B then is depression and what to do with it?

Depression in the world of medical terms is usually called a mental disorder characterized by a depressed mood, pessimistic self-esteem and a negative vision of the surrounding reality and one’s own future. This condition dramatically reduces a person’s ability to socially adapt and the quality of life. 

Where does depression come from?

The onset of a depressive state can be associated with various factors:  

  • Dramatic experiences associated with personal emotional reactions. This kind of depression is called reactive and occurs as a response to the event.
  • Depression can be caused by intense stress. In this case, the reason for this will be a high pace of life, stressful environment, the uncertainty of the person in the future, social instability and maladaptation.
  • An insufficient amount of the so-called biogenic amines in the body (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine).
  • Side effects of the drugs taken (benzodiazepines, corticosteroids can cause this effect). In this case, the signs of depression gradually fade away after the cancellation of the drugs that provoked them.
  • Somatic diseases (traumatic brain injury, cerebral atherosclerosis, diseases accompanied by long-term non-stopping pain syndrome).

How to recognize depression?

Specialists distinguish various signs of a depressive state.

From the psycho-emotional sphere, the following are noted:

  • feeling of longing, suffering;
  • irritability;
  • expectation of misfortune;
  • guilt;
  • dissatisfaction with oneself;
  • pathologically low self-esteem;
  • increased anxiety;
  • decrease and loss of ability to survive.

The physiological symptoms of depression include:  

  • loss of appetite;
  • sleep disturbances;
  • bowel dysfunction, often in the form of constipation;
  • fatigue;
  • weakness;
  • unmotivated pain not caused by organic pathology.

A group of behavioral signs of depression is presented:

  • passivity;
  • loss of interest in the environment;
  • propensity for solitude;
  • refusal of entertainment;
  • addiction to alcohol and other psychoactive substances;
  • refusal to engage in targeted activity.

Mental signs include impaired concentration of attention, slow thinking, an abundance of negative thoughts, thoughts about the meaninglessness of existence and suicidal attempts because of their own uselessness. 

Specialists collect all this symptomatology bit by bit during examination and questioning of the patient and gradually fit into the clinical picture of the disease. Of great diagnostic value are conversations with the patient’s inner circle of communication.

What to do with her?

If you suspect a depressive disorder in yourself or someone in your circle of friends, you must seek medical help. In a whole series of cases, emotional disorders begin to gradually recede when the immediate cause is eliminated.

Somatic causes of depression will help identify a medical examination.  

However, while stable emotional disturbances had formed at the time of seeking help, even the treatment of chronic somatic diseases would have to be accompanied by the use of special drugs from the antidepressant group . In particular, this accelerates the relief of depression in the treatment of diseases characterized by chronic pain syndrome: 

  • rheumatoid diseases;
  • long-term degenerative diseases of the spine;
  • vascular disorders.

If side effects from the use of drugs were the trigger for the development of a depressive state, it is necessary to revise the treatment regimen, adjust the dose or replace the drugs taken with less aggressive analogues.

It is far from always possible to cope with a depressed state and find a way out of depression independently. In some cases, changing the environment and supporting loved ones may not be enough. In these cases, in order to avoid negative consequences, a person needs qualified medical care.  

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