What is depression?
When doctors talk about depression, they are talking about a condition called major depression. Patients with major depression experience the following symptoms all day long, almost every day for at least 2 weeks in a row.
If you have depression, you may also have headaches, pain in other parts of your body, or problems with digestion or sex life. An older person with depression may have difficulty understanding simple messages or requests made to them.
Symptoms of depression:
- lack of interest in activities that were previously enjoyable.
- Feeling sad or empty.
- Tearfulness, causeless crying.
- A feeling of inhibition or, conversely, a feeling of restlessness and the inability to sit in one place.
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
- Rapid weight gain or loss.
- Thoughts about death or suicide.
- Difficulty thinking, remembering, or concentrating on current activities.
- Difficulty making everyday decisions.
- Trouble sleeping, especially in the early morning hours or feeling sleepy throughout the day.
- Constant feeling of fatigue.
- Feelings of emotional numbness, sometimes to the point of being completely unable to cry.
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.
What causes depression?
In all likelihood, the development of depression is associated with a violation of chemical metabolism in the brain, which in turn causes a deterioration in the communication of brain cells with each other. There is also a genetic predisposition to the development of depression. Depression can be associated with certain events in your life, such as the death of a loved one, divorce or job loss. Taking certain types of medications, abusing alcohol or drugs, or having an underlying medical condition can also lead to depression. Depression is NOT a result of weakness of character, laziness or lack of willpower.
Myth #4: “Alcohol relieves depression”
Alcohol while intoxicated can ease your mental state. But then it only gets worse. For many, depression from alcohol only intensifies. Alcohol itself causes it: in the pair “alcoholism – depression”, each of the diseases doubles the risk of developing the other, and the ability of the first disease to a greater extent to cause the appearance of the second has been proven than vice versa.
Alcohol impairs cognitive functions that are typically impaired in depression, such as memory and attention. This is perhaps the most brutal psychoactive substance known, and it affects the brain much worse than many illegal drugs.
If depression is not treated, the patient may experience irreversible structural changes in the brain, for example, hippocampal atrophy, and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease greatly increases.
Therefore, depression must be treated as quickly as possible to reduce the possibility of dementia. Another consequence of advanced depression is decreased ability to work and an increased likelihood of premature death.
How can depression be diagnosed?
If you have symptoms of depression, be sure to tell your doctor about it, this is the only way you can get effective help. Don't think your doctor can tell you're depressed based on your appearance. The sooner you seek help, the faster you will get rid of depression.
If you tell your doctor how you are feeling, he or she may ask some clarifying questions about your symptoms, your health, and your family's medical history. Your doctor may also order some tests and perform a general examination.
How is depression treated?
Depression is treated with medication or a special type of counseling called psychotherapy. Sometimes these methods are combined.
What about drug therapy?
Several types of medications can be used to treat depression. These drugs are called antidepressants, and they have proven themselves very well. These drugs correct the chemical imbalance in brain cells that leads to depression.
Antidepressants work differently for different people. Each of them also has its own side effects. Therefore, if one of the antidepressants is not suitable for you or is not effective enough, it is quite possible that another drug from this group will help you. Improvement may occur after 1 week of treatment with an antidepressant, but the full effect is usually achieved after 6 to 8 weeks of treatment. Side effects usually occur at the beginning of treatment, but usually go away after a few weeks.
How long should I take the medications?
The length of treatment depends on the type of depression you have. Your doctor will likely prescribe you a course of therapy lasting 4 to 6 months or more. The duration of treatment should be sufficient to reduce the risk of relapse of depression. Be sure to discuss all aspects of your drug treatment with your doctor.
Depression, bipolar, schizophrenia: a guide to mental disorders
Relationships with “border guards” are always difficult: they are extremely emotional and impulsive, and a few random words may be enough for the partner to turn from a savior into an enemy in their eyes. And in anger, people with borderline disorder can be terrible both for others, attacking them with abuse or even fists, and, above all, for themselves: almost everyone has, if not attempted suicide, then seriously self-harmed.
The origins of the disease usually lie in childhood, in a lack of parental attention and support. And this is not necessarily direct violence: if the mother often leaves the baby alone and does not react to his crying, he learns that the attention of others must be won through battle.
The disorder is considered treatable. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy has proven itself best, as it provides skills in understanding and controlling one’s emotions.
