Treatment of depression: how to get out of this condition correctly.
According to the latest statistics, every fifth person on the planet suffers from depression. Just 10 years ago, the depressive triad was the prerogative of mainly older people, but now the younger generation – people from 25 to 40 years old – is increasingly turning to psychologists on their own.
Treatment of depression with folk remedies
A bad mood for men and women can come suddenly due to problems at work, quarrels or separation from loved ones. Even if the event remains in the past, the person becomes increasingly immersed in melancholy, independently experiencing the situation again and again. This condition signals developing depression. This insidious disease can come to an absolutely healthy and successful person, testing his ability to deal with difficulties. If he does not have suicidal thoughts, then he can get by with self-treatment of depression using traditional methods.
Herbs that calm the nervous system
If you take into account the compatibility of the ingredients and the correct dosage, then with the help of herbal infusions you can get rid of a prolonged depressive state. To avoid individual intolerance to herbs, it is better to consult a doctor first. The most common folk recipes:
- Mix 1 tbsp. l. black tea, peppermint, lemon balm, black currant leaves. Add 1 tsp. thyme. Brew 1 tsp. mixture in a glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Drink freshly brewed tea 3 times daily. The herbal drink will cure apathy, lethargy, and depression.
- Mix 1 tbsp. l. calendula flowers, rose hips, chamomile, valerian root, chokeberry. Bring a tablespoon of the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat and leave for 20 minutes. To improve your mood, drink half a glass 3 times a day.
- Pour ginseng roots or leaves with alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Leave for one month. The tincture helps with nervous exhaustion. Drink 20 drops 3 times a day. If you can’t prepare the infusion yourself, buy it ready-made at the pharmacy.
Foods High in Magnesium
How to cure depression yourself with nutrition? You can cope even with severe stress if you reconsider your diet. During depression, add foods high in magnesium to your daily menu - and in a short period of time you will be able to overcome despondency and blues on your own. Numerous studies have shown that this is the best micronutrient for calming the nervous system.
The most important feature of magnesium is the treatment of the human body from chronic migraines, fatigue, insomnia, and unreasonable fears. The trace element relieves excessive anxiety, panic attacks and other mental disorders. How to treat depression yourself with magnesium? You should include the following foods in your diet:
- Cereals. Barley, wheat, whole oats, and brown rice contain large amounts of magnesium.
- Legumes. Lentils, soybeans, beans and other non-GMO varieties provide the body with magnesium for the whole day in one serving.
- Dark chocolate. Pamper yourself during depression with your favorite product. Chocolate with a high cocoa bean content is rich in magnesium and antioxidants.
- Leafy vegetables. Spinach, beet and dandelion greens, kale and other dark green vegetables will provide high levels of micronutrients that can easily cure depression.
- Avocado. The product is not only rich in healthy fats, but is also an ideal source of magnesium. One large fruit contains up to 60 mg of useful mineral.
- Herbs. Basil, sage, coriander supply the body with a large amount of useful minerals. To add magnesium to your meals, add these herbs to all your favorite dishes.
- Rice bran. Only 100 grams of the product contains 781 mg of magnesium - double the daily requirement of the microelement.
How to get out of depression on your own
A depressive state caused by one unpleasant event can be easily eliminated if the cause is removed. How to cure depression on your own if you don’t want to do anything? First you need to find solace in understanding that it could be worse. If you switch your consciousness to the fates of other people who have experienced depression on their own, then you can forget about your problem. When a negative situation has passed and nothing can be changed, there is only one way out - to accept and move on, and a few steps will help you calm down.
Lifestyle change
Suffering always finds company. If you don’t know how to recover from depression on your own, then first of all, stay away from negative people: surround yourself only with positive friends. Try to share with them your vision of the world, fears, ideas, views. Optimistic people will be happy to tell you how you can enjoy life, maintain a good mood and cure depression on your own without the use of drugs.
Music for relaxation and calming nerves
Calm and beautiful music is a great way to combat depression. It helps you take a break from thoughts about the past and fill the present moment with pleasant emotions. Beautiful music relieves stress, relaxes, and improves your mood. Music therapy can even divert a person from suicidal actions. Favorite music, according to psychologists, influences actions and serious decisions, changes thoughts and attitude towards life.
Normalization of the daily routine
You can quickly get out of deep depression on your own if you force yourself to change your daily routine. Healthy sleep is extremely important to maintain a normal state of mind. You need to go to bed at the same time, preferably from 21 to 24 hours, so that you feel rested in the morning. Daily physical activity is also important, during which the brain produces natural antidepressants. If you don’t want to put too much stress on your body, start with daily independent walks in a beautiful park.
