Mental disorders often have devastating consequences for a person. One such dangerous disease is major depression.
The disease changes the mind of the patient, prevents him from living, working, communicating with people. And if in the early stages you can get rid of depression on your own, then the deep form should be treated only with the help of a psychiatrist.
Reasons
The disease can develop for many reasons. They are divided into three groups:
- Psychological - these include situations that greatly injure a person's consciousness. They can arise abruptly, unexpectedly (death of relatives and friends, loss of large money or property, war, break with a loved one, criminal punishment). The event that happened literally breaks a person’s life and turns the whole way of life upside down. The psyche is not ready for the changes that have happened. The destructive factor can cause deep depression after a while of its action. The psyche of some people cannot withstand the stress of an exhausting work schedule, caring for a bedridden patient,permanent poverty. Major depression in men is most often caused by financial and career problems. For women - personal life and family troubles.
- Endogenous causes of deep depression are not related to the outside world. They consist in a metabolic disorder, which is accompanied by an imbalance of dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline. These elements are the main mediators of the human nervous system. With a decrease in their content in the body, a person experiences an unreasonable bad mood and a depressed state. The peak of deep depressions caused by endogenous factors falls on the autumn-spring period.
- Symptomatic - causes that provoke the occurrence of a pathological condition. These include serious illnesses, injuries, medications.
Deep depression does not develop in all people. It depends on the stability of the psyche and the individual characteristics of the person.
Manifestation
The development of an abnormal condition is evidenced by certain signs. The symptoms of major depression are represented by the following outward manifestations:
- loss of strength and increased fatigue, accompanied by insomnia;
- indifference, lack of interest in one's ordinary life and the people around;
- constantly depressed mood.
If such signs are noticed in a person for more than two weeks and have an increasing character, then the help of a doctor is required. The clinical picture of major depression is supplemented by the followingstates:
- a sense of self-doubt, the precariousness of their position;
- inability to concentrate, perform mental work at the same level;
- memory deterioration;
- suicidal thoughts;
- guilt;
- constant doubts;
- weight loss;
- decrease in sexual desire (sometimes complete frigidity and impotence are possible);
- overexcitement or excessive inhibition;
- lack of appetite;
- unemotional;
- violation of the instinct of self-preservation.
Such manifestations of depression lead to the fact that a person loses the ability to normal socialization. He feels like a black sheep in society. Realizes something is wrong with him.
Due to lethargy or excessive irascibility, the patient begins to fail to cope with work, behaves inappropriately in a team. Pathological condition aggravated by dismissal.
Psychotic signs
Often the symptoms of major depression are accompanied by hallucinations. Disorders can be visual, auditory and even olfactory. It is not uncommon for patients to complain that they hear voices.
In addition, people who are deeply depressed may suffer from delusional ideas. Most often, a sick person says that:
- sick with a terrible, incurable disease;
- is a terrible sinner;
- impoverished;
- guilty of contrived crimes;
- feels bad luck.
Psychoticsymptoms are also characteristic of other disorders of consciousness. Therefore, to determine the disease, it is important to know the entire clinical picture as a whole.
What to be afraid of?
With a deep form of depression, a person is constantly depressed. The quality of life is noticeably reduced, and the ability to fully work and rest disappears. Inhibition of the intellect and motor apparatus makes it difficult to interact with other people. Emotional emptiness makes it impossible to really look at yourself from the outside and assess the state.
Since it is almost impossible to get out of deep depression on your own, during this period the patient needs urgent medical care. In its absence, the disease can develop into schizophrenia. Some develop manic-depressive illness.
Against the background of depression may develop:
- hepatitis;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- thyroid dysfunction;
- ischemic heart disease;
- joint pain;
- osteochondrosis.
What else is the danger of deep depression? A person may develop suicidal tendencies. Vision of the whole world in a distorted form, self-flagellation, lack of desire to find a way out, emptiness give rise to thoughts of settling accounts with life.
Deep depression: what to do?
People who are in this state are emotionally closed, so even relatives may not immediately understand that something is wrong with their family member. However, if a shock occurs in a person’s life or a strangebehavior, it is better not to wait for severe manifestations and visit a psychiatrist. Only a specialist can, having understood the reasons, determine how to get a patient in such a state out of deep depression.
In no case should you self-medicate, drink herbal teas, tranquilizers and go to fortune-tellers. Only a psychiatrist will be able to understand whether there really is a disease and how to cure it.
