The state of depression and how to deal with it. Where to get the strength to overcome depression. Search for “Corrupt Mirrors”

Autumn is associated with depression for many people, autumn depression– one of the most common disorders of the nervous system. We talked earlier about why. Today we will examine the concept itself in detail depression and learn how to deal with it!

Typically, most people meditation therapy for depression considered less effective than synthetic medicines, or the help of a psychologist, but this opinion is erroneous. Why? You will learn about this by reading this article carefully.

Actually there is. IN severe cases an integrated approach is required, which involves both drug therapy and psychological assistance, and meditation.

Having learned effective IAM meditation techniques to combat depression, You can get rid of depressive state on early stages disorders and significantly improve your well-being during severe attacks by using complex treatment along with meditation.

What is depression?

Depression is actually a disorder which is accompanied by a depressed state. Typically, when someone is depressed, they experience sadness, sadness, and negative emotions. Unfortunately, this state of mind impairs the quality of life and prevents a person from performing daily activities.

Depression typically affects teenagers and young adults between the ages of 20 and 30. However, in fact, even children are not immune from this condition, so parents should always pay special attention to their mood and well-being.

Older people are less likely to suffer from this disease, but in any case, it is better to protect yourself and learn to help yourself and your loved ones during a crisis. Remember the motto of the IAM school? - “Help yourself, and you will help thousands!”

For some reason, most people associate depression with a manifestation of weakness and helplessness. Please note that this condition is not always the result of childhood trauma, mental disorders or lack of love in life.

In fact, there are many reasons for the development of depression. This could be the death of a loved one, an emotional breakup with a loved one, problems at work, a serious illness, or even hormonal changes in organism.

Unfortunately, data from numerous studies show that every sixth person is depressed.

Symptoms of depression

Typical symptoms of depression include constant feelings of tiredness and sleepiness, sadness, irritability and excessive nervousness.

In a depressed state, people lose the ability to experience positive emotions, in particular happiness and pleasure; for some, their taste buds even stop working.

Patients with depression find it difficult to make decisions on their own, they often suffer from sleep disorders, and sometimes they even have suicidal thoughts. In addition, a depressive state kills interest in business as usual and hobbies.

The relationship between physiological disorders and depression

Believe it or not, physiological disorders are actually closely linked to depression:

For example, malfunctions thyroid gland may negatively affect hormone levels in the body. If this problem is not treated in time, it can lead to the development of depression.
Tumors in the brain multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's syndrome, dementia and sleep apnea can also trigger depression.
Some of the main causes of depression are: serious illnesses internal organs, such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and hepatitis.
Very often, a depressive state occurs as a result of prolonged excessive nervousness, alcohol abuse and schizophrenia.

Depression or something more?

Unfortunately, if depression is not treated promptly, this condition can become chronic and lead to the development of serious complications.

At first, a person experiences sadness and depression, his eyes fill with tears every day without good reason. Moreover, the person avoids direct contact with the interlocutor and often refuses to carry on the conversation.

Prolonged depression may last for several years in a row. Patients lose their sense of humor and stop enjoying life. Instead, they become silent, skeptical and pessimistic.
Women often worry about PMS. As the name suggests, symptoms of this condition appear only during critical days. This condition can occur as early as adolescence, and usually disappears only during menopause.

How to deal with depression?

For the treatment of depression very often used vitamin supplements, psychotherapy and special medications.

Typically, a depressive state does not require hospitalization, except complex cases when a person suffers due to rapid weight loss, dysfunction of cardio-vascular system and obsessive suicidal thoughts.

For mild depression, you can improve your well-being with the help of psychotherapy. For this type of treatment, both an individual approach and group classes. Believe me, such therapy will help relieve stress and better adapt to life's difficulties.

If your depression gets worse, In addition to psychological techniques, it is necessary to add new generation antidepressants and heterocyclic drugs. If necessary, the doctor may also prescribe selective inhibitors serotonin reuptake and monoamine oxidase.

If the cause of depression is the change in seasons, phototherapy is used for treatment.

How to overcome depression naturally?

Fortunately, there are special effective meditation techniques to combat depression, subject to regular use of which you can quickly get out of a depressive state.

Here are the reviews from our students who coped with depression:
with the help of IAM school meditations.