How to cure depression on your own
You can start a program to get rid of depression in different independent ways. It should be remembered that alcohol and smoking are the enemies of a good mood. Many people believe that if you drink alcohol and take a drag from a cigarette, it is easy to cure depression on your own, and the problem may go away: but the anxious state will not go away, but will only intensify under the influence of alcohol. To avoid relapse and irreversible behavior during a depressive disorder, you should completely avoid alcoholic beverages. Other methods will bring deliverance.
Yoga classes at home
Yoga is a unique practice that can not only cure depression, but also rid a person of negative thoughts forever. Constant independent practice of breathing exercises will help you find peace of mind. The main respiratory cycle for depression:
- Stand up straight, lower your arms along your body, and place your feet hip-width apart.
- As you inhale, raise your arms up to the sides, clasp your fingers together at the top point, and then look at them.
- As you exhale, lower your arms in the opposite direction and connect them again with a house.
- Lower your chin at the same time as your hands, then look at your fingers below.
- Do 10 breathing cycles daily to quickly cure depressive disorder on your own.
Depression is a mental disorder that is characterized by a triad of classic symptoms: the inability to feel joy, slowing down of thought processes with constant pessimism and motor inhibition. The main danger of depression lies in cognitive or educational disorders, which you can try to treat at home after consulting a psychiatrist.
The depth, degree and type of depression must be determined, and it is advisable to do this as early as possible. The longer depression exists, the more difficult it is to cope with. With true full-blown depression, there is always a danger of suicide, and after the incident, relatives “sprinkle ashes on their heads,” regretting that they did not take the person to the doctor in time, but nothing can be changed.
The incidence of depression is steadily catching up with cancer and cardiovascular diseases; according to forecasts, by 2020 the disorder will become the leading one. The disease affects people of prime age from 25 years. More than 60% of suicides occur among people suffering from this disorder. The trigger can be any stress, of which there is plenty - family and career problems, divorce, death of relatives, social difficulties. The rhythm of life does not give a person time to come to his senses and “digest” the negative things that happen from time to time.
Main manifestations of depression:
Symptoms of depression exist on their own, and life and events in it exist separately.
Drug treatment
The following groups of drugs are used:
| Medicine | Main action |
| tricyclic antidepressants | Amitriptyline, Opipramol - action within 7-10 days from the start of administration, are used only in young people, have many side effects on the cardiovascular system |
| four-cycle | Tetrindole, – antidepressant activity is low, but can be used in the elderly, mild |
| serotonin reuptake inhibitors | , – high antidepressant effect, onset of action 21 days from the start of administration |
| nootropics | , and others – improve metabolic processes in the nervous system and cerebral blood flow |
| psychostimulants | Sidnocarb, Caffeine - are used for general lethargy, but always carry the danger of facilitating suicide and the formation of addiction |
| tranquilizers | sedatives - Mebicar, Lorazepam, Bromazepam, activating - Valium, Sibazon, Seduxen. Relieves internal tension, anxiety, restlessness |
| lithium preparations | reduce the incidence of suicide, reduce impulsivity and aggression |
| sedatives | normalize the processes of excitation and inhibition in the brain - bromine preparations, Adonis-bromine |
| herbal sedatives | Normalize sleep, reduce nervous tension - based on St. John's wort, Valerian-Forte, Motherwort-Sesanna, Bellataminal, Melissa-Forte, Nervohel, Dormiplant |
Bringing a person out of depression without disinhibiting him and maintaining his ability to work is a whole art that only an experienced doctor can do.
The market for antidepressants is huge; according to statistics, these medications occupy a third of the total volume of drugs used in our country. In other countries, the situation is even worse; sometimes taking antidepressants begins in adolescence. Only a psychiatrist or a psychiatrist can prescribe the medicine correctly and in the right dosage. If you follow the doctor’s recommendations, even in advanced cases the painful condition will improve within a month.
The duration of the course depends on the structure of the disease state; sometimes maintenance treatment has to be used for several months. Medicines modify and alleviate depression, but have little effect on the duration of the episode; the disease proceeds according to its own laws.
Find out what is used to treat depressive disorders.
Important addition
Diseases of the soul and body exist on different pages only in textbooks; in reality, everything is interconnected. Any disorder of the body aggravates depression because it changes many physiological parameters. It is advisable to treat everything that bothers a person - from a carious tooth to. Returning the functions of internal organs to normal can also stabilize the mental state.
Where to begin?
With normalization of nutrition and daily routine. Many people underestimate the importance of a balanced diet. Calorie content is usually sufficient, but the quality composition is rarely given enough attention in everyday life.
The first thing that needs to be adjusted is the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. An adult man with average physical activity requires about 100 g of protein, 80 g of fat and 400 g of carbohydrates per day. If essential nutrients are lacking, many processes of maintaining homeostasis are disrupted.
