Depression is what kind of state? Causes and symptoms, the scale of depression. Can I cope with depression on my own?

The death of our century is depression. The disease got its name from the media, and comparison with the most terrible diseases of the Middle Ages did not come about by chance: according to the forecasts of 2020, among other ailments, depression prevails, overtaking the leaders of today - cardiovascular and infectious diseases; It is this disorder that will become the destroyer # 1. Already, more than half of all suicides on the Earth are committed by people who are depressed.

Depression is a short-term mere drop in mood associated with some unpleasant life events. However, most often such cases of reduced mood are quite ordinary reaction to stress, which every healthy person regularly experiences. Even underestimated from a few weeks to a whole year, the mood is a reaction to a strong shock (reduction in work, death or illness of a close relative, divorce).

Depression or stress?

With stress, we have to face almost daily, solving various kinds of problems. Bad grades in examinations or failure of tests cause strong negative emotions of varying degrees. A person can be stressful while in a long queue, because of problems at work or difficulties in the family, with unrequited love, when one wants to do much, and there is no time for it when there are a number of unrealized opportunities, due to the everyday 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 receive a protective (response) reaction - a depressive state. For every, even the most insignificant, unallocated stress, the organism applies adequate depression. But a little stress is sometimes even beneficial to a person.

Causes of Depression

Enumeration of all causes of stress is an unreasonable occupation, because each person is individual and everyone has his own patterns of behavior and thinking. Everyone on this earth has his own life experience and everyone shows his own attitude to emerging situations. And that's why there are a lot of stressful situations. Along with this, each of these situations has one thing in common: events bear our well-being and life threat. This happens in reality, or the complexity is fictitious.

The situation that provokes unpleasant feelings of great sadness or sadness in our body 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. Acquisition of a house or car, for example, loss of money due to theft, debts to a third party, losses, etc.

Job. 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. It seems at times that work and career are the continuous causes of depression. A lot of people put a key priority in life in maintaining their own employment.

Safety and health. Problems with safety and health have always been perceived by the person painfully, because these problems are a threat to his life.

A family. Relations with family members, especially tense, can become a serious cause for depression. This stressful situation is sometimes delayed for many years and turns into a serious illness.

Personal relationships. Relations with friends, friends and even strangers are always emotional and often cause the causes of depression.

Personal problems. People always want to have control over their own lives or the lives of others. But when management weakens, stress begins, because people tend to control others and themselves.

Death. Even the death of a pet for his master is a stress, not to mention the tragic death of close people. The expectation of death can also be called a great source of such a disease as depression. The doctor in this case works, coming from a psychological point of view.

Impossibility of self-expression. A person wants to express himself and start to imagine something, but not everyone does it.

Anxiety Depression

This is the most frequent diagnosis, which is determined in the conditions of general and primary medical practice in those suffering from somatic pathologies. Patients showed a variety of symptoms of depression and anxiety. A few or one somatic symptom (fatigue, sleep disturbances, pain, for example) can be seen at the beginning. Further questions allow us to state finally depressive mood or anxiety. Main 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 consultations to select appropriate methods of treatment.

The main symptoms of depression

Going to work with your head, often practicing sports or engaging in such a sporting event, which is associated with extreme situations, risk, and deepening in gambling - this all in some way may indicate a depressive state. Depression is difficult to recognize. This is due, on the one hand, to the erroneous opinion that it is necessary to tell other people about their experiences, and the inability to cope with them is a sign of human weakness. On the other hand, the fact that in most cases, patients are depressed by their depression due to alcohol abuse and / or aggressive behavior.

Emotional manifestations

• Suffering, anguish, depressed, depressed mood, despair.
• Anxious mood, inner tension, expectation of unhappiness.
• Irritability.
• Regular self-blame, guilt.
• Dissatisfaction with his appearance, reduced self-confidence, reduced self-esteem.
• Reduced or lost ability to experience pleasure from previously pleasant lessons.
• Decreased interest in the world around them.
• The 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, and also with insecurity appear insolvent in society.

