Why can’t I ignore depression?
Currently, depression is a disease that affects more than 50% of the population. Its manifestations may be obvious or hidden, which significantly impairs the diagnostic and clinical picture of human health. Both women and men are prone to depression. Divorces in families where one of the partners is prone to its manifestations, occur several times more often. Ignoring dangerous symptoms not only undermines mental and physical health, but can also lead to suicide. What else is dangerous depression, if you do not notice its manifestations in time and do not begin treatment?
How depression affects the psyche
Experts call depression a 21st century disease. Its development is promoted by a high rhythm of life, a low level of economic stability, the presence of unidentified psychological traumas, inability to take care of oneself, bad habits, stress, lack of support.
Sometimes people confuse depressive manifestations with bad mood, fatigue and other signs that relate to the peculiarities of character. Depression is characterized by prolonged manifestations, in contrast to what is considered behavioral features. Its main features are:
- lack of strength and joy to life;
- unwillingness to do things that used to be enjoyable;
- sleep disturbance, refusal to eat or overeating;
- irritability, tearfulness, aggressiveness;
- quick temper, frequent mood swings, bouts of rage;
- lack of control over feelings, thoughts and behavior;
- obsessive desire to disappear;
- unwillingness to wake up, live, move, work;
- lack of necessary care about yourself – a person stops taking a bath, does not monitor the cleanliness of clothes, and order;
- rejection of the activity;
- feeling of unreality of the events;
- strong anxiety attacks before bedtime;
- feeling of lack of meaning in life.
The human psyche is acutely responsive to depressive manifestations. The formation of processes that are responsible for making decisions, the ability to make choices, overcoming difficulties is slowing down. A person feels that he is inside, as if he is dead and does not see ways to help himself. A sense of confusion, loss of objectivity. People who are depressed, when asked what they feel, are often told that their “As if not.” This sensation causes fear to go crazy, a new wave of disturbing thoughts. They strive desperately to look for something that can give them joy, however, they do not find it and then experience a new stage of desolation. Others do not resist the negative manifestations that occur in the psyche and “go to die.” If this process is not stopped in time, the consequences can be dire.
A depressed person does not manipulate others, demonstrating that he is ill, he does not want anything and nothing pleases him – he really feels that way and does not understand why he should live. Therefore, the help and support of loved ones, the opportunity to notice in time that depression swallowed a family member or friend – a chance to figure out what caused it and ask for medical and psychotherapeutic help.
Communication disorders
Many people ignore depressive symptoms and, from their last strength, continue to live, go to work, communicate. How is their interaction with others built?
- They can be unpredictable – even 5 minutes ago there was a smile on their face and they seemed to be feeling good, but now they want to cry bitterly and die.
- Depression postpones the communication style. In the middle of a conversation, business or friendly, people can “hang on”, step back and “fall” into their thoughts. In fact, they are close to others – even keep up the conversation – however, they are mentally somewhere far away.
- A person who is “confused” in life, suffers from the influence of psychological trauma, can often be biased towards others – he is inclined to take the words of others very close to his heart, be offended to tears, “tear” meaningful relationships, blame unfairly, leave or attack. He does this because he projects to those around him unexpressed feelings that cause depressive manifestations and should be addressed to other people – parents, relatives, partners.
Thus, depression, the treatment of which is not engaged, can lead to the fact that many valuable contacts in life are lost, there is a risk of losing friends, provoking quarrels and conflicts.
The risk of losing meaningful relationships
It is difficult to build a close relationship with a person who is depressed and does not recognize it. He cannot calmly and correctly perceive the words of others, be fair, think objectively. Instead, he takes everything into his own account – he sees “enemies”, suspects, is jealous, attacks, after which he feels unloved and suffers.
Lack of vitality
When the psyche is at the mercy of depression, it is impossible to think of anything else, as the absence of meaning in life and ways of leaving it. For this reason, the person has almost no desire to do anything – he physically feels a lack of energy and fatigue, as if he had to work for several days all the time. This feeling does not leave him, even if he sleeps, rests and does not refuse food.
Exacerbation of somatic diseases
According to experts, people who are prone to depressive manifestations, more often than others, exacerbated chronic diseases. So, they suffer from heart disease, disorders of the circulatory, respiratory systems, gastrointestinal tract. When a person, after he completely “plunges” into illnesses, still seeks help from a doctor – a cardiologist, a psychotherapist – he is much harder to recover from all painful symptoms, it takes a lot of time and effort to diagnose and correct.
Treatment of depression psychotherapy
The lack of vitality is due to the containment of negative feelings. For the same reason, people may suffer from depression. If you turn to a psychotherapist for help at the moment when disturbances in the emotional sphere or at the physical level become noticeable, you can get rid of depressive manifestations with almost one hundred percent success.
The more a person “runs away” from depression, not allowing himself to notice it, the worse may be the consequences for his life and health. Psychotherapy does not allow “hiding” from itself, even if this meeting promises something unpleasant, dangerous, painful. The support of a psychotherapist, to whom trust is formed, is a chance to build relationships with oneself, improve one’s health, fully recover from depression.