Animal proteins are the basis for cellular synthesis and a source of essential amino acids. Without the supply of animal protein, cell renewal, enzyme function, hematopoiesis, endocrine processes, nerve impulse transmission, and much more are impossible.
With a lack of fat, cell membranes and enzymes suffer, memory deteriorates, mental and cognitive processes are disrupted, concentration processes are disrupted, vision deteriorates, and performance decreases sharply.
Excess carbohydrates lead to damage to the vascular wall, provoke obesity and diabetes, a shift in acid-base balance or metabolic acidosis.
Disruption of the circadian rhythm of sleep and wakefulness is no less harmful. A person has an innate circadian rhythm or daily fluctuations in the biological activity of all physiological processes. Another name for this phenomenon is the biological clock. Each person has a different chronotype, or preferred hours of daytime activity and nighttime rest.
The circadian rhythm is controlled by sunlight, which is sensed by the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the anterior part of the hypothalamus. Signals from the hypothalamus extend to the production of hormones, urine production, body temperature, and blood pressure levels. At the same time, vital organs - heart, kidneys, liver - have their own daily rhythms, which do not always coincide exactly with the main one.
Without normalizing the circadian rhythm, cure is impossible.
Psychotherapy
The most important part that can rebuild the level of response to problems. The following methods are used:
- – teaching adequate daily activities, destroying those techniques that support depression;
- interpersonal – learning social skills, getting help from relatives and friends, trying to see oneself through the eyes of others;
- family - an attempt to turn the family into a single system in which everyone has their own functions;
- – an attempt to push a person to realize the meaning of his life, his purpose and the opportunity to realize himself to the maximum;
- psychodynamic - the study of the subconscious processes of a particular person;
- or Rogers' therapy, in which the patient becomes an expert for himself, evaluates many of his actions “from the outside.”
Physical activity
Modern experts evaluate it as an alternative to psychotropic drugs. Physical activity improves the transmission of nerve impulses, increases the concentration of endorphins or morphine-like compounds, reduces the level of cortisol or the hormone that “processes” stress, and increases the production of serotonin or the “happiness hormone”. Physical activity also increases body temperature, which speeds up metabolic processes.
At the same time, physical activity improves communication skills, since sports are rarely done alone. Even simple jogging in the fresh air helps to acquire new contacts.
Undoubtedly, those who do not enjoy physical activity should not do it by force. Instead, you can walk in the fresh air, enjoy the rain or the vagaries of nature. Such walks are needed 2-3 times a week. It’s great if family members keep company, so the patient will feel comfortable.
Treatment with light and color
The correct name is lux therapy. Sunlight works best because it is a natural stimulant.
The effects of sunlight are multifaceted. This includes the synthesis of vitamin D from cholesterol, normalization of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, physical endurance, speed of thinking, regeneration or tissue repair. Under the influence of sunlight, the overall resistance of the body increases. The red color of the spectrum gives hope and inspires optimism, orange tones give joy and warmth, green gives comfort. The height of the blue sky is calming.
The ultraviolet part reduces blood viscosity, improves tissue respiration, hormone production, and accelerates metabolism. The amount of sunlight a person sees during the day is directly related to their mood. The phenomenon of seasonal depression is known, when in the fall and especially in winter some people “hibernate,” feel sad and try to wait out the darkness in complete idleness.
Art therapy
This is the impact of art and creativity in the broadest sense of the word. You need to pay attention and spend time on everything beautiful that is available at a given time in a given area. Not everyone lives in big cities, where there is an opportunity to contemplate great art - paintings, statues, high examples of urban transformation.
However, for a person who has discovered the joy of life, the place of this very life is not so important. Beauty can be found in everything that surrounds a person - blooming spring, a raindrop on a green leaf, sunset, a quiet river and simple bird roulades. Understanding yourself as an equal part of the world allows you to see signs of joy in almost every minute.
Aromatherapy
Smells are something that never fades from memory. The event may have long been erased from memory, but it is enough to inhale the forgotten smell - and the memory instantly comes to life. The perfume industry offers a huge selection of natural scents extracted from plants and animals. This is a concentrate of nature in a bottle that you can always use.
Neutral scents that make a person feel positive are mint, rosemary, lemon, rose, and vanilla. Each person has their own scent preferences, it is important to choose something that changes your mood for the better.
New impressions and interests
The best way to reduce symptoms of depression. If possible, then you need to go on a trip. Overseas countries are not at all necessary; there are city excursions, hiking trips, exhibitions, theater premieres, city festivals.
