How to treat mild depression. Mild depression. Why is it important to understand why we are depressed?

Such mild symptoms depression, such as apathy, sleep problems, lack of desire to contact people - these are signs that the sound vector is experiencing a lack of realization of its properties, a “lack of meaning in life.” How can a sound engineer get rid of this condition?

Everything seems to be fine, but the condition is disgusting. Mild depression, my dear.

Every morning, the body, as if programmed, leaves the bed and wanders to the kitchen. Thoughts are somewhere far away.

The miraculous alliance of coffee and music helps overcome apathy, obsessive anxious thoughts, the first signs of depression. Coffee and music every day. Almost 24/7.

People around you indicate symptoms of mild depression with concern. Well, okay. Symptoms are not proof that a person has a mild form of depression, right?

I don't want to talk about this with anyone. Firstly, no one will understand, and secondly, it’s pointless. The world will not change from empty chatter. I don’t want to listen to advice on what to do for mild depression from people who look falsely happy (I wonder if they only lie to others or to themselves too?). They will probably advise some nonsense. Go there, do this, change your hairstyle, find a guy. Well, what's the point? What the hell is all this for?

Oh, if only someone could tell me not what to do and how to do it, but why...

Symptoms of mild depression

Symptoms of mild depression of situational or neurotic origin include:

problems with appetite;

yearning;

anxious or intrusive thoughts;

apathy;

sleep disorders.

The main problem is that the reason for the appearance of such symptoms of mild depression for different people different, while the methods used to treat mild depression are almost the same for everyone.

Many treatments for mild depression do not work precisely because they are aimed at combating the consequences, the appearance problem, not at its root. Unfortunately, this only makes depression worse.

Mild depression - treatment

There is nothing they offer today for the symptoms of mild depression.

Perhaps the most common treatment for depression mild degree the severity that the Internet and psychologists offer and which first comes to mind are antidepressants. There are entire forums where people advise each other which ones to take to improve performance and get out of a state of apathy.

The main disadvantage of antidepressants is that they are not omnipotent. They affect the biochemistry of the brain, but are not able to change the state of the psyche.

There are other ways to treat mild depression - hypnosis, psychotherapy, personal journaling, yoga, aromatherapy...

It remains a mystery why these methods do not work equally well for everyone, if at all, when diagnostics seem to show the same problem.

For mild depression of situational or neurotic origin, there is no specific treatment at all. Very often, this type of depression lets the patient go for a while, then returns with renewed vigor.

Mild depression is...

What is mild depression? Of course, mild depression is the first step on the path to a more severe form of depression. Let's figure out what this condition is and why it arises, based on knowledge about the psyche of System-Vector Psychology by Yuri Burlan.

IN modern world Literally everything is often called depression. Bad mood, depressed state, fatigue. Kicked out of work, no girlfriend - depression, that's one answer. They offer a variety of methods for treating mild depression: from changing impressions to taking antidepressants.

However, depression that can be cured with the help of the benefits of the material world: buying new things, new relationships, profitable work - is not real depression.

According to system-vector psychology Yuri Burlan, people with real depression suffer. It is their hidden desires that are aimed at understanding the meaning of life, the laws by which our world lives. Symptoms of mild depression such as apathy, sleep problems, lack of desire to contact people are symptoms that the sound vector is experiencing a lack of realization of its properties, a “lack of meaning in life.” How can a sound engineer get rid of this condition?

By nature, every person is endowed with innate properties and talents that require their development and implementation in society, among other people. One of these qualities of a sound artist is abstract intelligence. Its implementation in society is the ability to concentrate one’s mind, seek answers to metaphysical questions and generate new ideas for transforming the world around us.

When the carrier of the sound vector does not have the opportunity to realize his desire to comprehend the world around him and apply his intellect in society, he plunges into himself. Into the dark basement of your ego. He is trying to find the meaning of his life separately from the whole world.

And this is his mistake

It is impossible to find the meaning of life, to get out of depression, wandering through the dungeons of your consciousness. No antidepressants will help if a person is fixated on himself.

The very phrase “coming out of depression” implies that you need to come out of the dark basement of your ego into the light. This allegory means that knowledge of oneself is possible only through a system of differences with others. And to do this, you need not to avoid people, but, on the contrary, to carefully study them, comprehending your meanings and desires through their values and aspirations.

Our world is a complex system. And a truly hopeless task is to look for the purpose of the existence of a separate part without understanding how the entire mechanism works. What's the point of having a hand if the rest of the body doesn't exist?

Man is social form life, therefore, his purpose is always in life among other people. Only by concentrating your consciousness on the outside world, trying to understand people, can you gradually come to an understanding of yourself and your purpose, and get out of depression once and for all. This is especially important for carriers of the sound vector, whose natural role is to comprehend the Plan, that which is hidden. This means that understanding people is a potential pleasure for them.

What to do for mild depression?

If nothing in life makes you happy anymore, everything has lost its meaning, you don’t even understand why you live. If you have found all the symptoms of mild depression and don’t know how to deal with it. If you are trying to understand what to do with mild depression, come to the upcoming free online lectures on system-vector psychology by Yuri Burlan. We will help you understand what really motivates people and find your place in it. complex mechanism of the universe! .

The article was written based on the training materials “ System-vector psychology»

I recently spoke with one person who made the following statement. He believes that depression should not be diagnosed until a person stops taking care of himself and getting out of bed. Otherwise people will be completely spoiled.

Nowadays, no matter where you look, everyone is depressed. There may be depression, but as soon as someone finds out about their diagnosis, they certainly begin to shirk work. Like, I’m depressed, in this state I’m supposed to lie on the couch and spit at the ceiling. Now, if a person cannot stand up at all, this is a good reason. Until this moment, you need to go to work, do chores around the house and not whine.

Before you continue reading, take a depression test.

Of course, most people who are far from understanding mental illness believe that as long as all parts of a person’s body are working and the tests are good, nothing has happened to him. More or less, last years people have come to understand that before lying down, a person may be in a state of depression moderate severity. Then he sleeps poorly, his mood is constantly low, nothing makes him happy and he thinks badly about himself (that he is worthless, stupid, unlucky, a burden to everyone, etc.).

But even earlier, there is also mild depression. If you add the adjective “mild” to the name of any disease, then in the eyes of the public the condition becomes frivolous, something that can simply be ignored. Bad mood? Who has it easy now? Everyone has children, work and home. So you live like everyone else, you have the same problems, and you are no different from those around you.

But, nevertheless, people with mild depression are different from others, despite having the same “children-work-home” situation. They, given the same living conditions, are much more stressed by them.

Pure depression is not that common Lately. In the vast majority of cases, it is accompanied by anxiety.

Any trouble at home or at work puts people with mild depression into shock and panic. A catastrophe begins to be predicted in my head. It seems that life is starting to fall apart.

Did your boss express dissatisfaction with your work? That’s it, now he hates me, thinks I’m a fool, plans to fire me, and then no one will hire me, my wife will leave me, I’ll die under the fence.

And even on those days when there are no significant changes, people with mild depression are overwhelmed by the thought that it’s about to happen, but I’m not ready, I can’t handle it. They overwhelm themselves with work and are stressed when performing even the simplest tasks. Because... if there is a puncture, then everything will go upside down.

It cannot be said that mild depression completely takes a person into the realm of a negative vision of the world. Paradoxically, people, on the contrary, are beginning to look at things more realistically. Normally (the norm in relation to mood), a person tends to love himself more, and a number of psychological effects of perception are associated with this.

So healthy people more often they look for problems not in themselves, but in others, they tend to trust themselves and doubt less about the results of their work, they consider themselves “good and correct.”

Not so with mild depression. A person begins to see that a lot depends on him, and that he is not 100% able to cope with certain problems, that consequences of this or that behavior may occur.