Physiological manifestations

• Disturbed sleep.
• Variable appetite (excessive overeating or vice versa).
• Dysfunction of the intestine.
• Reduced sexual needs.
• Reduced energy, weakness, increased fatigue in normal intellectual and physical exertion. All this can be the cause of the disease called "depression." There is no strength in the elementary things of everyday life.
• In the body, there is unpleasant pain (for example, in the intestines, in the heart muscle).

Behavioral manifestations

• Difficulties of conducting purposeful activity, passivity.
• Avoidance of contact (inclination to solitude, loss of interest in other people).
• Refusal of entertainment.
• Abuse of psychotropic and narcotic substances and alcoholism, which gives relief for a time.

Thoughtful manifestations

• Difficulty concentrating and concentrating.
• Difficulties in making decisions.
• The predominance of thoughts about their lives aimed at negativity.
• Pessimistic, gloomy planning of the future with a lack of prospects, thoughts of its meaningless existence.
• Thoughts about suicide (severe cases of depression). That is why depression is often treated with various medications.
• Thoughts about own helplessness, insignificance, uselessness.
• Delayed thinking.

A diagnosis of "depression" can be established if a certain number of these symptoms persists for several weeks.

Depression Scale

This scale was developed on the basis of clinical observations that revealed the predominant symptoms of depression and recorded frequent complaints of people. This scale was adjusted several times, one of its latest versions appeared in 1996. The first publications of the questionnaires were held 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 depression scale helps to measure the dynamics of depressive disorders, thanks to this, tests are used to assess the quality of the treatment.

The procedure for conducting

Testing is initially carried out in the presence of experts reading the statements of statements. Patients are given copies of the questionnaires, but they respond verbally. Experts also take into account additional indicators (the level of development of the subjects in terms of intelligence, anamnesis, etc.). However, now the procedure for passing tests is increasingly simplified. The test form consists of 20 groups of statements, each containing phrases marked with numbers from 0 to 3, or unmarked (in this case, the scoring is performed after passing the tests). It follows from each group to single out one statement that most accurately reflects a person's state during the week and at the time of testing. Phrases in each group are arranged in order of increasing the degree of manifestation of symptoms. Some categories include alternative items that are valued equally. Before selecting a statement, you should familiarize yourself with each option presented in the group. Version 1996 has each group of statements with names. Sleep, appetite, anxiety, fatigue, self-blame, apparent presence of suicidal tendencies and so on are evaluated. There is a clarification: if in the same group several statements seem correct, you need to choose the last item. In previous versions, it was possible to select each suitable statement. Formulation of phrases has also undergone processing.

Methods for independent withdrawal from depression

How to get out of depression on your own? Most studies have confirmed the importance of self-help in the process of getting rid of behavioral, emotional and physical difficulties. Answer the following questions, and then you can easily determine whether self-help is enough for you:

1. Have you ever thought of suicide? If the answer is yes, you need specialist help.

2. Is there a sense of the influence of the depressive state in most areas of life: in relationships, work, health, the ability to entertain? If the answer is positive, it is possible that you have a pronounced generalized depression, to get rid of it you will need to meddle deeper than self-help.

In case you answered positively to both questions, you can start your self-help. If after several months of independent effort you do not notice improvements, look for additional help. Uncertainty, thoughts about suicide, growing discouragement or any other deteriorated state of health indicate the need for an immediate appeal to professionals.

Books, CDs, videotapes

So, how to get out of the depression yourself. Books give you such a volume of information that can not be obtained at sessions of psychotherapy. You can read at a convenient pace for you, postpone the book or read again. When you combine work and psychotherapy with books, you achieve faster good results. It is worth noting that on the topic of psychological disorders there are many books, for example "Depression is canceled" by the author Richard O ^, Connor.

For people who better perceive visual information, it is suitable to watch discs or video tapes dedicated to improving one's own condition and fighting depression.

Self-help and Internet group

The psychological group provides participants with the necessary understanding and support. When people with similar problems meet, they can share experiences and information, express oneself without fear of condemnation.

In the "World Wide Web" there are various sites dedicated to the fight against depression. You can read the material or chat in a chat or forum on the topic of "depression." Feedback - also a good help.