In any city, even the smallest one, you can find something to do to your liking. A new type of activity is a great way to shake things up. It's never too late to fulfill your dream and do what you've long wanted to do - learn to drive a car, jump with a parachute, do handicrafts, write a story, master computer technology.
The important thing is that in the course of mastering a new skill, new acquaintances and contacts are inevitably made, friends and like-minded people appear.
Herbal infusions
An excellent assistant in overcoming depression (). To improve mood the following are used:
- , used to treat depression since the 17th century, should be drunk as tea (2 teaspoons of herb per glass of boiling water) for 3 months;
- mint and lemon balm as an infusion at night to make it easier to fall asleep;
- motherwort and valerian, brewed like tea and covered with a saucer so that the essential oils do not evaporate;
- tea or infusion from a mixture of herbs, to which there is an individual preference.
Comprehensive treatment of depression always leads to a positive result.
A depressive state ruins the life of not only the patient himself, but also the people around him, if it is not treated. A psychological disorder looks like a constant bad mood, insomnia, loss of interest in favorite people and activities, and fatigue. Treatment options for depression depend on the type of psychological illness.
Professional treatment for depression
Only a doctor knows how to get a person out of depression without harming his condition. It will help start the process of getting rid of the disease. If the disease is not treated, it can last for months and take increasingly deeper forms. Before determining a method for treating depression, the doctor must make sure that the patient himself wants to get rid of the depressed psychological state. After several sessions, a diagnosis is made and treatment is carried out based on it.
Chronic depression
Severe chronic depression appears in the patient as helplessness, hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, sadness, fatigue, and slowness. The state of psychological illness can last for several years, starting from childhood or adolescence, if you do not seek help from doctors in time and do not begin treatment. The result is more frequent headaches, stomach problems, and sleep disturbances. A specialist in this field will tell you how to treat chronic depression (dysthymia) in a patient.
Doctors recommend starting the patient’s treatment with a properly chosen diet that includes foods that contain tryptophan, which helps produce serotonin (the hormone of happiness) - hard and processed cheese, dark chocolate, chicken eggs, mushrooms, lentils, citrus fruits, cottage cheese. Medication is prescribed by a doctor for several months, individually for each case. Walking, working out in the gym and psychotherapy are helpful in treating a patient’s depressive state.
Reactive
One of the forms of depression in a patient is reactive. Mental illness occurs after several stressful situations in a row or an acutely negative event. While in this state, a person walks with his head bowed low and slouched. The patient mentally constantly replays in detail the episodes of the unpleasant event that happened, looks for reasons, often blaming himself for what happened, torments himself and others with conversations about the situation, and often cries.
Reactive depression can be short-term and end in a month, then treatment of the patient is not necessary, or it can become prolonged and last up to two years. Antidepressant medications prescribed by a doctor during treatment help reduce the patient’s sense of fear and anxiety, stabilizing mood, and have a sedative and mild hypnotic effect. It is prohibited for a patient to treat a depressive state with medications and at the same time drink alcoholic beverages.
Deep
The causes of deep psychological depression can be situations where a person witnessed or was in the center of events of a disaster, violence, or loss of life. This complex state of mental disorder in the patient is expressed in the form of feelings of guilt, loss of interest in life, lethargy, loss of libido, weight loss due to lack of appetite, and a feeling of “a stone in the chest.”
What to do and how to treat deep depression, which can lead to suicide if not controlled? The patient needs to be distracted from difficult memories. Positive emotions from walks, visits to pleasant places, and physical exercise in combination with medications prescribed by a doctor will help. Therapy lasts from several weeks to several months, is carried out in several stages with a change in the patient’s treatment regimen.
Protracted
A form of prolonged depression occurs in patients with severe, often incurable illnesses. The patient feels doomed, considers himself a burden, refuses to treat the disease, ignoring medications, tries to avoid anyone’s company, his self-esteem decreases, the meaning of life is lost, and nervous breakdowns often occur. Outwardly, patients suffering from prolonged depression look untidy, stoop, are overweight or, on the contrary, excessively thin, puffiness appears on the face, and the eyes “dull out.”
Similar symptoms are observed in people who abuse alcohol for a long time, which also leads to psychological disorders. How to overcome depression while in this state? Treatment will require professional medical assistance using medications and psychotherapy. The impact of medications prescribed by a doctor should be aimed at giving the patient peace of mind and immunity to irritating factors.
Alarming
During anxious depression, a person experiences a feeling of impending disaster, hopelessness, and loss of faith in an optimistic future. Frequent tearfulness and irritability of the patient begins to become the norm. Being in a state of psychological anticipation of something bad happening, a person stops getting adequate sleep and performance decreases. The patient’s speech often contains expressions: “I can’t stand this,” “I’m going to die,” “I have a presentiment,” “this is terrible,” combined with active hand gestures and facial expressions.
