How dangerous is depression and is it a threat to life?

Medical information is reliable Checked by Shaidullin Renat Flyurovich

Depression is a disease of our time, as the disorder is called at the everyday level. Every day the number of recorded cases is growing; according to statistics, about 20% of the population of countries with a good standard of living suffers from it. The disease is serious; when the first signs appear, you should contact a specialist. Treatment of depression will help you return to normal life, get rid of apathy and bad mood, and increase your ability to work.

The difficulty of therapy is that patients are very little aware of the causes of the disorder and its consequences. Prolonged mental and physical illness is often mistaken for bad character, whims, and constant dissatisfaction, so they do not pay attention to it. The condition does not go away on its own; you need the help of a specialist. At Dr. Isaev’s Clinic, the patient is not only prescribed a therapeutic course, but also relapse prevention is carried out, information is provided about the preconditions for the disorder and ways to avoid them.

Signs of Depression

Under certain circumstances, this condition can occur in every person, regardless of gender, age and social status. Depression is a type of mental illness accompanied by a persistent decrease in mood. A person remains in this state for more than two weeks continuously; he experiences a decrease in memory and concentration, loss of interest in life, and retardation of movements. In the absence of timely treatment, the patient loses the ability to live and work fully for many months and even years, and the possibility of attempting to commit suicide cannot be ruled out.

Why is conditioned depression dangerous?

The real danger is posed only by the first few days of UD, when emotional devastation is experienced especially acutely, which can push a person to such wrong decisions as suicide and drugs, or provoke an exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases. Otherwise, the state of UD can only cause consequences of a social nature - conflicts in the family, problems at work, deterioration of relationships with friends.

In some cases, due to an unfavorable combination of circumstances or certain characteristics of a person’s character, the state of conditional depression can transform into full-fledged clinical depression with all the corresponding consequences.

Depression causes

According to statistics, about 90% of diagnoses are made to people who are in a state of chronic stress or experiencing acute psychological trauma. The body cannot cope with this influence of external factors on its own, the psyche fails, depressive episodes are a kind of defensive reaction.

Conditions arising due to severe psychological trauma are considered reactive. They can be triggered by the following events in the patient’s life:

• disability due to health and absence of serious illnesses;
• detection of a malignant tumor;
• conflicts at work, constant tension in relationships with colleagues;
• serious illness of a close relative;
• death of a loved one;
• divorce from your beloved spouse;
• retirement;
• rapid decline in financial levels;
• moving to another city and other factors that can be a real shock for a person.

Depression is not always formed on the basis of negative events. Sometimes the disease occurs when an important life goal is achieved, when a person experiences great success. The patient gets what he wanted. He suddenly loses the meaning of life, he no longer needs to make every effort for a specific result. The situation is aggravated if there are no other life goals at this moment.

A separate category includes depressive neurosis, which develops against a background of constant stress. In this case, it is not always possible to establish the specific cause that became the trigger for the pathology. The patient describes his life as a chain of constantly recurring failures that haunt him every day.

A depressive state of the psychogenic type is more typical for women, while older people suffer from the disease more often than young people. In our society, there are two extreme poles of financial well-being - poverty and wealth. This social scale causes a person to feel dissatisfied with himself if he constantly approaches the first category.

Additional provoking factors will be:

• pessimistic outlook on life;
• low self-esteem, constant self-flagellation;
• loss of parents, loved ones, friends;
• emotional violence against a person;
• physical aggression that the child experienced at an early age;
• predisposition to drug addiction and alcoholism;
• lack of support from others, their indifference towards the person.

Each of these factors in itself is not dangerous; if desired, a person can easily ignore it or seek help from a psychotherapist. If there are several of them, the situation becomes more complicated, the experiences become more intense and acute. In this case, drug treatment may be required.

