How to identify depression. Signs of Depression in a Woman

Depression is a serious mental disorder. People experiencing depression need the support and help of specialists. If you suspect that one of your acquaintances is depressed, look for characteristic signs in a person's behavior. Pay attention to changes in his habits - he may eat less or sleep, may lose weight. Pay attention to changes in mood. A person in depression may experience mood swings, he may have problems with concentration. If you think that a person is thinking about suicide, make sure that the therapist works with him.

Steps

Human mood assessment

1. Pay attention to the loss of ability to have fun.  Anhedonia, or loss of ability to enjoy daily activities, is a common symptom of depression. Think about whether a person has ceased to rejoice at what previously gave him pleasure.

   • Changes can be almost imperceptible. For example, a sociable person may begin to refuse invitations. Or, for example, a colleague who always worked to music began to work in silence.
   • You may have noticed that a person is simply more often not in the mood or does not express much enthusiasm. Or the person does not smile or laugh at jokes. Perhaps your friend now seems sad and often walks with an absent look.

2. Pay attention to pessimism.  Depression often makes a person pessimistic about life. If a person suddenly began to think about the bad, depression could be to blame. 1-2 days of pessimism may be just a bad mood, but if a person maintains a pessimistic attitude for a long time, this may be a sign of depression.

   • Sometimes the signs of pessimism are obvious - for example, a person pronounces phrases like "this is a hopeless situation." But often they are not so obvious. You may think that a person speaks as a realist, and not as a pessimist.
   • For example, a depressed person might say this: "I did so much, but I don’t think I will get a good grade on the control." It may seem that a person is simply pragmatic, however, if such situations are repeated often, all this can talk about depression.
   • If a person maintains a pessimistic outlook on life for weeks, this may indicate depression.

3. Look for signs of "tortured" joy in human behavior.  A person can portray happiness so as not to cause other questions. He may deny that something is wrong and try to seem happier than usual. However, wearing such a mask for a long time will not work, and a person decides to distance himself from others for fear that the fraud will open.

   • A person may seem joyful, but you may feel that something is wrong. For example, a friend always smiles at you, but immediately steps back.
   • It is possible that a person who seems joyful rejects all invitations, often does not respond to messages and calls, or refuses to communicate.
   • If this behavior persists for more than a couple of days, it can be a sign of depression.

4. Pay attention to mood swings.  People in depression are subject to frequent mood swings. Usually a calm person can start to behave strangely. Changes in mood often indicate that a person has depression.

   • A person in depression can become more irritable and aggressive. For example, a close friend may yell at you for being a little late for a meeting.
   • A depressed person can quickly lose his temper. For example, a colleague may be angry when explaining to you something related to work.
   • If this happened once or twice, perhaps the person simply did not have a good day. But if this happens regularly, there is a chance that the person is depressed.

5. Think about whether a person has concentration problems.  Depression can cloud your mind with negative thoughts. In a person in depression, productivity drops sharply.

   • If a person is depressed, problems with concentration can affect social life and work. A friend suddenly cannot keep up the conversation. A student with depression does not submit the work on time or does not submit it at all.
   • If a person is unable to do business on time, this may indicate a problem with concentration. If usually a punctual colleague begins to miss work meetings and fails to submit reports on time, he may have depression.

6. Note the heightened guilt.  People with depression often experience guilt. Feeling guilty about everything that happens in life can be a sign of depression. If you notice that a person constantly blames himself, especially for trifles, a person may have depression.

   • A person may feel guilty for mistakes made in the past and in the present. For example: “I needed to study harder at the university, then today at the meeting I would have done better. I am pulling the whole company down.”
   • A person in depression can also feel guilty for his emotions and for his existence in general. He may apologize for being a bad friend, or feel the need to apologize for not enjoying life.

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Depression is one of the most common reasons people turn to therapy. It never arises from scratch. It can all start with the loss of a loved one, divorce, health problems, or dismissal. It so happens that depression creeps in gradually, like clouds on a once cloudless sky. At some point, we get used to the world in muted tones and begin to believe that it has always been this way, it cannot be otherwise. Some live in this mode for years, not finding the strength to seek help.

Path to awareness

Many people with depressive disorder are not ready to admit that their condition requires help. They drive their experiences deep inside, direct them to some external object or become discouraged by any trifle. This is the problem of diagnosing depression: it is difficult for a person to realize that the source of his constant suffering is concentrated in his way of thinking and feeling. "Depression makes a person helpless, as if unable to swim," writes Robert O "Connor, author of Depression Is Canceled." - He is tensing up, trying to solve problems, but all efforts are fruitless, because he lacks the ability to stay afloat. With this disease, there is a real battle between different sides of our "I". A man is pulled down by shadows, perfumes, aspects of personality, with which he cannot cope and cannot get rid of them. ”

The psychotherapist Richard O "Connor, who himself has gone through depression, provides an accessible account of the main problems that a person with depression faces. He warns against excessive trust in medications: they can remove dangerous manifestations, but you can be completely cured only by rebuilding your thinking and developing your inner sustainability.

The most common symptoms of depression:

• decreased appetite (or lack thereof)
• strong fluctuations in weight
• lack of motivation
• apathy, drowsiness, heaviness in the head
• social exclusion, unwillingness to communicate with people
• business avoidance
• feeling of loss and helplessness
• thoughts of death as deliverance from suffering
• in extreme forms - suicide attempts

Methods for diagnosing depression

1. Zang scale.  One of the most popular methods for diagnosing depression. Zang identifies four degrees of disease severity: normal (20-49 points), mild depression (50-59 points), moderate depression (60-69 points), severe depression (70-80 points). Take the test!
2. The scale of depression A. Beck.  This questionnaire, based on observations of clinical patients, is used in the work of many American psychiatrists and psychotherapists. Each question is aimed at identifying one of the 21 typical symptoms of depression. Take the test!
3. Eysenck's self-esteem. Psychologist Hans Eisenck is known for his research on personality traits and conditions. He owns several classifications and tests to determine personality traits, including the IQ test. The Eysenck method includes checking on four key parameters that distinguish a depressed personality: anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, rigidity (rigidity). Take the test!

