Depression and stress. What is the danger of constant stress and countermeasures

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

Specialists are worried that when we make such “diagnoses” for ourselves, we do not distinguish these conditions at all. In fact, stress and depression may be related, but they are very different in terms of symptoms and, most importantly, require different approaches to treatment.

What is stress?

Stress is characterized by increased nervousness, irascibility and irritability, often accompanied by unmotivated anxiety and difficulty concentrating. All this seriously reduces the performance and significantly degrades the quality.

life in general, therefore, a person who finds himself in a stressful situation needs mild sedatives that can restore his lost peace of mind and at the same time allow him to lead his usual active lifestyle. It is 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 established themselves as an effective tool 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 a loss of energy, loss of appetite associated with sudden fluctuations in weight and specific sleep disorders: a person suffering from depression usually wakes up in the early morning and cannot then fall asleep again. To overcome chronic fatigue, depression and emotional exhaustion, which 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 Deprim preparation, is distinguished by such a mechanism of action.

And we also need to remember that very often it is not certain events that are to blame for our nervous breakdowns, but our attitude towards them. Therefore, according to experts, it is very important to learn to separate the main 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, it has become an integral part of articles of a psychological, medical, sociological nature.

However, 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 a decrease in self-esteem, apathy, and a breakdown.

In general, few people can explain stress with the help of ordinary vocabulary. 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 such concepts as stress, nervous tension, depression.

Let's understand these concepts.

Psycho-emotional (psychological) stress is a condition that is accompanied by strong negative emotions: fear, anxiety, longing, jealousy, anger, denial, irritability, arising from special situations that are 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 on his personality.

When assessing the situation under the influence of accumulated experience, motivations, expectations, attitudes, perception of oneself, either an adequate productive reaction or a stress disorder can occur. With psycho-emotional stress, the impact occurs on an emotional level, changing the mood, the general background, a 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 arises 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 the tension is not recognized and not relieved, then it will go into the stage of neurosis.

Light 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 single negative thought, you can increase the negative influence.

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

Stress can be dealt with in a number of ways:

Stress

Stress is a protective reaction of the body to strong emotional, mental or physiological stimuli that are part of the body's adaptive reaction 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;
resistance stage;
exhaustion stage.

If the protective resources of the body are not enough to resist the influences, then the actions of the defense begin to harm the body itself.

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

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 defensive reaction is not successful, then the chemical releases of adrenaline become constant or regular. At the same time, the adaptive resources of the body are not enough for new challenges. But at the same time, the body continues the struggle, 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 the internal organs: gastritis, peptic ulcers, colds, reduced immunity, allergic reactions, hypertension, convulsions, tics, menstrual disorders and sexual functions.

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

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

Unfortunately, it must be stated that negative stresses are much more common in humans than positive ones. Strong negative emotions can appear after an unsuccessful exam, the lack of the right product in the store, problems in the family or at work, troubles in everyday life (for example, a burnt dinner, a damaged dress).

Unrealized opportunities, a negative assessment of one's own activities, mistakes and failures, love disappointments, the destruction of plans - all this is only a small fraction 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 devastating effect on both the body and the psyche. They are what cause depression.

Depression can't be easy. It can occur in moderate and severe form. Moderate depression lasts for two weeks. In severe forms, depression can last for several months. Medicine knows cases when depression was in people for several years.

Most often, depression is caused by the death of loved ones. The church rite of remembrance of the dead at 9 and 40 days 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 to wear mourning for 40 days, and then take it off, which psychologically frees a person from worries.

After stress, the body is in a state of exhaustion. Under a number of conditions, the body begins to accumulate energy until the moment of restoration of strength.

Depression under 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 its own. You need to see a doctor.

The manifestation of depression depends on the type of higher nervous activity. Depression of choleric people is usually associated with manifestations of anger, fear of failure, 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 Deprim preparation, is distinguished by such a mechanism of action.

Content:

Stress and depression are increasingly affecting the psychological state of people of all ages. It is important to be able to distinguish the signs of a particular condition in time. Stress can imperceptibly go to the level of depression, then it will be possible to help a person, but much more difficult. Therefore, it is worth carefully studying the signs of a particular phenomenon in order to protect yourself and loved ones in time.

Stress and its symptoms.

