Clinical depression is a common ailment that affects people, regardless of their age. The condition in question is characterized by the constant presence of a person in a depressed mood, lack of pleasure from communicative interaction.
In addition, with a prolonged course of the deviation in question, the appearance of suicidal thoughts is possible. Also, the described condition is accompanied by insomnia, lethargy, drowsiness, guilt, lethargy or agitation, self-depreciation, loss of appetite, weight change. Clinical depression needs professional medical attention.
The causes of the disease
There is a theory that depressive disorder is often caused by mental abnormalities and a genetic predisposition. However, other factors contribute to the formation of the described violation.
First of all, hormonal imbalance is attributed to such factors. Clinical depression can form due to a decrease in the number of neurotransmitters, which causes a slowdown in the production of nerve impulses. It seems to “turn off” the feeling of positive emotions. Often, hormonal disruptions are triggered by menopause, endocrine system dysfunctions, serious somatic disorders, and pregnancy.
Clinical depression can be triggered by cognitive factors, for example, an erroneous assessment of one’s own being or others. Often depressed moods affect individuals with low self-esteem, high expectations or negative stereotypes.
You can also highlight the situational factors, the influence of which can give rise to the described disorder. Often, the deviation in question is formed after a traumatic episode, when a person is faced with various life troubles. So, for example, to plunge into a depressed mood is capable of heavy divorce, the death of a loved one, moving, job loss, material difficulties.
These events markedly reduce self-esteem, a person loses faith, the future seems rather dull to him, which provokes a depressive mood. The effects of stressors, a constant overload of the nervous system lead to the depletion of the latter, as a result of which the level of sensitivity decreases. Because of this, a person becomes irritable, easily vulnerable, can often get upset over trifles, practically does not feel positive emotions.
The described disorder is more common among residents of megacities. It is also more common among residents of developed countries than backward countries. Probably, this difference in most cases is due to the presence of a better diagnosis and a high level of medical care, as well as a greater awareness of the inhabitants of developed powers, and especially megacities, of what depression is, so they often seek medical help. At the same time, the crowded and densely populated cities, the high-speed rhythm of life, a huge number of stressors – invariably affect the prevalence of depressive states among residents of megacities.
In addition, the described disorder is often observed among unemployed individuals, people working in difficult working conditions, engaged in monotonous, boring, unloved activities, people without their own homes.
Clinical depression is also often observed in individuals prone to migraines.
A huge role in the formation of the described deviation in persons in the puberty, adults is played by the environmental conditions in which this individual grew up in childhood.
It was found that persons who were abused in childhood or adolescence (experienced physical: spanking, slap in the face, beating, intimate harassment, or psychological abuse: abuse, parental nit-picking, provocations in order to cause a child to feel shame, guilt, inferiority or their own worthlessness), becoming adults show programming for depressive reactions. Such persons are constantly awaiting a bad event. They have exceeded the concentration of the stress hormone. A sharp increase in cortisol is also observed even with the slightest exposure to a stressor. At the same time, in individuals who have experienced violence in adulthood, this indicator is significantly lower.
Studies have shown that among people suffering from clinical depression, a large proportion of people who were subjected to violence or abuse in childhood or puberty.
Today, doctors agreed that the occurrence of any depressive conditions is influenced by hereditary factors that create a predisposition to the described disorders, reduced stress resistance, “imprinting” in childhood and stressors that are current or recently stopped.
Symptoms of Clinical Depression
The severity of symptoms is due to the individual characteristics of the patients and the severity of the course of the disorder. Contrary to popular belief, signs of clinical depression are not limited to a depressed emotional state. The following are characteristic symptoms of the deviation in question.
The presence of clinical depression is primarily indicated by a loss of interest. A person who is under the yoke of depressive moods loses interest in the environment, his hobbies, and other people. Depressed patients are not attracted to entertainment, are not attracted to previously liked activities. With a more severe course of the analyzed deviation, patients show complaints about the complete absence of any feelings. They complain that they are separated from the real world by a reliable wall.
An unexpected decrease in mood also indicates the presence of the deviation in question. The patient feels his own helplessness, uselessness and worthlessness. He is always in a depressed state of mind. Often there are suicidal tendencies due to the loss of the meaning of existence, self-esteem decreases, a sense of fear arises. The patient becomes timid and uncertain.