What therapy to choose?

How to understand which therapy is best for your case? It all depends on specific circumstances and on the correct diagnosis of depression. One requires a short, targeted work, oriented more likely at the restructuring of thinking. In this case, cognitive-behavioral therapy may be the best option. For those who live under the load of years of suppressed feelings and thoughts, who cannot determine the reasons for their actions, deliverance does not come down to acquiring tools or training certain skills. They want not only to know HOW, but also to understand WHY. For them, psychoanalysis may be the best option. This approach takes time, but it provides a deeper study of the problem, starting with the very foundations of the individual.

One way or another, you should understand: depression will not go away by itself. Perhaps it will be possible to muffle it for a while. But in a situation of vulnerability, she will return with renewed vigor. “People with depression must learn to live differently with themselves and with others: to acquire new emotional skills,” explains Robert O “Connor.“ This requires practice, coordination, flexibility. Instead of spanking your hands in water in a panic, you need to master emotional habits similar to calm, rhythmic movements of a swimmer; learn to stay afloat, feel comfortable in this element. Such people are usually great fighters, but to fight is to drown. It’s better to try to make the water support itself skill. "

How to distinguish depression from a temporary breakdown and stress? Often the symptoms may be similar.

Symptoms of Stress and Depression

The main difference is that apathy does not go away with a decrease in stress levels. In this case, it is most likely depression, and not the usual temporary breakdown. Every day the condition is getting worse, there is no desire to get up in the morning, ordinary activities drive into melancholy.

• During depression, you may be overwhelmed by panic attacks, a constant feeling of anxiety.
• It becomes difficult to concentrate on tasks. Working projects become a burden, there is no desire to develop and change something.
• Insomnia appears. Or vice versa - a constant desire to sleep comes.
• There is a decrease in appetite, weight changes (both in the direction of losing weight, and gaining - whoever has it).
• Depression is often accompanied by other unpleasant sensations: pain in the stomach, indigestion, increased migraines, and changes in blood pressure.
• More and more nightmares.
• Sex drive is reduced.

How to recognize depression in a woman

Very often this disease is hidden. Neither the patient himself nor his relatives can recognize the symptoms and do not understand what the problem is and where the taste for life disappeared.

Why do women experience symptoms of depression? Often this is caused by some specific event that completely changed the usual way of life. This may be a loss of work, a difficult separation, the birth of a child. In this case, salvation will come along with solving the problem: find a new job, meet love, hire a nanny, for example.

But not so simple. In some cases, it is almost impossible to recognize a depressive trigger. This is where the very hidden depression arises, the symptoms of which are not so obvious. It can be confused with other problems, including chronic fatigue or weakness due to anemia. The psychotherapist will help to deal with the problem. It is very important to contact him on time, as deep depression can be accompanied by hallucinations, loss of connection with reality. This disease can even lead to suicide and other destructive consequences for the individual. The treatment of depression should be taken seriously - simple walks in the fresh air and a change of partner do not always help. This condition is addictive, and the longer you endure, the more difficult it is to get out of it without loss.

If you manage to recognize depression in time, you can start to deal with the problem yourself. Firstly, you need to review your diet, make it easier, eliminate alcohol, sweets and junk food. In no case do you need to sharply give up sugar, this will certainly not add an optimistic mood and vigor. But it’s worth a bit to adjust the diet. Secondly, it is important to leave your home more often: to walk, visit exhibitions and concerts, play sports in the fresh air. Light jogging and cycling will help return to an active life. Thirdly, it is worth working with your own self-esteem: more often praise yourself for even the smallest successes, take care of yourself and allow yourself as many pleasant things as possible.

Whereas previously the help of a psychotherapist was mainly required for the economic and creative elite, today the number of people in need of such competent support continues to increase.

How to recognize that people in your environment have depression and not a bad mood? Does this person need the support of loved ones or the professional help of a psychotherapist?

Each depression is formed by three main components - mood disorder, fatigue and autonomic disorders.

The first component is directly related to changes in a person’s mood - when a depressed, sad state lasts longer than 2 weeks. Depression leads to a dim perception of the world. One gets the impression that around is only uninteresting and everyday. In one day, there may be significant mood swings - if it was good enough in the morning, it worsens noticeably in the evening. Or vice versa, in the morning a person has a terrible mood, in the evening it gradually normalizes. Sometimes a person may not at all face such changes in his mood, just being in a depressed, sad and tearful state.

There may be different shades of depressed mood. Sometimes there is a tinge of anxiety or longing, despair, irritability or indifference. A sad mood is not always realized by a person, but depression leads to some bodily manifestations. For example, intense heat in the chest area, or “heavy stone pressing on the heart”. More rare cases are manifestations of chronic pain in a certain area of \u200b\u200bthe body, although doctors cannot determine the organic causes.

With prolonged stress, depression often occurs with a touch of anxiety. At the same time, anxiety is felt by each person individually. There may be a fear of falling asleep, various nightmares, a constant fear for relatives and friends. In some cases, excessive nervousness is characteristic, a person can not be in one place due to constant anxiety. In such cases, you can’t find a place for yourself, a person who is longer than 2-3 minutes is simply not able to be in the chair. Fidgeting a little in the chair, he just gets up and walks around the room.