If we talk about a more or less precise definition, then stress is a reaction of the protective psychological functions of the body to external stimuli. There is stress useful, which helps to keep the body in working condition and does not allow you to relax. But if such stress is no longer controlled, it can develop into a form that has a detrimental effect on the human psyche as a whole. In order to recognize the alarm signals of the body, it is necessary to know the symptoms and signs of a stressful situation that goes beyond the normal state.

The main stress symptoms are identical for most people. For example:

It is believed that the symptoms may not immediately appear "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: Useful (working) and harmful, which just destroys the body from the inside. Varieties of stress also have their own characteristics. So, stress at the physical level is accompanied, at first glance, by jumps in body temperature, dizziness and other ailments for no apparent reason. And biological species include injuries and other troubles received in an unexpected way, for example, during sports training.

Signs of depression.

Depression is a more intractable disease than stress. Failure to recognize the first warning signals in time can 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 in translation means black bile. Depression does not appear out of nowhere. One way or another, its appearance provokes a number of external circumstances, such as:

In the presence of at least one of these possible causative agents of depression, it is worth stopping and carefully analyzing the situation, and not being 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 a depressive disorder. Many "psychologists" can write off depression as another disorder or a sign of temporary difficulties, thereby complicating the situation even more. Signs of depression may include:

Low self-esteem or a sharp decrease in it;
Constant fatigue, inability to concentrate;
General disturbances in the functioning of the body, for example, sleep or the usual nutrition system is disturbed;
Not making contact with anyone;
Ignoring the positive aspects of life, focusing on the negative;
Perhaps the emergence of bad habits, such as smoking or craving for alcohol;
Launched appearance.

As you can see, the symptoms, although similar, are different. Therefore, it is so important to be able to distinguish 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 such a condition, and the severity of the condition.

Features of the development of stress

Stress is a normal physiological state that develops in response to the action of a certain stimulus. A negative impact can be observed for a long or, conversely, a short period of time. During stress, normal human emotions are greatly modified. Often you can feel irritability, anxiety, fear, strong emotional experiences.

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 some disorders of the immune system, or in hormonal imbalance. If a person failed to cope with difficulties, after a while we can talk about the appearance of chronic stress. According to recent studies, this problem is present in approximately 70% of urban residents.

When should you sound the alarm?

Over time, chronic stress can lead to depression. This condition is dangerous to humans, as it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

A person experiences inner fear, anxiety and other emotional experiences for 2 weeks or longer.
There is apathy to everything that happens, 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.
Decreased susceptibility to various environmental factors. A person can stop reacting in any way to both good events and bad ones.
Excessive appetite or its complete absence.

Medical treatment

In some cases, psychotherapists recommend treating stress and depression with medication. Such a decision is often made on the basis of a rapidly deteriorating condition that is no longer corrected by conservative methods.

The patient is prescribed drugs, 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 softer than medicines, and have almost no contraindications. In many cases, their use helps to cope with emotional difficulties and significantly improve the quality of a person's life.

Among the many herbs, doctors distinguish only a few:

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

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, is in a stressful or depressed state. Such procedures will help relieve muscle pain, 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. Take the first bath should be no longer than 10 minutes. All subsequent procedures to improve the emotional and physical condition can last up to 20 minutes. The optimum water temperature is 30-38 ºC. A hotter bath will reduce the beneficial effect of the oils, so it is not recommended to use it.

In the presence of stress or the development of depressive states, 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

It is possible to overcome stress and depression not only by using special medicines or medicinal plants. In many cases, a slight lifestyle change is enough. The most effective methods of dealing with these problems are:

Sports. Regular physical activity can significantly improve mood, get rid of negative emotions and improve 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 contributes to the production of the hormone serotonin, which is responsible for the feeling of joy.
Rest. In the presence of depression, it is recommended to plan a vacation with loved ones, which will help not only increase efficiency, but also relieve fatigue. You can just have dinner in good company or go to an interesting movie.
Intimate intimacy. Kisses, hugs, sex help to improve mood, feel a surge of strength and vigor.
Massage. The use of different techniques helps to get rid of fatigue or feel a surge of vigor.
Hobby. Doing what you love helps to distract from everyday problems, relax, put your thoughts in order. The main thing is to find a job that you like and will bring pleasure. You can try to knit, embroider, sew, read an interesting book or watch a movie, start collecting.
Dream. Many people underestimate the role of a long night's rest and its impact on the quality of life. It is recommended to go to bed early and at the same time.

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