Depression and stress. The dangers of constant stress and countermeasures

Emotional overload has become an integral part of our lives: every day, so many problems require our attention and immediate solutions that the nervous system simply cannot stand it. We are accustomed to explain the psychological discomfort that we experience under the yoke of overload as stress or depression.

Experts are worried that when we make such “diagnoses” for ourselves, we do not distinguish between these conditions at all. In fact, stress and depression may be interrelated, but they have very different symptoms and, most importantly, require different treatment approaches.

What is stress?

Stress is characterized by increased nervousness, short temper and irritability, which is often accompanied by unmotivated anxiety and difficulty concentrating. All this seriously reduces efficiency and significantly degrades quality.

life in general, therefore, a person who finds himself in a stressful situation needs mild sedatives that can restore him to lost peace of mind and at the same time allow him to lead his usual active lifestyle. It is precisely this mechanism of action that distinguishes the natural herbal preparation “Persen”. It contains extracts of peppermint, lemon balm and valerian - medicinal plants that have long proven themselves to be an effective remedy in the fight against stress. Depression is also a very common disorder of the nervous system; moreover, sometimes it develops as a result of chronic stress, but it manifests itself with completely different symptoms.

What is depression?

Depression is characterized by loss of energy, loss of appetite, associated sudden fluctuations in weight and specific sleep disturbances: a person suffering from depression usually wakes up early in the morning and then cannot fall back to sleep. To overcome chronic fatigue, depression and emotional exhaustion that are characteristic of depression, it is better to use natural remedies that can improve the functional state of the nervous system.

Among medicinal herbs, St. John's wort, which is part of the drug "Deprim", has this mechanism of action.

And we also need to remember that very often our nervous breakdowns are not to blame for any specific events, but for our attitude towards them. Therefore, experts say, it is very important to learn to separate the important from the secondary in life and not to be nervous about those circumstances that cannot be changed.

The terms “stress” and “depression” are used very often. In fact, this has become an integral component for articles of a psychological, medical, and sociological nature.

However, when calling their condition stress or depression, people rarely think about the correct use of terminology. People know little about depression and associate this concept with low self-esteem, apathy, and loss of strength.

Few people can explain stress using ordinary vocabulary. It’s an interesting situation, everyone understands what it is, they give examples from life, but they cannot give a reasonable explanation. In fact, people often confuse concepts such as stress, nervous tension, and depression.

Let's understand these concepts.

Psycho-emotional (psychological) stress is a condition that is accompanied by strong negative emotions: fear, anxiety, melancholy, jealousy, anger, denial, irritability, arising in special situations perceived as threatening and difficult. The source of psychological stress can be social interaction, one’s own perceptions and assessments. The stress factor does not affect the human body, but its personality.

When assessing a situation, under the influence of accumulated experience, motivation, expectations, attitudes, and self-perception, either an adequate productive reaction or a stress disorder may occur. With psycho-emotional stress, the impact occurs at the emotional level, changing mood, general background, and positive attitude towards the environment.

Nervous tension

The concept of nervous tension is often confused with depression due to the duration of its manifestation. Nervous tension occurs as a result of great emotional stress. Depending on the intensity and duration of stress, the strength of its influence on the human body depends. If tension is not recognized and not relieved, it will go into the stage of neurosis.

Mild nervous tension occurs under the influence of minor but unpleasant factors. It can be removed by switching to other thoughts or areas of activity, but if you try to concentrate on a separate negative thought, you can increase the negative impact.

Strong tension can arise with important problems, tasks whose solution cannot be slowed down. Tension in these situations may be accompanied by weakness, discomfort, and headache. If such tension has become obsessive, it can lead to exhaustion of the body, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can be the beginning of a depressive state.

You can work with voltage in different ways:

Stress

Stress is the body's defensive reaction to strong emotional, mental or physiological stimuli that are part of the body's adaptive response system.

Stress can appear as a reaction to stress: fatigue, overstrain, anxiety, worries, extreme experiences.

Adapting to new conditions, the body goes through several stages:

anxiety stage;
stage of resistance;
stage of exhaustion.

If the body's protective resources are not enough to withstand the influences, then the protective actions begin to harm the body itself.

Stress often refers to emotional unrest or strong feelings. Stress is a physiological reaction that primarily affects the body's resistance and health, leading to serious illnesses.

Positive stress, which is based on positive impressions and emotions, can lead to successful adaptation and mobilization of all the forces of the body. Negative stress manifests itself as an inability to adapt to new conditions, resulting in vulnerability and exhaustion.

If the defense response is not successful, the chemical releases of adrenaline become constant or regular. At the same time, the body’s adaptive resources are insufficient for new challenges. But at the same time, the body continues to fight, which increases the exhaustion of the body. Stress causes a large number of diseases.