Several Yet simple tips to fight depression:

Participate in events that interest you and bring you pleasure. With the help of such activities, you will be able to replenish your reserves of both physical and mental energy. In addition, you can cheer yourself up and get rid of negative thoughts.
Leave negative thoughts. Try to raise your own self-esteem, because the ability to accept yourself with all the shortcomings and the willingness to correct mistakes directly depends on self-love.
When it comes to psychological techniques to fight depression, it is worth remembering the exercises for developing self-confidence and the ability to defend your principles. If a person knows how to accept any emotional condition, even a negative experience, this testifies to great worldly wisdom and high emotional intelligence. Don't forget that recognizing a problem is the first step to solving it.
They incredibly motivate a person and give him the strength to move on in life. If you want to overcome depression, you should set a goal for yourself and work towards achieving it every day.
The ability to let go of problems in time and relax is very important for clearing the brain of unnecessary thoughts.
We recommend regularly practicing the Nervous System meditation. to combat depression and restore the body.
You can get all this and much more at the IAM school!
Come study with us! Start from level 0, there you will receive comprehensive help and support!

Now you know exactly what depression is and that it is not at all difficult to fight it!
We are waiting for you among our students!
Be healthy and happy!

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Bad mood, chronic fatigue and simple laziness completely coincide with the symptoms of this mental disorder.

Having no idea how to deal with depression, many are sure that they should not indulge their whims and whims, that everything will disappear on its own.

Meanwhile, the damage caused by depression in the world is equal to the consequences caused by cardiovascular diseases.

Until now, experts have no consensus in explaining the nature of depression. Sigmund Freud believed that depression was caused by a number of interacting causes.

Majority modern research, dedicated to depression, tend to believe that its causes are psychosomatic in nature.

Summarizing modern views, we can identify the main causes of depression:

biological reasons;
psychological reasons;
social reasons.

Biological reasons

Neurophysiological reasons are associated with a failure in the transmission and processing of information in the limbic region, the pleasure center and the hypothalamus of the brain. Responsibility for this lies with the neurotransmitters contained in the pathways - serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, dopamine.

With their help, the brain controls the expression of emotions, sleep, appetite, memory, anxiety, sexual desire, activity, reaction to stress, fear, panic. Most antidepressants used in treatment are aimed at creating an imbalance of these substances.

Biological causes also include genetically burdened heredity. If immediate relatives had a tendency towards depressive symptoms, alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, then the person is more likely to be exposed to this disease.

Diseases that provoke depression include:

endocrine and nervous system;
insufficiency and disorders cerebral circulation, traumatic brain injuries;
cardiovascular diseases;
anemia;
oncology;
tuberculosis, asthma;
chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
disorders in the genitourinary area;
severe infectious diseases;
chemical addiction (alcoholism, drug addiction) and behavioral (gaming addiction);
pharmacological dependence;
physical inactivity;
vitamin deficiency and hypovitaminosis.

Psychological causes of depression

These reasons are due to the specifics of thinking and life circumstances:

critical perception of life, pessimism, self-flagellation, introversion;
violations in the field of self-esteem, self-perception;
tendency to conflict type of behavior;
increased psychological sensitivity;
loss or serious illnesses loved ones, orphanhood, divorce;
lack of affection, attention in childhood and adolescence, domestic violence;
retirement;
hypochondriacal disorder (fear of getting sick, becoming infected, getting hurt);
lack of productive communication, psychological support from others, childlessness;
destruction of formed values, confidence in one’s own inadequacy to the ideal and its unattainability, loss of the meaning of life.

Social reasons

The social component of our life provokes most depressive illnesses.

Large volume of information requiring constant processing, unstable political and economic situation, the unpredictability of tomorrow, the need to constantly compete and meet requirements in the professional field, difficulties with finding employment, the race for material values, the need to hide one’s weaknesses and shortcomings from others - these are constantly acting stress triggers.

More than 20% of humanity experiences depressed, depressed states leading to loss of ability to work, destruction of social and personal connections, and decreased interest in what is happening.

In case of severe protracted illness 15% of people with depression attempt suicide.

How to get rid of depression

Let's look at how to deal with depression and apathy. It should be understood that protracted chronic manifestations depression requires specialist intervention.

Only by seeking help from a psychotherapist or consulting psychologist can you determine the causes and methods of treating a depressive state.

Medical assistance for the treatment of depression is usually a combination of psychotherapy, medication and non-drug methods.