For example, in a teenager, the period of growing up is associated with intensive growth of all organs and systems; pregnancy and menopause in women are accompanied by hormonal storms. This is fertile ground for the development of a melancholic mood and ever-increasing dissatisfaction with oneself. During these periods, experiences take on a negative connotation; the world around often seems hostile and indifferent.

Organic brain lesions, as well as physical diseases, are classified into a separate category. Cerebrovascular accidents, strokes and heart attacks, traumatic brain injuries, coronary heart disease, and stomach ulcers are also among the sources of depression listed by experts. Against the backdrop of the development of such diseases, depression manifests itself clearly and clearly.

Myth #4: “Alcohol relieves depression”

Alcohol while intoxicated can ease your mental state. But then it only gets worse. For many, depression from alcohol only intensifies. Alcohol itself causes it: in the pair “alcoholism – depression”, each of the diseases doubles the risk of developing the other, and the ability of the first disease to a greater extent to cause the appearance of the second has been proven than vice versa.

Alcohol impairs cognitive functions that are typically impaired in depression, such as memory and attention. This is perhaps the most brutal psychoactive substance known, and it affects the brain much worse than many illegal drugs.

If depression is not treated, the patient may experience irreversible structural changes in the brain, for example, hippocampal atrophy, and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease greatly increases.

Therefore, depression must be treated as quickly as possible to reduce the possibility of dementia. Another consequence of advanced depression is decreased ability to work and an increased likelihood of premature death.

Depression symptoms

For each person, signs of depression can manifest themselves differently, it all depends on the stage and form of the pathology. Symptoms occur at different levels, affecting all aspects of the emotional sphere and behavioral reactions of the patient.

Emotional manifestation:

• deep depression is accompanied by a loss of the ability to experience simple human feelings (anger, joy, surprise, fear);
• there is no interest in surrounding events and people;
• those activities that previously evoked pleasant emotions are of no interest to the patient at all;
• a person is dissatisfied with himself, his appearance;
• lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem;
• constant feeling of guilt, even if the objective reason for this is not determined;
• the patient often blames himself for everything, without necessarily saying it out loud;
• increased irritability, nervousness;
• depressed and depressed mood;
• often falls into despair;
• the patient is characterized by melancholy and suffering;
• the feeling of internal tension increases;
• a subconscious expectation of trouble arises;
• increased anxiety even in the absence of any reason.

Fears about the health of loved ones are constantly present in depressed patients. They understand that they cannot do or change anything in this situation. Anxiety is also associated with fears of appearing stupid or ineffective in the eyes of the public. Going to a psychiatric clinic is the first step on the path to recovery.

The manifestation of the disease at the physical level is expressed in the following:

• sleep disturbance (constant daytime sleepiness or insomnia);
• complete loss of appetite or uncontrolled eating;
• decreased libido, sexual needs cease to interest the patient;
• disruption of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (constipation or diarrhea);
• increased fatigue and chronic fatigue;
• decreased energy level, exhaustion, feeling of lack of strength.

Even with ordinary physical or intellectual stress, general weakness of the body, unpleasant sensations in the body and pain of varying intensity occur.

Behavioral symptoms of depression:

• it is impossible to involve a person in any activity that involves the implementation of a certain algorithm of actions;
• he refuses entertainment;
• There is a tendency towards solitude and avoidance of social contacts.

A depressed state can change the intensity of cognitive processes:

• there are difficulties when trying to concentrate on any subject;
• concentration suffers;
• the patient experiences problems if he needs to make some decision and cannot rationally “weigh” the risks;
• he constantly doubts whether he is doing the right thing, turning over the situation in his head, and in the end he never comes to a definite opinion;
• constantly thinks about his own helplessness, insignificance for others;
• thinking is slow, which is very noticeable to others;
• in severe cases, thoughts of suicide occur, and the likelihood of committing it is high.

If there are two or more symptoms from this list, and they are observed in the patient for 2 weeks or more, the doctor may diagnose depression. The selection of effective treatment depends on which type of disorder the patient has:

• Dysthymia.