Stress can manifest itself in different ways:

external manifestations of stress: rash, skin irritation, hair loss;
disorders of internal organs: gastritis, peptic ulcers, colds, reduced immunity, allergic reactions, hypertension, convulsions, tics, menstrual cycle and sexual dysfunctions.

Such stress cannot be dealt with on an emotional level. Treatment of biological stress is aimed at the physiological state and health of the person.

A person faces stress very often, if not constantly, when solving various problems. Often a person does not even think about how stressful his life is.

Unfortunately, it must be stated that negative stress occurs in humans much more often than positive stress. Strong negative emotions can appear after a failed exam, lack of the right product in the store, problems in the family or at work, or troubles in everyday life (for example, a burnt dinner, a ruined dress).

Unfulfilled opportunities, a negative assessment of one's own activities, mistakes and failures, love disappointments, destruction of plans - all this is only a small part of everything that can cause stress in life. The layering of emotions causes the body's constant need for protection, which leads to depression.

But if small stresses can even be beneficial to the body, making it more resilient and strong, then major stresses have a destructive effect on both the body and the psyche. They are the ones that cause depression.

Depression can't be easy. It can occur in moderate to severe form. Moderate depression lasts for two weeks. In severe forms, depression can last for several months. Medicine knows of cases where people have had depression for several years.

Most often, depression is caused by the death of loved ones. The church ritual of remembering the dead on days 9 and 40 has a high therapeutic effect. “Farewell to the soul” reduces stress after a severe loss and helps to get out of depression. The general mentality dictates the rule of mourning for 40 days and then taking it off, which psychologically frees a person from worries.

After stress, the body is in a state of exhaustion. If a number of conditions are met, the body begins to accumulate energy until strength is restored.

Depression due to stress is common. As a rule, the body copes with this situation on its own. But severe depression is a serious illness that cannot be treated on your own. You need to see a doctor.

The manifestation of depression depends on the type of higher nervous activity. Depression in choleric people is usually associated with manifestations of anger, fear of failure, and fear of making a mistake. In this case, there may be thoughts of suicide. The reason for this condition is that choleric people are very dependent on success. Their weak type does not allow them to accept failure. However, their depression does not last long.

What is stress?

What is depression?

Among medicinal herbs, St. John's wort, which is part of the drug "Deprim", has this mechanism of action.

Content:

Stress and depression increasingly affect the psychological state of people of different ages. It is important to be able to distinguish the signs of a particular condition in time. Stress can quietly move to the level of depression, then it will be possible to help the person, but it will be much more difficult. Therefore, it is worth carefully studying the signs of this or that phenomenon in order to protect yourself and your loved ones in time.

Stress and its symptoms.

If we talk about a more or less precise definition, then stress is the reaction of the protective psychological functions of the body to external stimuli. There is beneficial stress, which helps keep the body in working order and prevents you from relaxing. But if such stress is no longer controlled, it can develop into a type that has a detrimental effect on the human psyche as a whole. In order to recognize the body's alarm signals, it is necessary to know the symptoms and signs of a stressful situation that goes beyond the normal state.

The main symptoms of stress are the same for most people. For example:

It is believed that the symptoms may not immediately appear in a bouquet. They can appear one at a time, and if the process is not stopped or slowed down in time, a nervous breakdown or exhaustion may occur. In psychology, there are only 2 main types of stress: Beneficial (work) and harmful, which destroys the body from the inside. Types of stress also have their own characteristics. Thus, stress on the physical level is accompanied, at first glance, by fluctuations in body temperature, dizziness and other ailments for no apparent reason. And the biological species includes injuries and other troubles received in an unexpected way, for example, during sports training.

Signs of depression.

Depression is a more difficult to treat disease than stress. If you fail to recognize the first warning signs in time, you may miss the right moment for treatment, and it will become more difficult or almost impossible without the patient’s desire. In other words, the sooner the signs are noticed, the faster the person will recover.

The disease itself has been known to people since ancient times. Only under a different name - melancholy. By the way, melancholy means black bile. Depression does not appear out of nowhere. One way or another, its appearance is provoked by a number of external circumstances, such as:

If you have at least one of these possible triggers of depression, you should stop and carefully analyze the situation, and not be led by failures. Giving in to difficulties, willy-nilly a person becomes a puppet and a magnet for even greater problems.

It is important to respond in time to the first signs of depressive disorder. Many “psychologists” can attribute depression to other disorders or a sign of temporary difficulties, thereby further complicating the situation. Signs of depression may include:

Low level of self-esteem or its sharp decline;
Constant fatigue, inability to concentrate;
General disturbances in the functioning of the body, for example, disturbed sleep or the usual nutritional system;
Not making contact with anyone;
Ignoring the positive aspects of life, focusing on the negative;
Bad habits may develop, for example, smoking or craving for alcohol;
Disrepaired appearance.

