The death of our century is depression. The disease received this name from the media, and the comparison with the worst diseases of the Middle Ages did not come about by chance: according to the forecasts of 2020, among other ailments, depression prevails, overtaking today's leaders - cardiovascular and infectious diseases; this disorder will become the No. 1 destroyer. Already, more than half of all suicides on Earth are committed by people prone to depression.
Depression is a short-term simple decline in mood associated with some unpleasant life events. However, most often, such cases of lowered mood are a very common reaction to the stress that every healthy person experiences regularly. Even a mood that is underestimated from a few weeks to a whole year is a reaction to a severe shock (reduction at work, death or illness of a close relative, divorce).
Depression or stress?
We have to deal with stress almost every day, solving all sorts of problems. Bad grades in exams or failures of tests cause strong negative emotions of varying degrees. A person can experience stress while in the long queue, due to problems at work or difficulties in the family, with unrequited love, when you want to do a lot, and there is no time for this, when there are a number of unrealized opportunities, due to the daily viewing of criminal stories on TV and many other reasons, the list of which can be continued indefinitely. Stress and depression are inextricably linked. After stresses, the body must necessarily have a protective (response) reaction - a depressive state. For every, even the most insignificant, unreleased stress, the body applies adequate depression. But a little stress is sometimes even beneficial for a person.
Causes of depression
Listing all the causes of stress is an unreasonable activity, because each person is individual and each has his own patterns of behavior and thinking. Everyone on this earth has their own life experience and everyone shows their own attitude to the situations that arise. And so there are so many stressful situations. At the same time, each of these situations has one thing in common: events pose a threat to our well-being and life. This is actually either fictitious difficulty.
The situation that provokes in our body the unpleasant sensations of great sadness or sadness is called a depressive factor. It is he who determines the cause and time of depression in a person’s life.
The main causes of stress
Finance. Financial relations, according to most researchers, are the main cause of depression. The acquisition of a home or a car, for example, loss of money due to theft, debts to a third party, losses, etc.
Work. Due to the fact that the work is directly related to financial relations, it was identified second in the list of main sources of stress. Sometimes it seems that work and career are continuous causes of depression. Many people put maintaining their own employment a top priority in life.
Safety and health. Safety and health problems have always been perceived by a person painfully, because these problems constitute a threat to his life.
A family. Relations with family members, especially tensions, can be a serious cause for depression. Such a stressful situation is sometimes delayed for many years and turns into a serious ailment.
Personal relationships. Relationships with acquaintances, friends, and even strangers are always emotional in color and often give rise to causes of depression.
Personal problems. People always strive to have control over their own lives or over the lives of others. But when control weakens, stress begins, since it is common for people to control others and themselves.
Death. Even the death of a pet is stressful for its owner, not to mention the tragic death of loved ones. The expectation of death can also be called a great source of such an ailment as depression. The doctor in this case works, approaching from a psychological point of view.
The impossibility of self-expression. A person wants to express himself and start to represent something, but not everyone succeeds.
Anxiety depression
This is the most common diagnosis, which is determined in the context of general and primary medical practice in patients with somatic pathologies. Patients showed a variety of symptoms of depression and anxiety. At first, several or one somatic symptom (fatigue, sleep disturbances, pain, for example) can be viewed. Further inquiries allow us to state the final depressive mood or anxiety. Key features:
1. Depression and anxiety manifest themselves in the form of a variety of somatic and mental symptoms.
2. These problems are not associated with the manifestation of laziness or weakness, as the patient tries to overcome them.
3. Conducting effective therapies requires regular consultation to select appropriate treatment methods.
The main symptoms of depression
Departure to work with the head, frequent playing sports or engaging in such a sporting event that is associated with extreme situations, risk, and deepening in gambling - all this to some extent can indicate a depressed state. Depression is difficult to recognize. On the one hand, this is due to an erroneous opinion that it is necessary to tell other people about your experiences, and the inability to cope with them yourself is a sign of human weakness. On the other hand, by the fact that in most cases patients hide their depression behind alcohol abuse and / or aggressive behavior.
Emotional manifestations
- Suffering, longing, depressed, depressed mood, despair.
- Anxious mood, inner tension, expectation of misfortune.
- Irritability.
- Regular self-incrimination, guilt.
- Dissatisfaction with their appearance, reduced self-confidence, reduced self-esteem.