This is a mild variant of the disease, which begins in adolescence and is formed against the background of intrapersonal conflicts, problems with parents, and constantly changing hormonal levels. People around him believe that this is a manifestation of a difficult character; such a person is called a melancholic or a pessimist.

• Depressive episode.

This condition arose in the patient for the first time in his life; it did not have time to develop into a severe form. A short-term but memorable case of total sadness, exhaustion, lack of interest in everything that was happening.

• Bipolar affective disorder.

Characterized by alternating moments of bad mood and pathological joy, the patient’s life is constantly between these two poles. He seems to float on the waves of mood, constantly moving from one peak of emotions to another.

• Recurrent depressive disorder.

These episodes recur every few years, after which they may go away on their own. The pathology must be treated in a psychiatric center for a long time with the help of psychotherapy and periodic courses of medications.

Symptoms

Most often, a person suffering from chronic depression seems to people to be a dissatisfied character with a bad character who is not happy with everything around him for no apparent reason. You should think about depression if:

• there are risk factors - chronic lack of sleep, fatigue, nervous work, difficult family situation, caring for a sick relative;
• symptoms in the form of tearfulness, constant depression, and a pessimistic outlook on life appeared relatively recently and have not been observed since early childhood;
• problems with physical condition appeared - headaches, decreased performance, sleep and appetite disturbances, pain in the heart, abdominal pain, which cannot be explained by somatic pathology during examination.

Symptoms of chronic depression may occur to greater or lesser extent from time to time. For example, becoming less noticeable after some rest. There is some improvement and deterioration in well-being, replacing each other. If you notice fluctuating occurrences of the following conditions, consider seeing a therapist:

• anhedonia - rarely any positive emotions arise, there are no pleasant sensations from simple things like delicious food, relaxation, sunny weather;
• apathy - lack of desire to do anything besides the most important responsibilities, avoidance of meetings with friends, travel, lack of desire to take care of oneself and the home, study, desire to spend more time at home in solitude;
• negativism – patients indicate that everything annoys them;
• feelings of guilt, helplessness, uselessness, hopelessness, low self-esteem, a feeling of inability to change something, which can lead to a suicide attempt;
• symptoms of mental and motor retardation, difficulty concentrating, difficulty performing difficult intellectual actions, fatigue, forgetfulness, absent-mindedness;
• somatic symptoms - headaches, dizziness, weakness, decreased libido, insomnia, decreased appetite, pain in muscles, joints, heart, abdomen and other organs; osteochondrosis, arterial hypertension of unknown origin;

Depression scale

If a patient has doubts about the state of his health, and he is sufficiently informed in matters of mental disorders, it will not be difficult during self-diagnosis to determine the presence of a depressive episode.

The 21-item Beck Depression Inventory is used for this purpose. It contains several statements, in each of them you need to select only one option. This phrase should reflect the thoughts and feelings of a person at the current moment as accurately as possible.

You need to answer questions as truthfully as possible and be sincere with yourself. As a result, it is necessary to calculate the total number of points; the lower their number, the lower the likelihood of depression.

If you have alarming results on the Beck scale, you should contact a specialist; you can make an appointment at Dr. Isaev’s Clinic any day. This should be done immediately if you are experiencing panic attacks due to nervous exhaustion.

Depression in men

Constitutional differences between the male and female body lead to the fact that mental disorders have different manifestations. This condition in a man is often unnoticeable to those around him; the patient tries to appear joyful and cheerful, telling everyone about the absence of problems.

The depressive triad, characteristic of men, is expressed as follows:

• anhedonia – the ability to experience pleasure and joy is reduced or absent;
• changes in thinking processes - new, sometimes absurd, judgments arise, negativism and pessimism predominate;
• motor retardation, slowness.

One of the reasons for the development of the disease in the stronger sex is erectile dysfunction. Decreased libido, lack of attraction to the opposite sex, fear of being ridiculed by a partner causes a feeling of slight dissatisfaction with oneself, and then turns into a severe form, accompanied by a feeling of one’s own helplessness and insignificance, the man does not feel strong and self-confident.