Treating with medications in combination with corrective psychological therapy means helping to escape from anxious depression. The help of loved ones who adequately respond to panic attacks, trying to protect the patient from situations that will disturb him, will bring a speedy recovery closer. Treatment during psychotherapeutic sessions will help to correctly perceive the world around us and correct the patient’s behavior and thinking.
How to overcome depression on your own
When a person realizes that he is at the beginning of the path to a depressed state of a psychological nature, he will be helped by advice on how to get out of depression on his own, without resorting to the use of drugs. It is worth remembering that in many situations, self-medication is fraught with negative consequences.
If the decision has been made and the person is ready to try to cope with the disease, here are recommendations for starting treatment without pills:
- Make it a rule to do exercises if you haven’t exercised before. A few even the simplest exercises will help restore good spirits.
- Forget about bad habits such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, if they were present in your life.
- Get outdoors more often. Try to walk some distances rather than using transport.
- If your depression is caused by loneliness, get a pet to take care of. A dog is a more suitable option, since you will need to go for walks with it.
- Think about those hobbies and hobbies that you “didn’t get around to.” Start making your dreams come true.
- Call your friends or relatives whom you haven’t seen for a long time.
- Change your environment for at least a couple of days, a week, by going to another city or even country.
- It will be useful for girls and women to go to a beauty salon, change their image, and enjoy the procedures.
- Banal shopping can bring joy and restore psychological balance without drugs.
What to do if your child is depressed
Before starting treatment, it is important to find out the reasons that led to the psychological disorder. They often look like this:
- unfavorable home environment in the family;
- frequent change of place of residence and educational institutions;
- lack of friends;
- prolonged “communication” with the computer, loss of reality of events;
- hormonal and psychological changes in adolescents.
Forms of childhood depression can have varying degrees of psychological severity, but all are treatable. During a mild condition, doctors recommend normalizing the environment, eliminating irritating factors, and treating with Adaptol, Tenoten (homeopathy) in doses recommended by a specialist. Antidepressant medications such as Azafen, Pyrazidol, Amitriptyline are often used. Severe forms of depression in a sick child are best treated in a hospital.
I. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT DEPRESSION
Depression is a disease of our time
Research from all over the world shows that depression, like cardiovascular disease, is becoming the most common illness of our time. It is a common disorder that affects millions of people. According to various researchers, up to 20% of the population of developed countries suffers from it.
Depression is a serious illness that sharply reduces ability to work and brings suffering to both the patient and his loved ones. Unfortunately, people are very little aware of the typical manifestations and consequences of depression, so many patients receive help when the condition becomes protracted and severe, and sometimes it is not provided at all. In almost all developed countries, health services are concerned about the current situation and are making efforts to promote information about depression and its treatment.
Depression is a disease of the whole body. Typical signs of depression
The manifestations of depression are very diverse and vary depending on the form of the disease. We list the most typical signs of this disorder:
Emotional manifestations
* melancholy, suffering, depressed, depressed mood, despair
* anxiety, feeling of internal tension, anticipation of trouble
* irritability
*feelings of guilt, frequent self-recrimination
* dissatisfaction with oneself, decreased self-confidence, decreased self-esteem
* reduction or loss of the ability to experience pleasure from previously enjoyable activities
* decreased interest in surroundings
* loss of the ability to experience any feelings (in cases of deep depression)
* depression is often combined with anxiety about the health and fate of loved ones, as well as with the fear of appearing incompetent in public places
Physiological manifestations
* sleep disorders (insomnia, drowsiness)
* changes in appetite (loss or overeating)
* bowel dysfunction (constipation)
* decreased sexual needs
* decreased energy, increased fatigue during normal physical and intellectual activity, weakness
* pain and various unpleasant sensations in the body (for example, in the heart, in the stomach, in the muscles)
Behavioral manifestations
* passivity, difficulty engaging in goal-oriented activity
* avoidance of contacts (tendency to solitude, loss of interest in other people)
* refusal of entertainment
* alcoholism and abuse of psychoactive substances that provide temporary relief
Mental manifestations
* difficulty concentrating, concentrating
* difficulty making decisions
* predominance of gloomy, negative thoughts about yourself, about your life, about the world in general
* gloomy, pessimistic vision of the future with a lack of perspective, thoughts about the meaninglessness of life
* thoughts of suicide (in severe cases of depression)
* thoughts about one’s own uselessness, insignificance, helplessness
* slow thinking
To be diagnosed with depression, some of these symptoms must persist for at least two weeks.