- Reduced or lost ability to experience the pleasure of previously enjoyable activities.
- Reduced interest in the world.
- Lost ability to experience different feelings (in case of deep depression).
- Depression is a combination of a depressed state with anxiety about the fate and health of relatives, as well as with fear of appearing insolvent in society.
Physiological manifestations
- Disturbed sleep.
- Changeable appetite (excessive overeating or vice versa).
- Impaired bowel function.
- Reduced sexual needs.
- Reduced energy, weakness, increased fatigue during normal intellectual and physical stress. All of this can be the cause of a disease called "depression." There is no strength for the basic things of everyday life.
- An unpleasant pain is felt in the body (for example, in the intestine, in the heart muscle).
Behavioral manifestations
- Difficulties in conducting focused activity, passivity.
- Avoiding contact (a tendency to solitude, loss of interest in other people).
- Refusal of entertainment.
- Abuse of psychotropic and narcotic substances and alcoholization, giving relief for a while.
Mental manifestations
- Difficulties in concentration and concentration.
- Difficulty in making decisions.
- The predominance of thoughts about your life, aimed at the negative.
- Pessimistic, gloomy planning of the future with a lack of perspectives, thoughts of his senseless existence.
- Thoughts of suicide (severe cases of depression). This is why depression is often treated with various medications.
- Thoughts of own helplessness, insignificance, uselessness.
- Slow thinking.
The diagnosis of depression can be established if a certain number of the listed symptoms persist for several weeks.
Depression scale
This scale was developed on the basis of clinical observations that revealed the prevailing symptoms of depression and recorded frequent complaints of people. This scale was corrected several times, one of its latest versions appeared in 1996. The first questionnaire publications took place in 1961. Tests are used not only to assess the condition of adults, but also to diagnose depression in adolescents. An adapted version of the test was created for them. The scale of depression helps to measure the dynamics of depressive disorders, thanks to this, tests are used to assess the quality of treatment.
Procedure
Testing is initially carried out in the presence of experts reading out the statements of the statements. Patients are given copies of questionnaires, but they respond verbally. Experts also take into account additional indicators (the level of development of the subjects in terms of intelligence, history, etc.). However, now the procedure for passing tests is increasingly simplified. The test form consists of 20 groups of statements, each of which contains phrases marked with numbers from 0 to 3, or unmarked (in this case, the scoring is carried out after passing the tests). It follows from each group to single out one statement that most accurately reflects the state of a person during the week and at the time of testing. The phrases in each group are arranged in order of increasing degree of manifestation of the signs. Some categories include alternative items that are ranked the same. Before choosing a statement, you should familiarize yourself with each option presented in the group. The 1996 version has each group of statements with names. It evaluates sleep, appetite, anxiety, fatigue, self-incrimination, the apparent presence of suicidal tendencies, and so on. There is a clarification: if in one group several statements seem true, you need to select the last item. In previous versions, each suitable statement was allowed. Phrases have also been revised.
Self-Relief Techniques for Depression
How to get out of depression yourself? Most studies have confirmed the importance of self-help in getting rid of behavioral, emotional, and physical difficulties. Answer the following questions, and then you can easily determine if self-help is enough for you:
1. Have you ever thought about suicide? If the answer is yes, you need the help of specialists.
2. Is there a feeling of the influence of a depressed state in most areas of life: in relationships, work, health, ability to have fun? If the answer is yes, it is possible that you have a pronounced generalized depression, to get rid of it you will need intervention deeper than self-help.
If you answered both questions positively, you can start your self-help. If after several months of independent efforts you do not notice improvements, seek additional help. Uncertainty, thoughts of suicide, growing despondency or any other worsened state of health indicate the need to immediately contact professionals.
Books, discs, video tapes
So, how to get out of depression yourself. Books give you such a volume of information that cannot be obtained in psychotherapy sessions. You can read at your own pace, set aside a book for a while, or reread it again. When you combine work and psychotherapy with books, you achieve faster good results. It is worth noting that there are many books on the topic of psychological disorders, for example, “Depression Is Canceled,” by Richard O , Connor.
People who better perceive visual information are encouraged to watch discs or video cassettes dedicated to improving their own condition and fighting depression.
Self Help Group and Internet
The psychological group provides participants with the necessary understanding and support. When people encounter similar problems, they can share experiences and information, express without fear of condemnation.