In other words, a person with a normal background mood, having not completed a task, would rather hope that he will somehow slip through or figure out on the spot what to do. A depressed person will worry because he knows for sure that he may not get through, and may not get out of his way, and may not think on the spot.

People with mild depression often have problems communicating. They feel that they cannot communicate with others. They quickly become bored and conversation stresses them out.

Thoughts begin that you could do something else, you want to get away from interaction. They answer in monosyllables, because there seems to be nothing to talk about. If you can answer briefly, why answer long.

The topics for conversation themselves are rarely suggested, for fear that no one will be interested in it, and if they talk about what they are talking about, it will be too long. And in general, they often begin to look for negativity and negative connotations in communicating with others.

It seems to them that they are annoying the interlocutor, that he wants to run away from them, they themselves say some stupid things, inappropriate things. Indeed, when depressed people are nervous during communication, behave anxiously, and are reluctant to answer briefly, others perceive that they do not want to communicate with them. Next time they won't come any more.

People with mild depression are more likely to have angry outbursts and behave aggressively. If we take into account that their mood is more depressed than expected, then their reactions to what is happening are much brighter for outsiders.

For the depressed themselves, such attacks do not always seem unreasonable. They yell at their children more often, are more often irritated by everything that happens around them, and are more often offended and upset.

In this state there is also anhedonia, a lack of satisfaction. It is not so pronounced that a person does not like anything at all and does not enjoy anything, but there is a constant feeling that the grass was greener before, that their dreams did not come true, their life is boring.

And even if everything is changed radically, then again, after a short period of time, everything returns to the original sensations. In general, no matter how you change your life, everything is the same.

However, in this state, people already find it difficult to take any drastic steps, resist stress, and overcome obstacles. If a person sees that there will be obstacles, then, even though small movements will bring significant dividends, he refuses to change anything in life.

A person is mildly depressed and chronically dissatisfied with his life. Everyone in his family irritates him; it seems to him that he is not given enough love and warmth here. He himself is not able to give anything either.

He is not appreciated or recognized at work. He works a lot hard, but is too overwhelmed with emotions about every little thing. This work drains all the veins out of him and he barely manages to do the minimum.

He also lives in a crappy area of a crappy city and a crappy country. This is because he can't handle living anywhere else and doesn't have enough money to leave. It's not interesting with neighbors and colleagues. I would like to find a hobby, but nothing is interesting.

Those. Yes, there is no reason to give such a person “sick leave.” He can formally go to work. But the situation is such that his quality of life suffers greatly. And no one promises that he will always remain mildly depressed.

When life's circumstances become more complicated, depression takes hold more powerfully. Depression of any severity also flourishes with other disorders - addictions, phobias, behavioral disorders, etc.

Many believe that if in such cases we give everyone a box of antidepressants, then life in the country will improve. Indeed, antidepressants can break the vicious circle and enable a person to make a breakthrough from circumstances and change his life.

However, pills by themselves never solve problems. Of course, it is easy to tell a disgruntled wife that she is depressed and needs to see a psychiatrist. But even if she goes and her depression decreases, it will not solve the marriage problems.

Problems in marriage are more often the cause of depression, not the other way around. Emotional abuse at work leads to depression in workers. Those. This does not happen because only depressed types go to work.

The issue of drug treatment is resolved in each individual case. But pills never cancel the solution to current problems.

Mild depression is a condition in which the patient feels apathy, cannot work effectively and enjoy life. If this problem is not dealt with, it can cause a major depressive disorder, in which a person will begin to have suicidal thoughts.

Causes of depression

A subdepressive state (subdepression) may appear due to the following reasons:

Lack of vitamins. This happens in autumn and spring, when the body does not have enough sun.
Stressful situations. For example, changing jobs, moving, death of a loved one, divorce.
Dissatisfaction with yourself and your life. Unfulfilled dreams, unloved work, lack of friends and personal life may trigger depression.

Another similar condition is typical for people whose body is weakened after a long illness or serious injury.

Symptoms of mild depression

Manifestations, signs of mild It is important to notice depression immediately in order to begin treatment as quickly as possible. First of all, you should pay attention to the emotional background. A person suffering from depression will become lethargic and pessimistic. He will constantly be in a bad mood when there are no objective reasons for this. Any minor failure can unsettle him. A broken pencil, a frozen computer, or a typo in a document will bring tears to your eyes.

Decreased interest in work, hobbies and family are also important symptoms. They are easy to notice if a person previously enjoyed active recreation, trips out of town or long walks. The patient will feel tired even after resting, so he simply will not have the energy for hobbies or household chores.

You can self-diagnose depression. This condition is characterized by sleep problems: insomnia or drowsiness. This disease is also accompanied by a feeling of anxiety. Loss of meaning in life is characteristic of a more severe stage.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the physiological manifestations of the disease. Patients with mild stage depressed people complain of constipation and diarrhea, stomach pain and tingling in the heart area.

Treatment for mild depression

Treatment depends on the severity of the depression. At mild form For this disease, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants. For example, Maprotiline, Paxil or Prozac. These medications can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription because they are not considered heavy drugs, but the dosage must still be prescribed by a specialist. Tinctures of ginseng or lemongrass also help effectively. The drug Novo-passit and valerian tincture have a calming effect. The patient is also recommended to drink chamomile tea, because it also has a beneficial effect on nervous system.

Psychotherapy sessions will help you find the cause of the disease and cope with it. Individual or group lessons are available. The patient should also undergo tests to determine what vitamins he lacks in his body if the cause of depression is vitamin deficiency.

Mild depression can be treated on your own. First of all, you need to follow your daily routine. It is necessary to wake up and go to bed at the same time. You need to devote 7-8 hours to sleep every day. Worth doing morning exercises or go for a run. You can do fitness or swimming.

It is worth adding more fruits, vegetables and fish to your diet. You should not overindulge in sweets, because this will only worsen the condition.

You need to spend more time outdoors, and also communicate with loved ones and friends who will help you take your mind off problems and give you self-confidence. You can go on a trip for a change of scenery. It is not necessary to visit another country; a trip to a neighboring city for a visit is enough.

It is the most common mental disorder. According to recent studies, the likelihood of developing depression during your lifetime ranges from 22 to 33%.

People suffering from depression do not perceive the joys of the world around them, like everyone else, their thinking is aimed at aggravating the negative manifestations of reality, they perceive any minor troubles in an exaggerated way.

What kind of disorder is this, why people tend to plunge into this state and what symptoms a person experiences, we will consider further.

What is depression?

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by a depressive triad, which includes decreased mood, disturbances in thinking (a pessimistic view of everything that is happening around, loss of the ability to feel joy, negative judgments), and motor retardation.

According to statistics, depression today affects 10% of the population of our planet. Due to the lability of the mental state of women, pathology is observed most often after 40 years. This is due to hormonal imbalances and the onset of menopause.

A depressed person is in such a feeling state that constantly repeats “there is no way out.” But this is actually not the case. There is always a way out, and even the most difficult stage can be treated!

There are two main types of depression:

exogenous - in this case, the disorder will be triggered by some external stimulus (for example, loss of a job or death of a relative);
endogenous – depression is caused by internal problems, often unexplained.

Psychologists highlight the following types depression:

Dysthymia is a chronic depressed mood. Characterized by bad mood, fatigue, lack of appetite and sleep. This type can be observed with postpartum depression and manic-depressive psychosis.
Recurrent depression – symptoms of the disorder appear approximately once a month and persist for several days.
Reactive depression is characterized by spontaneity of occurrence against the background of serious stressful situations.
Neuroticism arises through emotional disorders, in which the dominant link is occupied by neuroses.
Manic-depressive disorder is a disease characterized by the occurrence of episodes of depression or manic episodes. It is characteristic that such a disorder is not long-lasting - patients feel quite normal during periods of remission, lead a normal lifestyle and are no different from healthy people.
Postpartum depression is depressive state, developing in the first days and weeks after childbirth in women susceptible to this pathology.