Depression needs to be treated
Depression is often perceived both by the patient himself and by others as a manifestation of bad character, laziness and selfishness, promiscuity or natural pessimism. It should be remembered that depression is not just a bad mood (see manifestations above), but a disease that requires the intervention of specialists and responds quite well to treatment. The sooner the correct diagnosis is made and the correct treatment is started, the greater the chances of a quick recovery, and that depression will not recur again and will not take a severe form, accompanied by a desire to commit suicide.
What usually prevents people from seeking help for depression?
People are often afraid to see a mental health professional because of perceived negative consequences:
1) possible social restrictions (registration, ban on driving and traveling abroad);
2) conviction if someone finds out that the patient is being treated by a psychiatrist;
3) fears of the negative impact of medication, which is based on widespread, but incorrect ideas about the dangers of psychotropic drugs.
Often people do not have the necessary information and misunderstand the nature of their condition. It seems to them that if their condition is associated with understandable life difficulties, then this is not depression, but a normal human reaction that will pass on its own. It often happens that the physiological manifestations of depression contribute to the formation of beliefs about the presence of serious somatic diseases. This is a reason to contact a general practitioner.
80% of patients with depression initially seek help from general practitioners, and the correct diagnosis is made in approximately 5% of them. Even fewer patients receive adequate therapy. Unfortunately, during a routine appointment at a clinic, it is not always possible to distinguish between the physiological manifestations of depression and the presence of a true somatic disease, which leads to an incorrect diagnosis. Patients are prescribed symptomatic therapy (medicines for the heart, for the stomach, for headaches), but there is no improvement. Thoughts arise about a serious, unrecognized somatic illness, which, through a vicious circle mechanism, leads to worsening depression. Patients spend a lot of time on clinical and laboratory examinations, and, as a rule, come to the psychiatrist with severe, chronic manifestations of depression.
II. SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DEPRESSION
Main types of depression
Depression often occurs against the background of stress or long-term severe traumatic situations. Sometimes they occur for no apparent reason. Depression can be accompanied by somatic diseases (cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, etc.). In such cases, it significantly complicates the course and prognosis of the underlying somatic disease. However, with timely identification and treatment of depression, there is a rapid improvement in mental and physical well-being.
Depression can occur in the form of single episodes of illness of varying severity or occur over a long period of time in the form of repeated exacerbations.
In some patients, depression is chronic, lasting for many years without reaching significant severity.
Sometimes depression is limited mainly to physical symptoms without clear emotional manifestations. However, clinical and laboratory examinations may not reveal any organic changes. In such cases, consultation with a psychiatrist is necessary.
Modern ideas about the causes of depression
Bio-psycho-social model of depression
Modern science considers depression as a disease, the origin of which is contributed by various causes or factors - biological, psychological and social.
Biology of depression
Biological factors of depression include, first of all, specific disorders of neurochemical processes (metabolism of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, etc.). These disorders, in turn, can be hereditary.
Psychology of depression
Scientific research has identified the following psychological factors for depression:
* special style of thinking, so-called negative thinking, which is characterized by a fixation on the negative aspects of life and one’s own personality, a tendency to see the life around us and one’s future in a negative light
* specific style of communication in the family with an increased level of criticism, increased conflict
* increased number of stressful life events in personal life (separations, divorces, alcoholism of loved ones, death of loved ones)
* social isolation with few warm, trusting contacts that could serve as a source of emotional support
Social context of depression
The increase in depression in modern civilization is associated with a high pace of life, an increased level of stress: the high competitiveness of modern society, social instability - high levels of migration, difficult economic conditions, and uncertainty about the future. In modern society, a number of values are cultivated that doom a person to constant dissatisfaction with himself - the cult of physical and personal perfection, the cult of strength, superiority over other people and personal well-being. This makes people worry hard and hide their problems and failures, deprives them of emotional support and dooms them to loneliness.
III. HELP FOR DEPRESSION
The modern approach to the treatment of depression involves a combination of various methods - biological therapy (drug and non-drug) and psychotherapy.
Drug treatment
Prescribed to patients with mild, moderate and severe symptoms of depression. A necessary condition for the effectiveness of treatment is cooperation with the doctor: strict adherence to the prescribed therapy regimen, regular visits to the doctor, a detailed, frank report about your condition and life difficulties.
Antidepressants.
Proper therapy can, in most cases, completely eliminate the symptoms of depression. Depression requires treatment from specialists. The main class of medications for treating depression are antidepressants. Currently, there are various drugs in this group, of which tricyclics (amitriptyline, melipramine) have been used since the late 50s. In recent years, the number of antidepressants has increased significantly.