The World Wide Web has a variety of sites dedicated to fighting depression. You can read the material or chat in a chat or forum on the topic of "depression." Reviews are also a good help.
Love yourself, spare, avoid stress
The disease absorbs your strength, and there are not so many of them left on daily duties. Try not to set difficult tasks and take great responsibility. Break large steps into several stages and do little by little, as much as you can do. If possible, avoid significant changes in life.
It is not easy to learn to avoid stressful situations. Identify the range of actions and events that can have a stressful effect, and think about how to get around them. Do not use psychoactive substances and alcohol, which, like drugs, can relieve depression only for a short while. Once intoxication has passed, after using these substances it will become even worse.
Learn discipline
A great way to get out of depression on your own is a half-hour gymnastics several times a week. It can improve your mood in a few weeks. Exercise is able to relieve muscle and nervous tension, increase alertness, strengthen the spirit. In addition, exercise in the body stimulates the production of enkephalins and endorphins, substances that are similar to natural antidepressants.
Build a suitable daily routine for yourself and try to fulfill it as best as possible. Get up every day at the same time, at certain hours, eat food and go to bed early to have a good rest. Formed routine contributes to the normal functioning of the body and the installation of their own biological clock, which happens with a depressive disorder.
Read it! The more you know about depression, the easier it is to deal with the problem of how to get out of depression on your own. Awareness of the depressive state makes it less intimidating and mysterious.
Love yourself and what surrounds you
Pay attention to what your thoughts are. Try to listen to them for depression, but do not set the goal to decide whether they are right or not. A conscious approach to your thoughts will form the basis for an objective, personal view of the worldview distorted by depression.
A depressed person often avoids communication. But in solitude, alone with personal difficulties, you will feel very bad. And in the company of other people, you will be distracted from your depressive experiences. Do what you like with someone else. Support groups often help. People who are in a similar condition gather there.
And most importantly: be patient. Depression - this disease is quite serious, it does not immediately go away. You need to know that with this disorder, recovery is not an exception, but a rule. Be patient and constantly remember that you are going to recovery.
Drug treatment
Drugs in treatment are widely used in manic and depressive conditions. This fact is especially true in severe cases of major depressive disorder and during bipolar depression. Less serious types of depressive disorders can also be treated without medication.
It doesn’t matter whether a person is depressed for a year or a week - drugs are prescribed for patients with severe, moderate, and mild manifestations of depression. The main condition for effective treatment is regular consultation with a doctor: visits to the doctor, strict adherence to the prescribed treatment regimens, an open, detailed report on your condition in general and on life difficulties. In the process of prescribing medications, you need to ask your doctor questions, they will make much for you clear.
Life after depression (according to people)
As numerous reviews have shown, during the resolution of conflict situations and the elimination of psycho-traumatic factors, the phenomena of increased irritability become leading: an easily changing mood, disturbed sleep. Hyperesthesia is characteristic - intolerance to external stimuli. Many talked about the fact that headaches often begin.
Irritability and impatience, increased fatigue, constant desire for various activities, even in an environment that creates conditions for entertainment (some people described it as “fatigue that does not seek rest”) significantly complicate life. After depression, some people, judging by the reviews, on the contrary, have an increased mood with pronounced fussiness, excitement.
Depression is canceled!
The patient jumps in turn at each thought, immediately grabs hold of several cases, without bringing them to the end. Disability is reduced, sleep is reduced. After depression, all these conditions develop due to a disturbed content of serotonin, monamines and other neurotransmitters in the brain.
Numerous experiments and studies have proved a direct relationship between the active serotonin system and various emotional shifts. Other factors include various endocrine shifts that occur in response to stressful effects.
During and after depression, dysfunction of the sex glands, thyroid gland, and dysregulation in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland system are observed. In addition, depression often leads to dysfunctions in the inhibitory system of the cerebral cortex and diencephalic structure with desynchronization of biological rhythms and mechanisms of regulation of wakefulness with periods of sleep.
After depression, correction is also required. Various homeopathic remedies help get rid of the effects of an ailment such as stress and depression. Without entering into negative interactions with the internal environment of the body, these biologically active substances normalize the regulation of biochemical processes at the molecular level in the brain, as a result of which the hormonal imbalance is eliminated and the quality of life of people who have experienced depression is significantly improved.