Everything about depression: symptoms, causes in men and women, ways to combat it

How to determine if you have depression?

Pathology may appear after experiencing stressful situations. If there is no disorder, after the problem is resolved, the person returns to a good mood. But when the cause has been eliminated, and the person continues to feel apathy, depression and loss of strength, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist. Performance may also decrease.

You can determine the presence of depression yourself, but you should not self-medicate even at an early stage of development. This should be done by a doctor, since self-medication can only make things worse.

Depression in women often occurs postpartum, as their lives change dramatically, and sleepless nights add to their fatigue. This is where breakdowns and apathy appear.

When the pathology is in an advanced form, a person experiences the following symptoms of depression - not only bad mood and impotence, but also persistent disorders of the nervous system. There are also symptoms such as: a significant decrease in self-esteem, maladjustment in society, despondency and loss of interest in any events.

Physiologically, appetite changes, intimate needs and energy decrease, sleep and intestinal functions are disturbed (constipation, weakness, fatigue during physical and intellectual stress are observed), pain in the body (in the heart, in the muscles, in the stomach).

The patient exhibits signs of depression such as loss of interest in other people, a tendency to frequent solitude, refusal of entertainment, use of alcohol and psychotropic substances.

Mental signs of depression include difficulty concentrating, concentrating, making decisions, slowness of thinking, a pessimistic view of the future with a lack of perspective and thoughts about the meaninglessness of one's existence, suicide attempts, due to one's uselessness, helplessness, and insignificance.

Depression... what to do?

Depression

One of the most common requests when seeking psychological help is depression . Today I would like to talk a little about this unpleasant and, unfortunately, often occurring mood disorder. It brings a lot of unpleasant experiences both to those suffering from depression and to their loved ones.

Treatment of depression

Treatment of real depression - and as we will see in the article, people do not always correctly assess their condition, and sometimes call something depression that in fact is not it - so, the treatment of real depression is long-term . The more severe the depression, the more likely it is that antidepressants will be needed. A psychiatrist has the right to prescribe these medications. If you are seeking advice from a psychologist or psychological psychotherapist about true depression, then it would be correct if you are referred for additional advice to a psychiatrist.

At this point, we must immediately say that there is no need to be afraid of contacting a psychiatrist! People often have some fears like “they’ll register, and then...” - and then you won’t be able to buy a weapon, they won’t give you a driver’s license, they’ll put you in a straitjacket, a syringe in your thigh - and they’ll force you to the hospital, they’ll feed you neuroleptics until you’re a vegetable. , to work and all the neighbors will be informed that he is crazy, and so on.

Firstly, Soviet times are long gone. No one will put a “registration” stamp on your passport.
Secondly, there are severe psychiatric illnesses, and there are milder ones. There are people who are dangerous to themselves and others, and others who are not. If your cases are both the first, you will still sooner or later, one way or another, end up with a psychiatrist - but better sooner!
And thirdly, go to a private psychiatrist - this is an ordinary doctor, and don’t worry.

In the Tests section on this site, as well as at the end of the article, there will be links to tests for depression , allowing you to assess the severity of its manifestations, so if you found yourself on this page not by chance, then please take them, and, if you have severe depression - get help! Fighting depression alone can be very difficult, but with someone else you will definitely find it easier. Suicidal thoughts are a reason to contact your doctor, psychiatrist or psychotherapist as soon as possible.

Black suprematist square. Kazimir Malevich, 1915.

Depression can happen to anyone, any age, any social circle. By no means is depression something “normal, common in this difficult life.” Despite the fact that up to 80% of all patients eventually completely get rid of depression with the help of effective treatment (including, possibly, medication!), only half of the patients seek psychological or psychotherapeutic help. Unfortunately, many people believe that depression is a sign of “weakness of character,” that it’s “not serious,” and that they can cope “somehow on their own.” Please remember that depression is a disease. With proper treatment, a person can return to normal life.

So what is depression?

Most people's mood changes throughout the day - sometimes getting better, sometimes worse. They experience feelings of joy, sadness, irritation, fun, etc. about the life situations happening around them, and at the same time, these feelings do not have any significant impact on the quality of their life as a whole. Well, feelings and feelings. If you ask them to draw a graph of how their mood changed during the day, it will most likely be something like this:

But people suffering from a mood disorder (which includes depression) usually remain in a constantly low mood for several days, weeks, or months.

And their mood graph will look something like this:

As a result, a bad mood constantly affects all contacts with the outside world and prevents normal functioning.