Diagnosis
The doctor determines the presence of deep depression by questioning (special tests are used) and observing the patient. The symptoms and treatment of major depression are inextricably linked.
If a specialist is confused by any atypical manifestations of the disease, he refers the patient for additional examinations to other doctors:
- to a cardiologist - to confirm or exclude diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- to a neurologist - to examine the brain (in this case, a cardiogram or MRI may be prescribed).
Pharmacotherapy
The most effective treatment for major depression is medication. For this, antidepressants are used. The choice of drugs depends on the condition and age of the patient, as well as the manifestations of the disease.
Most commonly used antidepressants:
- with noradrenergic action ("Mianserin");
- inhibitors based on serotonin reuptake (Fluvoxamine, Sertraline);
- tetracyclic series ("Imipramine", "Amitriptyline").
If deep depression is accompanied by an anxiety state, a parallel intake of tranquilizers is prescribed. Psychosomatic symptoms are removed by antipsychotics.
At the discretion of the doctor, therapy is carried out on an outpatient basis or at home. In the presence of suicidal signs, treatment is carried out only in a hospital.
Psychotherapy
Treatment for major depression in women and men is not limited to medication. Patients are interviewed by psychotherapists. Different techniques are used in individual sessions:
- cognitive-behavioral intervention;
- suggestion;
- persuasion.
Psychotherapy is aimed at changing the patient's attitude towards the problem that caused deep depression. The patient must learn to live with what happened, to cope with the situation.
In the final stages of treatment, group and family therapy gives good results. After recovery, the doctor advises the patient about auto-training. They should be used by the patient throughout life.
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Patients with major depression are not always amenable to therapeutic treatment. In this case, doctors use a more radical remedy - electroconvulsive therapy. It consists in exposing the patient to electrical discharges.
The procedure is as follows:
- The patient is injected with an anesthetic.
- The temples are broughtelectrodes.
- The current causes a seizure lasting up to one minute.
To avoid complications, a complete examination of the patient is carried out before the procedure. The course lasts from ten to sixteen sessions. Positive changes begin after the first of them.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
The patient can be brought out of deep depression by exposing the cerebral cortex to a magnetic field. The procedure helps to restore the processes of interaction between neurons.
The method of transcranial magnetic stimulation is completely painless. It does not require anesthesia. The number of sessions can be up to thirty.
Physical exercise
When a patient begins to emerge from a state of deep depression, it is very helpful to participate independently in the recovery process. To do this, the doctor prescribes physical exercises.
Active movements affect muscle tone, make the body produce endorphins. These substances act in the same way as antidepressants. In addition, the patient begins to feel control over his body. This makes it possible to regain self-confidence.
Physical exercise should be done regularly. Ideally, fifteen minutes every day.
Additional measures
When treating major depression, it is important not only to take exactly all the medicines prescribed by the doctor, but also to follow his other recommendations. These include:
- full rest (sleep at least eight hours a day)day);
- balanced meals at the same time;
- daily walks on the street, field trips;
- exercise, swimming, team sports.
You need to watch the amount of sweets eaten. During deep depression, their number goes off scale, and this can cause the development of diabetes.
Alcohol must be completely eliminated from the diet. Its use is strictly prohibited while taking antidepressants, as their combination can produce severe side effects. In addition, alcoholic beverages greatly aggravate the patient's condition. Against the background of a hangover syndrome, depression only strengthens and develops faster and stronger.
It is very good if during the progression of the disease next to the patient there will be a close person who makes decisions for him. After all, with deep depression, the patient becomes apathetic, he is not able to prioritize and determine important moments in life for himself.
Prevention
After leaving the pathological state, it is necessary to take all measures so that emotional stability is preserved. For this you need:
- exclude from social circle unpleasant people who cause negativity;
- develop supportive relationships;
- lead a socially active lifestyle;
- keep sleep schedule;
- master relaxation techniques;
- build relationships with loved ones;
- fight bouts of negative thinking;
- avoid stress, breakdowns,hysterical fits;
- lead a he althy lifestyle;
- take care of yourself;
- get a pet;
- walk;
- find a hobby.
If, despite following all the recommendations, the pathological condition returns, do not hesitate to contact specialists. The need for help does not indicate weakness or worthlessness. Different situations in life cause severe damage to the psyche, and the body can not always cope with severe depression the first time. Providing timely medical assistance will help get rid of the abnormal condition and return to a normal full life.