Diagnostics

• Clinical Criteria (DSM-5)
• Measurement of CBC, electrolytes, TSH, vitamin B12 and folate to exclude medical disorders that may cause depression

Diagnosis of depressive disorders is based on the identification of symptoms, signs and clinical criteria described above. Depressive disorders are distinguished from normal mood swings by the presence of significant physical discomfort or problems in social, occupational, and other areas of functioning.

Brief questionnaires have been developed for screening. They can be used to identify some depressive symptoms, but the diagnosis cannot be based on survey data alone. Some yes or no questions can help determine whether a patient has symptoms that meet DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosis of major depression.

The severity is determined by the severity of depression and physical, social, and work maladjustment, as well as the duration of symptoms. Clinicians should ask patients gently but directly about any thoughts or plans to harm themselves or others, previous intentions and/or attempts to commit suicide, and other risk factors. The presence of psychosis and catatonia indicates severe depression. Melancholic symptoms indicate severe or moderate depression. Concomitant somatic disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and anxiety disorders may aggravate the patient's condition.

Depressive disorders should be distinguished from demoralization and grief. Other mental disorders (such as anxiety disorders) may make it difficult to diagnose depression. Often a patient has more than one disorder. Major depression (unipolar disorder) must be distinguished from bipolar disorder.

In older patients, depression can manifest into depressive dementia (formerly known as pseudodementia), which causes many symptoms and signs of dementia, such as psychomotor retardation and decreased concentration. However, in the early stages, dementia can lead to depression. In general, when the diagnosis is not entirely clear, treatment for depressive disorder should be initiated.

Differentiating chronic depressive disorders (such as dysthymia) from substance abuse disorders is sometimes difficult, especially because these disorders can coexist and be mutually reinforcing.

Somatic disorders must also be excluded as a cause of depressive symptoms. Hypothyroidism often causes symptoms of depression and is quite common, especially among the elderly. In particular, Parkinson's disease may present with symptoms that resemble depression (eg, loss of energy, emotional scarcity, sluggish gesticulation). To exclude this disease, a thorough neurological examination is necessary.

Depression in women

There are several factors that lead to the development of depression in women. Among them are the following categories:

• Biological

The disorder develops slowly and gradually under the influence of changes in the body. Increased nervous excitability, decreased levels of norepinephrine or serotonin, and hormonal imbalance lead to pathology. The situation is aggravated if the body lacks vitamins, microelements and other useful substances.

• Social

This group of factors is associated with frequent stress, bad habits, polluted environment, increased physical and emotional activity. The female body is weaker than the male; it is not able to withstand such loads for a long time. The psyche is depleted, various unfavorable states arise, including depressive ones.

• Interpersonal relationships

Psychotraumatic events that occur in a woman's life can cause this disorder. Among them are:

• death of a loved one;
• long-term separation or complete breakup of relationships;
• lack of understanding on the part of relatives;
• constant dissatisfaction with your appearance, excess weight or physical characteristics;
• professional dissatisfaction.

The combination of these factors threatens an increase in symptoms and a gradual deterioration in a woman’s health.

The lack of joy in life radically changes the patient’s character; he becomes melancholic, constantly dissatisfied with himself and his loved ones, and makes complaints about everyone, even if there is no reason for this.

Prevention measures

Depression, like any other disease, is much easier to prevent than to then treat it itself and the somatic disorders caused by it. This can only be done in one way - by increasing your own stress resistance and developing the skills of rethinking (reevaluating) a negative situation. This does not provide 100% protection against depression, but it still reduces the likelihood of developing it.

All that remains is to figure out how to make yourself more resistant to everyday troubles and “blows of fate,” but this is a topic for a completely separate conversation.
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Postpartum depression

After the pregnancy period has been successfully overcome and a woman gives birth to a child, she may experience a different range of feelings and sensations on the physical level. Postpartum depression is an atypical mental disorder that can be dangerous for the new mother and her environment.