The medication method involves taking antidepressants under constant medical supervision. Non-drug methods are represented by physiotherapy, magnetotherapy, aromatherapy, light therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, various types of massage.

Modern psychotherapy has a whole arsenal of methods and techniques to combat depression. Most often they practice cognitive, psychodynamic, behavioral, family, group, individual, suggestive, rational psychotherapy. Used as auxiliary methods different kinds art therapy (drawing, modeling, music) and animal-assisted therapy with the involvement of animals (dolphin therapy, hippotherapy).

To get rid of depression, you need to remember that the causes of depression are diverse, often complementary and depend on many factors.

How to get rid of depression in women

The female psyche is more mobile, they easily fall into a depressive state, but they tolerate it more easily than men.

Only in two out of ten cases do women attempt suicide.

The most a clear symptom Depression in women is a loss of interest in their appearance, a reluctance to communicate with friends and colleagues.

Unsuccessful marriage, divorce, excessive household responsibilities, the need to combine work with caring for a child, parents, lack material resources and uncertainty about tomorrow, cases of sexual violence, betrayal of a husband, unrequited love often cause depression in women.

Women are susceptible to systematic changes in the amount of estrogen in the blood associated with menstrual cycle, menopause and menopause.

Everything related to reproductive function: pregnancy, prenatal and postpartum periods, infertility or the decision to resort to termination of pregnancy.

Help get rid of female depression close and significant people can, showing attention and participation.

Good ways to get rid of depression can be: walks, travel, gifts, attentions, compliments, vacations in warm places, self-realization in your favorite activity, shopping.

Depression in pregnant women - how to deal with it

The best ways to combat depression are:

direct warm communication with loved ones, significant people (not on the Internet);
yoga, light exercise, communication with nature, going to exhibitions, attending concerts, theater performances;
fitness courses and groups for pregnant women;
balanced diet.

How to get rid of depression in men

Male depression, as a rule, is latent in nature, but leads to more serious consequences: alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide.

Men are typically worried about making the wrong choice of profession and conforming to their own ideas about success. The cause may be problems in the sexual sphere or family relationships.

When treating male depression, several effective techniques are used:

verbalization, articulation of problems, their detailed discussion in the family circle;
engaging in an emotionally comfortable hobby (sports, fishing, creativity);
systematic analysis of the situation, revision of priorities;
refusal to make hasty decisions.

Often traumatic experiences and depression are caused by military service or participation in combat.

Do you know what neurotic depression is? Following the link, we will look at how this type of disorder is characterized and what methods can be used to combat it.

How to get rid of depression in the elderly

Depression in the elderly - how to deal with it? Elderly people most often develop senile depression due to genetic predisposition, coupled with age-related diseases, loss of loved ones, decline vital activity, deterioration of financial situation.

Senile depression is accompanied by outbursts of anger, irritability, dissatisfaction with reality, others, selfishness, tearfulness, and a desire to die.

Having retired, many people cannot get used to the changed pace of life or adapt to new conditions.

The cure for older people is pleasure. Pleasure from communicating with family and nature, from new acquaintances, easy travel and new responsibilities, from feeling important for loved ones, participating in charitable and public affairs, reading, working in the garden, needlework and crafts.

How to deal with depression yourself at home

The main conditions for getting rid of depression at home are: a comfortable emotional environment, patience, benevolence, interest in success, unobtrusive attention from relatives, their desire to support, listen, understand the cause of worries, and involve them in meaningful activities.

Patients with depression should adhere to a diet. Avoid products that contain caffeine, tannin, or stimulants. Reduce meat consumption. Eat at certain hours, do not eat 3-4 hours before bedtime. Avoid overeating and undereating.

The diet should be supplemented with natural antidepressants: bananas, dates, nuts, seeds, fermented milk products, soy, mushrooms.

Full sleep is required. A contrast shower helps a lot.

Support in depression breathing exercises. Meditation and aromatherapy will do. Baths with sea salt are effective.

IN folk medicine decoctions are used to treat depression medicinal herbs: valerian, pharmaceutical chamomile, hops, oats, St. John's wort, mint and lemon balm.

To successfully overcome a depressive state, psychologists advise:

set small and realistic goals and achieve them;
accept the help of others, do not hesitate to discuss problems that have arisen, find the causes of these problems;
walk more;
engage in activities that bring positive emotions;
pay attention to your appearance and physical health;
in case of prolonged depressed state (3-4 weeks), seek help from a specialist;
If suicidal thoughts occur, immediately seek help from loved ones and a doctor.

