Many researchers have noted the complexity and diversity of manifestations of depression. First of all, we are talking about different shades of hypothymia – low mood. It is believed that the main classic symptom of depression is depressed mood, probably even in mild cases of depression, this symptom occurs most often.
Currently, it is believed that in the spectrum of mood changes in depression may be: anxiety, melancholy, apathy and irritability. Sadness and grief are close to the feeling of longing, laziness and indifference are to apathy, anxiety and anxiety to anxiety.
Despite the difficulty of identifying the leading modality of affect, the possibility of the existence of their mixed version, there is a point of view that the allocation of anxiety, depression and apathy (the three main mood changes in depression) is necessary for the correct treatment of depression. However, it should be remembered that the spectrum of depression is wide enough: such feelings as sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, despair, helplessness are also encountered here. Constant doubts, low self-esteem, guilt – the typical symptoms of depression. It can also manifest itself in a viciously depressing mood – dysphoria. At the same time, anger, irritability, and anger are most likely related to mixed states or are attributes of the patient’s personality that existed before the onset of the disease.
Anxiety, longing and apathy, as a rule, are closely related to each other, but at a certain moment one of these feelings becomes the leading one. From which of the manifestations of depression will become dominant, in most cases, other symptoms of it depend, in particular, the nature of sensations from the internal organs, the degree of change in thinking and perception processes. So, for example, melancholy and apathy most reflect the essence of depression as inhibition.
With severe depression in patients may not have the ability to cry. In this state, the world becomes lifeless and dead.
Anniversary
One of the important symptoms of depression is anhedonia, or loss of interests, the ability to experience or experience pleasure. Those joys of life that used to be enjoyable now seem to have no meaning, are not interesting, have lost their relevance.
In severe cases, “mental anesthesia” occurs loss of ability to any feelings at all, “the world loses its colors.” Despite the excruciating spiritual pain, sometimes a person cannot cry at all (as he recovers, the ability to tears reappears). At the same time, rather rarely, “mental anesthesia” is true, since it is easily blocked by “hyperesthesia” to everything negative. During the depression, the interest in the manifestations of life falls, the initiative weakens, the ability to deal with difficulties decreases. Among the manifestations of anhedonia reveal its physical, social and intellectual and aesthetic components.
To assess the severity of the phenomenon of anhedonia, a scale of “Physical and social anhedonia” has been proposed.
Classical depression is usually manifested by the disappearance of many desires, a marked weakening of the will. The desire for action is absent. Typically impoverishment and weakening of the expression of motives, a general decrease in activity, complaints of weakness, fatigue. Weakness is so strong that it is difficult for the patient to come to the doctor. In severe cases, there may be complete passivity and immobility.
Behavior and appearance
With depression, a person’s behavior changes. On the one hand, he seeks isolation, avoids contact with other people, on the other hand, on the other hand, he seeks sympathy and support from those around him. Patients tend to loneliness and at the same time fear it, leave from communication, hiding their experiences, and are happy even to have a short meeting with a person who understands them. Attempts to distract the patient, come up with entertainment for him, as a rule, are unsuccessful and often have the opposite effect; as a result of pessimism, everything quickly turns dark. Changing the place of stay, new medicines or doctors only for a short time bring relief and quickly give way to frustration, irritability and the return of old symptoms.
The movements of patients during depression are often slowed down, their amplitude is limited, psychomotor retardation is observed. Patients can sit still in one place or lie in bed. The decrease in motor activity can reach the degree of “depressive stupor.” Rarely during melancholy, especially in the elderly and young people, there is psychomotor agitation, in which the patient does not find a place for himself, rushes about, breaks his arms, groans.
Patients with depression are careless in clothes and in appearance, they are characterized by a posture with lowered shoulders, a sad expression: a fold around the outer third of the eyebrow (Veragut fold), lowered corners of the mouth, looking down – this is typical for a depressed patient.