Early signs of depression

In each individual case of illness, the signs of the onset of depression may be different and expressed to varying degrees. The whole set of these signs is conditionally divided into four main groups.

In groups initial signs depressions are:

emotional signs;
disturbance of mental state;
physiological signs;
violation of behavioral status.

The onset of the disease is indicated by:

decreased interest in favorite activities, negligent attitude towards simple responsibilities, laziness to go to work, desire to rest more;
fatigue, decreased libido, mild physical discomfort, morning sickness;
increased sensitivity, the feeling that others have a negative opinion about a person, that they are finding fault with him;
Bad mood, increased nervousness, tension, feeling of anxiety;
change in usual routine, difficulty falling asleep, causeless headache;
thinking aimed at avoiding problems, increasing fears, and alcohol abuse.

The severity of symptoms depends on the duration of the disease and the presence of previous physical and mental impairments.

Causes

There is also depression against the background of progressive somatic diseases - for example, against the background of pathologies thyroid gland or from severe pain and awareness of inevitable disability due to arthritis, rheumatism, and oncology.

Depression can be caused by certain mental disorders - for example, this condition is often diagnosed in patients with schizophrenia, alcohol and drug addiction.

Various medications, especially those used to treat hypertension blood pressure, may cause depression. By unknown reasons, corticosteroids (hormones) often cause depression when they are produced in large quantities as a result of a disease (such as Cushing's syndrome).

For the most part, this condition is caused by quite simple and understandable reasons:

overwork;
peer pressure;
inability to achieve what you want for a long period of time;
failures in your personal life or career;
disease;
loneliness and so on.

If you understand that a dark streak has come in your life, then try to mobilize all your strength so as not to become a victim of depression.

Rest, focus, albeit on small, but still joys, fight difficulties, and do not give in to them.

People prone to depression

There are 3 personality types that are more prone to developing depression:

Statothymic personality (characteristic: exaggerated conscientiousness, excessive accuracy and hard work);
melancholic personality (characteristic: pedantry, desire for order, constancy, inflated demands on oneself);
hyperthymic personality (characteristic: self-doubt, constant worries, low self-esteem).

Symptoms of depression in adults

The main manifestation is the so-called depressive triad, which includes a persistent deterioration in mood, slower thinking and decreased motor activity.

Typical (main) symptoms of depression are:

depressed mood, which does not depend on external circumstances, lasting two weeks or more;
persistent fatigue for a month;
anhedonia, which is characterized by loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities.

Additional symptoms of the disease:

pessimism;
feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, guilt, or fear;
inability to make decisions and concentrate;
low self-esteem;
thoughts of death or suicide;
decreased or increased appetite;
sleep disorders, manifested in insomnia or oversleeping.

A depressed person's thoughts become negative, negative, and self-directed. It is common for a person to fixate on the denial of himself; he considers himself unnecessary, worthless, and a burden to his family and friends. He is characterized by difficulty in making any decisions.

Important! Some symptoms are common to anxiety and other disorders, so do not self-diagnose or self-medicate.

Symptoms of depression in men and women

Symptoms in women appear more clearly than in men, which is associated with the physiological characteristics of the brain. A man can be depressed for many years and hide it. In women, the picture of symptoms is visible quite clearly, so if the first signs of localization of the disease are detected, then it is necessary to consult a doctor immediately.

For some time, almost every person experiences a feeling of depression, sadness, despondency, and low mood. These are common, normal feelings that come and go - mild depression that can be seasonal or event-related.

Depression becomes a disease when symptoms are active and persist for a long time.

Depression can be treated

However, nearly two-thirds of people with depression do not receive proper treatment.

We know that some still believe that depression is a personal fault or weakness and that the sufferer can simply “snap out of it” if they want.

As with other illnesses, denying that something is wrong can be one of the reasons for not seeking help. Sometimes people don't seek help because they don't recognize the symptoms.

Below are some common characteristics of depression, taboos, and what to do if you or someone you care about is experiencing mild depression.

Symptoms of depression

Persistent sad or “empty” feelings, feelings of discouragement, gloomy, decadent moods.

Guilt
Low self-esteem
Self-criticism, self-flagellation.
Loss of interest in normal activities.
Decreased energy, feeling tired, restless, irritable, or lethargic.
Increased sleep duration or insomnia.
Loss of interest in close relationships.
Changes in appetite (eating more or less, gaining or losing weight).
Difficulties with concentration, memory, difficulty making decisions.

If symptoms persist and additional signs appear, then professional help is necessary:

Excessive crying or tearfulness.
Thoughts about suicide or death.
Persistent physical ailments such as headaches, chronic pain, digestive disorders.

When Depression is mild, what to do?

Try to be only with positive, understanding people.
Complete those entertainment activities who have always loved.
Get involved in social activities.
Exercise is beneficial - walking, yard work, planting flowers.
In addition, it is necessary to break down large tasks into smaller ones; set priorities.
Do only what you can and what will help you believe in yourself.
Talk about how you feel with your friends, family.

What not to do?

Don't isolate or hide.
Don't set difficult goals or take on too much responsibility.
You shouldn't expect too much from yourself.
Don't set yourself up for disappointment or failure.
Do not make important life decisions - changing jobs, getting married or getting divorced - without first consulting with those who know you well and have a more objective view of the situation.
Don't expect that depression will suddenly disappear. Most likely, you will feel better and everything will happen gradually.
Do not accept negative thoughts and feelings as the Main Truth for any situation.

If you're feeling mildly depressed, stay hopeful. Over time, and if necessary, treatment, the symptoms will dissipate. You will return to yourself.

Overcoming Anxiety and Depression

Recently, a patient shared that she had struggled with anxiety throughout her adult life.

She has been in therapy for six years and has made little progress. I asked what she had learned from her previous therapy. And I was shocked to hear her answer. She said that "the best thing therapy did was try to manage my anxiety."

Thus, mental health professionals are literally trained to believe that anxiety and depression are, at best, controlled through appropriate treatment, only to reduce symptoms.

This indicates their strange thinking, lack of deep understanding of the relationship between thoughts, anxiety, and depression.

The limitations of such a worldview are extreme and produce a Self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.

Biomedical culture would have us believe that we are hardwired or genetically predisposed to suffer from these diseases, and depressingly places us in disenfranchised conditions of victimization.

Wrong diagnosis

Too often we self-diagnose. Instead of stating that “I often feel depressed,” or “I have been anxious for a long time,” we apply a label. So, we become depressed. This state of victimization, ironically, leads us to deeper depression or anxiety as we lose hope of healing.

I believe that very often the struggle with anxiety or depression is really addressed to our thoughts. Internal, mental problems depend on the nature and quality of our thoughts. The difference between a suffering person and one free to enjoy life is their quality of thought. Medicine confirms what quantum physicists and Buddhists have known for a long time.

Constantly repeating a negative thought changes your brain chemistry. This is an amazing discovery. In other words, if we observe the quality mental activity, then we improve the character and context of thinking, that is, every person has every opportunity to improve their fate and get relief.

This radical way look at the same problem. We live in our minds, the thoughts we choose paint a picture of life.

Instead of viewing the problem as a result of chemistry-biology, look at the phenomenon of thinking as an active participant in scenarios, responsible for how we perceive life.

As knowledge progresses, old paradigms begin to disappear, new approaches to the evolution of thinking, create new opportunities for healing.

A person suffering from anxiety often gets stuck in a pattern of thoughts that seek out problems and create stressful conditions. By concentrating, they cause a corresponding emotion, possibly anxiety.