As the symptoms escalate, the person’s well-being becomes worse, appetite disappears, weakness is felt, sleep disturbances are observed, and working capacity decreases. Because of headaches, the cognitive sphere slows down noticeably, as a result of which it is difficult for patients to perform everyday duties.
In patients who are in the described state, the behavioral response varies greatly. They become closed, they begin to shun people, are removed from any communicative interaction. Often, inappropriate events arise inadequate response. For example, a person may cry or reveal aggression.
The deviation under consideration differs from the usual depressive state by a rapid increase in symptoms. At first, people usually do not pay special attention to their well-being. However, after several days, his condition suddenly becomes worse: a person ceases to leave the house, eat food, talk or do something else.
The severe course of the disease can be accompanied by suicide attempts, serious mental deviations, hallucinations and delusions.
In order to diagnose the analyzed violation, you must have at least five of the following symptoms, namely:
- depressed mood;
- hypersomnia or insomnia;
- a significant decrease in body weight in the absence of a special diet or weight gain, or loss of appetite, or its increase;
- a significant decrease in interest or loss of pleasure from any activity;
- a decline in the ability to concentrate, think, or indecision;
- a sense of worthlessness or a feeling of excessive guilt;
- delayed motor activity and intellectual activity or psychomotor agitation;
- exhaustion or loss of energy;
- periodic thoughts of death, obsessive thoughts of a suicidal orientation in the absence of a specific plan or attempted suicide, or the existence of a specific “strategy” of suicide.
The listed manifestations should be observed almost daily and most of the time. At the same time, a patient or his relatives can independently notice a painful condition (for example, relatives can notice a speech inhibition in a relative, causeless crying).
In addition, at least one of the above manifestations should reveal either a loss of pleasure, interest, or indicate a reduced mood. In order to diagnose clinical depression, symptoms should provoke a discord in professional activities, the social sphere and other significant areas of life. In this case, the manifestations of the analyzed deviation should be noted for at least 14 days.
Depressed patients always perceive events in a distorted form, since they proceed from an understanding of their own worthlessness, unnecessary. Their perception of reality is based on negative views, a negative attitude towards reality and their own future. Often, in such patients, characteristic distortions of thought processes are noted (random conclusions, excessive generalization, exaggeration, selective abstraction).
Thus, the main clinical manifestations of depression can be represented by a triad of symptoms, including persistent deterioration in mood, inhibited thinking, and a slowdown in motor activity.
Typical manifestations of clinical depression can be considered: depressed disorder, not caused by external factors, observed for at least 14 days, constant fatigue, anhedonia – decline or loss of ability to have fun, which is accompanied by loss of activity to achieve it.
In addition, there are signs of a prepared act of suicide. There are three main manifestations of a potential suicide.
Signs of impending suicide are as follows:
- the patient discusses the intention to harm his own person, health, kill himself, can start reading any information about suicides, acquire pills or weapons;
- a person is constantly in deep sadness, does not show interest in reality, has problems with sleep, there is a loss of appetite;
- the patient complains of his own worthlessness, draws up a will or initiates amendments to it, sudden changes in mood, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, the appearance of addiction to drugs are noted;
- a person may suddenly descend with a visit to relatives, while the described symptoms gradually increase;
- Intentionally exposing oneself to unreasonable risk leading to death (for example, crossing in the wrong place of the road).
A person suffering from the described deviation, when meeting with everyday everyday stressors, usually feels helplessness, he is overcome by a feeling of loneliness. Sometimes the most familiar activities, for example, morning rise, dressing, taking a shower, for them seem an impossible feat.
Clinical Depression Treatment
The therapeutic correction of the condition in question should occur exclusively under strict medical supervision. It is not recommended to engage in self-healing, since often it is unsuccessful and often leads only to aggravation of the disease.
Effective methods for treating clinical depression are: psychotherapeutic correction and drug therapy. Depression during pregnancy requires specific treatment.
The most effective means for correcting the analyzed deviations are considered antidepressants, normotimics, tranquilizers and antipsychotics.