It is important to understand that childbirth represents enormous stress for the psyche and a great test for the body. Psychological assistance is necessary for the patient in case of serious deviations from the norm. This condition occurs during the first 3 months after birth and can be mild or severe.

Among the provoking factors, experts identify:

• excessive physical exertion associated with caring for a newborn;
• the pregnancy was difficult or unwanted;
• inability to breastfeed;
• financial difficulties;
• dysfunction of the nervous system, which began even before birth;
• conflicts with a partner (separation, quarrels, infidelity);
• moral exhaustion of the body;
• unjustified expectations of a young mother;
• lack of help at home from close relatives.

This disorder can be distinguished from others by a number of specific signs. The doctor diagnoses and prescribes medications; self-medication in this case threatens to worsen the condition. Among the symptoms characteristic of women are:

• Regular complaints of excessive fatigue, lack of energy, loneliness. This is accompanied by mood swings, euphoria is often replaced by causeless sadness, and outbursts of anger occur that the woman is unable to control. She often cries, becomes hysterical, and does not respond to attempts to calm her down.
• Panic fear. Usually it concerns the health of the newborn, the mother has fears that he may suddenly die or something will happen to him. A gloomy vision of the future becomes dominant, the imagination draws terrible pictures of events that could happen in a few hours or days. Articles about accidents and illnesses read on the Internet are automatically “tried on” to oneself.
• The feeling of guilt does not leave a woman; even the smallest failure plunges her into a world of fear and self-flagellation.
• Provoking conflict. Often a young mother throws tantrums every day for any reason, she becomes grumpy, and she herself looks for reasons to quarrel with her husband or loved ones. People around them attribute these symptoms to whims and bad character, so they do not respond to them in a timely manner.

Depression... what to do?

Depression

One of the most common requests when seeking psychological help is depression . Today I would like to talk a little about this unpleasant and, unfortunately, often occurring mood disorder. It brings a lot of unpleasant experiences both to those suffering from depression and to their loved ones.

Treatment of depression

Treatment of real depression - and as we will see in the article, people do not always correctly assess their condition, and sometimes call something depression that in fact is not it - so, the treatment of real depression is long-term . The more severe the depression, the more likely it is that antidepressants will be needed. A psychiatrist has the right to prescribe these medications. If you are seeking advice from a psychologist or psychological psychotherapist about true depression, then it would be correct if you are referred for additional advice to a psychiatrist.

At this point, we must immediately say that there is no need to be afraid of contacting a psychiatrist! People often have some fears like “they’ll register, and then...” - and then you won’t be able to buy a weapon, they won’t give you a driver’s license, they’ll put you in a straitjacket, a syringe in your thigh - and they’ll force you to the hospital, they’ll feed you neuroleptics until you’re a vegetable. , to work and all the neighbors will be informed that he is crazy, and so on.

• Firstly, Soviet times are long gone. No one will put a “registration” stamp on your passport.
• Secondly, there are severe psychiatric illnesses, and there are milder ones. There are people who are dangerous to themselves and others, and others who are not. If your cases are both the first, you will still sooner or later, one way or another, end up with a psychiatrist - but better sooner!
• And thirdly, go to a private psychiatrist - this is an ordinary doctor, and don’t worry.

In the Tests section on this site, as well as at the end of the article, there will be links to tests for depression , allowing you to assess the severity of its manifestations, so if you found yourself on this page not by chance, then please take them, and, if you have severe depression - get help! Fighting depression alone can be very difficult, but with someone else you will definitely find it easier. Suicidal thoughts are a reason to contact your doctor, psychiatrist or psychotherapist as soon as possible.

Black suprematist square. Kazimir Malevich, 1915.