Learning to let go of negative attitudes is the key. This not only goes beyond the diagnosis, but leads to a joyful, happy life.

Many people are beginning to understand how thought leads and deceives them. Relief comes not from suppressing or pushing away negative attitudes, but from a more subtle understanding of oneself.

The ultimate goal is to turn the mind into an ally. This is completely achievable, liberating, makes life more fulfilling and stable.

Top 3 Enemies of Depression

When it comes to therapy, there are powerful but simple things you can do to help you heal from depression.

Here are three ways to combat depression, whether you take antidepressants or not.

A diet rich in protein, low glycemic index (barley, grapefruit, yogurt) and high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats (omega 3s) will help stabilize your mood.

Protein is essential for the production of neurotransmitters that regulate mood. Low glycemic index foods stabilize blood sugar levels, which reduces fatigue, unhealthy weight gain, and mood swings.

According to Harvard Medical School, the evidence is clear that regular physical exercise reduce suffering from mild to moderate depression and play a supporting role in the treatment of severe depression.

Try to get at least an hour and a half of light exercise a day, seven days a week.

Look for something that would make you happy, reduce stress, think about spirituality.

A good decision is to do only what brings you pleasure. This will definitely teach you to be happy.

Good emotions are the enemies of depression; they normalize the production of stress hormones and increase the level of joy and pleasure hormones, such as endorphins and dopamine.

So do something every day that makes you feel good, that makes sense to you. Your health and well-being depend on it.

Depression doesn't lie

One of the things I continue to be impressed by, despite my 30 years of practice, is how hard we are on ourselves.

It's really amazing when you think about it.

We act much kinder and wiser when faced with physical problems. When a tooth hurts, we quickly persuade ourselves to see a dentist.

Bad cold? We try, take antibiotics, drink fluids, lie in bed.

But depression? Oh my God.

I know very well that no one goes to a psychologist without spending many months trying to overcome whatever is bothering them on their own. We try to cope on our own until it gets too hard.

But unfortunately, when the situation does not improve, we are not our own best friend.

Here are some examples of excuses I hear over and over again:

I really have no reason to be depressed.
The causes of unhappiness will not change, so how to feel better?
Others have problems much worse than me.
How (how) can a psychologist help?
Only losers and weaklings turn to a psychologist.

Please understand I am not criticizing

Just want to talk about our tendency to beat ourselves up mercilessly when we need kindness and empathy most!

Difficulties along the way

Dealing with depression and anxiety is difficult. There are no attacks, and we often turn a blind eye to the symptoms.

The truth is that depression does not exist without a cause.

I know the means mass media are replete with advertisements and messages that depression is biological problem, which requires biological correction with the help of drugs.

While medications certainly have a role at certain times, in 30 years I have never seen a case of depression without deep underlying psychological causes.

The idea of depression is as absurd as the idea that there is a fever for no reason.

In addition, the causes of symptoms tend to be varied and complex. Given the multiple levels of consciousness, life experiences, difficulties that we have tried to brush aside throughout for long years. Now you probably get an idea of how confusing and difficult dealing with the disease can be.

Sometimes people feel depressed, but they look at their lives and say, “I have no reason to be depressed; I have a wonderful life." In this regard, I would like to note that the causes of depression often have nothing to do with current life or external factors.

Emotional difficulties come in all kinds, various combinations, each of them has its own logical, understandable evolution.

In order to feel better, you need to be attentive and take responsible care of your feelings.

What's the best way to do this? In my opinion, The best way- assess the main reasons for struggling with oneself and determine what is the purpose of contacting a psychologist.

Why is it important to understand why we are depressed?

Firstly, research shows that people who successfully completed a course with a psychologist answered the question: “Did the consultation course help?” They answer that they understand their feelings better now.

This is clearly a simplified way of describing what they received.

Imagine how liberating it would be to realize that the dark feelings that have been inside you for a long time are just an unprocessed product that you can get rid of?

I believe that most people come into this world as emotionally healthy individuals.

Over the years, a person loses control over it; this does not mean that control is gone.

Most of the time it's just covered up by things like pain, fear, which are often pushed inside, then turn into all sorts of different physical, emotional symptoms.

The second reason

It is important to understand why we feel depressed, that unresolved feelings, conflicts or a crisis that causes depression and other symptoms really cannot disappear without attention and understanding.

When faced with difficult emotions, there is no way to avoid them. You can try to brush them off, take a detour, around them, or ban them with all sorts of bizarre maneuvers. This often "works" for a limited period of time.

But, if at some point we have not faced them in full, they will always hang over our heads like a big black cloud.

Then, inevitably, at some point, they will fall on us. Unresolved feelings can cause almost any symptom imaginable, including all types of physical symptoms, illness, psychological crises, relationship problems, fertility problems, pregnancy difficulties, and much more.

If you're thinking about seeing a psychologist and telling yourself that it's for weaklings or those who are just losers and crybabies, I hope you'll think again and differently.

Please try to be kinder, more humane towards yourself. People who turn to a psychologist and complete the entire course until they feel better are brave, strong, motivated and healthy. Because they want and deserve to be the best.

Mild depression

Symptoms of mild depression such as apathy, sleep problems, lack of desire to contact people are signs that the sound vector is experiencing a lack of realization of its properties, a “lack of meaning in life.” How can a sound engineer get rid of this condition?

Everything seems to be fine, but the condition is disgusting. Mild depression, my dear.

Every morning, the body, as if programmed, leaves the bed and wanders to the kitchen. Thoughts are somewhere far away.

The miraculous alliance of coffee and music helps overcome apathy, obsessive anxious thoughts, and the first signs of depression. Coffee and music every day. Almost 24/7.

People around you indicate symptoms of mild depression with concern. Well, okay. Symptoms are not proof that a person has a mild form of depression, right?

Oh, if only someone could tell me not what to do and how to do it, but why...

Symptoms of mild depression

Symptoms of mild depression of situational or neurotic origin include:

problems with appetite;

anxious or intrusive thoughts;

The main problem is that the reason for the appearance of such symptoms of mild depression varies from person to person, while the methods used to treat mild depression are almost the same for everyone.

Many methods of treating mild depression do not work precisely because they are aimed at combating the consequence, the appearance of the problem, and not its root. Unfortunately, this only makes depression worse.

Mild depression - treatment

There is nothing they offer today for the symptoms of mild depression.

Perhaps the most common method of treating mild depression, which is offered by the Internet and psychologists and which first comes to mind, is antidepressants. There are entire forums where people advise each other what medications to take for depression to improve performance and get out of a state of apathy.

The main disadvantage of antidepressants is that they are not omnipotent. They affect the biochemistry of the brain, but are not able to change the state of the psyche.

There are other ways to treat mild depression - hypnosis, psychotherapy, personal diary, yoga, aromatherapy.

It remains a mystery why these methods do not work equally well for everyone, if at all, when diagnostics seem to show the same problem.

For mild depression of situational or neurotic origin, there is no specific treatment at all. Very often, this type of depression lets the patient go for a while, then returns with renewed vigor.

Mild depression is...

In the modern world, literally everything is often called depression. Bad mood, depressed state, fatigue. Kicked out of work, no girlfriend - depression, that's one answer. They offer a variety of methods for treating mild depression: from changing impressions to taking antidepressants.

However, the depression that can be cured with the help of the benefits of the material world: buying new things, new relationships, profitable work - is not real depression.

According to the system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan, people with a sound vector suffer from real depression. It is their hidden desires that are aimed at understanding the meaning of life, the laws by which our world lives. Symptoms of mild depression such as apathy, sleep problems, lack of desire to contact people are symptoms that the sound vector is experiencing a lack of realization of its properties, a “lack of meaning in life.” How can a sound engineer get rid of this condition?