No person is immune from depression. It can arise suddenly and also pass unexpectedly, or it can oppress a person for many years. The main thing is to recognize the symptoms in time, analyze the causes and take measures to eliminate the causes. It is best to do this not alone, but together with specialists and loved ones.

Video on the topic

It is not for nothing that depression is considered one of the main ills of our century: for scientific and technological progress, the acceleration of the pace of life and an overabundance of information, a person is forced to pay with stress, negative emotions and weakening protective forces body. As a result, conditions characterized by increased anxiety, loss of interest in life, spiritual and physical discomfort.

However, pharmacology does not stand still, and today there are a number of medications that help get rid of the symptoms of depression. It may seem like the problem is solved, but it is not. Many drugs have very unpleasant side effects: they cause addiction, sleep disturbances, lethargy, etc. In addition, it is known that depression treated with medication tends to return. That is why experienced doctors It is advised to try to cope with it using non-drug methods in the initial stages of the development of the disease. There are many such methods. We will talk about the most common of them in this article.

The essence of the method is that the patient, under the guidance of a specialist, learns to identify and analyze negative thoughts and understand the reasons for their occurrence. A competent approach to one’s own emotions helps to reduce anxiety and understand real ways to solve life’s problems. If depression is mild, 10-20 consultations, as a rule, help to get rid of it completely. IN further patient can practice the method independently using the acquired skills.

Regular exercise optimizes performance protective system body, help normalize appetite and sleep, increase self-esteem. In addition, moderate physical exercise provoke increased production of serotonin, which is natural remedy fight depression. Walking on foot has a particularly beneficial effect on the psyche. fresh air, outdoor games, cross-country skiing and swimming.

A relaxing massage helps the brain release a special hormone - oxytocin. This substance causes a feeling of calm and security, helping a person to endure stressful situations more easily.

Active massage, on the contrary, invigorates and tones the body. At the same time, an increased amount of endorphins, “hormones of joy”, which help improve mood, enters the blood.

When treating depression, various types of massage can be alternated; sessions are often combined with procedures such as stone therapy or aromatherapy.

Relaxation systems that have been developed over centuries are among the most powerful means fight depression. It is believed that yoga helps to concentrate, calm down and develop an optimistic outlook on life. In addition, scientists have found that by practicing certain poses, it is possible to reduce the concentration of the “stress hormone” (cortisol) in the blood.

Targeting acupuncture points with massage or acupuncture helps relieve pain syndrome, calms and relaxes. When treating depression, the effectiveness of this method is close to 80%. IN Lately are increasingly using more modern way irritating points with a laser. In terms of its effect on the body, it is similar to traditional acupuncture, but is much less traumatic for the patient.

Many plants have a calming and relaxing effect. Their infusions and decoctions are often used as antidepressants. The most effective preparations are considered to be St. John's wort, lemon balm, mint, hops, rose hips, licorice, and hawthorn.

This treatment has a number of contraindications, the main one of which is the tendency to allergic reactions. Therefore, it is advisable that the means plant origin prescribed by the doctor.

With the onset of autumn, the number of people susceptible to bouts of depression increases. Patients complain of lethargy, drowsiness, feelings of melancholy and hopelessness. The reason is the lack sunlight, necessary for the body to produce the hormone melatonin. A deficiency of this substance leads to a decline in mood and loss of motivation to be active.

Such conditions can be successfully treated with light therapy. Several radiation sessions bright light the strength of the effect is similar to taking a course of an antidepressant: they normalize sleep patterns and restore the joy of life, without giving any side effects. The method has virtually no contraindications and can be used to treat any type of depression (including seasonal).

Vitamin B6 is involved in the process of serotonin synthesis, and worsening mood is directly related to its deficiency in the body. Scientists have also found that in the body tissues of people who are prone to depression, there is a reduced amount of folic acid (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12.

All these substances can be obtained from food, including meat, cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits, and legumes in your diet every day. The champion in the content of B vitamins is Pine nuts: for getting daily norm It is enough to eat only 15-20 raw kernels every day.

The essential acid tryptophan is involved in the synthesis of serotonin and is natural antidepressant. A deficiency of this substance in the body is manifested by sleep disturbances, irritability, headaches, and increased fatigue.

