How to recognize depression and what to do about it?

When we talk about health, it is important to remember that it should not only be physical, but also mental. In winter, it is very easy to feel depressed, to sink into ennui and apathy. Perhaps you just miss the sun and are bored with the grayness around you. But what if the cause is buried deeper? How to recognize depression and what to do if all the symptoms are the same, we’ll look below.

According to WHO, more than 350 million people in the world suffer from depression. But few people know the real symptoms of this disease, especially not many can distinguish them. Some overestimate their condition and call depression just a bad mood. Others do not pay attention to its serious signs and ignore them.

It happens that depression comes on gradually, and at some point we get used to the gray colors and begin to believe that it has always been so, otherwise and can not be. Some people are hit abruptly. The saddest thing a person can do in such a case is to live with this feeling for years and not seek help.

Signs of depression:

* loss of meaning and joy in life;
* lack of mood for a long period of time;
* loss of self-esteem;
* a feeling of hopelessness about the future;
* decreased immunity;
* eating disorders;
* exhaustion;
* apathy;
* sleep disturbances;
* unwillingness to socialize with people;
* alcohol or drug dependence.

Of course, the most terrible sign of depression, manifested in extreme forms, is suicide attempts. In a depressed state, a person does not notice that in his thoughts death is perceived as a release from suffering. A year about 800 thousand people aged 15 to 29 years commit suicide against the background of depression. Think about it, this is a very large number. That is why it is important to recognize the disease in time and help loved ones or seek help yourself.

Causes of depression

Despite the fact that many people claim that depression without a cause does not happen, these types of disorders do exist. Fortunately, they make up only 2-3% of the total. Why fortunately? In this case, the interest in life is lost suddenly, without any apparent reason. These depressions are the most acute and long-lasting, it becomes more difficult to provide help.

Psychogenic depression can occur for a number of reasons:

* loss of a loved one;
* changes in appearance;
* long-term psychologically traumatizing factors (loneliness, hard work, family quarrels, etc.).

There are many more reasons that can lead to depression, but it should be understood that for everyone they can be completely different. And what for one person will seem a trifle, another can break and become the last straw.

Methods of diagnosing depression

1. the Zang Scale. One of the most popular methods of diagnosing depression. Zang distinguishes four degrees of severity of the disease: normal (20-49 points), mild depression (50-59 points), moderate depression (60-69 points), severe depression (70-80 points).

Take the test

2. Eysenck’s self-assessment of states. Eysenck’s method includes testing of four key parameters that distinguish a depressed personality: anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, rigidity (inflexibility).

Take the test

3. A. Beck’s Depression Scale. Beck. The advantages of this questionnaire lie in the possibility of targeted assessment of the severity of both the depressive syndrome as a whole and the individual symptoms that make it up.

Take the test

But when taking tests, you should remember that self-diagnosis and self-treatment are not the best methods in the fight against depression. Be sure to consult a specialist.

How to help?

With severe depression and disorders of moderate severity, antidepressants and psychotherapy sessions are prescribed. For mild depression, you can do with fitness, a visit to a psychologist, or a visit to a spa.

* Do not stay alone. Do not shut yourself in and do not lock yourself in four walls. Go to work, call your family. If you suspect depression in your loved ones, try to distract them with conversation, entertainment, but do not be too intrusive.

* Describe everything you are feeling on paper. Feel free to describe your entire train of thought. It’s okay if it’s absurd and incoherent.

* Eat more fruit and chocolate. They’re sure to lift your mood.

* Take B and C vitamins and sedatives. However, the latter should not be overdone, as apathy and drowsiness can only increase.

Although visiting psychologists in Russia is still not popular enough and often it still seems something shameful, a consultation with a professional is the best step on the way to treating depression. At least you will be sure that the diagnosis is correct, and the specialist will suggest the right and appropriate ways to solve the problem in your case.