Depression happens:

monopolar, from the words “mono-” = “one” and “polar” = “pole” - that is, one pole, one side;
bipolar, respectively “bi-” = “two”, that is, two poles, two sides.

Unipolar depression is when there are relatively long periods of depression, loss of moral strength, extremely low self-esteem, feelings of guilt, etc. That is, in a broad sense, as we usually call it, simply “depression.”

Bipolar depression is when periods of depression alternate with periods of unbridled activity, euphoria, lasting at least a week. This article is about unipolar depression, although much of what will be said applies to bipolar depression as well.

Numbers about depression:

Every year, 5 to 10% of the adult population suffers from a severe form of unipolar depression;
Almost 20% of people will experience an episode of depression at some point in their lives;
A depressive episode occurs at least once in 26% of women and only 12% of men.

The course of depression may vary from person to person; some may have more severe symptoms than others. But in any case, depression reduces productivity and reduces the feeling of satisfaction with life. Additionally, symptoms of depression typically span five areas: emotions, motivation, behavior, thinking, and physical health. Let's look at them separately.

Emotional symptoms of depression

Depression is accompanied by feelings of sadness and depression, devastation, humiliation, etc. People feel unhappy; nothing can make them laugh or bring them joy. Usually depression is associated with the color black: black melancholy, a black period in life.

Changes in motivation in depression

As a rule, when you are depressed, you don’t want to do anything: you are not attracted to either old, long-known activities or new and seemingly interesting things. People suffering from depression have to force themselves to: go to work, communicate with people, eat, and perform normal daily activities. Sometimes you can hear the opinion from the average person that these people are “simply lazy or capricious,” and that if they “try hard enough, they will be able to force themselves to live normally.” Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. People suffering from depression find it very difficult to even just want to “go to work normally.”

Depression and behavior

When people are depressed, they are less active, less productive, spend more time alone, and may stay in bed for long periods of time. In addition, there may be slowness of movements or even speech, a quiet voice.

Changes in thinking with depression

Depression is accompanied by a drop in self-esteem, and people begin to evaluate themselves negatively, to the point of extremes: they are sincerely convinced that they are incompetent, unwanted, inferior. As a rule, they tend to notice and acutely blame themselves for all negative events (even if these events have absolutely nothing to do with them), and, conversely, they very rarely notice any of their achievements and successes. And if they do notice, they tend to downplay their significance. A certain kind of “devaluation” filter is triggered: “everything I have achieved is complete nonsense.”

An important component of depression is a pessimistic view of yourself, the world and the people around you: “Nothing good has happened, is not happening, and is unlikely to happen.” “I can’t change anything, so there’s no point in trying.”

Often, with depression, there is a real decrease in the functions of thinking: memory and concentration are weakened, and forgetfulness occurs.

Physical symptoms of depression

Sometimes it happens that depression is first diagnosed as a physical illness: people complain of headaches, problems with digestion, problems with sleep, dizziness, and general malaise. You may lose your appetite. When people with depression wake up in the morning, they still feel tired.

Causes of depression

There are many factors that can influence the onset of depression. Moreover, some people “need” several factors to coincide or happen, while for others one is “enough”. And sometimes it happens that depression occurs without obvious reasons. Different factors may play different roles in the onset and development of depression.

Biological causes: insufficient activity of neurotransmitters in the brain; high levels of the hormone cortisol (secreted by the adrenal glands, for example, during periods of stress); high levels of the hormone melatonin (released when there is insufficient or reduced amount of sunlight).
Habitual negative “thinking styles”: So-called “negative thinking” and low self-esteem can contribute to the development of depression. According to M. Seligman, the central place in depression can be occupied by the so-called. learned helplessness is the idea that you are unable to control negative events in life because there is something wrong, global and persistent about you. For example, “What happened is my fault, I spoil everything I touch, and it will always be like this.” This style of thinking can lead to feelings of hopelessness, in which case the risk of depression is quite high. According to A. Beck, there is a cognitive depressive triad: errors in the perception of the situation, oneself (one’s experience) and one’s future.
Gender differences: Depression occurs almost twice as often in women as in men. Moreover, it is associated with hormonal changes in the body at the onset of menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. For some women, depression can be triggered by severe stress from fulfilling incompatible social roles. Postpartum depression occurs within 4 weeks after childbirth in 10-30% of women who give birth. It is necessary to distinguish postpartum depression from postpartum melancholia , which occurs in most women (up to 80% according to studies by Najman and Horovitz) as a result of a dramatically changed life situation, sleep disturbance, additional stress and emotional fatigue. Women may experience bouts of crying, anxiety, insomnia, and sad mood. As a rule, postpartum melancholy will go away on its own within a few days or weeks, when the woman and her body adapt to new conditions. Postpartum depression does not go away so quickly, and its symptoms (deep sadness, despair, tearfulness, fear, feelings of incompetence, etc.) can last several months.
Depression can accompany other diseases, such as eating disorders, cardiovascular diseases or diabetes.
Taking medications: Some medications can cause depression as a side effect (so-called depressogenic medications). These include some medications for the cardiovascular system, hypertension, hormonal, psychotropic medications, etc.
Genetic causes: If there is a history of depression in the family, the likelihood of its occurrence increases.
Difficult, stressful events in life: divorce, financial problems, death of loved ones, etc. According to research by Kohn & Kendler, significantly more stressful events occurred in the lives of people suffering from depression in the month before the onset of the disorder than in the lives of the average person during the same period.

