7 facts you might not have known about depression

Most often by depression people mean a feeling of homesickness mixed with stress and bad mood. But, as a rule, this feeling passes quickly, especially if something joyful has happened. True depression from a pay raise, the birth of a child in the family, a vacation, or starting your own business doesn’t go away. This affective disorder lasts for months or even years.

So if the symptoms of this disease (moping, moody and depressed state, a minimum of motor and mental activity) hold for more than two weeks, it is worth sounding the alarm.

psychologist, coach, creator of the cult training “I’m actually smart, but I live like a fool”.

“I’m depressed!” – often throw such phrases your mopey buddies. And you yourself sometimes catch yourself thinking that you are falling into the arms of this disease. In fact, depression is insidious and not at all what it seems.

Put self-medication aside, see a psychotherapist who will make an accurate diagnosis. After all, there are about 20 varieties of depression, and each requires a different approach. And since this disease is surrounded by a mass of myths, legends and misconceptions, these seven facts about depression may have passed you by.

Depression is not a fiction, but a deadly disease

In fact, depression has been afflicting humans since ancient times. Sufficiently accurate descriptions of this disease are in all religious texts like the Bible and the Koran, in the historical literature of the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. It’s just that depression used to be called melancholia.

And the term familiar to us appeared relatively recently – in the nineteenth century. In addition, psychologists are not involved in the treatment of depression, they can only give a couple of tests to determine its definition, but for an accurate diagnosis will still send to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

This disorder also has nothing to do with a conspiracy of pharmacologists. Many types of depression are more effectively treated with psychotherapy than with drugs. Or a competent mix of the two.

Labor is not the best antidepressant

If labor, especially physical labor, easily fought depression, then the dachniki would be golden, taking money from patients for planting potatoes or weeding beds. Alas, this “axiom” does not work. Depression not only “rewards” persistent disgusting mood, but also hampers any activity – mental and physical. On its background, the activity of cognitive processes falls, there is no desire to move.

Many people in depression simply forget everything: on career, on fitness, on relationships, on relatives, on children. They do something in everyday life mechanically, on automatic, but if no one forces to move, those suffering from depression will prefer to lie on the couch and do nothing.

Depression should not be confused with laziness

Often depression is confused with laziness. But the patient does not just do nothing or does not want to, waiting for everything to happen without him and for him. No! He just physically can’t. Depression, although a mental disorder, affects the entire body.

Reduced muscle tone, often responds to physical pain the simplest movement, the gastrointestinal tract, shaky heart, liver and kidneys … In general, depression does not come alone. This disease pulls many others with it. It is in this that the main danger of the disorder lies. Often the patient turns to narrow-disciplinary doctors and treats the consequences of depression, and not her itself.

About what to do when you feel bad even alone with yourself, read in our material.

Postpartum depression exists

Many men, and women too, believe that motherhood is a wonderful time, when it is not worth (and there is no time) to mope and depress. However, not all moms feel great after childbirth. Many women know postpartum depression firsthand. This disease really exists and complicates the life of the whole family.

Symptoms are similar to other types of depression, but to them are added a sense of worthlessness, dislike for the child and unwillingness to live. The woman not only considers herself a terrible mother who does not cope with her duties, but also constantly wants to stop suffering. If postpartum depression is left untreated (or thought not to exist), the effects of the condition will eventually affect the entire family, not just the baby. The baby will be dealing with a sick parent and will begin to develop psychological and sometimes physical trauma from birth.

Genes are partly to blame for depression

When in the family among close relatives (parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters) someone was ill with depression, the risk of getting it increases two to three times. However, everything is individual. In addition, a person is a social being. A lot depends on his environment, which shapes his outlook on life.

It is noticed that extroverts rarely fall into depression. So genes can be played by adopting the ways of interaction of extroverts with people and at the same time clean your immediate environment. Once you remove yourself from toxic people, manipulators and psychopathic personalities, even a life without depression will shine with new colors.

Depression comes from… joy

Usually depression occurs from regular stress and against the background of tragic events (death of a loved one, parting with a loved one, a series of negative situations, bankruptcy). But disorders also happen from great joy. This happens when a person has achieved the goal of his life. He got what he was striving for with all his soul, but what to do then – did not think of.

And so it comes out: the goal has been achieved, the dream has come true, and there is no reason to trample the world further. The meaning of life is lost – and the man sinks into the abyss of hopeless depression. Everyone around is perplexed, well, why is he so! He should be happy! He is strange, sad… And the person is depressed, which requires immediate psychotherapeutic help. And, of course, new goals and accomplishments.

In one of the materials we have collected five books that will help you find new inspiration.

Depression has no gender or age

This disease can catch up with anyone, regardless of gender, status, age, religion. Even young children and deep elderly people are affected by depression. However, for some reason it is believed that it is women who hold the palm of superiority in cases of depression. They suffer from this disorder one and a half to two times more often than men. But in the statistics lies a kind of trickery.

Just women mostly seek help from a psychotherapist and are not ashamed of it. Men, on the contrary, experience depression in silence, not seeking to go to a specialist for diagnosis. And many even resort to the only method familiar and suitable for a brutal man – drowning their boredom in alcohol.