Contains the greatest amount of tryptophan dairy products, cheese, soy, mushrooms, bananas, peanuts, dates, sesame. In case of severe depression, the amino acid deficiency must be compensated for by taking dietary supplements, which should be advised by a specialist, in order to avoid purchasing a low-quality or counterfeit product.

No one is immune from depression, but there is no need to despair - this condition can be successfully treated, and often non-drug methods better than medicine may reduce intensity unpleasant symptoms and even completely defeat the disease.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Bad mood, inability to experience joy, pessimism and only one desire - to move nowhere and do nothing. Depression makes us this way. Taking away our strength, it becomes stronger. But what if in this very state there are hidden “life preservers” that can help us?

Accept your condition

The first step in the fight against depression can be to accept the fact that you are in this condition. A team of psychologists led by Amanda Shallcross from the University of Denver (USA) interviewed 50 women who were going through serious life trials at the time of the study. The respondents had a level depressive syndrome, stress and the degree of acceptance of your condition. A series of tests, carried out at intervals of several months, gave an interesting result. The higher the respondents' level of recognition of a depressive state, the weaker the depression itself became over time.

The apathy inherent in this state draws us into inaction, envelops us in the desire to get away from the problem, and thereby unties the hands of depression. Without succumbing to this feeling, without letting everything take its course, realizing that there is a problem, we are already moving against the depressive scenario.

A. J. Shallcross et al. “Let It Be: Accepting negative emotional experiences predicts decreased negative affect and depressive symptoms,” Behavior Research and Therapy, vol. 48, No. 9, September 2010.

Analyze this

When we are depressed, we become fixated on some problem or endlessly, with manic persistence, scroll through the same situation in our heads. Conversely, people who are prone to constant “soul-searching” are much more likely to become depressed. At its core, the analytical process, “soul-searching,” instead of constructive solutions, leads us to self-destruction.

This type of thinking is called rumination. Yale University (USA) professor Susan Nolen-Hoeksema described it as a constant and passive reflection on negative emotions, focusing on symptoms of depression and anxiety*. The thoughts that plague a person in this state center around questions like, “When will I finally get out of all this?” and ideas about the inability to concentrate, feeling unwell. Accordingly, the result of such reflections becomes even more deep dive into depression, and not a way out of it. A different opinion is shared by Paul W. Andrews and J. Anderson Thomson, who in 2009 put forward the hypothesis of “analytic rumination”**. Scientists believe that depression benefits our ability to analyze. And rumination itself is given to a person in order to comprehend his situation and find a way out of it. The assumption that during depression our analytical abilities awaken with particular force, of course, can raise justifiable doubts. Addressing own experience, we most likely will not remember such a pattern. But this should not immediately discount the opportunity as such. After all, if the hypothesis is correct, then a depressed person has a life-saving medicine with him. The idea of “analytical rumination” is also supported by an experiment in which healthy people and those who were depressed were asked to find the best candidate for a certain position. Depressed people searched longer, searched more thoroughly, looked at more options, chose the better one, and received more rewards***.

But the heated debate about the legality of such an interpretation continues unabated. For example, the famous positive psychologist and author of the book “The How of Happiness” Sonja Lyubomirsky does not see any bright sides in rumination as such. And he considers the process of “solving problems” and self-reflection**** to be the way out of depression. But fundamentally, both concepts have the same nature - thinking, analysis, reflection. In depression, it is important for us to understand ourselves and the situation, understand what is happening, and literally pull ourselves out with the power of thought. It is necessary to analyze the situation. What should our internal issues?

** S. Nolen-Hoeksema “The Role of Rumination in Depressive Disorders and Mixed Anxiety/Depressive Symptoms”, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2000.

**P.W. Andrews, J.A. Jr. Thomson “The bright side of being blue: depression as an adaptation for analyzing complex problems.” Psychological review, Vol. 116(3), July 2009.

*** B. von Helversen et al. “Performance benefits of depression: Sequential decision making in a healthy sample and a clinically depressed sample,” Journal of Abnormal Psychology, vol. 120(4), November 2011.

Correct question

The thoughts we address to ourselves can be divided into two categories. The first is painful, sad thoughts that fixate us on the problem. “Why is this happening to me?”, “Why me?”, “What did I do to deserve all this?”, “Why can’t I overcome the problem?”, “Why do I have problems, but others don’t?” These questions focus us on the obstacles facing us, force us to look closer at our shortcomings, and only make our depression worse.