And this is his mistake

It is impossible to find the meaning of life, to get out of depression, wandering through the dungeons of your consciousness. No antidepressants will help if a person is fixated on himself.

Man is a social form of life, therefore, his purpose is always in life among other people. Only by concentrating your consciousness on the outside world, trying to understand people, can you gradually come to an understanding of yourself and your purpose, and get out of depression once and for all. This is especially important for carriers of the sound vector, whose natural role is to comprehend the Plan, that which is hidden. This means that understanding people is a potential pleasure for them.

What to do for mild depression?

Signs of Depression

The word depression today does not surprise anyone, but most often by it we mean a bad mood. Are you familiar with the expression “why are you so depressed today”? But this speaks only of a superficial familiarity with the phenomenon itself. In fact, every person can experience a momentary decrease in mood, but this condition goes away on its own and does not require correction. Today we will analyze in detail the signs of depression so that every reader can answer his questions.

This is a disease that needs to be treated

This is the first thing we want to convey to the reader today. According to modern research, it can be placed on the same shelf as cardiovascular diseases, and it seems to be no more common. These statistics are not reassuring; a fifth of the world's inhabitants suffer from depression. The reason for this is a frantic work rhythm and an abundance of stress, lack of free time and serious stress, mental and physical. You can argue with this fact by arguing that peasants used to work much more than modern office workers. Perhaps, but they had the opportunity to breathe fresh air, admire the forest and river, eat natural foods and spend the evening not at the computer, but with the children.

So, we are talking about an illness that reduces performance and brings suffering to both the patient and his loved ones. However, many people receive help only in the most severe cases. Health services are extremely concerned about this situation and are making efforts to raise public awareness.

In particular, everyone should know the first signs of depression. This is apathy that does not depend on circumstances, indifference to everything that happens and a weakening of motor activity. If there are no other symptoms (malaise, pain) that can be used to diagnose another disease, and the listed signs have been observed for more than two weeks without a tendency to decrease, then you can’t wait any longer.

Main symptoms

While doctors are still arguing about the causes, the manifestations are very familiar to every practicing doctor. These are sadness, irritability and withdrawal. Next, a feeling of pressure in the chest develops and often a decrease in potency. Now patients focus their attention on pain.

How does depression manifest itself in the following stages? Signs and symptoms develop progressively. In addition to the above, speech slows down and the voice becomes colorless. Communication with others is reduced to a minimum, concentration of attention is reduced so much that a person is simply not able to carry out work and educational activities. Appetite most often decreases, in women it is impaired menstrual cycle.

What signs of depression are considered nonspecific?

All the symptoms listed above are quite arbitrary. Every single one may be present, or vice versa, only a few. There are some features that are also important to know about. If the disorder in question is mild, then a greater need for food may appear.

There is one more sign that you need to pay attention to. If a person has a seriously overestimated critical assessment of his capabilities and abilities, then this becomes the reason for constant dissatisfaction with himself. Speaking about the first symptoms of depression, this is the one you need to pay attention to first. Sooner or later, the constant pursuit of perfection will lead to frustration. In approximately 15% of cases, patients develop delirium. He hears voices that demand that he atone for his guilt with blood, that is, commit suicide.

Reasons for development

This is one of the most interesting and important issues. Only knowing this can you take measures to prevent the development of the disease. However, when considering the signs of depression in a person, one cannot help but note the fact that it is not always possible to predict its development.

The reasons that lead to the development of diseases include various dramatic events that are not planned and usually cause a shock reaction. This could be the loss of a loved one, status, or job. That is, the disease can develop as a reaction to an external situation.
However, that's not all. Considering what depression means, we see that there are hundreds of reasons that combine in the most different combinations, can lead to its development. The second large block is physiological or psychosocial factors. Let's decipher what is included here. These are a high pace of life and competition, an increased level of stress, uncertainty about the future, social instability, and difficult economic conditions. As you can see, the block is very large and extremely relevant for modern society. It is this that cultivates and imposes on a person values that doom him to constant dissatisfaction with himself. If you look a little beyond the everyday bustle, you will easily see the cult of perfection, well-being and strength. It turns out that everyone should be an ideal child, spouse, parent, have a brilliant career, go to gym, and at the same time be cheerful and cheerful. And since we are all just people, many cease to withstand the constant race for ideals. However, people have a hard time experiencing their inadequacy; they begin to hide personal problems and failures from society, hiding them behind masks.
Physiologists note that the development of the disease may also be caused by a lack of biogenic amines. These are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. A person can try to compensate for these hormones of joy through sweets and tasty food, as well as alcohol and drugs.
Depression can be triggered by lack of sun and darkened rooms. It is called seasonal, and most often it appears in autumn and winter.
Finally, the development of the disease can be provoked by somatics. These are traumatic brain injuries and cerebral atherosclerosis.

Tension, overexertion, nervous exhaustion

Continuing to talk about the reasons, I would like to dwell on a person’s lifestyle. High loads and demands that a person places on himself are a version of a squirrel in a wheel. At the same time, it rotates faster and faster, and there is less and less strength to keep up. Prolonged stress of psychological and mental nature lead to a person “breaking down”. As a result, there is chronic fatigue, loss of performance, somatic and autonomic disorders develop.

The signs of depression and nervous exhaustion are very similar. The main one is endless fatigue. A person constantly wants to sleep, but in bed his thoughts do not allow him to fall asleep for a long time. The best option would be to stop raping yourself and go on vacation, or even go to the hospital. Psychoneurological dispensaries can prescribe a course of treatment, including mild tranquilizers, as well as drugs that intensively restore the nervous system. Rest, medication and good nutrition will give excellent results.

Self-diagnosis

How to recognize signs of depression and nervous exhaustion in advance? The test can be carried out very easily; you don’t even need a special scale. If you notice sleep disturbances and constant, general fatigue, then your suspicions are most likely not unfounded. Nervous exhaustion becomes the last step before the development of depression, so you will continue to notice all the symptoms that have already been mentioned above. If you want to use professional diagnostic methods, then we recommend the A. T. Beck test, or the general depressive rating scale.

Development of the disease

Now let's talk about how depression progresses. We described the signs and symptoms above, but they do not appear all at once. Typically, three stages of development can be observed, which may vary in duration. Considering that it is not customary for us to consult a doctor regarding depressed mood, the course of each stage can be very protracted.

Dysthymia - a person is in a bad mood and experiences a loss of energy. If you observe similar changes in a loved one, and the condition persists for more than two weeks without change, it makes sense to consult a doctor.
A depressive episode can last a long time, up to several months. Here one can already note a loss of meaning in life and interest in everything that is happening, and suicide attempts most often occur.
Depressive disorder is severe depression that occurs with a certain periodicity or cyclicity.

Clinical manifestations

Do not forget that only a qualified psychotherapist or psychiatrist can make a diagnosis.

One can only assume on one’s own that depression is developing if a person experiences a number of specific clinical signs for two weeks or more:

Bad mood, melancholy and despair, which may not have an obvious reason.
Loss of interest in ordinary activities. It’s as if a person can no longer enjoy familiar things, everything is rather annoying.
Anxiety and internal tension often arise.
Signs of depression include a decrease in self-esteem and a sense of self-confidence; often a person begins to see the future as gloomy and devoid of color.
However, that's not all. The more severe it is this disease, the more difficult it becomes to focus on everyday activities, make decisions, and remember new information. The result is constant mistakes at work, dissatisfaction with colleagues and management, which further affects self-esteem.
IN free time I just want to lie down, I have no desire to communicate with anyone or meet with friends.
Changes eating behavior. This could be a sharp decrease in appetite and weight, or, conversely, uncontrolled overeating.
Interest in sex decreases or disappears altogether.