The cause of very strong anxiety (from 57 points on the Sheehan scale) may be a detailed depression. A person experiences panic attacks when there is not enough air, a sensation of heat and trembling is formed in the body. The appearance of severe anxiety indicates the enormous internal component of depression, anxiety disorder is only the top of the whole problem.

If a person with anxious depression is not able to stay in one place, then other types of depression can lead to movement problems. When a person sleeps a day, but does not feel cheerful in the morning, and the usual, everyday tasks for him seem pointless and often overwhelming. A similar situation can occur as a result of apathetic depression.

In depression, inhibition processes affect the whole body as a whole, problems arise with thinking, perception of the world, attention and memory suffer, therefore, working capacity is sharply reduced. Concentration problems become noticeable in a person, when fatigue leads to reading several pages of a fascinating book or a short TV viewing. A person can sit at a computer for a long time, but he fails to concentrate on work.

Vegetative disorders are the second component of depression. In cases where, according to the results of the examination by the therapist and cardiologist, no organic diseases have been identified, problems in the form of false desires, frequent urination, dizziness, headaches, temperature fluctuations and blood pressure can be considered additional vegetative signs of depression.

Depression in a certain way affects the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a sharp decrease in appetite, the duration of constipation can be 4-5 days. Much less likely to increase appetite, the appearance of false desires and diarrhea - an atypical form of depression.

Depression also affects the reproductive system. In men and women with depression, sexual sensations will be dulled. Less often, obsessive masturbation, constant erratic connections become a manifestation of depression. Men may experience problems with potency, a manifestation of depression for women becomes a delay in menstruation - regularly supra, for six months.

The asthenic component of depression is manifested in the form of sensitivity to weather changes, fatigue, constant irritability. At the same time, loud sounds, touches of strangers, loud bright lights are particularly annoying. Sometimes tears may appear due to internal irritation.

Depression is accompanied by sleep problems: it is difficult for a person to fall asleep, sleep is restless and shallow, often interrupted by awakenings. Or a person wakes up too early - wants to fall asleep again, but cannot.

Depression develops according to some characteristic laws. There are signs that reflect the severity of a state of depression. Reflections about the meaningless waste of his life, sometimes about possible suicide, can testify to a significant increase.

A person with severe depression encounters an unwillingness to live, begins to think about the general meaninglessness of his existence, suicidal intentions are manifested more clearly. Similar symptoms in you or your loved ones may indicate the need to seek help from a psychotherapist. In such situations, the urgency and timeliness of competent treatment of the problem is important.

Treatment of depression with drugs in situations where its level is from 48 points on the Zung scale. The medicine affects the system of serotonin (hormones of pleasure and happiness), norepinephrine and others. If a stable mood is maintained, the solution of psychological problems is provided much more effectively, conflict situations can be avoided.

Often there is a fear of using antidepressants, since people fear dependence on the drug. But the situation is different - addiction to antidepressants does not develop at all. The reason for addiction can only be the use of strong sleeping pills or sedatives, which are included in the category of benzodiazepines (tranquilizers). Antidepressants and completely different drugs are used to treat depression.

The therapist, given the specific shade of depressed mood, is determined with suitable antidepressants. There are antidepressants recommended for depression with a touch of anxiety, or special drugs for shades of indifference, apathy, and others. A well-formed dosage of drugs contributes to the reverse development of depression after 3-4 weeks - getting rid of a sense of constant anxiety, suicidal ideas, improves, mood stabilizes, the person again awakens the desire for action.

The action of antidepressants begins at the end of the second or during the third week. People with the slightest improvement refuse to take the drugs in the fourth week, so the problem of depression will return again in a couple of weeks. To completely get rid of depression, you must strictly adhere to the indicated treatment course from a psychotherapist.

The duration of the treatment course is set in each case by the psychotherapist individually, taking into account the characteristics of the problem. Usually, the duration is 4-12 months, in some cases it may be longer. After completing the basic course of treatment, a specialist can prescribe a supportive course to consolidate the achieved result. Depression lasting less than 6 months is much easier to treat effectively. If a person postpones the solution of the problem for 2-3 years, sometimes even for 8-10 years, the duration of the required course increases significantly. At times, 1.5 years of treatment may be required, and another year and a half to consolidate the effect.

In psychotherapy, the attitude to depression should be similar to the high temperature factor among common diseases. After all, heat itself is not a diagnosis, it just tells us about the bodily problems of a person. When the temperature rises, a person goes to the doctor so that he determines the exact cause of the problem. I made a diagnosis. The appearance of depression leads to a poor state of mind of a person who also needs the help of a specialist. A psychotherapist prescribes an antidepressant, and then, using psychotherapeutic methods, helps to identify and eliminate the cause of the depression.

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Studies in all countries of the world show: depression is becoming the most common ailment of our time. According to various researchers, depression affects up to 20% of the population of developed countries (symptoms are identified or is on treatment).

Typical signs of depression:

Symptoms of depression are very diverse and vary depending on the form of the disease. We list the most typical signs of this disorder:

anxiety, a feeling of inner tension, expectation of trouble

guilt, frequent self-incrimination

dissatisfaction with oneself, decreased self-confidence, decreased self-esteem

decrease or loss of ability to experience pleasure from previously pleasant activities

decreased interest in the environment

loss of ability to experience any feelings (in cases of deep depression)

depression is often combined with anxiety about the health and fate of loved ones, as well as with the fear of appearing insolvent in public places

changes in appetite (loss or overeating)

intestinal dysfunction (constipation)

reduced sexual needs

reduced energy, increased fatigue during normal physical and intellectual stress, weakness

pain and various unpleasant sensations in the body (for example, in the heart, in the stomach, in the muscles)

avoiding contacts (a tendency to solitude, loss of interest in other people)

giving up entertainment

alcohol abuse and substance abuse giving temporary relief

difficulty concentrating, concentration

decision making difficulties

the prevalence of gloomy, negative thoughts about yourself, about your life, about the world as a whole

gloomy, pessimistic vision of the future with a lack of perspective, thoughts about the meaninglessness of life

thoughts of suicide (in severe cases of depression)

the presence of thoughts about one's own uselessness, insignificance, helplessness