For constructive solution The question itself should be constructive. You need to analyze your personality and think about why depression began. Think about the specific events that led to this state, reflect on your feelings and sensations at this moment. Many studies show that when treating depression in long term It is the questions of the second group* that are more effective. They help you weigh the situation, think it through carefully, find reasons, and eventually a solution. Not “What am I doing wrong?”, but “What made me feel bad?” Self-flagellation or pity will leave us in place, the search for the reason will open before us difficult path struggle. But this will already be a movement out of the viscous state of depression, an attempt to overcome it.

* S. Nolen-Hoeksema, B.E. Wisco, S. Lyubomirsky “Rethinking Rumination,” Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 3, 5, September 2008.

Depression is a mental disorder accompanied by a complex of negative symptoms. The set of reactions differs depending on the type and type of depression. Among the reasons, the most popular is the loss of something significant, loss or separation from a loved one. The reasons are largely due to the individual personal characteristics of a person, a single list, as well as identical cases, No. Depression is a disease that requires exclusively the help of specialists.

According to diagnostic criteria, there are three types of depression: mild, moderate and severe.

Mild depression is characterized by:

At least two of the following manifestations: a completely unusual decrease in mood for most of the day, every day for at least 2 weeks and not dependent on external conditions; loss of previous interests and usual activities; increased fatigue, decrease and energy.
At least two signs or one, provided that all three signs from the first point are recorded: decline and loss of self-confidence; inappropriate feelings of guilt or self-blame; suicidal thoughts and behavior; pessimistic vision of the future; indecisiveness, decreased ability to concentrate; psychomotor disorders; loss or increase in appetite.

Moderate depression is diagnosed if at least two signs from the first group described above and at least four signs or three (if all three are observed in the first group) from the second group described above are observed.

Severe depression is diagnosed if all the signs from the first group and at least five from the second group are present. The absence of hallucinations, delusions or depressive stupor is taken into account. In the case when the presence of hallucinatory-delusional realistic experiences with voices that do not comment or discuss the patient or depressive stupor, as well as both, is recorded diagnostic criteria severe, severe depression with psychopathic symptoms (with complications) is diagnosed.

Atypical depression

It is customary to distinguish several non-standard forms of depression, manifested by atypical and contradictory signs that make diagnosis difficult.

Ironic depression

Noted low mood and the inability to rejoice, but at the same time, motor skills are animated and distractibility is high. The personality suffers from feelings of deep sadness and pessimism, but in the society of people it is active, involved in many activities, sociable and witty, ironic about its own failures.

Neurasthenic melancholy (asthenic depression)

The person is in an anxious-depressive mood or apathetic. The risk group for this disorder includes people who are asthenic and sensitive, with high and pronounced conscientiousness. The latter takes extreme forms, people overload themselves, which often results in disability.

The main symptom of asthenic depression is powerlessness, the inability to even wash oneself. Sensitivity, tearfulness, and sensitivity to external stimuli (light, sound) increase. Fatigue does not depend on the intensity of the load. A person becomes indifferent to himself and his fate, feels hopeless and depressed. The ability to concentrate is weakened: thoughts are confused, delusional and confused ideas arise, and emptiness is felt.

Depersonalization depression

A person’s ability to respond emotionally is reduced and the ability to experience pleasure is lost. As the disease progresses, painful insensibility is noted. A person feels inferior and strives to evoke compassion from others. The fear of losing understanding of the world and regret about lost intellectual capabilities and successes become a priority.

Hypochondriacal depression

Pessimistic chronic mood is combined with hypochondriacal ideas and manifestations, the patient feels real somatovegetative symptoms. Hypochondriacal and panic attacks regularly increase. The most popular phobias: cancerophobia, heart attack phobia, agoraphobia. The endless path of examinations by doctors begins.

A characteristic phenomenon of this depression is hypochondriacal raptus. This acute attack anxious and melancholy mood combined with vegetative-vascular disorders and unclear sensations, fear of death, dysphoria and phobias.

Endogenous and reactive depression

By origin, depression can be reactive (a response to some event) and endogenous (hereditary lack of certain substances in the brain, which causes a depressed state).