Treatment of depression

Like many other psychological disorders, the approach to treating depression must be comprehensive. From a biological point of view - prescribing antidepressants; from the point of view of psychotherapy, it is possible to work with various psychological models: from the point of view of the psychodynamic approach (psychoanalytic theories) - working through early traumas and losses, one’s weaknesses, dependence on others, etc. From the point of view of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy works on inadequate irrational attitudes, negative thinking styles, identifying new sources of joy in life and returning to old ones. Sociocultural models (eg, interpersonal psychotherapy) will deal with interpersonal role conflicts and shifts, interpersonal deficits, etc. that contribute to depression. In any case, you need to start with consulting a psychologist.

What are the conclusions?

Depression is not “laziness,” “weakness of character,” or “whims.” This is a disease that needs to be treated.
Depression can be caused (provoked) by various factors and causes in various combinations. Therefore, treatment for depression should ideally be comprehensive. A combination of medications and psychotherapy works best.
Among other factors, a negative thinking style can contribute to the development of depression.
Depression can threaten life and health, as depression can cause thoughts of suicide.
In most cases, with adequate treatment, symptoms of depression can be reduced, if not eliminated.

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Causes of depression

The appearance of the disorder is not affected by age category or social class. Most often, depression appears against the background of stressful negative situations, with constant failures - then a person falls into despair from the inability to somehow influence the course of events.

But in addition to the social factor, severe psychological trauma can also lead to the development of depression, for example: family breakdown, death of a loved one, serious illness that affects not only the patient himself, but also his relatives. In this case, depression is called reactive.

The likelihood of depression increases with hormonal changes: during adolescence, after childbirth, with the onset of menopause, and also in old age. Can affect you emotionally and physically.

Another factor is brain damage and somatic pathologies. Patients who have suffered a stroke, suffer from a chronic lack of blood circulation in the brain, or after a traumatic brain injury often suffer from depression.

The causes of depression can manifest themselves as a result of side effects of medications (benzodiazepines, corticosteroids). Often this condition disappears on its own after stopping the medication.

Types of depression

Neurotic – people with low self-esteem, insecure, and straightforward people often suffer. They constantly experience a sense of injustice, and this is where apathy arises.
Clinical – bad mood, loss of energy, problems with appetite and sleep. Suicidal tendencies are often observed. This clinical picture can last at least 2 weeks.
Vegetative – manifested by such symptoms as tachycardia, drop in blood pressure, tinnitus.
Psychogenic - develops after severe psychological trauma - divorce, loss of a loved one, dismissal from work, betrayal, etc. Accompanied by mood swings, anxiety, and excessive sensitivity.
Masked - often the disease manifests itself secretly. Apathy, solitude and decreased interest in life can only appear as negativity and fatigue accumulate.
Asthenic – the condition is manifested by fatigue, sleep disturbance, emotional imbalance due to accumulated difficulties, stress, physical and psychological stress.
Postpartum – usually occurs 10-14 days after delivery. The young mother shows an increased sense of excitement for the baby, and constant lack of sleep and fatigue further worsens the situation. In addition, the mother's condition is also affected by hormonal levels.
Somatogenic – attacks occur due to disturbances in the endocrine system, the formation and proliferation of neoplasms, both benign and malignant.
Alcoholic depression – depression is accompanied by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. The post-alcoholic state is accompanied by an uncontrollable craving for alcohol and an increase in withdrawal symptoms when giving up alcohol.
Bipolar – the patient experiences a change from euphoria to a depressive, manic disorder. But in the period between these phenomena, caused by various factors: stress, loss of means of popularity, etc., a person lives a normal life and does not show symptoms of the disease.