Another great step

how to live for pleasure

How to identify signs of depression and help

People who feel depressed, with severe depression, are usually quite easy to see: they are gloomy, sad, somewhere even lethargic. But let's turn our attention to those who do not betray their sorrow at all, who hid their depression. They may not show a bad mood, they can be a great company, and at the same time hide their feelings under the guise of fun. This is a very deep problem - the problem of latent depression, because these people are experts in disguising their internal state. We will ask a question and help with the answer to it, since we can reveal a hidden depression in a loved one or friend, and how can we help?

After all, any person can find himself in a shaky world for him - anyone can have depression: a man, a woman, a teenager. Our world is now very loaded with different emotions, a huge stream of negative information from a zombie creator, from the Internet and unresolved personal problems can lead one into the corner of one’s own feelings. How can we identify, identify people with latent depression and help them deal with it?

Signs of Depression:

People can be in the guise of a cheerful mood

We must understand that a cheerful and sociable person can also be vulnerable to depression. Of course, it’s not always possible for a person to hide his feelings like this, we just have to distinguish the real fun from the ostentatious mask in time. To do this, you need to communicate more with a person, know the latest news about his life and be an empathic listener when they want to open up to you. And at the right time to help, somewhere in one word, somewhere in deed not allowing to fall into the abyss of despair.

Can quietly hide their depression without attracting attention

Many do not show their negative mood, hold all the feelings inside, preventing anyone from entering their world. Such individuals are afraid of publicizing their psychological state, they are afraid of the stigma of a psychopath, they are embarrassed and embarrassed to tell their personal experiences to anyone. Such secretive personalities are the most difficult to understand, the primary problem is to reveal a person, to make contact and trust, tell your feelings so that you can make the right decision to alleviate the sadness of a loved one.

Can hide past trauma with confidence and happiness

These people change their eating habits

Most experts believe that there can be a strong link between depression and eating disorders. It is clear that these are two separate diseases, but they can be related. Violation of eating behavior can manifest itself as severe overeating, which can lead to obesity in the future, and vice versa, refusal of food, which will lead to anorexia. In this case, anything could affect a person: anything of a different kind, problems, media pressure, depression. If you notice that a loved one or friend is experiencing a change in appetite, try to talk with him / her about their problems, which can cause this behavior and convince them to undergo treatment. Latent depression in this case is the trigger on the way to other serious diseases.

Physical and psychological health are tightly connected. In a healthy body - a healthy mind, so do not neglect the basics of healthy lifestyle, both in nutrition and in sports, follow the tips from the articles and depression will not catch you:

Stop doing what they used to love

Very often people with latent depression show a lack of enthusiasm for the things they used to love to do. According to such a person, it may not be obvious that he is upset or depressed, he just was not interested, something that he loved very much before. This may be a sign that something is going wrong, that a person is sinking deeper and deeper into his depression.

They may show irritation and anger.

We usually associate depression with apathy, helplessness, melancholy thoughts, and screaming. But there are other symptoms of depression that are often not detected by us, because they simply are not noticed or rejected, like temporary outbreaks in humans. They are simply ignored by us, thinking that this will not cause harm, but in fact, frequent angry outbreaks or irritation in a person are manifestations of depression. Too many men express their depression in this way. But when such a person can talk about his problems with family or friends, then usually this is the first step towards treatment and recovery.

May suffer from insomnia

Sleep problems and depression are very often closely related. If your loved one complains of insomnia (or even severe awakening), this may become a sign that there are any problems with either the physical condition or the mental state. You need to find out, very carefully and gently, so as not to cause even more frustration, what is the cause of insomnia, unless of course a person is ready to open up. If you are not ready to tell you about your problems, it is necessary to send him to a specialist. And how to do it, how to convince him to go to the doctor, read below "How to help with depression."

How to help with depression

If you understood from the aforementioned signs that a loved one or friend has a hidden depression, and were able to recognize it, then first of all you do not need to put pressure on him. He is already depressed and upset, you need to carefully bring him into conversation and try to listen. In some cases, a person might not have gone too far into his experiences, and even your participation in his problems, advice or just attention, can help. But if everything is much more serious and you are not a specialist in this field (psychologist, psychotherapist), then you should not give a person life-affirming advice.

Your main parting word, in this case, should be the main advice - contact a specialist.

At the same time, consider that a lot of people are afraid of doctors, and especially our Russian mentality has been tempered for years with such fear.

And here your main task is to convince your loved one that the doctor is not an enemy, that he does not need to be afraid.

The doctor is a specialist in his field and he will better help to cope with the problem than a person who does not understand this. Our psychological state is a very important and subtle component of the body, so it, like everything in it, must be healthy. Give an example of the fact that when your TV or computer breaks down in your home and you bring it to a repair shop, where specialists in your field are engaged in repairs, for some reason you are not afraid of this, but rather want to fix the device more quickly. After all, not a single family can live without a TV or computer, and we understand that it is specialists, people who know their job and who understand it, who can help us with the repair. So tell the person who got lost in his wilds of melancholy that he should not be afraid to help his body be healthy, but for this you need to contact a knowledgeable specialist who can help in solving his problem.

Remember to tell your friends about this article.

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Test: Are you depressed or just in a bad mood?

