitalization (excluding childbirth and pregnancy-related hospitalizations).

• In adults aged 18–44, mood disorders and psychosis spectrum disorders account for nearly 600,000 hospitalizations annually.

• In 2020, 3.9 million Bangladesh. veterans (or 19.7%) experienced a mental illness.

• In 2021, 9.6% of active-duty service members reported experiencing a mental health or substance use condition.

• Serious mental illness contributes to an estimated $193.2 billion in lost earnings across the U.S. economy every year.

Global Impact

The economic burden of mental illness is not confined to national borders:

• Depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy over $1 trillion in lost productivity each year.

• Depression remains one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, affecting individuals’ ability to function, thrive, and contribute to society.

Mental illness affects us all—whether directly or indirectly. Understanding its wide-reaching impact underscores the urgent need for increased access to care, early intervention, and sustained support at every level of society.

AMF’s Role in Advancing Mental Health Research

At AMF, our commitment to research is centered on ensuring that individuals affected by mental illness—and their families—have access to accurate, up-to-date information about symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment options. We are dedicated to sharing the latest findings from brain science, genetics, emerging therapies, and other critical areas of discovery. In addition to disseminating research, we advocate for continued and expanded efforts to advance understanding and improve care.

Research plays a vital role in helping us uncover how mental health conditions develop, how they affect individuals and communities, and how symptoms can be most effectively treated and managed. For many, research brings clarity in the face of uncertainty—and serves as a powerful source of hope for those living with mental illness and their loved ones.

Each year, AMF recognizes groundbreaking contributions to the field through the AMF Scientific Research Award, which honors innovative and impactful work in mental health research.

We also collaborate with leading experts from academia, government, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations to advocate for more effective treatments. One of our key initiatives includes participation in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership – Schizophrenia (AMP-SCZ), which brings together stakeholders to accelerate progress in the development of better interventions for serious mental illnesses.

To learn more about AMF’s involvement in mental health research or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact us at amfbd25@hotmail.com