Body and psyche are two inseparable wholes

Indeed, our body is inseparable, and, despite the fact that we theoretically separate these two entities, they function in a single duet. It is not for nothing that body-oriented therapy treats mental problems through working with the body. In the same way, you can do the opposite, by changing your attitude and thoughts, to solve problems such as muscle tension and blocks.

The physiological symptoms of depression are few known, although they exist.

The very first is migraine. If you suffer day after day unbearable pain, which practically cannot be solved by using medications, and doctors cannot find the cause, then perhaps the disorder in question is the root of the trouble. Evaluate how your life has been going lately, perhaps you will find answers to your questions there. Severe headaches with depression are typical huge amount people, but most of them continue to take all kinds of painkillers for years and look for new diseases of the central nervous system, blood vessels and heart.
Stomach problems are also a classic symptom. You've probably heard that all gastrointestinal problems come from nerves. This is 100% true. Therefore, if day after day you are bothered by pain, diarrhea or constipation, bloating or irritable bowel syndrome, it may well be depression. Physical symptoms at the same time, they do not confirm any real disease during examinations (that is, for a gastroenterologist the person is completely healthy), and also do not go away while taking various medications.
Chest pain is enough alarming symptom, which cannot be ignored. Moreover, in almost 30% of cases, doctors do not detect any pathologies of cardio-vascular system and are sent to a neurologist who can diagnose depression.
Back pain – This symptom is common in people with major or clinical depression.
Fatigue and lack of strength. Already in the morning it is difficult for a person to get up and get to work. Even after solving simple problems, he feels completely exhausted.

Gradations of disease severity

As you can see, the disease under study is quite multifaceted and many-sided. In addition to all of the above, there are different degrees of depression.

In this case, psychological symptoms are of primary importance. But the disturbance of physiological functions can be the same with different severity of the disease. However, let's look at them in order.

Mild degree. Many people think that this is synonymous with something frivolous that can be ignored. Just think, I’m in a bad mood, now everyone has problems. However, people with mild depression, when exposed to the same living conditions as others, experience much more severe stress. Any trouble brings them into shock and panic. Even on days when nothing bad happens, a person expects that something is about to happen. In addition, this condition is characterized by depression of mood, inhibition of mental processes, weakening of positive emotions and loss of cheerfulness, increased fatigue, decreased self-esteem and the emergence of ideas of guilt, as well as sleep and appetite disturbances. A mild degree is characterized by the presence of one or two of the listed signs.
Second on our list is moderate depression. The symptoms are the same, but one person may experience 3-4 of the above at once.
Severe degree. Usually such a person is visible to the naked eye. He is characterized by severe anxiety or psychomotor retardation. There is a loss of self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness and guilt. It should be noted that moderate and severe depression can be very similar to each other, but here the manifestation of symptoms will be even more pronounced. In this case, the likelihood of committing suicide increases, delusions and hallucinations are possible.

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, depression is not at all an easy whim that a person came up with to explain his laziness. This is a serious disease that needs to be treated as early as possible. Embarrassment here is completely inappropriate; only a qualified doctor can choose correct treatment, and, if necessary, organize inpatient rest.

The choice of treatment method depends on the origin of the disease, severity of symptoms, previous treatment experience, personal characteristics patient. Typically, the course includes taking antidepressants, as well as psychotherapy.

What you need to know about depression?

I. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT DEPRESSION

Depression is a disease of our time

Research from all over the world shows that depression, like cardiovascular disease, is becoming the most common illness of our time. It is a common disorder that affects millions of people. According to various researchers, up to 20% of the population of developed countries suffers from it.

Depression is a serious illness that sharply reduces ability to work and brings suffering to both the patient and his loved ones. Unfortunately, people are very little aware of the typical manifestations and consequences of depression, so many patients receive help when the condition becomes protracted and severe, and sometimes it is not provided at all. In almost all developed countries Health services are concerned about the situation and are making efforts to promote information about depression and its treatment.

Depression is a disease of the whole body. Typical signs of depression

The manifestations of depression are very diverse and vary depending on the form of the disease. We list the most typical signs of this disorder:

* melancholy, suffering, depressed, depressed mood, despair

* anxiety, feeling of internal tension, anticipation of trouble

*feelings of guilt, frequent self-recrimination

* dissatisfaction with oneself, decreased self-confidence, decreased self-esteem

* reduction or loss of the ability to experience pleasure from previously enjoyable activities

* decreased interest in surroundings

* loss of the ability to experience any feelings (in cases of deep depression)

* depression is often combined with anxiety about the health and fate of loved ones, as well as with the fear of appearing incompetent in life in public places

* sleep disorders (insomnia, drowsiness)

* changes in appetite (loss or overeating)

* bowel dysfunction (constipation)

* decreased sexual needs

* decrease in energy, increased fatigue during normal physical and intellectual stress, weakness

* pain and various unpleasant sensations in the body (for example, in the heart, in the stomach, in the muscles)

* passivity, difficulty engaging in goal-oriented activity

* avoidance of contacts (tendency to solitude, loss of interest in other people)

* refusal of entertainment

* alcoholism and abuse of psychoactive substances that provide temporary relief

* difficulty concentrating, concentrating

* difficulty making decisions

* predominance of the gloomy, negative thoughts about yourself, about your life, about the world in general

* gloomy, pessimistic vision of the future with a lack of perspective, thoughts about the meaninglessness of life

* thoughts of suicide (in severe cases of depression)

* thoughts about one’s own uselessness, insignificance, helplessness

To be diagnosed with depression, some of these symptoms must persist for at least two weeks.

Depression is often perceived both by the patient himself and by others as a manifestation of bad character, laziness and selfishness, promiscuity or natural pessimism. It should be remembered that depression is not just a bad mood (see manifestations above), but a disease that requires the intervention of specialists and responds quite well to treatment. The sooner the correct diagnosis is made and the correct treatment is started, the greater the chances of a quick recovery, and that depression will not recur again and will not take a severe form, accompanied by a desire to commit suicide.

What usually prevents people from seeking help for depression?

People are often afraid to contact a specialist mental disorders due to perceived negative consequences:

1) possible social restrictions (registration, ban on driving and traveling abroad);

2) conviction if someone finds out that the patient is being treated by a psychiatrist;

3) fears negative influence drug treatment of depression, which is based on widespread but incorrect ideas about the dangers of psychotropic drugs.

Often people do not have the necessary information and misunderstand the nature of their condition. It seems to them that if their condition is associated with understandable life difficulties, then this is not depression, but a normal human reaction that will pass on its own. It often happens that the physiological manifestations of depression contribute to the formation of beliefs about the presence of serious somatic diseases. This is a reason to contact a general practitioner.

80% of patients with depression initially seek help from general practitioners, and the correct diagnosis is made in approximately 5% of them. Even fewer patients receive adequate therapy. Unfortunately, during a regular appointment at a clinic, it is not always possible to distinguish between the physiological manifestations of depression and the presence of a true somatic disease, which leads to an incorrect diagnosis. Patients are prescribed symptomatic therapy(medicines “for the heart”, “for the stomach”, for headaches), but there is no improvement. Thoughts arise about a serious, unrecognized somatic illness, which, according to the mechanism vicious circle leads to worsening depression. Patients spend a lot of time on clinical and laboratory examinations, and, as a rule, end up with a psychiatrist already with severe, chronic manifestations of depression.

II. SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DEPRESSION

Depression often occurs against the background of stress or long-term severe traumatic situations. Sometimes they occur without visible reasons. Depression can be accompanied by somatic diseases (cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, etc.). In such cases, it significantly complicates the course and prognosis of the underlying somatic disease. However, with timely identification and treatment of depression, there is a rapid improvement in mental and physical well-being.

Depression can occur in the form of single episodes of illness of varying severity or occur over a long period of time in the form of repeated exacerbations.