With this test, you will be able to find out whether you have depression with a 100% guarantee. If it turns out that it is not there, read the article at least in order to know how to convincingly simulate this ailment in case of something.

At all times, there were diseases with beautiful names that were not so prestigious to hurt - rather, it was fashionable to say that you have them, or to replace real ailments with them. It was necessary to say “monstrous influenza” instead of “terrible snot” - and those around you immediately imbued with respect for you and your fine organization.

Today, depression has become such a disease that everyone is talking about, often not understanding the original meaning of the name. It is customary to write off everything on it: impotence, torn hands and unwillingness to go to the evening of the meeting of graduates. However, few people know that depression is a very specific ailment caused by such complex biochemical changes in the nervous system that an ordinary person will not be able to call them even for money. It’s actually quite difficult to catch depression, and what is considered to be depression is usually a depressive accentuation of a person, a bad mood, or even ordinary hatred of people.

Want to know the whole truth about whether you have depression? You have two scenarios to choose from: either you go to a psychoanalyst, and he gives you a clinical test, with a 100% guarantee diagnosing depression; or you pass exactly the same clinical test that we grabbed for memory when we went to be tested.

Yes, and keep in mind: the causes of depression are usually very specific - prolonged mental stress, overwork, chronic brain injury, severe and prolonged diseases of internal organs, surgical operations, deficiency of blood supply to the brain, and congenital neurochemical disorders. If you don’t have any of the above and didn’t have any, it means that there are probably no tests here either. Just stop pretending to be depression - and it will pass!

What is depression

According to the ICD-10 international classification of diseases, depression is not even one disease, but seven different ones. In the sense that it is divided into groups.

Due to

Neurotic D. caused by internal conflict.

Reactive D., which is a reaction to mental trauma.

Endogenous D., which is generally not difficult to treat, since it has neurochemical causes.

By the nature of the course

Of course, these species can be combined. For example, major depression can be both classic and reactive. But that is not all. For MAXIM readers only! Having caught latent depression, you receive two more varieties of the disease as a gift!

In addition to jokes. Latent depression can be somatized (this is when in addition to a bad mood you are tormented by some other bodily ailment like stomach disease or dystonia) or masked. In this case, you will have all the symptoms of another disease - for example, appendicitis. However, an autopsy will show that you did not have it.

Under what ailments depression likes to disguise itself

Pain, heaviness, fullness, cold or fever in the abdomen, nausea, decreased appetite. Of course, the fault can be caused by expired mold on cheese. However, often these symptoms are used by depression to set doctors on the wrong track. The condition of the abdomen worsens in the morning, and by the second half of the day you again begin to pick the contents of the plate with a sad look, feeling relief. Patients are admitted to hospitals with suspected acute appendicitis and cholecystitis, but the intervention of surgeons does not bring relief.

2 headache

A person cannot say where exactly it hurts. More often, the pain appears to him in the form of iron hoops that squeezed the skull, or something that crawls inside the head. The condition, as in the case of the stomach, worsens in the morning, and by the evening passes. Such patients are diagnosed with migraine or vegetovascular dystonia, and then they drink useless painkillers for years.

Tricky depression mimics trigeminal neuralgia (it goes from ear to eyebrow and lower jaw) and inflammation of the temporomandibular joint. Driven to despair, patients ask dentists to remove completely healthy teeth, which sometimes, incidentally, brings temporary relief. The mask of depression also causes a surprisingly vivid sensation of roughness and hairiness of the tongue.

Imitation of interruptions in the work of the heart, burning or cold behind the sternum. The results of the cardiogram do not correspond to the patient’s complaints, but doctors prescribe heart preparations for him out of pity. They reduce pain, but do not completely relieve it.

You think you have radiculitis, joint diseases, and neuralgia. But doctors, having looked at your x-ray, twist a finger at the temple. At the same time, your joints hurt not where you need to, but a few centimeters higher.

Depression without sleep disorders is like Fedor Konyukhov without legs. Moreover, sometimes insomnia may be the only symptom of masked depression. In this case, you will wake up unrefreshed, have breakfast with an aversion to food, and then come to work already tired and immediately fall down on a cigarette or a cup of coffee. Peaks of activity are possible, but usually they occur at 10-12 o’clock in the morning, and you still sleep at that time, because in the evening, despite your tiredness, you could not sleep and tossed and turned all night. And so every day.

You understand that sharks are not found in soup, and aliens for the most part do not want to kill you. But this does not help to defeat groundless fear. However, exotic phobias of depression are rarely characteristic. More often it causes fear of death from cessation of breath, panic attacks. Phobia is usually worse at night and in the morning.

8 Sexual Disorders

Erection weakening? Accelerated or, conversely, delayed ejaculation? Do not rush to bequeath your penis to science. Perhaps it is again about depression. By the way, the famous “demon in the ribs” (and in scientific terms, the desire for more and more powerful sexual stimuli) is also a sign of depression, and usually the earliest.

9 Addiction and alcoholism

Indulgence in bad habits brings momentary relief. A hangover or withdrawal is accompanied by monstrously violent symptoms taken from the previous eight points.

Clinical Depression Test

Here are 44 groups of statements. In each of them choose one answer option that best describes your well-being. Remember, your task is not to win, but to find out the truth. Answer sincerely. To make it easier for you to do this, we did not even obsessively “ridicule” the answers, as we usually do.

How to deal with depression

This part will be interesting primarily to people who have earned serious amounts in the test. If, according to the results, you don’t have depression, you can read this block with detached gloating. So, an independent way out of an unhappy state can take months or even years, and even then, provided that you protect yourself from stress - preferably, a monastery wall or a grove of palm trees. It’s easier to see a doctor, because depression is treatable. In fact, it is a metabolic failure. Doctors will treat you not only with pills, but also with intimate conversations (the most unpleasant part). Without simultaneous elimination of physiological and psychological factors, a person cannot be cured.

