Many people mistakenly believe that depression is a mood disorder that is manifested by tearfulness, lack of appetite, laziness, and that it can be quickly and easily “cured” by work or delicious food. In fact, depression is a serious mental illness that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. The disease cannot be cured by taking medications or sedatives for 2-3 days; it is important to understand that we are talking about a mental disorder, which can have complications, and in the absence of proper medical care can even lead to suicide. In Israel, the treatment of depressive disorders uses pharmacotherapy in combination with psychotherapy in a psychoergonomic approach. Specialists select an individual treatment regimen (original approaches are often used) for each patient.
When it comes to such a widespread and seemingly understandable disorder, every person believes that he understands the essence of the disease and can recognize this pathology.
This common mistake, unfortunately, affects not only ordinary people, but also many medical workers. When people talk about depression, they imagine a typical picture of a person suffering from low mood, tearfulness, insomnia, and decreased appetite.
All the above, of course, is related to depression, but is only a small part of a huge group of diseases and disorders that have a variety of manifestations and require different treatment approaches.
First, depression can be either an independent disease or part of the clinical picture of a completely different pathology. We will list only some of the possible and common examples.
• Severe clinical depression with a long-term chronic course, anxiety, motor agitation or, conversely, apathy, loss of appetite and weight, loss of interest in everything, suicidal thoughts, sometimes with elements of psychosis and various physical complaints. We are talking about the so-called endogenous or “major” depression, which is often familial, hereditary in nature, or can occur spontaneously without any provoking factors.
• Depressive syndrome that occurs against the background of acute or chronic stress.
• Depression as part of the clinical picture of another mental disorder. For example, bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. Depression can be one of the symptoms of schizophrenia, various anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and personality pathology.
• Depression, characteristic of several physical diseases or resulting from taking various medications.
• The so-called masked depression when the main manifestation is a variety of physical complaints.
• Atypical depression, accompanied by increased appetite and drowsiness.
• Seasonal depression, typical for residents of northern regions.
• Postpartum depression in women.
We have listed the main, most common forms of depressive disorder. But already from this simple enumeration one can understand that we are talking about a complex, multifaceted pathology that requires an exclusively professional, individual approach.
Unfortunately, men are in no hurry to seek help from specialists. This is largely due to the specific role that modern society imposes on men, the stigmatization of psychiatry and psychotherapy, the lack of mental hygiene and knowledge about the characteristics of the psychological state in stressful situations. Therefore, very often men with depression come to a psychiatrist in a very serious condition, often with concomitant diagnoses such as alcoholism, panic attacks, and anxiety disorder.
It is important to recognize the symptoms of depression in men in time:
• Depressed mood, apathy
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Anger, rage, aggression
• Conflicts in the family and at work
• Limiting social contacts
• Problems with sleep (insomnia or, conversely, excessive sleepiness)
• Anxiety, restlessness
As a rule, the catalyst for depression in men is a stressful situation - problems at work, financial difficulties, the loss of a loved one, an upcoming divorce, health problems in oneself or loved ones. Very often, men prefer to solve problems with the help of alcohol; alcoholism often develops against the background of depression.
Depression in women is more pronounced: this is largely due to greater emotionality and sensitivity. Symptoms may be smoother at the beginning, becoming more and more aggravated, or depression begins with a sharp deterioration in the condition. Also, women sometimes develop postpartum depression, which is associated with changes in hormonal levels and lifestyle.
Symptoms of depression in women:
• Sleep disorder
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia or excessive sleepiness
• Apathy and lack of interest in life
• Hystericality and tearfulness
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• Low emotional background
Without help, depression in women is fraught with suicidal risk. It is necessary to consult a specialist as early as possible since long-term depression can develop into psychosis and more serious psychiatric illnesses.
Depression in children is most often associated with a negative environment at home, at school, with moral pressure and humiliation, and with physical violence. In a situation of psychological discomfort, the child’s level of anxiety increases and then depression develops. Child psychiatrists and child psychologists treat depression in children. The child's psyche is very plastic; in the absence of timely treatment, there is a high risk of developing serious psychiatric pathologies.
Signs of depression in children include:
• nightmares;
• isolation and detachment;
• appetite disorders;
• enuresis;
• tearfulness;
• fears;
• apathy and lack of will.
In addition to psychotherapy, parental support is very important for a child, so mom and dad are often involved in the treatment process. Psychologists provide detailed information on how to help a child, how to communicate with him, what needs to be done to eliminate psychological discomfort and solve problems in the family or school.
Often, the first episode of depression in older people occurs after retirement, illness, or due to loneliness - when children and grandchildren become adults and move away. Another common cause of depression in older people is the death of a spouse.
We also note that older people are more likely than young people to develop depression of an organic nature, that is, the disorder is associated with changes in the functioning of the brain or against the background of a somatic illness. This may be age-related encephalopathy, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, oncology, cardiovascular, orthopedic and rheumatological diseases that affect the quality of life.
Signs of depression in older people:
• Depressed mood;
• Insomnia;
• Aggression towards others;
• Tearfulness;
• Apathy, reluctance to do usual things;
• Limiting social contacts;
• Isolation, loneliness;
• Negative thoughts and memories.
When treating depression in older people, family members are also involved. The main emphasis is on psychotherapy - cognitive-behavioral, supportive, family. Drug therapy is prescribed with caution, usually in minimal dosages. Treatment of depression in elderly people in Israel is carried out by psychogeriatricians, psychiatrists specializing in diseases and mental disorders in older patients.
Prevention of depression, first, consists of following the recommendations of your doctor. Our clinic uses a variety of treatment methods, often proprietary ones, so recommendations are selected only on an individual basis. But there are also general recommendations for prevention that will certainly benefit the patient:
• avoiding stress. A stressful environment most often leads to repeated depressive episodes, so it is advisable to limit conflict situations in your life as much as possible;
• positive events and emotions. Communicate more with people who bring you joy - go to various events, attend concerts with them, go to exhibitions, do not deny yourself positive emotions;
• frank conversations with loved ones. Feel free to share your emotions with your loved ones - don’t isolate yourself;
• healthy sleep. Allow the body to fully restore its strength, remember, sound, healthy sleep should last at least 8 hours;
• sports. During physical activity, endorphin is released - the hormone of happiness, so it is advisable to set aside time for a workout in the gym, a morning jog or light exercises in the middle of the day;
• mode. Set a daily routine for yourself and stick to it - remember, discipline promotes physical and mental health;
• healthy eating. Eating fast food or too heavy and fatty foods often leads to poor health and heaviness in the stomach. Eat right, this will make you feel healthy.
Complex treatment of depressive conditions gives positive results - thanks to a combination of drug treatment, psychotherapy and additional psychotherapeutic techniques, patients forget about mental health problems for a long time. But after treatment, they are again forced to plunge into their usual life, which is often full of stressful situations. How to develop resistance to depression?
First, you must follow the recommendations of your doctor. Also, in stressful situations and deterioration of well-being, you should first consult a psychotherapist. The specialist will understand what you need - a psychotherapeutic conversation or the prescription of additional treatment. You should not ignore anxiety and other signs of deterioration in health, as in the future, unattended symptoms can develop into a serious pathology. Remember, it is better to prevent depression than to treat it.