In some patients, depression is chronic, lasting for many years without reaching significant severity.

Sometimes depression is limited mainly to physical symptoms without clear emotional manifestations. However, clinical and laboratory examinations may not reveal any organic changes. In such cases, consultation with a psychiatrist is necessary.

Modern ideas about the causes of depression

Bio-psycho-social model of depression

Modern science considers depression as a disease, the origin of which is contributed by various causes or factors - biological, psychological and social.

Biological factors of depression include, first of all, specific disorders of neurochemical processes (metabolism of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, etc.). These disorders, in turn, can be hereditary.

Scientific research has identified the following psychological factors for depression:

* special style of thinking, so-called negative thinking, which is characterized by a fixation on the negative aspects of life and one’s own personality, a tendency to see the life around us and one’s future in a negative light

* specific style of communication in the family with increased level criticism, increased conflict

* increased number of stressful life events in personal life (separations, divorces, alcoholism of loved ones, death of loved ones)

* social isolation with few warm, trusting contacts that could serve as a source of emotional support

Social context of depression

The increase in depression in modern civilization is associated with a high pace of life, an increased level of stress: the high competitiveness of modern society, social instability - high level migration, difficult economic conditions, uncertainty about the future. IN modern society a whole series of values are cultivated that doom a person to constant dissatisfaction with himself - the cult of physical and personal perfection, the cult of strength, superiority over other people and personal well-being. This makes people worry hard and hide their problems and failures, deprives them of emotional support and dooms them to loneliness.

III. HELP FOR DEPRESSION

The modern approach to the treatment of depression involves a combination various methods - biological therapy(drug and non-drug) and psychotherapy.

Prescribed to patients with mild, moderate and severe symptoms of depression. A necessary condition for the effectiveness of treatment is cooperation with the doctor: strict adherence to the prescribed therapy regimen, regular visits to the doctor, a detailed, frank report about your condition and life difficulties.

Proper therapy can, in most cases, completely eliminate the symptoms of depression. Depression requires treatment from specialists. The main class of medications for treating depression are antidepressants. Currently, there are various drugs in this group, of which tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, melipramine) have been used since the late 50s. In recent years, the number of antidepressants has increased significantly.

The main advantages of new generations of antidepressants are improved tolerability, reduced side effects, reduced toxicity and high safety in case of overdose. Newer antidepressants include fluoxetine (Prozac, Profluzac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Cipramil), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Fevarin), tianeptine (Coaxil), mianserin (Lerivon), moclobemide (Aurorix), milnacipran (Ixel) , mirtazapine (Remeron), etc. Antidepressants are a safe class of psychotropic medications when used correctly as recommended by a doctor. The dose of the drug is determined individually for each patient. You need to know that the therapeutic effect of antidepressants can appear slowly and gradually, so it is important to have a positive attitude and wait for it to appear.

Antidepressants do not cause addiction and the development of withdrawal syndrome, unlike drugs from the class of benzodiazenin tranquilizers (phenazepam, Relanium, Elenium, Tazepam, etc.) and Corvalol and Valocordin, widely used in our country. In addition, benzodiazepine tranquilizers and phenobarbital, which are part of Corvalol and Valocordin, with long-term use reduce sensitivity to other psychopharmacological agents.

1. Determination of treatment tactics: choosing an antidepressant taking into account the main symptoms of depression in each patient, selecting an adequate dose of the drug and an individual treatment regimen.

2. Carrying out the main course of therapy aimed at reducing symptoms of depression until they disappear, restoring the patient’s previous level of activity.

3. Carrying out a maintenance course of therapy for 4-6 months or more after general normalization of the condition. This stage is aimed at preventing exacerbation of the disease.

What usually interferes with drug treatment:

1. Misconception about the nature of depression and the role of drug treatment.

2. A common misconception about the absolute harm of all psychotropic drugs: the emergence of dependence on them, bad influence per condition internal organs. Many patients believe that it is better to suffer from depression than to take antidepressants.

3. Many patients stop taking it if there is no immediate effect or take medications irregularly.

It is important to remember that numerous studies have been conducted confirming the high effectiveness and safety of modern antidepressants. The damage depression causes to a person’s emotional and material well-being is not comparable in severity to minor and easily remediable side effects, which sometimes occur with the use of antidepressants. It should be remembered that the therapeutic effect of antidepressants often occurs only 2-4 weeks after starting treatment.

Psychotherapy is not an alternative, but an important addition to drug treatment for depression. Unlike drug treatment, psychotherapy involves a more active role for the patient in the treatment process. Psychotherapy helps patients develop emotional self-regulation skills and subsequently cope more effectively with crisis situations without falling into depression.

In the treatment of depression, three approaches have proven to be the most effective and scientifically proven: psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioral psychotherapy and cognitive psychotherapy.

According to psychodynamic therapy, psychological basis Depressions are internal unconscious conflicts. For example, the desire to be independent and the simultaneous desire to receive a large amount of support, help and care from other people. Another typical conflict is the presence of intense anger, resentment towards others, combined with the need to always be kind, good and maintain the goodwill of loved ones. The sources of these conflicts lie in the patient's life history, which becomes the subject of analysis in psychodynamic therapy. Each individual case may have its own unique content of conflicting experiences, and therefore individual psychotherapeutic work is necessary. The goal of therapy is to become aware of the conflict and help resolve it. constructive resolution: Learn to find a balance of independence and intimacy, develop the ability to express your feelings constructively while maintaining relationships with people. Behavioral psychotherapy is aimed at resolving the patient’s current problems and relieving behavioral symptoms: passivity, refusal of pleasure, monotonous lifestyle, isolation from others, inability to plan and engage in purposeful activity.

Cognitive psychotherapy is a synthesis of both of the above approaches and combines their advantages. It combines work with current life difficulties and behavioral symptoms of depression and work with their internal psychological sources (deep ideas and beliefs). As the main psychological mechanism depression in cognitive psychotherapy is considered so-called. negative thinking, which is expressed in the tendency of depressed patients to view everything that happens to them in a negative light. Changing this way of thinking requires careful individual work, which aims to develop a more realistic and optimistic view of yourself, the world and the future.

Additional forms of psychotherapy for depression are family counseling and group psychotherapy (but not just any therapy, but specifically aimed at helping depressed patients). Their involvement can provide significant assistance in treatment and rehabilitation.

What usually prevents you from seeking psychotherapeutic help?

1. Low awareness of people about what psychotherapy is.

2. Fear of introducing a stranger to personal, intimate experiences.

3. Skepticism that “talking” can have a tangible healing effect.

4. The idea that you need to cope with psychological difficulties yourself, and turning to another person is a sign of weakness.

In modern society, psychotherapy is recognized effective method help for various mental disorders. Thus, a course of cognitive psychotherapy significantly reduces the risk of recurrence of depression. Modern methods of psychotherapy are focused on short-term (10-30 sessions depending on the severity of the condition) effective assistance. All information that the psychotherapist receives during the session is strictly confidential and remains confidential. A professional psychotherapist is specially trained to work with difficult experiences and difficult life situations of other people, he knows how to respect them and provide assistance in coping with them. Every person has situations in life (for example, such as illness) that he cannot cope with on his own. The ability to ask for help and accept it is a sign of maturity and rationality, not weakness.

Helping loved ones overcome depression

The support of loved ones, even when the patient does not express interest in it, is very important for overcoming depression.

In this regard, the following advice can be given to relatives of patients:

* remember that depression is a disease that requires sympathy, but in no case should you plunge into the disease together with the patient, sharing his pessimism and despair. You need to be able to maintain a certain emotional distance, all the time reminding yourself and the patient that depression is a transitory emotional state

* studies have shown that depression is especially unfavorable in those families where many critical comments are made towards the patient. Try to make the patient understand that his condition is not his fault, but a misfortune, that he needs help and treatment

* try not to concentrate on the illness of a loved one and bring positive emotions in your life and in the life of your family. If possible, try to involve the patient in some useful activity, rather than removing him from activities.