As you can see, the symptoms, although similar, are different. Therefore, it is so important to be able to distinguish between these 2 diseases and be able to take timely measures to help a loved one.

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How to get rid of stress and depression that haunt almost every modern person? This condition is the subject of study by many specialists. Despite this, there is no single method to solve the problem. Treatment of a person is carried out taking into account the reasons that led to this condition and the severity of the condition.

Features of the development of stress

Stress is a normal physiological state that develops in response to a specific stimulus. The negative impact can be observed for a long time or, conversely, for a short period of time. During times of stress, a person's normal emotions are greatly modified. You can often feel irritability, anxiety, fear, and strong emotional distress.

Stress is divided into acute and chronic. The first condition develops in response to the depletion of the protective or adaptive system, in the presence of certain disorders of the immune system or in case of hormonal imbalance. If a person fails to cope with difficulties, after a while we can talk about the appearance of chronic stress. According to recent studies, approximately 70% of urban residents have this problem.

When should you sound the alarm?

Over time, chronic stress can lead to depression. This condition poses a danger to humans because it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

A person experiences internal fear, anxiety and other emotional experiences for 2 weeks or longer.
Apathy towards everything that happens appears, there is no desire to do anything.
A person may think about suicide, the worthlessness of his existence.
There is a significant decrease in immunity, which leads to the development of many psychosomatic diseases.
Sleep disturbance occurs. A person cannot fall asleep for a long time or, on the contrary, it is difficult for him to wake up.
The appearance of nightmares, which can also lead to insomnia.
lack of normal performance, lethargy, constant feeling of fatigue even after a long rest.
Reduced susceptibility to various environmental factors. A person may stop reacting in any way to both good and bad events.
Excessive appetite or its complete absence.

Treatment with medication

In some cases, psychotherapists recommend treating stress and depression with medication. This decision is often made on the basis of rapid deterioration of the condition, which is no longer corrected by conservative methods.

The patient is prescribed medications, which are usually divided into several groups:

Herbal treatment

Depressive syndrome can be effectively overcome with the use of certain medicinal herbs. They act much more gently than medications and have almost no contraindications. In many cases, their use helps to cope with emotional difficulties and significantly improve a person’s quality of life.

Among the many herbs, doctors highlight only a few:

To prepare the product, you need to pour boiling water (250-270 ml) into a tablespoon of plant material. Leave in a water bath for 5-7 minutes and let it brew for two hours. The filtered infusion is taken 100-120 ml before main meals.

The healing properties of aromatic baths

Baths with the addition of aromatic oils have a positive effect on a person who experiences significant nervous tension, emotional exhaustion, and is in a stressful or depressive state. Such procedures will help relieve muscle pain and spasms and can be used to prevent or treat many diseases.

To achieve the best effect, a few drops of essential oil are mixed with any emulsifier (salt, honey, cream, lecithin) and then added to water. The first bath should not last longer than 10 minutes. All subsequent procedures to improve emotional and physical well-being can last up to 20 minutes. The optimal water temperature is 30-38 ºC. A hotter bath will reduce the positive effects of the oils, so it is not recommended.

In the presence of stress or the development of depressive conditions, it is recommended to use the following essential extracts:

For therapeutic purposes, it is optimal to carry out a maximum of 3 procedures per week, and for preventive purposes - no more than 1 time.

Alternative Treatments

Stress and depression can be overcome not only by using special medications or medicinal plants. In many cases, a few lifestyle changes are enough. The most effective methods to combat these problems are:

Sports activities. Regular physical activity can significantly improve your mood, get rid of negative emotions and improve your overall health.
Delicious and healthy food. To get rid of stress, sometimes it is enough to drink a cup of your favorite tea or coffee with a few pieces of dark chocolate. You can also eat a banana, which promotes the production of the hormone serotonin, which is responsible for feelings of joy.
Rest. If you have depression, it is recommended to plan a vacation with loved ones, which will not only help improve your performance, but also relieve fatigue. You can just have dinner in good company or go to an interesting movie.
Intimacy. Kisses, hugs, sex help improve your mood, feel a surge of strength and vigor.
Massage. Using different techniques helps you get rid of fatigue or feel a surge of vigor.
Hobby. Doing what you love helps you take your mind off everyday problems, relax, and put your thoughts in order.. The main thing is to find something you like and will bring you pleasure. You can try knitting, embroidery, sewing, read an interesting book or watch a movie, and start collecting.
Dream. Many people underestimate the role of a long night's rest and its impact on the quality of their entire life. It is recommended to go to bed early and at the same time.

These simple methods will help you overcome stress and get rid of depression in the shortest possible time. If you cannot improve your emotional and physical condition on your own, it is best to seek help from a qualified doctor.