What is depression?
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| What is a Depression |
Having a bad day, feeling depressed or suffering for a certain period of time from a “bad mood” - who has not experienced that? However, depression differs from the well-known depressing moods referred to above. Where this difference is clearly manifested in the symptoms, which are much more severe.
Many people with depression describe a feeling of no joy at all, and that they are burdened with negative feelings and feel an inner emptiness. Depression is often accompanied by recurrent thoughts about death or suicide.
If an individual has the following condition over a period of at least two weeks, this may be evidence of depression:
- Feeling depressed, hopeless, or in a gloomy mood.
- Loss of interest in things that used to give pleasure.
- Lack of activity, increased feeling of tiredness.
In addition, some other symptoms may appear, such as disturbances of concentration and attention, lack of self-confidence, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, loss of hope, sleep disturbances or loss of appetite. Many people with depression also have various physical symptoms, such as headaches, indigestion, or sexual disorders.
What is the frequency of cases of depression?
Between 16 and 20 out of 100 people are affected during their lifetime with depression, so that the proportion of affected women is almost twice that of men. People who have a chronic physical illness (such as cancer, coronary heart disease, or diabetes) are also somewhat susceptible.
Statistically - to the incidence of depression. Depressive disorders can appear at any age, and are often associated with another mental illness such as anxiety. In any case, a doctor or psychiatrist should be consulted regarding symptoms.
Are there different forms and pathways of the disease?
Depressive disorders often occur in phases, over several weeks and sometimes even months. Often the affected person experiences more than one depressive phase during the course of the disease. In general, three degrees of depression severity are distinguished:
- Mild depression: After a great effort, people with this condition are able to perform daily activities (such as work, leisure activities, family tasks).
- Moderate depression: In this case, a person faces severe limitations in the performance of his work. In addition, his desire for social contact is also increasingly reduced.
- Severe depression: In this condition, a person usually loses the ability to work, do household chores, or pursue leisure activities in his spare time.
The degree of severity is related to the number of symptoms or signs of illness that the person has. The classification of mild depression requires that the number of existing signs of the disease be at least four out of ten.
While the case of major depression is characterized by the appearance of at least seven signs out of a total of ten signs, the symptoms in the case of chronic depression persist for more than two years.
How does depression arise?
Biological factors (such as metabolic changes in the brain), family circumstances (such as a parent's depression), past exposure to stressful life experiences, and psychological separations (such as psychological separation from a partner) are considered in determining the cause. dear).
These factors increase or decrease the risk of developing depression. In the event that the individual goes through psychologically stressful or difficult living conditions at the same time (such as losing a job, suffering from serious physical illnesses), then this may lead to depression.
It is important to know that no one "takes responsibility for themselves" for depression, as the disease can affect anyone. The above examples (such as biological or family conditions) are considered to be susceptible to depression. So that in the event that one is so injured, it is often not possible to reveal at all the cause of the injury or understand why it happened at any given moment.
However, obtaining support from others (for example, in the context of psychological treatment), may help in understanding these causes or in changing some areas in the patient's private life that contribute to the emergence of disorders or work to maintain them.
How can a person know whether he is depressed or not?
It is important - above all else - that depressive symptoms are taken seriously. If it persists for a longer period of time, seek a first consultation with a doctor (usually a family doctor) or a therapist.
Where the latter two, in the context of a detailed counseling interview, ask questions about the symptoms one by one, and inquire about the patient's general health condition, family history, and physical and mental illnesses. The affected person may also be asked to fill out a questionnaire.
This interview is important to find out if someone has depression and how severe the condition is. In addition, it is necessary to undergo a physical examination, for example by a family doctor or an internist. In this way, it is excluded that it is one of the diseases that did not complete.
How is depression treated?
If you have mild depressive disorder, you may recover even without undergoing special treatment. However, it is advisable to see a doctor or a psychiatrist, who can help you during this period. It is recommended that you work together at first to see if your symptoms change.
It may be helpful before starting psychiatric or drug therapy and if symptoms do not improve after two weeks at most, or if they do get worse, supportive conversations, general counseling, disease information gathering, or guided self-help (eg through self-help books or online programs) and curricula for solving problems.
In the case of moderate depressive disorders, the doctor or psychiatrist should suggest either psychological treatment or treatment with antidepressants. In severe and chronic (long-term) depressive disorders, psychotherapy and psychotherapy are recommended. If your symptoms do not improve or even worsen, especially when they are accompanied by severe suicidal thoughts, you should undergo clinical treatment in the hospital.
People who suffer from depression often find it difficult to overcome barriers and find a doctor or therapist. Oftentimes, ideas also have a negative character, as you may feel hopeless and not expect to get better one day.
Finding a doctor or therapist, which is often not easy, may be the first obstacle you will face. With this, we would like to encourage you - nonetheless - to try to do so. Sometimes it helps to set very small goals, such as first recording a doctor's phone number or asking for help from a relative and friend.
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What can friends and relatives do?
Relatives and friends should first gather information about symptoms and signs of depression. This will enable them to better identify the patient's medical condition and assess his behavior. Moreover, digging plays an important role in recovery from depression. Relatives can help the person seek professional help, take medications regularly, and keep appointments with the therapist or psychotherapist.
Are there things that have a positive effect on the injured (such as sports)?
Support in such matters is also very helpful - even if the patient refuses to do so at first. Relatives should respect this and nevertheless keep in touch with the person concerned, however it is also important to take care of oneself in doing so. Having a family member, close friend, or co-worker with depressive disorder poses a major challenge to the person's environment.
It should also allow oneself to carry out special activities, because this helps in being able to face the difficulties of the diseased condition. There are also - to achieve this - special offers such as psychotherapy counseling and self-help groups.
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