The main advantages of new generations of antidepressants are improved tolerability, reduced side effects, reduced toxicity and high safety in case of overdose. Newer antidepressants include fluoxetine (Prozac, Profluzac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Cipramil), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Fevarin), tianeptine (Coaxil), mianserin (Lerivon), moclobemide (Aurorix), milnacipran (Ixel) , mirtazapine (Remeron), etc. Antidepressants are a safe class of psychotropic medications when used correctly as recommended by a doctor. The dose of the drug is determined individually for each patient. You need to know that the therapeutic effect of antidepressants can appear slowly and gradually, so it is important to have a positive attitude and wait for it to appear.
Antidepressants do not cause addiction and the development of withdrawal syndrome, unlike drugs from the class of benzodiazenin tranquilizers (phenazepam, Relanium, Elenium, Tazepam, etc.) and Corvalol and Valocordin, widely used in our country. In addition, benzodiazepine tranquilizers and phenobarbital, which are part of Corvalol and Valocordin, with long-term use reduce sensitivity to other psychopharmacological agents.
Main stages of therapy.
1. Determination of treatment tactics: choosing an antidepressant taking into account the main symptoms of depression in each patient, selecting an adequate dose of the drug and an individual treatment regimen.
2. Carrying out the main course of therapy aimed at reducing symptoms of depression until they disappear, restoring the patient’s previous level of activity.
3. Carrying out a maintenance course of therapy for 4-6 months or more after general normalization of the condition. This stage is aimed at preventing exacerbation of the disease.
What usually interferes with drug treatment:
1. Misconception about the nature of depression and the role of drug treatment.
2. A common misconception about the absolute harm of all psychotropic drugs: the emergence of dependence on them, a negative effect on the condition of internal organs. Many patients believe that it is better to suffer from depression than to take antidepressants.
3. Many patients stop taking it if there is no immediate effect or take medications irregularly.
It is important to remember that numerous studies have been conducted confirming the high effectiveness and safety of modern antidepressants. The toll depression takes on a person's emotional and material well-being is not comparable in severity to the minor and easily treatable side effects that sometimes occur with antidepressant medications. It should be remembered that the therapeutic effect of antidepressants often occurs only 2-4 weeks after starting treatment.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is not an alternative, but an important addition to drug treatment for depression. Unlike drug treatment, psychotherapy involves a more active role for the patient in the treatment process. Psychotherapy helps patients develop emotional self-regulation skills and subsequently cope more effectively with crisis situations without falling into depression.
In the treatment of depression, three approaches have proven to be the most effective and scientifically proven: psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioral psychotherapy and cognitive psychotherapy.
According to psychodynamic therapy, the psychological basis of depression is internal unconscious conflicts. For example, the desire to be independent and the simultaneous desire to receive a large amount of support, help and care from other people. Another typical conflict is the presence of intense anger, resentment towards others, combined with the need to always be kind, good and maintain the goodwill of loved ones. The sources of these conflicts lie in the patient's life history, which becomes the subject of analysis in psychodynamic therapy. Each individual case may have its own unique content of conflicting experiences, and therefore individual psychotherapeutic work is necessary. The goal of therapy is awareness of the conflict and assistance in resolving it constructively: learning to find a balance of independence and intimacy, developing the ability to express one’s feelings constructively and at the same time maintaining relationships with people. Behavioral psychotherapy is aimed at resolving the patient’s current problems and relieving behavioral symptoms: passivity, refusal of pleasure, monotonous lifestyle, isolation from others, inability to plan and engage in purposeful activity.
Cognitive psychotherapy is a synthesis of both of the above approaches and combines their advantages. It combines work with current life difficulties and behavioral symptoms of depression and work with their internal psychological sources (deep ideas and beliefs). The so-called depression is considered as the main psychological mechanism of depression in cognitive psychotherapy. negative thinking, which is expressed in the tendency of depressed patients to view everything that happens to them in a negative light. Changing this way of thinking requires careful individual work that aims to develop a more realistic and optimistic view of yourself, the world and the future.
Additional forms of psychotherapy for depression are family counseling and group psychotherapy (but not just any therapy, but specifically aimed at helping depressed patients). Their involvement can provide significant assistance in treatment and rehabilitation.
What usually prevents you from seeking psychotherapeutic help?
1. Low awareness of people about what psychotherapy is.
2. Fear of introducing a stranger to personal, intimate experiences.
3. Skepticism that “talking” can have a tangible healing effect.
4. The idea that you need to cope with psychological difficulties yourself, and turning to another person is a sign of weakness.
