Most people tend to think that depression has spread among society relatively recently. This opinion is erroneous, since back in antiquity people suffered from similar symptoms. The only difference is that they called the disease not depression, but melancholy.
It is very important to notice and recognize depression in time, as this disease can lead to a severe mental disorder. How to understand that you have depression, because it can sometimes be confused with a depressed mood or poor health? Often depression occurs in people due to severe or prolonged stress, excessive emotionality and excitement. But still, by what symptoms can depression be recognized?
Symptoms of Depression
First of all, the occurrence of depression is associated with human emotions. All of them can manifest themselves individually. Some tend to experience a sense of anxiety, completely joyful emotions disappear, pessimistic views on any event occur. Some people tend to experience deep despair and low self-esteem in this state.
How to understand that a person has depression, according to his behavior? The concentration of attention is lost, motor retardation, isolation and lack of communication are observed. There is a love of loneliness, alcohol, and in some cases addiction to drugs.
Another symptom of depression can be called a change in human thinking. Any interest in life and previous activities is lost, often thoughts of his own uselessness appear, that he is superfluous, that he burdens his relatives with his presence.
How to understand that depression begins according to physiological manifestations? This is manifested in sleep disturbances and the appearance of insomnia, the normal rhythm of life is lost. A person does not want to sleep when it is needed, that is, at night, or a dream comes to him very late. Ultimately, fatigue quickly appears, both during mental and physical exertion, even insignificant.
The main factors and forms of depression
The main factor that can cause depression is excessive brain load due to extreme stress. At its core, for example, may be any psychosocial factors. The resulting depression against this background is called reactive depression. How to understand that you are depressed? If a person has two or more symptoms of depression within at least two weeks, then this is already a reason for contacting a specialist.
Depression is distinguished by its main forms, depending on the severity and duration of the disease. Resistant depression is a form of depression in which after two treatment courses of antidepressants do not fully recover or the clinical effect is partially achieved.
Atypical depression is manifested not only by the main symptoms, but also accompanied by an increase in body weight, great drowsiness, the so-called "brutal" appetite and emotional reactivity. Postnatal depression can occur in women after childbirth. The transient recurrent form is named so because of its duration. With such depression, people experience the symptoms inherent in this disease about once or twice a month, they can last about a week or less.
Female form of depression
Very often you may come across information that the female body is more likely to be depressed than the male. In addition, in men and women, you can observe different symptoms of the ailment. The question is how to understand that you have depression, many women are tormented. It is only necessary to analyze the symptoms that have appeared. The fairer sex can often manifest seasonal depression. During this period of time, they will benefit from light therapy, massage, etc. Women also tend to experience symptoms such as digestive disorders, hormonal changes, anxiety, and fears of exacerbation of chronic pain.
Male form
In men, the symptoms of depression can be completely different. "How do I know if I have depression?" they are interested. Firstly, it appears spontaneously and rather sharply, a depressed emotional position can arise for those around for no apparent reason, thereby clearly lowering self-esteem. As a result, a craving for alcohol or some psychotropic drugs may appear.
Signs of deep and chronic depression
Some patients may show signs of deep depression. So how do you know if you have depression? Such people feel completely useless and unnecessary, they lose their vital interest, they always experience overwhelming longing. But all this, fortunately, is treated with therapy, drugs. If deep depression is not eliminated in time, it can develop into a chronic one. Signs of such a disease can manifest themselves over several years:
- the emergence of a feeling of sadness, a pessimistic mood for life;
- manifestations of sleep disturbances, and sometimes its partial or complete absence;
- headaches that do not stop after taking painkillers;
- frequent pain in joints and muscles, a feeling of weakness;
- deterioration of the entire digestive system.
Chronic depression should be treated with medication in combination with a special diet that can increase blood serotonin levels to desired levels. This hormone is also called the hormone of joy.
But even worse than chronic depression can be a latent form. And how to recognize her, how to understand that you have depression? As a rule, not all patients immediately seek help from a doctor, thinking that they are simply tired. But later all the same symptoms inherent in depression are clarified (pain in various parts of the body, loss of appetite and body weight, sleep disturbance and decreased libido). A person with a hidden form of the disease can feel constant headaches, muscle or bone, it always looks restless and nervous, etc. The most popular way to treat hidden depression is medication.
Signs of Teenage Depression
Unfortunately, even adolescents can suffer from a disease like depression, and there can be many reasons. This is his lack of friends, indifference and misunderstanding of his own parents, sometimes reaching psychological abuse of a child. The cause of teenage depression can even be hormonal changes or low self-esteem due to low school performance or an aversion to one's own body.
How to understand that a teenager is depressed and that he needs help? Firstly, the appetite disappears, a breakdown appears, which is accompanied by headaches and weakened immunity. A teenager begins to suffer from drowsiness or lack of sleep. It can constantly cry, talk about its own uselessness, take everything to heart, begins to lead a closed, unsociable lifestyle.
Depression Treatment
To save the child from depression, you need the help of a child psychotherapist. He will help to find its causes, strengthen self-esteem. For the treatment of mild forms of depression, only calming herbs and the elimination of the cause of the disease may be needed. Parents, in turn, should improve their relationships, both with the child and with each other.
Antidepressants are prescribed for children to treat depression in rare cases. They are more commonly prescribed to adults. Adults may be given pharmacotherapy in combination with psychotherapy to treat severe forms of depression. Exercise in some cases of treatment can have a positive effect. In individual cases, depression is treated with music therapy, dance therapy, aromatherapy, magnetotherapy, etc.