The psychotherapist should be your best friend for the next six months. Experienced mental trauma, mental stress, quarrels with others and internal conflicts, difficult feelings about one's own health - all this can underlie depression. Treatment only with powerful pills (without psychotherapy), of course, helps, but after discontinuation of the drugs, the ailment can drop in to visit you again.

What will they give you

Especially skilled psychotherapists sometimes take their ill-fated patients out of depression without any medication at all. Alas, in some cases you can’t do without drugs: a neglected disease destroys the brain so much that the balance of neurotransmitters is not restored itself.

The basis of any course of treatment. Side effects and doses may vary, but the purpose of the drugs is the same - to eliminate the biochemical basis of depression.

Vitamins and Biostimulants

And these useful pills will help you organize the supply of brain cells with energy and other trifles useful in work. Actually, these are not some secret substances, but the same vitamins that healthy people drink to increase their resistance to stress and immunity.

By themselves, these potent remedies do not cure depression. But they struggle with its symptoms (and sometimes even succeed in this): longing, fear, bodily manifestations. Antidepressants do not give an effect right away, so to make it more fun for you to wait, the doctor will probably prescribe you “trunks”.

In fact, these are ordinary sedatives, but they are so strong that they can even calm an elephant who has just lost all his relatives, both a tusk and a share in the business. Antipsychotics reduce arousal and eliminate fears, take the patient out of a mental impasse and reduce the bodily manifestations of masked depression.

However, it may not reach neuroleptics. Usually, doctors start a course with a cocktail of antidepressants and biostimulants. And only if it did not work, two other components are added.

Why it may not help

Pills are almost useless if the therapist has not eliminated the personality causes of depression - for example, did not force you to quit.

Shihan anxiety scale

If the first test gives a negative result, go to the second. The Sheehan test will help you find out if you even have anxiety — a condition that precedes depression. If even here you do not get enough points, then, alas, you are a mentally healthy person who now only needs to come up with new excuses for his impotence and congenital laziness.

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Depression, the symptoms of which can be detected by any person regardless of profession, age and social status, is a rather serious psychological problem. What is depression and how to distinguish it from ordinary bad mood?

Depression and its effects on health

When a person is overtaken by certain problems, for example, at work or in the family, the nervous system goes into a state of increased excitement, and after that the inhibition is a natural reaction. It is in this condition that the nervous system is in a period of depression. However, the problem is that this inhibition lasts long enough - they say about depression when its symptoms prevent a person from living for more than 2 weeks.

The most dangerous outcome of depression is suicide, the thoughts of which a person often brings a general state of hopelessness and uselessness. According to statistics, suicide is more often the result of depression in men, while women are less prone to suicidal moods. There are other, less global dangers, including health problems (problems with the cardiovascular system, increased risk of cancer), as well as social problems (in the field of work, relations with relatives and close people).

Signs of Depression

Today, very often people say: “I have depression”, meaning only another attack of bad mood and spleen. But a bad mood can easily go away on its own, without violating the quality of life, while signs of depression haunt a person for a long time. The main symptoms of depression include:

• Negative mood. It seems to the man that there are no prospects ahead, from the current situation that does not suit him, there is no way out, and he himself is not a worthy person who deserves attention and support. Hands drop, there is no desire to do something, and even hobbies that previously brought joy do not cause any emotional response.
• Sleep disturbances. Different patients have sleep disorders manifested in different ways: someone cannot fall asleep until the morning, someone, on the contrary, always wants to sleep. And in fact, and in another case, the normal rhythm of life is violated, and the body's strength is depleted faster.
• Appetite problems. They are also individual, and some people during the period of depression simply do not have any interest in food, and someone is trying to "seize" a bad mood.
• Lack of activity. It is very difficult to work during the period of depression - everything falls out of hand, it is difficult to make even the simplest decision, it is impossible to concentrate on one thing.

Often stress and depression following it lead to physical disturbances, so the appearance of unclear pains is possible. And, although there is one set of symptoms for each person, one thing is obvious: this is a real disease that requires treatment in order to prevent its development.

Depression Tests

Signs of depression are fairly obvious, and if you are attentive to your own mental health, you can suspect something was wrong without going to the therapist. However, for precise determination, specially designed tests and questionnaires are used, some of which are available for independent use (including online).

A well-known test for depression is the Beck scale, which consists of 21 categories of statements. In each of the categories there are 4 or 5 statements, and the subject selects what more accurately describes him from each group. In order to get the results, you need to add all the points that are assigned to the selected statements and analyze the amount. The less points the subject scored, the less pronounced his depression. At the same time, it is possible to separately assess what exactly the depression managed to influence: if a person scored a lot of points according to claims 1 to 13, then depression affects the psyche more, and if from 14 a psychological disorder managed to affect the physical sphere as well.

Of course, this is not the only test for depression, as there are many more options:

• easy-to-use jackal Zung, designed primarily to detect anxiety depression;
• a questionnaire for depressive states that distinguishes between neurotic and endogenous conditions;
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, designed to detect postpartum depression, and other techniques.

When to visit a specialist

Not always, having suspected signs of depression, a person seeks professional help - in most cases due to the fact that he does not consider the “protracted bad mood” as a disease as such. However, while mild forms of depression can still be dealt with on their own (especially if you know how to act), severe cases require complex therapy, including the participation of a specialist who uses appropriate tests for depression to accurately determine its type, severity and based on this, prescribe treatment.

Constant anxiety, the inability to force yourself to do even the most basic things, big problems with controlling your own emotions and reaction - all this, as well as other characteristic signs of depression like insomnia and loss of appetite, is already an occasion to consult a psychotherapist in order to determine a treatment program for depression. In this case, the approach to treating the disease may differ depending on what understanding of depression the psychotherapist adheres to, which you turned to. The cognitive-behavioral concept is aimed at forming the correct attitudes and beliefs. Interpersonal comes from the patient’s relationship and his relationships with other people. Psychodynamic aims at finding and eliminating an internal unconscious conflict.

Often, experts recommend the inclusion of various medications in the treatment of depression. This often causes negativity in most patients who believe that such drugs are addictive and should stop taking them, the signs of depression will return with renewed vigor. However, this is nothing more than a myth, since modern antidepressants and other drugs, in the first place, help the brain return to its normal state and provide it with a base so that it can cope in the future without the support of medications.

A disease diagnosed in the early stages is always easier and faster to cure, and depression in this case is no exception. It is recommended to be more attentive to your own mental health and seek support when necessary.

Depressive disorder is one of the most common psycho-emotional disorders in the world. According to various sources, from 10 to 12% of the world's population suffers from depression. More and more people, in particular, residents of megacities, are wondering - “ Do i have depression? " Every year, "a lady in black," as K.G. called her Jung is visited by about 250 million people. In addition to its direct impact on quality of life, depression carries a host of other dangers. So, it is a factor that increases the risk of anxiety and neurotic disorders, somatic diseases, as well as various kinds of addictions.

Depression is a fairly common psychoemotional disorder.

It is not always possible to detect depression immediately. It does not have obvious symptoms, like other diseases. Having become infected with the flu, a person determines its presence without difficulty. The person who is experiencing serious mental suffering looks physically healthy. How to bring this unsolicited guest to fresh water? One of the most reliable ways to answer the question "Do I have depression" is an online test. On the Internet there are a large number of techniques to identify it even without a visit to a psychologist. After evaluating the results, you can understand the severity of the disease, develop a strategy to improve your condition.

It should be borne in mind that when working with any technique, the main condition for effectiveness is honest answers to questions. Only then can we determine with accuracy that depression is the cause of problems with mood or well-being. An online determination test is the first step you can take to improve your condition. In principle, the procedure will not differ from filling in the methodology in the psychologist’s office.

Causes. Medications and emotional disturbances

Researchers currently believe that the problem may be related to a general genetic predisposition. Depending on the environment, it is implemented in different ways. Decadent disorders can occur when taking anticonvulsant drugs, corticosteroids, antipsychotics. Given these factors, it is logical to ask a question: how depression is recognized through an online test? The fact is that modern tests reveal not only psychological disorders, but also are aimed at identifying failures in the body that are caused by depression. Therefore, psychological diagnosis is necessary even when taking many drugs that are not directly related to the activity of the nervous system. This will help to correct side effects in time.

The cause of depression may even be a genetic predisposition

The role of neurotransmitters in the functioning of the nervous system

It is known that with an ailment, the production of substances important for the coordinated work of the nervous system and the body as a whole is disrupted - neurotransmitters (neurotransmitters). Since depression can be recognized by identifying symptoms of a deficiency or excess of these substances, you should pay close attention to those signals that the body gives.

Symptoms of Underproduction of Serotonin

Serotonin is a hormone that is produced in the pineal gland and digestive tract.. It is he who provides the optimal interaction of neurons in the nervous system. A high concentration of this neurotransmitter provokes an experience of emotional uplift and euphoria. It also affects the ability to remember information, concentration of attention. Often, violations in the production of serotonin appear due to a lack of sunlight in the autumn-winter period. Because of this, seasonal depression. Determination test  Serotonin is carried out in medical practice only if malignancy is suspected. Therefore, you can identify a lack of this hormone only by the following symptoms:

• Increased anxiety
• Sweating, tachycardia, dry mucous membranes
• Reduced performance
• Distraction, constant forgetfulness
• Decreased libido
• Digestive disorders

How to understand that you have depression associated with a lack of this hormone? First of all, you should pay attention to well-being and mood swings in the autumn. If these symptoms become relevant with shortened daylight hours, you can solve the problem by contacting a psychiatrist. The specialist will prescribe the necessary doses of antidepressants, which will help adjust the emotional background.

Noradrenaline deficiency

Another neurotransmitter, the development of which has a significant effect on the psychoemotional sphere of a person, is norepinephrine. It, like serotonin, is important for remembering information and concentration. Norepinephrine is responsible for the reaction of the body in a stressful situation - it helps to increase pressure, accelerates metabolic processes, increases the pulse. The body may have both increased and insufficient amounts of this hormone, which can significantly affect the level of depression. .

Lack of norepinephrine in the body can also cause depression

Symptoms of a lack of norepinephrine:

• decreased performance and motivation;
• motor inhibition;
• impaired memory and attention;
• fatigue;
• low speed of thought processes.

An excess of norepinephrine is indicated by:

• Hyperactivity
• High blood pressure;
• Feeling of fear and anxiety;
• Irritability;
• Alertness, increased reaction to signals from the outside world;
• Trouble falling asleep.

Violations associated with the production of norepinephrine often occur with prolonged or repeated stress. Being in a tense situation, the body begins to produce an increased amount of this neurotransmitter, which manifests itself in the form of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. How to understand that you have depression caused by an excess of norepinephrine? In addition to the listed symptoms, this hormone causes excessive emotional reactions to traumatic events.

Therefore, if a person is thrown into tears from any trifle, this is a serious sign that requires immediate psychotherapeutic intervention.