Preparations of the antidepressant group are aimed at increasing the number of neurotransmitters in the brain, which helps to eliminate the following manifestations: inhibition of motor activity, depressed mood, apathy. However, these funds work only after the accumulation of their active substances in the body. The effect will occur in about 15 days.
Normotics are aimed at reducing the active activity of the nervous system in order to normalize its condition, which significantly affects the patient’s mood towards improvement. In order to accelerate the positive effect, this group is recommended to be prescribed in conjunction with antidepressants.
Tranquilizers will help to relieve the feeling of fear and anxiety. Also, this group of funds contributes to the normalization of sleep and diet. However, it should be borne in mind that the use of the described drugs often generates dependence.
To slow down the transmission of impulses in the brain and inhibit the nervous system, antipsychotics (antipsychotics) are prescribed. More often used for aggressive patients, the presence of delusions or hallucinations.
When prescribing the above drugs, it is very important to consider the age of a patient suffering from clinical depression.
Often, for the correction of the analyzed state, folk healing means are successfully used.
In addition, general strengthening therapy is always required. The purpose of the B-group of vitamins and mineral complexes is shown here.
In men, clinical depression is more difficult and recommendations similar to the methods of therapy in women, but at the same time, the man should be surrounded with care, it is necessary to revive his faith in his own strength. It is necessary to refrain from quarrels, accusations and criticism.
The use of psychotherapeutic techniques is considered the most important stage in the treatment of depressive conditions. First of all, they are aimed at identifying the causes and helping the patient to find and recognize the root of the problem. In addition, psychotherapy helps to improve mood, normalize the condition and prevents the recurrence of depressive disorder.
Among the well-known psychotherapeutic methods, the most effective ones proved to be: hypnotic techniques, humanistic psychotherapy, behavioral method, individual or group therapy, rational, family, suggestive and psychoanalysis.
The basis of individual psychotherapy is a close direct interaction between the therapist and the patient, during which:
- the patient’s awareness of the structural features of his personality, as well as the reasons that prompted the development of the disease;
- the study of the individual mental characteristics of the patient, aimed at detecting the mechanisms of formation and saving of the depressive state;
- correction of the patient’s negative attitudes towards his own personality, past, present and future;
- information support, correction and potentiation of the prescribed drug therapy for the depressed state.
The behavioral method of therapy is aimed at solving current problems, as well as at eliminating behavioral manifestations, such as a monotonous way of being, renunciation of pleasures, isolation from society, passivity.
Rational psychotherapy is aimed at the logical reasoned conviction of the patient in the need to modify the attitude to his own person and reality. Here, methods of explanation, persuasion are used together with methods of abstraction, moral approval, and attention switching.
A feature of cognitive-behavioral methods in the correction of depressive states is their use without the use of pharmacopeia drugs. The meaning of the method is to dismember negative thoughts, the patient’s reaction to current events and separately to the situation itself. During the session, with the help of various unexpected questions, the therapist helps the patient to consider the action taking place from the side so that he can make sure that nothing really happens. The result of therapy will be the transformation of thinking, which positively affects the patient’s behavioral patterns and condition.
In addition to the appointment of pharmacopeia drugs and correction through psychotherapeutic techniques, a change in nutrition is also shown. There are products that help overcome the symptoms of clinical depression. Therefore, it is recommended to eat more vegetables and fruits that have a bright color (carrots, persimmons, bell peppers, bananas), oily sea fish, cheese, dark chocolate, buckwheat, nuts.
There are also so-called antidepressant drinks, for example, lemon balm drink with orange juice or milk based with the addition of chopped kernel kernels, banana pulp and a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Signs of a way out of clinical depression are the revival of interest in being, the appearance of joy from little things, the emergence of a sense of existence, the disappearance of the bodily manifestations generated by this disorder, and the lack of desire to commit suicide. For some time after cure, signs of egocentrism, decreased empathy, and isolation may be observed.
In order not to encounter such misfortune as clinical depression, it is recommended to try to lead an active way of being, avoid stressors, monitor well-being, plan workdays evenly, eat right, travel, entertain yourself with various hobbies, have a beloved pet, spend more time communicating with loved ones , friends, walks.
The prognosis of this deviation is favorable with timely medical care, focused and accurate execution of the doctor’s prescriptions, and proper nutrition.