Signs of severe depression

During deep depression, a change occurs in the functioning of the brain: the biochemical and physiological processes of nerve cells proceed differently. Brain substances or, as they are also called, “hormones of happiness” - dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine - are responsible for a person’s mood and activity. If brain activity is impaired, then apathy occurs and a lack of energy occurs. In order to prevent a person from losing interest in life and begin proper treatment on time, you should thoroughly know the manifestations of severe depression.

If a man:

feels guilty;
thinking about suicide;
is in a depressed mood;
not active and inoperative;
suffers from low self-esteem;
can't concentrate;
sees his future gloomily and pessimistically;
does not show interest in usual activities, family;
aggressive;
sleeps poorly;
suffers from hallucinations;
delirious;
feels chronic pain in different parts of the body;
significantly loses (and in rare cases gains) weight;
inhibited or, conversely, excited,

...then there is a high probability that he is deeply depressed. In any case, a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment.

You should not assume that the disease will go away on its own; the consequences of severe depression can be very serious. Constant anxiety and fear can eventually turn into manic forms, which is why it is so important to consult a specialist when you notice the first symptoms.

In our distance learning course, it is possible to obtain the profession of a clinical/crisis psychologist and be ready to professionally provide immediate psychotherapeutic support to people in an acute crisis situation and suffering from severe depression.

How does depression develop in stages?

At first, the patient experiences a depressed state, which he himself attributes to fatigue, a hard work week, drinking alcohol and other reasons. At the same time, he wants to retire from others and at the same time is afraid of being left alone.

Then the stage of acceptance occurs: awareness of a dangerous condition occurs, the problem gets worse, the intensity of negative thoughts increases, the body and immune system malfunction.

The third stage - in the absence of adequate therapy, the patient loses control over himself, aggression increases.

Diagnosis and treatment of depression

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To identify the disease, experienced specialists use short questionnaires - screening tools to identify symptoms: anxiety, anhedonia (loss of pleasure in life), suicidal tendencies. Thanks to this, it is possible to determine whether the patient has chronic depression, symptoms and methods of treating depression, what form it is and its severity.

To fully understand the picture of the disease, the doctor needs to become familiar with the symptoms that indicate depression, and not another psychological disorder.

To treat depression, you can contact the following specialists:

Psychiatrist - treatment of depression with hypnosis, medications for acute mental pathologies - schizophrenia, mental retardation, epilepsy, as well as other less severe illnesses - neuroses, depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
Psychotherapist - treatment is carried out through special therapy, which involves explanations, conversations, and searching for solutions to problems together with the patient.
Psychologist – advises the patient, cannot prescribe medications or examinations. Clinical psychologists use modern testing methods to identify problems that cause psychological disorder.

The main directions of therapy in treatment are psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, social therapy.

Cooperation and trust in the doctor are noted as a necessary condition for the effectiveness of treatment. It is important to strictly follow the prescribed treatment regimen, visit your doctor regularly, and give a detailed report of your condition.

Current data on the disease

Depression in the modern world is one of the rapidly progressing diseases. The World Health Organization is already comparing it to an epidemic. It is becoming increasingly easy to become depressed. Statistics reveal the disease in more than 350 million people in the world (about 5% of the total population). Moreover, the incidence rate today is increasing exponentially. The disease arises for many reasons, including socio-economic ones. The Baltic countries, developed European and Asian countries are most affected by the disorder. Residents of megacities are more likely to suffer from mental disorders. For example, according to the Psychiatric Association in America, women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men. In Sweden, illness becomes the main reason for issuing sick leave, just as in the United States. Almost half of people suffering from depression do not consider it necessary to see a doctor; the rest of those who seek help end up with a psychiatrist.

Today, depression is one of the leading causes of disability and disability. If earlier this disease mainly affected 30-40-year-old residents, today the main signs of the disease are often observed among young people under 25 years of age.

The main danger of the disease is that patients with mental disorder are more likely to attempt suicide. According to WHO, half of people with endogenous depression, as well as a quarter with its psychogenic form, attempt suicide. More than half of all suicides were committed by people who suffered from depression.

Drugs to treat depression

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To treat the disorder, antidepressants are used for anxious depression or when the pathology is accompanied by lethargy. Antidepressants are prescribed directly by a doctor and are not recommended to be taken on your own. The effect of many antidepressants appears two weeks after administration; their dosage for the patient is determined individually.

Bipolar depression is treated with insomnia. While it has a negative effect on a healthy person, in a patient with a psychological disorder, sleep deprivation, on the contrary, brings the psyche back to normal.

Moderate or mild forms of depression require the prescription of drugs on a light, natural basis (herbal).