This material is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or psychotherapeutic advice. If you are experiencing an acute psychological condition or need professional support, please contact a doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, or crisis service.
How to define DEPRESSION?
Signs of depression are:
- A state of constant stress.
- Insomnia or constant need for sleep.
- Compulsive behavior (overeating, lack of appetite, bulimia - a sharply increased feeling of hunger - etc.)
- Withdrawal and self-isolation.
- Loss of self-control.
- Violation of memory or concentration of attention.
- Lack of interest in work or other activities.
- Physical pains (headaches, backaches, etc.)
- A feeling of loneliness or emptiness.
- Frequent self-doubt and self-criticism.
- Irritability.
- Increased consumption of alcohol or drugs.
- Loss of sexual interest. In men, there is a decrease in potency, and in women there is a pronounced frigidity.
- Suicidal thoughts.
- A prolonged state of sadness, guilt, or hopelessness.
Analyze whether you have observed at least some of these signs in yourself? If so, then sound the alarm before they develop into a pathological condition that requires only medicinal methods of treatment under the supervision of a psychiatrist.
Let's consider the reasons for the growth of this disease.
The fact is that each of us has a list of values. The process of transforming a person into a social being continues throughout his life, as there is continuous interaction with the surrounding people. However, the value system of each person is formed during the first 20 years of his life. This is mainly a subconscious, hidden in the depths of each of us thinking pattern, with the help of which we develop our subjective thinking and attitude to various events in our life and our reaction to them. It is the value system that determines your attitude to everything that happens in life and determines what is considered normal or abnormal, bad or good, right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant. Life forces us to evaluate any event, evaluation of what is happening is a mandatory component of your action plan.
It's no secret that each of us expects a lot from a new job, striving to turn these expectations into reality, even at the cost of our family relationships. As long as the circumstances favor us, we can achieve very high results, expressed in the form of public approval, namely: big money, professional status, etc. - everything is fine with us. But if the circumstances change for the worse, an emotional crisis is quite likely. If the achievement of the goal becomes impossible for any reason, life seems lost to us. And then depression inevitably sets in. During the crisis, all these factors only intensify.
Crisis periods of a person's life, which manifest as depression, usually occur when the value system collapses, and a person is left without clear guidelines by which he could direct his actions in a particular situation. Crisis periods include: moving to another country, drastic changes in the country in which you live, age crisis, pregnancy, menopause, natural disaster, etc.
Of course, the final diagnosis is made by the doctor, but some primary signs can be detected independently.
If the state of passivity, reluctance to do something manifests itself in the morning, then we often confuse chronic fatigue with depression. Organic depression manifests itself, as a rule, in the evening. In order to make a more accurate diagnosis, a depressive state should be observed for about a month.
Sometimes a depressive state is a sign of a serious illness that has not yet manifested itself. This is characteristic of malignant neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and colon. Why this is so is not yet known. But perhaps depression in this case is the result of losing the ability to digest food.
If you have fallen into depression, the first thing to do is to go to a family doctor (therapist), who will help detect a hidden disease. If there is none, then the next step is to consult a psychiatrist. It will help to cope with the disease. Let's take two small tests to check and evaluate your condition. If you answer "yes" to the following questions, think about whether your condition is related to depression.
Test #1
- Do you have sleep changes - are you sleeping more or less than usual?
- Do you get tired easily? Do you have a desire to do something?
- Do you find it difficult to focus on something specific for a long period of time?
- Do you eat more than usual or, on the contrary, have you lost your appetite altogether?
- Lately you don't even want to live?
- After doing something, do you doubt whether you did it right?
- Do you ever get teary-eyed while watching a movie, in the theater, or just talking to someone?
- Do you remember for a long time that someone offended you?
- Does your mood depend on external circumstances?
- Do you often have mood swings for no reason?
What to do if you think you may be depressed?
- Share your experiences with a loved one. People usually feel better after talking to someone who cares about them;
– Seek help from a specialist, you can start with a visit to the family doctor;
- Continue doing what you enjoyed before the illness;
- Avoid self-isolation. Stay in touch with family and friends;
– Do physical exercises regularly, even if it is a short walk;
- Accept the fact that you may be depressed and adjust your expectations accordingly. In this state, you may not have enough strength to maintain your usual activity;
- If you have suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately.
How to help a person suffering from depression?
- Make it clear that you want to help, listen to the person without prejudice and offer your help;
- Offer to go to a doctor's consultation together;
- Help the person do daily activities and follow eating and sleeping patterns
– Encourage regular physical activity and participation in social life;
- Encourage to focus on positive things.
If depressive periods have alternated with episodes of sharply reduced need for sleep, unusual elevation, rapid speech, or risky decisions, those episodes matter in a psychiatric assessment. Our guide to bipolar disorder explains mania, hypomania, depression, mixed features, and the limits of self-diagnosis.