Depression can happen to anyone, any age, any social circle. By no means is depression something “normal, common in this difficult life.” Despite the fact that up to 80% of all patients eventually completely get rid of depression with the help of effective treatment (including, possibly, medication!), only half of the patients seek psychological or psychotherapeutic help. Unfortunately, many people believe that depression is a sign of “weakness of character,” that it’s “not serious,” and that they can cope “somehow on their own.” Please remember that depression is a disease. With proper treatment, a person can return to normal life.

So what is depression?

Most people's mood changes throughout the day - sometimes getting better, sometimes worse. They experience feelings of joy, sadness, irritation, fun, etc. about the life situations happening around them, and at the same time, these feelings do not have any significant impact on the quality of their life as a whole. Well, feelings and feelings. If you ask them to draw a graph of how their mood changed during the day, it will most likely be something like this:

But people suffering from a mood disorder (which includes depression) usually remain in a constantly low mood for several days, weeks, or months.

And their mood graph will look something like this:

As a result, a bad mood constantly affects all contacts with the outside world and prevents normal functioning.

Depression happens:

• monopolar, from the words “mono-” = “one” and “polar” = “pole” - that is, one pole, one side;
• bipolar, respectively “bi-” = “two”, that is, two poles, two sides.

Unipolar depression is when there are relatively long periods of depression, loss of moral strength, extremely low self-esteem, feelings of guilt, etc. That is, in a broad sense, as we usually call it, simply “depression.”

Bipolar depression is when periods of depression alternate with periods of unbridled activity, euphoria, lasting at least a week. This article is about unipolar depression, although much of what will be said applies to bipolar depression as well.

Numbers about depression:

• Every year, 5 to 10% of the adult population suffers from a severe form of unipolar depression;
• Almost 20% of people will experience an episode of depression at some point in their lives;
• A depressive episode occurs at least once in 26% of women and only 12% of men.

The course of depression may vary from person to person; some may have more severe symptoms than others. But in any case, depression reduces productivity and reduces the feeling of satisfaction with life. Additionally, symptoms of depression typically span five areas: emotions, motivation, behavior, thinking, and physical health. Let's look at them separately.

Emotional symptoms of depression

Depression is accompanied by feelings of sadness and depression, devastation, humiliation, etc. People feel unhappy; nothing can make them laugh or bring them joy. Usually depression is associated with the color black: black melancholy, a black period in life.

Changes in motivation in depression

As a rule, when you are depressed, you don’t want to do anything: you are not attracted to either old, long-known activities or new and seemingly interesting things. People suffering from depression have to force themselves to: go to work, communicate with people, eat, and perform normal daily activities. Sometimes you can hear the opinion from the average person that these people are “simply lazy or capricious,” and that if they “try hard enough, they will be able to force themselves to live normally.” Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. People suffering from depression find it very difficult to even just want to “go to work normally.”

Depression and behavior

When people are depressed, they are less active, less productive, spend more time alone, and may stay in bed for long periods of time. In addition, there may be slowness of movements or even speech, a quiet voice.

Changes in thinking with depression

Depression is accompanied by a drop in self-esteem, and people begin to evaluate themselves negatively, to the point of extremes: they are sincerely convinced that they are incompetent, unwanted, inferior. As a rule, they tend to notice and acutely blame themselves for all negative events (even if these events have absolutely nothing to do with them), and, conversely, they very rarely notice any of their achievements and successes. And if they do notice, they tend to downplay their significance. A certain kind of “devaluation” filter is triggered: “everything I have achieved is complete nonsense.”

An important component of depression is a pessimistic view of yourself, the world and the people around you: “Nothing good has happened, is not happening, and is unlikely to happen.” “I can’t change anything, so there’s no point in trying.”

Often, with depression, there is a real decrease in the functions of thinking: memory and concentration are weakened, and forgetfulness occurs.

Physical symptoms of depression

Sometimes it happens that depression is first diagnosed as a physical illness: people complain of headaches, problems with digestion, problems with sleep, dizziness, and general malaise. You may lose your appetite. When people with depression wake up in the morning, they still feel tired.