In modern society, psychotherapy is a recognized, effective method of helping with various mental disorders. Thus, a course of cognitive psychotherapy significantly reduces the risk of recurrence of depression. Modern methods of psychotherapy are focused on short-term (10-30 sessions depending on the severity of the condition) effective assistance. All information that the psychotherapist receives during the session is strictly confidential and remains confidential. A professional psychotherapist is specially trained to work with difficult experiences and difficult life situations of other people, he knows how to respect them and provide assistance in coping with them. Every person has situations in life (for example, such as illness) that he cannot cope with on his own. The ability to ask for help and accept it is a sign of maturity and rationality, not weakness.
Helping loved ones overcome depression
The support of loved ones, even when the patient does not express interest in it, is very important for overcoming depression.
In this regard, the following advice can be given to relatives of patients:
* remember that depression is a disease that requires sympathy, but in no case should you plunge into the disease together with the patient, sharing his pessimism and despair. You need to be able to maintain a certain emotional distance, all the time reminding yourself and the patient that depression is a transitory emotional state
* studies have shown that depression is especially unfavorable in those families where many critical comments are made towards the patient. Try to make the patient understand that his condition is not his fault, but a misfortune, that he needs help and treatment
* try not to concentrate on the illness of a loved one and bring positive emotions into your life and into the life of your family. If possible, try to involve the patient in some useful activity, rather than removing him from activities.
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Ph.D. A.B. Kholmogorova, Ph.D. T.V. Dovzhenko, Ph.D. N.G. Garanyan Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Previous conversation High psycho-emotional and physical stress, frequent stress, material, domestic and family problems often cause depression. It is important to visit a doctor, identify the cause of depression, and begin treatment for depression. It is not always possible to cope with the problem at home, but some manipulations will alleviate the condition and speed up the healing process. Use folk remedies only after consulting a specialist. The disease should not be underestimated: the lack of treatment has a negative impact on the patient’s physical and mental health. There are several methods for treating depression:
Only an integrated approach will help get rid of pathology. The support of loved ones is required. Friends and relatives should show participation, give pleasant emotions, and gradually involve them in social life. You cannot insist on your own if a person is not yet ready for drastic changes. Patience, a friendly attitude, and attempts to understand the thoughts of a person suffering from depression are mandatory components when communicating with a patient. The use of drugs is permitted only after consultation with the attending physician. The same antidepressant can help one person and harm another. Uncontrolled use of medications leads to aggravation of the situation and many side effects. There are new generation drugs (SSRIs). The medications are gentle, effective, and have few side effects. Medicines affect the production of serotonin, the hormone of joy. The lack of this substance in the human body threatens with a constant depressed state and lack of a good mood. The result is the appearance of depression. SSRIs have few side effects, but we should not forget about them (nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbance, decreased libido). All drugs for depression are divided into several groups to solve specific problems:
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Learn to relax, switch your mind to other things (meditation, yoga, prayer for believers). Change your negative attitude to a positive one. Not every person can cope with such activities alone. Sign up for a yoga or fitness group, visit a psychoanalyst. Yoga for depressionThis type of physical activity creates a good figure, strengthens muscles, helps restore psychological balance, and promotes the production of endorphins. Regular exercises have a positive effect on the psyche; special breathing exercises tones the nervous system. Do all the exercises that you can do. Yoga classes improve a person’s emotional state. Useful exercises:
Repeat useful exercises at least three times a week. The best option is to regularly attend sessions with a trainer. Pollen for depressionBee pollen is a natural product that has a tonic and general strengthening effect. Regular use of this natural remedy helps improve your mood. Take half a teaspoon of pollen three times a day, half an hour before meals. The duration of the course of treatment is no more than three weeks. After a ten-day break, repeat the treatment procedures. Medical treatment
It is advisable to drink pollen or a healing mixture with honey with plain water. Such manipulations facilitate the digestion process. Use high-quality honey, consume a teaspoon of natural product daily.
The dosage cannot be increased much: allergic reactions are possible. In case of increased sensitization of the body, replace honey with another product that does not provoke allergies. Antidepressant drinksA simple, affordable remedy for increasing tone, strengthening the nervous and immune systems. Together with your doctor, select several compositions that improve your mood. Proven recipes:
Infusions, decoctions, tinctures
Water procedures
Nutrition for depressionIn the treatment of any ailment, diet plays an important role. Pay attention to the recommendations of nutritionists:
Depression is a disease of the 21st century that needs to be fought. Follow your doctor's advice and use folk remedies. Be positive, enjoy life! With the birth of a child, life changes in many ways and women, in addition to joyful emotions, experience a depressive state in the first month after childbirth. Is it a dangerous disease or normal? Read on. What can cause dizziness and how to get rid of the unpleasant symptom, you will learn by reading the material. Video on the topic
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The success of home therapy largely depends on your attitude.
It is allowed to combine pollen with honey in equal proportions. The principle of using such a mixture is similar to the previous product.
Useful remedies for depression:
