9 signs that a bad mood may be depression

How to distinguish temporary blues from a dangerous illness.

If we list the possible symptoms of depression, there will be more than one hundred of them, because almost any discomfort in the body or change in the psyche can be its manifestation.

We took the most common symptoms and grouped them into nine groups. They are somewhat similar to the Hamilton Depression Scale, a template questionnaire that psychiatrists, psychotherapists and general practitioners can use to screen for depression. This scale contains a minimum of standard questions that help the doctor not to forget anything and collect as much information as possible.

Remember that the most accurate way to rule out depression is to talk to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Here is a list of signs that may indicate depression.

Signs of Depression

Under certain circumstances, this condition can occur in every person, regardless of gender, age and social status. Depression is a type of mental illness accompanied by a persistent decrease in mood. A person remains in this state for more than two weeks continuously; he experiences a decrease in memory and concentration, loss of interest in life, and retardation of movements. In the absence of timely treatment, the patient loses the ability to live and work fully for many months and even years, and the possibility of attempting to commit suicide cannot be ruled out.

How to treat depression in men? How to get out of depression on your own as a man

First of all, you need to acknowledge the presence of depression and turn to the necessary resources to get out of it.

Such resources in the treatment of depression, which already significantly reduces the standard of living and ability to work, include drug therapy, psychotherapy and the help of loved ones.

Drug therapy

Drug therapy will allow, with properly selected and adjusted treatment with antidepressants, to significantly alleviate the condition or completely get rid of it. This requires strict adherence to the doctor’s instructions and cooperation with him. Often the effect of taking drugs does not occur immediately, but within 2-5 weeks from the start of use, since the drug needs to start working in the body, and this takes time. It is important not to interrupt treatment immediately after improvement, but to consolidate the result, sometimes within 4-6 months. However, medication alone is not enough. It is also important to understand the causes of depression in a man in order to reduce the risk of developing it again in the future. Psychotherapy solves this problem.

Psychotherapy

It goes in parallel with drug treatment, so that a person can learn independent skills and methods of self-regulation, so as not to respond with depression to the challenges of life that we will always have. Coping effectively is an important skill that can be acquired in the process of psychotherapy so as not to depend on pills and other people all your life. The disease is based on internal unresolved conflicts that cause depression in men. In the process of psychotherapy, conflicts become possible to recognize, experience and resolve. Here the client takes a more active life position and, together with the psychotherapist, finds resources for life.

In modern society, psychotherapy is a recognized, effective method of helping with various psychological difficulties and significantly reduces the risk of recurrence of depression. A professional psychotherapist is specially trained to work with difficult experiences and difficult life situations of other people, he knows how to respect them and provide assistance in coping with them. Every person has situations in life (for example, illness) that he cannot cope with on his own, and this is normal. The ability to ask for and accept help is a sign of maturity and emotional health, not weakness.

Depression scale

If a patient has doubts about the state of his health, and he is sufficiently informed in matters of mental disorders, it will not be difficult during self-diagnosis to determine the presence of a depressive episode.

The 21-item Beck Depression Inventory is used for this purpose. It contains several statements, in each of them you need to select only one option. This phrase should reflect the thoughts and feelings of a person at the current moment as accurately as possible.

You need to answer questions as truthfully as possible and be sincere with yourself. As a result, it is necessary to calculate the total number of points; the lower their number, the lower the likelihood of depression.

If you have alarming results on the Beck scale, you should contact a specialist; you can make an appointment at Dr. Isaev’s Clinic any day. This should be done immediately if you are experiencing panic attacks due to nervous exhaustion.

Postpartum depression

After the pregnancy period has been successfully overcome and a woman gives birth to a child, she may experience a different range of feelings and sensations on the physical level. Postpartum depression is an atypical mental disorder that can be dangerous for the new mother and her environment.

It is important to understand that childbirth represents enormous stress for the psyche and a great test for the body. Psychological assistance is necessary for the patient in case of serious deviations from the norm. This condition occurs during the first 3 months after birth and can be mild or severe.

Among the provoking factors, experts identify:

• excessive physical exertion associated with caring for a newborn;
• the pregnancy was difficult or unwanted;
• inability to breastfeed;
• financial difficulties;
• dysfunction of the nervous system, which began even before birth;
• conflicts with a partner (separation, quarrels, infidelity);
• moral exhaustion of the body;
• unjustified expectations of a young mother;
• lack of help at home from close relatives.

This disorder can be distinguished from others by a number of specific signs. The doctor diagnoses and prescribes medications; self-medication in this case threatens to worsen the condition. Among the symptoms characteristic of women are:

• Regular complaints of excessive fatigue, lack of energy, loneliness. This is accompanied by mood swings, euphoria is often replaced by causeless sadness, and outbursts of anger occur that the woman is unable to control. She often cries, becomes hysterical, and does not respond to attempts to calm her down.
• Panic fear. Usually it concerns the health of the newborn, the mother has fears that he may suddenly die or something will happen to him. A gloomy vision of the future becomes dominant, the imagination draws terrible pictures of events that could happen in a few hours or days. Articles about accidents and illnesses read on the Internet are automatically “tried on” to oneself.
• The feeling of guilt does not leave a woman; even the smallest failure plunges her into a world of fear and self-flagellation.
• Provoking conflict. Often a young mother throws tantrums every day for any reason, she becomes grumpy, and she herself looks for reasons to quarrel with her husband or loved ones. People around them attribute these symptoms to whims and bad character, so they do not respond to them in a timely manner.

Causes of male depression

Depression rarely occurs against a background of general well-being, especially in men. As a rule, this is prolonged stress or a severe traumatic event.

In men, the causes of depression are:

• problems at work;
• unstable financial situation;
• misunderstanding in the family;
• lack of friends;
• unstable position in society (emigration);
• death of a loved one;
• regular alcohol consumption;
• chronic diseases in children;
• long separation from loved ones (military service, business trips).

Often the intensity of stress is low: daily difficulties at work, disputes at home or with parents are a common occurrence for almost every person. But a long duration of the problem period or the subjective significance of a certain event (a strong desire to have a strong family, the need for recognition in the service, etc.) disrupts the biochemical processes in the brain and triggers the mechanism of depression.

The effect of stress is enhanced by the inability to express emotions and experiences. This is typical for men with a patriarchal family structure. At the same time, they are often required to have strong emotional reactions: strict upbringing of children, solving family problems, conversations with various authorities, etc.

A high level of responsibility for the family and the inability to share it with anyone also creates the preconditions for the occurrence of depressive disorder. After all, a man needs to be collected not only at work, but also at home, and there is practically no opportunity to relax.

Questions and answers

Is it possible to get rid of a bad mood on your own with the help of antidepressants?

We categorically do not recommend prescribing medications yourself. This is done by the doctor based on examination of the patient. Many medications have a number of contraindications, which the patient himself may not be aware of.

How long does it take to treat depression?

This is an individual indicator, it all depends on the form of the disease and its stage.

Depression - symptoms and treatment

Mild depressive disorders can respond quite well to psychotherapeutic treatment.

Maintenance treatment for depression

Until the condition improves, the doctor observes patients 1-2 times a week. During the appointment, the doctor supports the patient, gives the necessary explanations and monitors progress. A meeting in the doctor's office can be supplemented by a conversation with the patient on the phone. The doctor should explain to the patient that depression is not a peculiarity of mood and character, but a serious illness caused by biological disorders and requiring treatment, with a favorable prognosis. The doctor should also unobtrusively persuade the patient to expand daily and social activities, for example, to walk more often in the fresh air or enroll in a creative group. It is important for the doctor to convey to the patient the understanding that the disease is not his fault, that negative thoughts are only part of this condition and they will soon pass [20].

Drug therapy for depression

For moderate and severe depression, the use of a combination of psychopharmacotherapy (antidepressants) and psychotherapy is more effective.

Today, serotonergic antidepressants and so-called dual-action antidepressants (affecting the metabolism of serotonin and norepinephrine) are widely used, which are used for 3 months or more (average treatment time is 6-12 months).

Taking antidepressants should be under the supervision of a doctor and, despite long-term use, usually does not lead to dependence and is quite well tolerated.

If depression cannot be treated, has become chronic, and is prone to recurrence, antidepressant therapy can be supplemented with other psychotropic drugs - tranquilizers, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants.

In addition to outpatient treatment for mild and moderate depression, severe depression is subject to treatment and observation in a hospital setting.

Psychotherapy for the treatment of depression

In the psychotherapy of depression, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy is proven to be effective and fast-acting, aimed at changing irrational beliefs and depressogenic behavior patterns of patients, and psychodynamic psychotherapy (psychoanalytic, existential psychotherapy, Gestalt psychotherapy), aimed at working through deep feelings and traumatic early experiences, is also widely used patient, the formation of adaptive functioning in the present [15][16].

Electroconvulsive therapy for depression

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), due to the presence of a wide list of contraindications, adverse reactions and complications, has limited use. But in cases of severe depressive disorder and resistance to drug treatment, ECT can be used and proves to be effective [20].

Phototherapy for depression

Phototherapy is used in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder in clinics specializing in such therapy. In this case, powerful artificial light sources are used with an irradiation mode of 10,000 lux for 30 minutes twice - in the morning and in the evening. 

How to get rid of depression on your own

In case of a depressive reaction to a stressful situation or mild depression, you do not need to consult a doctor, since manifestations of depression do not lead to maladjustment. It will help a person if he takes his mind off a stressful situation and immerses himself in work or a hobby. The condition can also be alleviated by the support of your close circle or a visit to a psychologist. But if the condition drags on, becomes more serious and leads to social maladaptation, then in this case the help of a specialist is needed - a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist.

What to do if a loved one is depressed

For a person suffering from depression, sincere support, empathy, sympathy and an offer to seek the help of a specialist will be important from those close to them.