Love yourself, spare, avoid stress

The illness absorbs your strength, and there are not so many of them remaining for daily duties. Try not to set difficult tasks and take great responsibility. Break up the big things into several stages and perform a little, as much as you can. If possible, avoid significant changes in life.

It is not easy to learn to avoid tense situations. Determine the range of actions and events that can exert a stressful influence, and think about how to circumvent them. Do not use psychoactive substances and alcohol, which, like drugs, can only ease the state of depression for a short time. As soon as intoxication passes, after the use of these substances will become even worse.

Learn the discipline

A great way, how to get out of depression yourself - half an hour gymnastics several times a week. It can improve your mood in a few weeks. Charging can remove muscle and nervous tension, improve vigor, strengthen the spirit. In addition, physical exercises stimulate the production of enkephalins and endorphins in the body - substances that are similar to natural antidepressants.

Build for yourself a suitable daily routine and try to perform it as best as possible. Get up every day at the same time, at certain times, eat food and go to bed early to have a good rest. The formed routine contributes to the normal functioning of the body and the installation of its own biological clock, which happens with a depressive disorder is disrupted.

Read it! The more you know about depression, the easier it is to cope with the problem of how to get out of depression yourself. Awareness of the depressive state makes it less frightening and mysterious.

Love yourself and what surrounds you

Pay attention to what your thoughts are. Try to listen to them with depression, but do not put at the same time the goal to decide whether they are correct or not. A conscious approach to one's thoughts will form the basis for an objective own view of the worldview distorted by depression.

A person in depression often avoids communication. But alone, alone with personal difficulties, you will feel very bad. And in a society of other people you will be distracted from your depressive experiences. Do what you like with someone else. Help is often supported groups. People who are in a similar state gather there.

And most importantly: stock up in patience. Depression is a serious disease, it does not go away right away. It is necessary to know that with this disorder, recovery is not an exception, but a rule. Have patience and always remember that you are going to recovery.

Medication

Drugs in treatment are widely used in both manic and depressive states. This fact especially refers to the severe condition with a major depressive disorder and during bipolar depression. Treatment of less serious types of depressive disorders can take place without taking medications.

It does not matter if a person is a year in depression or a week - drugs are prescribed for patients with both 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 prescribed treatment regimens, frank, detailed account of his condition in general and about life's difficulties. In the process of prescribing medications you need to ask questions to the doctor, they will make a lot of things clear for you.

Life after depression (according to people)

As shown by numerous reviews, during the resolution of conflict situations and the elimination of psychotraumatic factors, the phenomena of increased irritability become leading phenomena: an easily changing mood, disturbed sleep. Characteristic is hyperesthesia - intolerance of external stimuli. Many said that headaches often begin.

Irritability and impatience, increased fatigue, a constant desire for different activities, even in an environment that creates conditions for entertainment (some people described it as "fatigue, which does not seek rest") significantly complicate life. After depression in some people, judging by the reviews, on the contrary, there is an increased mood with pronounced fussiness, excitement.

Depression is canceled!

The patient jumps in turn to each thought, immediately grabs in several cases, without bringing them to the end. Disability is reduced, sleep is reduced. After depression, all these conditions develop because of the disturbed content in the brain of serotonin, monamine and other neurotransmitters.

Numerous experiments and studies have shown a direct link between the active serotonin system and various emotional shifts. Other factors can be called different endocrine changes that arise in response to stressful effects.

During the onset of depression and after it there is dysfunction of the gonads, thyroid gland, disturbances of regulation in the system "hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal glands". In addition, often depression leads to dysfunctions in the braking system of the cerebral cortex and a diencephalic structure with desynchronization of biological rhythms and mechanisms of wakefulness regulation with periods of sleep.

After depression, correction is also required. Various homeopathic medicines help to get rid of the consequences of such ailment, as stress and depression. Without entering into negative interactions with the internal environment of the organism, these biologically active substances normalize the regulation of biochemical processes at the molecular level in the brain, as a result of which hormonal imbalance is eliminated and the quality of life of people who have been depressed significantly improves.