Depression

Depression

Depression is an illness that affects emotions, thoughts, behaviors and physical reactions in the body. A bad mood, when a person does not want anything, nothing makes him/her happy and he/she has no energy, at some point and to some extent may appear to everyone. If these symptoms are temporary and do not affect the daily life, there is no reason to worry. However, if a bad mood persists and other complaints are added, it becomes difficult to work, learn, communicate with loved ones, it is worth consulting with a specialist. The statistics show, that nearly one in eight people suffer from depression, which requires treatment. Depression is a treatable disease nowadays. It is possible to feel good and enjoy life, if one receives appropriate treatment and assistance to cure depression.

The most common symptoms of depression are:

• Constantly depressed mood (mood is low most of the day for more than two weeks without apparent reason. A person may feel sad, lonely or hopeless. It seems to him or her that in the future there is nothing good and positive to expect. Sometimes low mood combines with annoyance and irritability);

• Lack of interest (everything becomes indifferent, person gets discouraged from things and events, that have raised good emotions in the past);

• Fatigue, exhaustion (person quickly gets tired, feels the need to lie down and rest, nothing else gives the expected refreshment. Often people with depression have no strength and motivation to start doing anything, wake up already feeling tired);

• Sleep disorders (difficulty to fall asleep, a night's sleep becomes brittle, the person begins to wake up in the mornings too early);

• Unfounded guilt (a person starts to blame himself/herself for not being able to work productively, does not feel the joy, cannot "pull oneself together". Person may start to blame himself/herself in idleness, believing that he/she has become selfish and does not justify expectations of others);

• Difficulty to concentrate (a person becomes distracted, inattentive, can begin to admit mistakes in work, can get into accidents. Often it becomes impossible to read or watch television due to concentration difficulties. Ambient sounds, other conversations, music starts to feel uncomfortable);

• Altered appetite (lost appetite, food seems tasteless, a person has no desire, body weight decreases. Inadequate food intake increases fatigue. For others, conversely, in case of depression appetite becomes too great, appears eagerness to sweets and pastries. Weigh increases. Overweight reinforces the sense of guilt and hostility against person itself even more. Increased appetite is characteristic to seasonal, or "winter depression" case);

• Slowed movements and thinking (both, the person and surrounding people begin to notice that the person becomes slower in movements and thinking, begins to answer questions after a longer moment of reflection. In certain cases a person has completely opposite symptoms during depression – he/she becomes agitated, restless, and unable to find peace);

• Suicidal thoughts (in more serious cases a person may have thoughts that life is not worth living. The desire rises to fall asleep and not wake up or even to get an incurable disease. Self-defeating, dangerous behavior such as increased alcohol or drug use, reckless car management, deliberate no treatment of physical disease may be a sign of suicidal risk. Suicidal thoughts is the most important symptom of depression).

Depression can be also combined with other psychiatric disorders – anxiety, intrusive thoughts and compulsive actions, panic, emotional instability, vegetative symptoms: palpitations, sweating, changes in blood pressure, shortness of breath, abnormal stools.

Every manifestation of depression can differ. A specialist can help to assess the severity of symptoms, its' depth, possible cause and the best way of treatment. If necessary, a specialist can send a person for additional tests (clinical tests, encephalogram, magnetic resonance and others) to make sure that depressive symptoms are not caused by any physical abnormalities such as thyroid dysfunction, anemia or any other disease. 

Persons with close relatives suffered from repeated episodes of depression, who have experienced some serious psychological trauma in their lifetime, particularly in childhood, who have particular personality traits such as perfectionism and low self-esteem have a greater risk of depression development. Prolonged stress, low income and long-term unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse also are associated with a higher risk of depression development. Women are diagnosed with depression twice as often, perhaps because women are more willing to look for help. Depressive symptoms may also be caused by physical illness and/or some medications.

Depression does not disappear by itself. Depending on the severity and type of depression, there are different types of assistance.

Psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) is an effective treatment, which is considered to be equivalent to drug therapy. Psychotherapy is used in different ways – cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, support psychotherapy, group support therapy. A specialist can help you to choose appropriate types of psychotherapy.
In some cases, drug therapy is also required. In cases of mild depression herbal preparations can be used such as St. John's Wort. If using herbal medicines, it is important to consult a doctor to assess the risk of interactions in case a person is using any other medications for the treatment of disease. In more serious cases of depression specialist may recommend to take antidepressants. Antidepressants are an effective tool for the treatment of depression.

Nowadays, antidepressants are able to reduce the symptoms of depression relatively quickly, have no significant side effects or risk for developing addiction and they are not toxic. Doctor can help you choose the most appropriate antidepressant. 

In addition to psychotherapeutic and/or pharmacological treatment, alternative methods may also use for assistance, for example, to practice meditation or relaxation techniques. It is also important to have a balanced daily regime to relieve stress, a healthy diet, regular physical exercises. It is important not to remain alone with the torment of depression symptoms. But most importantly - take the first step to get help!