With reactive depression, there is apathy, inhibition of actions and reactions, anxiety, low self-esteem, a pessimistic vision of the present, future and past, autonomic disorders. Suicidal attempts are common. Psychogenic depression does not always develop immediately; it can be delayed. The time between the event and depression is spent on the person’s attempts to survive on their own, but this fails, and after a while the following appear:

tearfulness;
insomnia;
lethargy;
feeling of powerlessness;
low performance and increased fatigue.

A person is haunted by the thought of the worthlessness and pity of existence, a feeling of fatigue from life and a feeling of brokenness. Suicidal thoughts accumulate, a plan is thought out, a note is written, attempts are made alone. If a person can be saved, then, as a rule, suicide attempts are repeated.

Endogenous depression is diagnosed based on somatic signs (minimum 4):

loss of former interests and pleasure from usually pleasant things;
abnormally low emotional response to events (the norm is individual, for this particular person);
early awakening (two or more hours before the usual rise);
fluctuations in affective states during the day;
retardation or psychomotor agitation, anxiety;
decreased appetite;
loss of more than 5% of weight in the last month;
severely reduced libido.

Endogenous depression is most easily confused with neurosis, but there is a difference between them significant differences. Depression is accompanied by a feeling of meaninglessness in life.

Depression and personality type

The nature of depression, its occurrence and course is largely determined by its type and the character of the person. Let's look at common combinations of personality type and depression.

In psychopathic individuals, depression is difficult to treat, has a chronic course and frequent relapses.
In hysterical individuals, depression occurs easily and often, after the slightest affective state. The main reason is resentment towards others (they do not recognize the person). Depression begins acutely, accompanied by moodiness and... The patient may even faint; in general, he exhibits hysterics in all its glory. The likelihood of suicide is low, but harm for the sake of attracting attention is quite likely.
The narcissistic personality only values what is unattainable. Everything that can be obtained through one’s own efforts (work, love) is devalued, or rather devalued after acquisition. Depression develops after disappointment in oneself or someone from the environment. The patient categorically refuses to interact with people and his subconscious, does not recognize his own desires. Learned helplessness turns into dependence. The personality constantly demonstrates its superiority and devalues the people around it.
Borderline individuals experience depression after psychological trauma and changes in life patterns. The personality suffers from interpersonal and maladjustment in the main areas of life. The person denies change and tries to return to the old world.
Schizoid individuals experience depression against the backdrop of the hostility of the surrounding world and the impossibility of conquering it (the perception of a schizoid). The schizoid's vision is abstract, relationships are unemotional. A person cannot enter the world, which is why he wants to destroy it, but he is also unable to do this, which is why he directs aggression towards himself. Because of high level The personality often suffers from pretensions, which aggravates depression.
A person with avoidant behavior suffers from depression due to being constrained by inhibitions and responsibilities. Because of constant feeling limited personal space, the patient experiences chronic anxiety and... But aggressiveness is also restrained, directed at oneself, and gets to others out of a sense of duty. The need for self-punishment and feelings of guilt do not allow the patient to enjoy life; he consciously avoids potentially pleasant situations.
Obsessive individuals suffer chronically from depression. No special reason is needed. The attack lasts from a couple of days to several months. The prerequisites for depression are self-blame, a feeling of insignificance, dissatisfaction with oneself, and low mood. Behavior is characterized by uncertainty and fear of failure. A person represents his suicidal and antisocial actions very vividly. There is a high risk of suicide.

Treatment of depression

Psychotherapy is prescribed to correct depression. But able deep depression not all patients find the strength to talk. Moreover, it can exacerbate the patient's feelings of guilt and worthlessness.

The patient is hospitalized and the normality of his sensations is explained. The goal is to reduce feelings of guilt, avoid panic and attitudes of “worthlessness” and “worthlessness.” The patient is explained that all changes are signs of illness, and not of his personal degradation. He himself is a sick person, not a degenerate person.

You should not try to cheer the patient up or convince him of a quick and easy healing - he will not believe it and will become even more nervous. Although it is worth talking about the experience of successful treatment. For the rest, you need to let the patient speak out, sympathize, and understand. This will allow the specialist to win the patient’s favor.

In the framework of getting rid of depression, body-oriented therapy, creative self-expression, massage and cognitive and family therapy have proven positive. For diagnosis, the “Tree” technique, a test of anxiety and depression, and a study of the level of optimism and pessimism are used.

For self-diagnosis For depression, I recommend using the Beck Questionnaire and the Suicidal Ideation Scale. But you can’t fight depression on your own. With your own strength you can drive away melancholy, sadness, Bad mood, but not depression.