Depression is a type of mental disorder. This concept is often used by people to describe their prolonged bad mood and apathy. Meanwhile, depression is a disease that can and should be treated, because the consequences of a long-term condition can be dangerous not only to a person’s health, but also to his life.

Most often, a depressed state that provokes is mistaken for depression. And scientists define depression as acquired helplessness in the face of difficulties, everyday problems and family troubles.

Causes of depression

As a rule, the appearance of depression is influenced by several reasons at once - from a banal quarrel with a boss to the death of a loved one. In women, the condition in question is diagnosed much more often than in men - doctors and scientists cannot explain this precisely, but they associate this trend with hormonal levels. For example, the causes of depression in women can be:

pregnancy – we will talk about prenatal depression;
birth of a child - postpartum depression is diagnosed;
impairments in functionality;
premenstrual syndrome.

Depression can also develop against a background of strong negative emotions – for example, after the death of a loved one. It is not surprising that women more often “withdraw into themselves”, experience their sadness and melancholy on their own; men are more likely to switch to active activity to distract from gloomy thoughts.

There is also depression against the background of progressive somatic diseases - for example, against the background of pathologies of the thyroid gland or from severe pain and awareness of inevitable disability due to arthritis, rheumatism, and oncology.

Depression can be caused by certain mental disorders - for example, this condition is often diagnosed in patients with drug addiction.

Types of depression

There are two main types of depression:

exogenous– in this case, the disorder will be triggered by some external stimulus (for example, loss of a job or death of a relative);
endogenous– Depression is caused by internal problems, often unexplained.

Many ordinary people are confident that exogenous depression does not pose a danger to humans - this is a temporary condition, you just need to survive difficult period. But the endogenous type of depression is considered a complex disease leading to serious mental illness. In fact, the opposite is true - doctors say that an external irritant can provoke a serious disorder, but endogenous depression will most likely be classified as a depressive episode.

The condition in question does not appear in a person suddenly or immediately - there are three stages of its development:

Dysthymia– a person is in a bad mood for a long time and experiences a loss of strength. To make such a diagnosis, it will take at least 2 years - this is exactly the period the described condition should last.
Depressive episode- that's already enough serious condition which can last for a long time, up to several months. It is during a depressive episode that patients most often attempt suicide.
Depressive disorder– with it, depressive episodes appear with a certain frequency. As an example, we can cite the well-known seasonal depression(autumn, winter).

If the reasons for the appearance of the condition in question are not known to doctors for certain, then the symptoms of depression are very familiar to every specialist. These include:

Sadness, irritability, withdrawal. These symptoms appear at the very beginning of the development of the disease and may be accompanied by insomnia.
Feeling of pressure in the chest, feeling of suffocation, decreased potency. At the same time, the sad mood is also present, but seems to be relegated to the background - patients clearly indicate pain and problems in the functioning of the reproductive system.
Speech slows down, the voice becomes quiet, communication with others is reduced to a minimum.
Concentration decreases, feelings of guilt and helplessness appear.
Lack of appetite. Some people during periods of depression completely refuse to eat, which often leads to exhaustion. In women, against the background of such fasting, the menstrual cycle may be disrupted, up to the complete cessation of menstruation.
The ability to rejoice and receive pleasure from any things or actions is lost.

Of course, the listed symptoms are very conditional - they can all be present at the same time, or they can be isolated. There are some features of signs of depression:

if the condition in question occurs in a mild form, then the person will not lose appetite, but rather have a greater need for food;
people may have too high a critical assessment of their abilities - they constantly scold themselves;
depression may be accompanied by thoughts of having dangerous disease, oncology or AIDS - people in such a condition and with such a sign cannot be convinced otherwise on their own;
in 15% of cases of severe depression, patients have delusions or hallucinations; they may see dead relatives, or hear voices accusing the person of committing a sin and the need to atone for it with “blood.”

Important:Thoughts about death are considered the most serious symptom of depression, and in 15% of cases of depression, patients have clear and persistent suicidal thoughts. Patients often voice plans for their murder - this should be an absolute reason for hospitalization.

Treatment of depression

Depression is a disease, so it must be treated in tandem with specialists. Moreover, you should not delay seeking help from doctors - depression can drag on for months and years, which certainly leads to dangerous conditions.

Therapy for the condition in question is carried out in two directions:

Taking medications. Under no circumstances should you decide to use any sedatives on your own - this is the prerogative of the doctor. Depression can be treated with various means - the choice of your doctor will depend on several factors:

at what stage of development the disease is at the time of examination;
are there any medical contraindications to taking certain medicines;
what mental and general illnesses were previously diagnosed;
How often does depression appear or does it not stop for a long time?

Psychotherapy. Without it, treatment of depression even with the most effective medications will be incomplete. This type of therapy aims to teach a person to manage his own emotions. And this is impossible without the active participation of the patient himself - it is necessary to conduct several preparatory/introductory sessions so that the patient can trust the doctor and talk about his experiences, problems, feelings and emotions without concealment.

In addition to contacting doctors, the patient himself will also need to constantly work on himself - without this, it will not be possible to get out of depression.

Myths about depression

Since the condition in question is a mental disorder, it is surrounded by numerous myths. Doctors easily refute them, citing competent arguments. Let's look at the most popular myths.

Depression is not a disease, but self-indulgence and a person’s reluctance to work/make important decisions/cope with problems.

In fact, the condition in question is precisely a disease - there are causes and symptoms of development, depression often leads to serious consequences, in many cases ending in death. And this is not a flu or a cold, the rules of treatment for which everyone around you knows about! Neither relatives nor friends will help you cope with depression; you cannot do without the help of doctors.

To have depression is to be a psycho, to live in a madhouse, and this is a shame.

Illness is not a shame, but a circumstance independent of the person himself. This statement also applies to depression, so you cannot be ashamed of this condition. People diagnosed with depression are not treated inpatiently, but even if they end up in clinics, these are not psychiatric hospitals, but sanatoriums. You can only get into a psychodispensary (it really won’t be pleasant) only after several registered cases of suicide attempts - this rarely happens with proper treatment of depression.

Depression cannot be cured. The disease remains for life and returns regularly.

Doctors keep their own statistics, from which we can conclude that the disorder in question is completely treatable. If a patient undergoes adequate treatment during a depressive episode, the disease does not return.

Antidepressants used to treat depression are dangerous to health.

There is a grain of truth in this statement - antidepressants have side effects, expressed in decreased libido, increased appetite, headaches, and nausea. Most of all, patients fear an increase in appetite - it is believed that using antidepressants can quickly gain excess weight. But with some forms of depression, there is already a significant increase in the need for food. And if anyone is concerned about the issue of decreased potency, then during periods of depression patients are not able to be sexual giants anyway. And then - after completing the course of antidepressant therapy, the side effects disappear and health is restored, but depression can last for years.

Antidepressants provoke drug dependence.

Some of the older types of medicines mentioned were indeed addictive, but modern drugs more perfect and do not cause an addictive effect (except perhaps psychological).

Antidepressants prescribed by doctors can be stopped at any time.

This is a very big mistake! Many patients, taking a course of antidepressants and feeling an improvement in their condition, decide to independently refuse therapy. Most often this happens at the very peak of treatment - this can lead to a new “round” of depression in a more severe form.

There is constant debate about the benefits and harms of antidepressants. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the opinions of experts presented in this video review:

Depression is not just a bad mood and laziness, but a disease. It needs and can be successfully treated only if you turn to professionals.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category