Causes of depression

There are many factors that can influence the onset of depression. Moreover, some people “need” several factors to coincide or happen, while for others one is “enough”. And sometimes it happens that depression occurs without obvious reasons. Different factors may play different roles in the onset and development of depression.

• Biological causes: insufficient activity of neurotransmitters in the brain; high levels of the hormone cortisol (secreted by the adrenal glands, for example, during periods of stress); high levels of the hormone melatonin (released when there is insufficient or reduced amount of sunlight).
• Habitual negative “thinking styles”: So-called “negative thinking” and low self-esteem can contribute to the development of depression. According to M. Seligman, the central place in depression can be occupied by the so-called. learned helplessness is the idea that you are unable to control negative events in life because there is something wrong, global and persistent about you. For example, “What happened is my fault, I spoil everything I touch, and it will always be like this.” This style of thinking can lead to feelings of hopelessness, in which case the risk of depression is quite high. According to A. Beck, there is a cognitive depressive triad: errors in the perception of the situation, oneself (one’s experience) and one’s future.
• Gender differences: Depression occurs almost twice as often in women as in men. Moreover, it is associated with hormonal changes in the body at the onset of menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. For some women, depression can be triggered by severe stress from fulfilling incompatible social roles. Postpartum depression occurs within 4 weeks after childbirth in 10-30% of women who give birth. It is necessary to distinguish postpartum depression from postpartum melancholia , which occurs in most women (up to 80% according to studies by Najman and Horovitz) as a result of a dramatically changed life situation, sleep disturbance, additional stress and emotional fatigue. Women may experience bouts of crying, anxiety, insomnia, and sad mood. As a rule, postpartum melancholy will go away on its own within a few days or weeks, when the woman and her body adapt to new conditions. Postpartum depression does not go away so quickly, and its symptoms (deep sadness, despair, tearfulness, fear, feelings of incompetence, etc.) can last several months.
• Depression can accompany other diseases, such as eating disorders, cardiovascular diseases or diabetes.
• Taking medications: Some medications can cause depression as a side effect (so-called depressogenic medications). These include some medications for the cardiovascular system, hypertension, hormonal, psychotropic medications, etc.
• Genetic causes: If there is a history of depression in the family, the likelihood of its occurrence increases.
• Difficult, stressful events in life: divorce, financial problems, death of loved ones, etc. According to research by Kohn & Kendler, significantly more stressful events occurred in the lives of people suffering from depression in the month before the onset of the disorder than in the lives of the average person during the same period.

Treatment of depression

Like many other psychological disorders, the approach to treating depression must be comprehensive. From a biological point of view - prescribing antidepressants; from the point of view of psychotherapy, it is possible to work with various psychological models: from the point of view of the psychodynamic approach (psychoanalytic theories) - working through early traumas and losses, one’s weaknesses, dependence on others, etc. From the point of view of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy works on inadequate irrational attitudes, negative thinking styles, identifying new sources of joy in life and returning to old ones. Sociocultural models (eg, interpersonal psychotherapy) will deal with interpersonal role conflicts and shifts, interpersonal deficits, etc. that contribute to depression. In any case, you need to start with consulting a psychologist.

What are the conclusions?

• Depression is not “laziness,” “weakness of character,” or “whims.” This is a disease that needs to be treated.
• Depression can be caused (provoked) by various factors and causes in various combinations. Therefore, treatment for depression should ideally be comprehensive. A combination of medications and psychotherapy works best.
• Among other factors, a negative thinking style can contribute to the development of depression.
• Depression can threaten life and health, as depression can cause thoughts of suicide.
• In most cases, with adequate treatment, symptoms of depression can be reduced, if not eliminated.

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Depression test

The psychological tools that psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists use in their work have certain specifics. These can be tests, questionnaires, questionnaires, projective techniques. The difficulty lies in the correct interpretation of the material received from the patient.

It is strictly not recommended for patients to use their own intuition and information on the Internet. The patient may misdiagnose himself and prescribe medications that are not required in his case.

Moreover, most tranquilizers, antidepressants and other strong drugs are available only with a doctor's prescription. The use of dubious remedies will not only not help, but will also aggravate the situation and increase the level of intensity of symptoms.

In addition to tests, Dr. Isaev’s clinic performs diagnostics using modern equipment, which can be used to determine the presence of concomitant diseases. In some cases, treatment must begin with them, since such pathologies complicate the clinical picture.

How to get out of depression

Psychologists advise to be attentive to your body, at the first signs of depressive episodes, try to help yourself before visiting a doctor. It is important to follow these rules:

1. There is no need to avoid a bad state and mood and hate yourself for it. The patient must accept himself as he is at a particular moment. This is a normal phenomenon that occurs under the influence of external and internal factors. Depression must be fought, but this must be done gently, without putting strong pressure on the psyche.
2. Redirecting focus to another activity. Reading books, riding a bike, going to the gym, swimming, and changing the environment helps a lot. If finances and time allow, you can go on a trip, see many interesting and new places, in this case the apathy often goes away on its own. Perhaps the person simply lacked impressions.
3. You need to get rid of the fear of losing your positive emotions. Manifestations of joy, euphoria, and pleasure should be enjoyed at the moment they appear, and not constantly replay bygone times in your thoughts.
4. Communication with new people, interesting contacts. You can go to an exhibition, cinema or theater, meet interesting interlocutors, let others help. There is no need to be afraid of being rejected or not needed; in most cases, such experiments end successfully.
5. The psychotherapist will recommend meditations that can be used when the first symptoms of depression approach. Such techniques help develop a sense of inner integrity.
6. Normalization of sleep and rest patterns. An exhausted body needs help first. A full eight-hour sleep helps restore its reserves and promotes inner peace.

How can experts help?

Chronic depression is easily treatable if diagnosed early. Typically, therapy is carried out in several directions at once:

• medical assistance. Various antidepressants are successfully used to combat depression in any of its manifestations. The choice of a specific drug is made by the doctor based on the patient’s condition, since these drugs have a fairly large number of side effects. Antidepressants are taken for a long time, the course of treatment is six months or more. Stopping taking this type of medication is done gradually, over two to three weeks, and this must also be done under the supervision of a doctor;
• psychotherapy is aimed at improving the psycho-emotional state of the patient. The doctor can use various techniques, for example, cognitive psychotherapy, family therapy, etc. The patient, under the guidance of a psychotherapist, learns to control his thoughts and behavior, forms adequate self-esteem, and also acquires skills to combat depression in the future;
• assistive methods include therapy aimed at obtaining positive emotions. Music, fine arts, communication with animals - all this has a positive effect on the mental and emotional state of a person for any type of mental disorder.

In addition, the patient will be advised to engage in active sports, adhere to healthy eating principles and give up bad habits, for example, quit smoking or stop drinking alcohol.

Treatment of depression

If a person cannot cope with his condition on his own, he needs the help of a psychotherapist. Treatment of depression involves the use of various techniques aimed at relaxing the nervous system, calming down, and increasing self-esteem.

If the patient does not realize what is happening to him, hypnosis sessions are recommended. Immersion in a trance and precise adherence to the doctor’s commands makes it possible to travel back to childhood or adolescence, to determine the place and time when the psychological trauma was inflicted. In some cases, the patient requires consultation with a neurologist or psychiatrist if he develops other pathologies against the background of a depressive disorder.

Questions and answers

Is it possible to get rid of a bad mood on your own with the help of antidepressants?

We categorically do not recommend prescribing medications yourself. This is done by the doctor based on examination of the patient. Many medications have a number of contraindications, which the patient himself may not be aware of.

How long does it take to treat depression?

This is an individual indicator, it all depends on the form of the disease and its stage.