Signs of dopamine deficiency

Dopamine is the hormone responsible for good mood and positive reinforcement.. This neurotransmitter is produced by eating delicious food, having sex - that is, with any activity that brings pleasure. With a lack of dopamine, it can be difficult for a person to control his emotions. It has been proven that substances such as nicotine, alcohol, heroin and other drugs cause increased dopamine production. When various types of addictions are formed, the body loses its ability to independently produce dopamine. Since it is also important to detect depression for the prevention of addictive behavior, it is especially worth paying attention to the following signs of dopamine deficiency:

• Low motivation for achievement, lack of interest in activities that previously seemed fascinating;
• Fatigue, chronic fatigue;
• Low ability to concentrate, memory impairment;
• Constant self-incrimination;
• Auto-aggression (self-destruction);
• Tendency to procrastination;
• Inability to have fun.

You can increase dopamine levels with exercise.

You can increase dopamine levels with regular physical exercises, diet restrictions (you need to reduce sugar and caffeine intake, make up for magnesium deficiency), and abandon addictions, if any. How to identify depression due to dopamine deficiency in ordinary people who do not burden their bodies with alcohol or smoking?

Symptoms of a lower level of this hormone will be the same as for addiction-prone.

As a solution, you can try to engage in motivating activities, if possible reward yourself even for small achievements. So the brain will be able to learn again to produce this hormone in the required quantities, and the symptoms of depression will be reduced.

The presence and level of depression can be determined using special tests.

Definition of the disease - methods of domestic scientists

Of the developments of domestic scientists in the field of diagnosis of the disease, the following tests are popular.

• « Methods for determining the level of depression", Developed in 1988 by V.A. Zhmurov. The test consists of 44 points, each of which is aimed at diagnosing certain symptoms. The technique has been successfully used in work by many Russian psychologists and is characterized by the simplicity of data processing - to recognize depression levelwith her help everyone can;
• « Depressive Questionnaire", Or ODS, was developed at the Research Institute. Ankylosing spondylitis under the direction of researcher I.G. Bespalko in 1995. The technique is intended for the timely detection of one of the types - endogenous or neurotic. It must be remembered that the treatment of endogenous depression, as well as other disorders of this kind, are within the competence of psychiatrists. Unlike neurotic, this type requires medical treatment prescribed by a specialist. Therefore, this depression test  most often used by clinical and medical psychologists. The UDF includes 67 statements for which a positive or negative answer is required.
• In the diagnosis of psychoemotional state, the test "also occupies a special place" Neuropsychic resistance"Or NPU, which allows you to determine both the level of psychological endurance and the degree of physiological health of the body. The technique was developed at the Military Medical Academy of St. Petersburg. How to understand that you have depression? Test "NPU", despite the fact that it is not directly aimed at diagnosis, can effectively complement other methods. This questionnaire was designed to select employees for work in emergency situations, and today it is successfully used by both many psychotherapists and for independent psychodiagnostics of psychological resistance to stressful circumstances.

Foreign questionnaires to determine

Methods of European and American experts are also effective in the diagnosis. The most famous of them are:

• Test " Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale", Developed by foreign scientists A.S. Sigmond and R.P. Snate. The advantage of the method is ease of use and processing of results. The scale is often used in hospitals to identify signs \u003d in somatic patients who do not even ask themselves, “Do I have depression?” Meanwhile, those who are prone to the disease, visit a cardiologist 6 times more often than ordinary people. 2 times more often they become patients of a neuropathologist, ENT specialist and urologist.
• « Tsung Scale"- a test that has proven reliability and is most suitable for the independent detection of depression. The test was created by the researcher William Tsung, T.N. adapted in domestic practice. Balashova at the Research Institute of Ankylosing Spondylitis. How to understand that you have depression with the Tsung scale? To do this, answer twenty test questions. They measure several indicators. For example, mood changes, the presence or absence of feelings of emotional emptiness, irritability or indecision - in a word, those signs that make it possible to accurately identify depression. The condition of the test person is considered normal if he scores up to 49 points on this scale.
• « Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale", Or ESHPD. The phenomenon of postpartum depression has long been known. Is it possible to quickly determine depression in women in childbirth? The ESD test, developed in 1987 by researchers Edinburgh and Livingston, is designed specifically for new parents. The method can be used not only by women in labor, but also to determine emotional disorders in fathers. Of the convenience of the test - a relatively short time (test takes about 5 minutes), a high level of reliability indicators.
• « Beck Depression Scale"Was developed back in 1961 by US researcher Aaron Beck. How to recognize psycho-emotional disorders in time, how to determine depression at an early stage? The Beck Depression Scale test will be useful even to those who consider themselves psychologically healthy. Test questions suggest an assessment of psychological characteristics, as well as physiological parameters - sleep, appetite. Aaron Beck is known for his developments in cognitive psychotherapy, but he was most interested in depression. The online test for this disorder, like many other methods, is now publicly available. Over the long time of its use, it has been repeatedly revised and adapted to modern conditions. Therefore, the Beck scale is one of the most effective tests for self-diagnosis. The Beck definition of depression today consists of 21 statements - this is a simplified version that measures the most important indicators.
• « Hamilton Scale for Depression". This technique is recommended for those with chronic depression. The test helps determine the dynamics of treatment. With its help, you can identify how effective this or that method turned out to be. The questions in this test are aimed at identifying symptoms of psychoemotional disorders not only at the current moment, but also a few days before testing.

Do not underestimate the danger of depression!

You need to remember: depression is not as harmless a violation as it might seem at first glance. It is believed that about 80% of visitors to a regular clinic suffer from it in one form or another. In order to learn how to work with your condition and improve it, sometimes radical measures are needed - visiting a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, changing your living conditions. And sometimes you just need to take a test to get started. “Do I have depression or not?” - everyone should answer for themselves independently. Indeed, not only his health and well-being, but also the emotional state of loved ones depends on the state of an adult.