Narcissism
Hundreds of books have been written about narcissism, and it is seen as the cause of many bad actions, but in itself it is not a mental disorder. Narcissistic traits are common to most people, and they are what make us ambitious and push us to climb the career ladder. The diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is made quite rarely when an obsession with external success makes a normal social life impossible.
In the American Manual of Mental Disorders, NPD is characterized by grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy that begins in adolescence and affects all areas of life. There is no such disorder in the classification adopted in Russia, perhaps due to distrust of psychoanalysis, on which the very concept of narcissism is based.
Narcissists spend all their energy in the struggle for recognition, but this desire for perfection is caused by far from positive experiences: a person creates an impeccable external image, because he is endlessly ashamed of his real self. An inflated ego is designed to protect a very vulnerable personality. In an effort to meet society's expectations, the narcissist ceases to understand what he is like and what he really wants, which often leads to depression.
There is no cure for narcissism, as psychotherapy has proven to be effective. The problem is that the patient is afraid to admit imperfection even to himself, not to mention an unfamiliar psychologist. However, a person can consciously strive to protect the feelings of loved ones and not increase his self-esteem at their expense.
ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasingly heard in schools: it affects up to 10% of children, and it greatly complicates the educational process. Such guys are noisy, impulsive, disobedient, they cannot concentrate on tasks and sit calmly at their desk. The criteria for ADHD are quite vague, which is why it is called a syndrome and not a full-fledged disease. ADHD is often attributed to completely normal childhood restlessness or lack of upbringing.
What is psychotherapy?
During a psychotherapy session, you discuss with your family doctor, psychotherapist or psychiatrist certain events that are happening in your life. The emphasis may be on your feelings, hopes or relationships. You can also focus on your behavior, how it affects you, and what you can change about it. A course of psychotherapy usually lasts from 8 to 20 sessions.
Will I have to go to the hospital?
Depression is usually treated without hospitalization. Inpatient treatment is required if you have comorbidities that may interfere with treatment or if you are at risk of suicide.
How long does depression last?
It depends on how soon you receive qualified help. Left untreated, depression can last for weeks, months, or even years. The main danger of untreated depression is suicide. Treatment can help relieve depression in 6 to 8 weeks or less.
Is it possible to get out of severe depression on your own?
We found out that in severe cases of depression, a visit to the doctor is a mandatory step, since the risk of serious consequences is too great. But it is possible to support yourself or a loved one during the treatment process independently using simple methods.
What actions should be taken to get out of depression?
- Isolate or significantly reduce external stimuli. To do this, you can take sick leave or leave from work.
- Lead a sober lifestyle. Even alcohol-containing medications (for example, Corvalol or motherwort) should be excluded.
- Monitor your sleep schedule. You should try to fall asleep before 11 pm and wake up without the help of an alarm clock, giving your body the opportunity to choose the time of awakening.
- Provide natural bright light in the room (except at night), because good lighting has a positive effect on the psyche.
- Eat properly and regularly, make sure there is enough protein and vitamins in your diet.
- Do not neglect water procedures. A contrast shower in the morning and a warm bath with pleasant soothing aromas in the evening are very helpful in treating depression.
But the main thing to remember is that even the most severe depression is a reversible condition. You should be patient and not stop in your actions to save yourself or your loved ones.
Overcoming depression:
- Limit yourself. Don't expect to complete everything you were able to do before. Make a realistic work plan.
- Don't give too much importance to all your negative thoughts, such as self-blame or expecting failure. Such thoughts are part of depression. They will disappear as soon as you get rid of depression.
- Participate in activities that give you pleasure or give you a feeling of achieving a goal.
- Avoid making important decisions while depressed. If you need to make this decision, ask someone you trust to help you.
- Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and drugs. Both make depression worse, and both can interact dangerously with the antidepressants you are taking.
- Physical activity appears to cause chemical reactions in the body that improve your mood. Exercising 4 to 6 times a week for at least 30 minutes is an excellent achievement. However, even less activity can be beneficial.
- Try not to be disappointed. It takes some time for you to be completely free from depression.
Myth No. 5: “People shouldn’t be put on antidepressants, it’s dangerous”
This phrase can often be heard from doctors of other specialties. Not psychiatrists, but, for example, therapists. So, in case of serious depression, the patient must be prescribed antidepressants, otherwise his condition may worsen greatly. Moreover, the course of treatment will take at least six months for the disease to go away. Modern antidepressants, no matter how many people, even doctors, fear and demonize them, are no more dangerous than the medications that therapists use in their practice.