Major depressive disorder

It is important not to confuse depression with depressive personality disorder. In order to be able to distinguish between them, I suggest you get acquainted with the signs of the disorder. This is a more complex and larger problem, which is characterized by a complex of symptoms and many episodes of depression. To put it exaggeratedly, this is the highest depth, last stage depression.

Signs

Depressive disorder is diagnosed if at least 5 of the following symptoms are present simultaneously:

the predominance of a gloomy and despondent, depressed mood;
low self-esteem, conviction of one’s own worthlessness and inferiority, and an attitude towards oneself based on this;
downplaying one's own merits, self-criticism, self-accusation;
search for reasons for concern, tendency to sad thoughts;
negative, critical attitude towards others;
pessimism;
tendency to experience feelings of guilt or regret.

The onset of the disorder occurs in. The patient is dominated by negative thinking, positive opportunities are ignored, and the world looks bleak and colorless. The person is passive, restrained, afraid of independence, indecisive (even at the moment of mandatory decision-making). The personality is afraid of the opinions of others, condemnation, and ignores life chances and opportunities. At the same time, the patient attracts others with his warmth, reliability, readiness for self-sacrifice, uncomplaining fulfillment of the demands of people, phenomena and conditions of the surrounding world: read a book to the end, take a walk in good weather, repay a gift.

The patient does not demand anything from the people around him, seeks dependence, is happy dependent relationships, does not show initiative, is driven. A person is driven by the fear of being abandoned and unloved. From this same fear comes attachment to things, fear of loss and parting with objects. In a group, a person feels insecure, avoids discussion, and withdraws into himself.

Consequences

The consequences of the disorder include chronic depression, depressive psychosis, suicide. The risk increases when the partner in a close relationship is cold. Against the background of a depressive disorder, addictions (food, drugs, alcohol) and withdrawal into the world of fantasy develop.

The need for affection and fear of rejection provoke the development of intrapersonal conflict. The patient is wary of praise and signs of attention from others. He is truly convinced of his own unattractiveness (external and internal).

Factors and reasons

Factors that provoke the development of depressive disorder include:

bad Education, ;
the individual’s desire for self-punishment, the need for punishment;
exaggerated sense of guilt.

Among childhood reasons, there is a lack of communication with the mother, a feeling of deprivation, improper feeding, hostility, abrupt weaning (perceived as deprivation of love). Incorrect, age-inappropriate demands from parents regarding cleanliness and toilets, and training methods also contribute. Training according to the type of training continues. As a result, the child becomes quiet and exemplary, “mother’s joy”, although sad, but that’s okay, because he is so obedient. In reality, of course, such upbringing does not benefit the child.

Treatment

The patient’s thinking is based on the following judgments (material borrowed from the manual of G.V. Starshenbaum):

To be happy, you must always achieve success.
To be happy, you need everyone to love you.
If I make a mistake, it will mean that I am clueless.
I can not live without you.
If a person argues with me, it means he doesn't like me.
My human worth depends on what others think of me.

The patient's inner child speaks. And in the child the feeling speaks, hatred and others negative feelings. During psychotherapeutic work, it is important to give free rein to these feelings (as a rule, they never received an outlet and were condemned by parents, and then by the person himself).

In the process of working with a psychologist, the experienced loss, the loss of the object of love, is worked through. Very often depressive disorders have these roots. When there is a loss, responsibility is shifted onto oneself (“they don’t like me because I’m bad”), the lost object is idealized, and manifestations of auto-aggression are noticeable (self-punishment, destructive attempts at self-improvement, decreased self-esteem). Included are transference and overcompensation (excessive caring instead of resentment), introjection and symbiosis.

Gradually, all feelings are directed inside the personality, which provokes the development of a strong superego (inflated demands and expectations, striving for the ideal). It struggles with the Ego, which feels guilty about not being able to fulfill these demands. Later the feelings are projected again, and the whole the world seems demanding of personality. But the person himself becomes picky and unfriendly, envious, and disappointed. But there is only one problem - accumulated and unexpressed feelings, unresolved problems, unforgiven grievances.

The patient perceives himself as an object, not a subject. It is necessary to work on the manifestation of a healthy, individual awareness of himself as a subject. It is important for the patient to learn rivalry and healthy competition, opposition to servility, and the perception of refusal and opposing opinions as a victory over fear.