Depression
Depression is a state of deep sadness that has been provoked by another sad event or loss. Sometimes it appears without external reasons. With the disease, negative emotions are pronounced, which do not correspond to the characteristics of the event. With depression, a person’s speech and actions slow down. This is a fairly common disease, which in most cases is a consequence of drug addiction and substance abuse.
Causes of depression
The final cause provoking the occurrence of such a condition is still unknown. A number of factors that can cause the occurrence of depression have been identified:
loss of loved ones;
emotional trauma;
the concentration of a person on himself;
innate features;
effects of certain medications;
hereditary factor.
Depression can also occur in the absence of obvious causes.
Women are more susceptible to this disease, because in a stressful situation they tend to go into internal experiences and blame themselves for all the failures. For men, this behavior is not typical, they, as a rule, deny the situation that traumatizes them, being distracted by other activities.
Symptoms of depression
The disease develops over a long period. At the initial stage, a person looks restless, irritable or sad. Then the disease may have several variants of development. In most cases, patients withdraw into themselves, suffer from insomnia, almost completely refuse food. But, in some cases, the psychological mood of a person does not play such a significant role, he is worried about a feeling of suffocation and pressure in the head and heart, decreased potency, general weakness. Another option for the development of a depressive state is the presence of speech overexcitation, active gesticulation and general anxiety.
Diagnosis of depression
The basis for such a diagnosis is the specific symptoms and signs recorded in the patient. This requires close contact of the specialist with relatives or close acquaintances of the patient.
The degree of depression is assessed by standard methods (filling out questionnaires and tests).
Laboratory tests are prescribed to determine the causes of the disease (blood, urine, ECG). Consultation of an optometrist, neurologist and therapist is mandatory.
Treatment of depression
Treatment of this disease requires a long time. The return to normal life of such patients is a real prospect, although some residual phenomena may persist.
The direction of treatment of depression depends on its severity and form. In case of depressive episodes, treatment can be carried out in a day hospital or outpatient. In severe degrees of depression, treatment is carried out only in inpatient conditions, even in the absence of the consent of the patient himself.
Medical treatment
A course intake of inhibitors, antidepressants, neuroleptics, tranquilizers, sedatives is prescribed, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. Of course, such strong drugs cannot but have side effects. But their use under the supervision of an experienced specialist allows you to minimize the consequences.
Psychotherapy
This method is used only in combination with medical treatment. The choice of psychotherapy (group or individual) depends on the personal characteristics of the patient. The main direction of therapy is to receive emotional support when changing the patient’s attitude to life, eliminating negative thinking and hopelessness.
Electroshock therapy
This type of depression treatment is prescribed only in severe cases when drug therapy does not bring effect. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Its side effect may be a temporary or partial violation of memory, which is restored after a while.
