What is depression?

Depression is a psychological disorder that currently affects thousands of people around the world. It is considered a serious emotional illness because it can lead to death. Depression can drastically decrease the will to live, to eat, to relate and even to seek to grow.

It is a cycle that can trigger several other diseases considered mental and emotional and this has a totally negative effect of who triggers or develops this disease. To understand how it works and what needs to be done in cases of personal identification or for someone close continue reading, so you will discover what the types, what the symptoms and what to do. Information saves lives!

Possible causes of depression

Depression is a disease that its causes and its origins come from several ways, then it ends up causing the presence of others, making it difficult to diagnose the exact first cause, so it is worth taking care and be aware of any of the following causes. Like any disease, diagnosing as soon as possible helps a lot.

It is important to point out that very few people enter the paralyzing state of depression all at once, most people go along little by little having small signs and not treating themselves. What started as a seed ends up becoming a huge tree that is very difficult to cut down by yourself. It is worth repeating, the way is to ask for help.

Biochemistry

For our brain to function perfectly it needs thousands of small ingredients that when they are missing cause a negative biochemical reaction that can alter our original state. This state is variable and can cause several things like stress, appetite change and even depression.

Besides the alteration caused by neurotransmitters, hormonal dysfunctions can lead to this same imbalance in the brain, such as the lack of vitamin D, low level of endorphin, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Known as happiness hormones, their deficiency generates the opposite.

Genetics

It is perfectly possible to state that with the advance of biogenetics in recent years the answer to many diseases and even the way of preventive treatment has evolved a lot. Today it is possible to find out if you have a predisposition to various diseases, being possible the treatment even before the disease manifests itself.

In a sampling study with twins, a meta-analysis of data identified that the heritability rate for depression is 37%. Another study points out that the rate may increase if you have cases in the family, but it is important to emphasize that the studies did not point out a genetic inheritance, so there is no need to worry, but it is always worth preventing.

Personality

Personality is a set of psychological characteristics that are formed throughout your life, basically is your pattern of behavior between feeling, thinking and acting, is something unique and exclusive to each being shaped by experiences, experiences and teachings carried since childhood. Patterns that are not always positive and bring problems.

This type of personality is more prone to receive negative messages with a greater emotional charge, all information, directly or indirectly, can be a trigger and trigger a deep sadness and progressively evolve to depression. Care must be doubled for this evolution not to happen and generate this disorder.

Environmental factors

The environmental causes are also known as external factors that can lead to depression. This disease is an illness that attacks the brain, leading the person to develop other diseases and even die, either by worsening the symptoms or by suicide. The external factors that lead to this condition are very varied and can be different for each person.

The lack of sunlight, for example, can be considered an environmental cause because it reduces the body's vitamin D. Other causes can be stress, a traumatic event, clinical diseases and even inflammatory reactions. The fact is that those who develop a depression picture do not have exactly a "reason", but a junction of small circumstances.

Enabling factors

A person diagnosed with potential depression or even already suffering from the disease needs to be careful about certain things in order not to have the disease worsen. Something common in everyday life can become a trigger and lead to a worsening of the condition, which is difficult to predict exactly, but some things can be observed.

The contact with negative people is a big problem, a person who is sick and meets a person who only knows how to talk about negative things, will deliver an unnecessary load, just like the sensationalist programs that promote misfortune all the time, will generate an accumulation of things, thoughts and destructive feelings.

Stress at work or at home, fights, bullying, emotional abuse and so on, everything is a trigger that can explode at any moment. Just as a person with lung cancer does not go to a shisha circle, a person with depression needs to protect themselves from this type of situation, health comes first, above all.

Types of depression

Depression is a disease that affects the emotional aspects of the brain causing a series of symptoms that generally lead the person to a state of deep bitterness. However there are different levels and types of depression, understanding these differences is necessary mainly to offer a more appropriate treatment to the patient. Learn below which ones!

Persistent depressive disorder

Mild but long-lasting depression can last for more than two years. Due to its longevity it ends up deteriorating the patient's physical, mental, and social health little by little, leading the person deeper and deeper into his or her own anguish and suffering. It is not an abrupt change and exactly because of that it can be difficult to diagnose.

This type of depression does not walk alone and usually comes accompanied by other symptoms that will worsen, can be confused with a sadness and in some cases even victimism. The truth is that few people are prepared to deal with their depression and even fewer are prepared to deal with depression in people they love.

Perinatal or postpartum depression

A great victory for the whole society is the level of evolution of understanding that has been had about this specific depression. This disease has always affected several mothers throughout the ages, but because of the prejudice and the demand imposed by society, many women keep silent and suffer alone.

In recent years this reality has been changing where the mothers themselves have created a support network around women who needed this help, besides helping in the prevention of these diseases, women today understand that this situation is a cause that can happen and are more open to actually feel and seek specific help.

Psychotic depression

The term "psychotic" already causes some sensations of astonishment and fear in people, however the term is mainly used to describe the outbursts that come along with this depression of delirium and paranoia. However it is one of the easiest directions to identify because it manifests an abrupt change in the person's behavior.

The preparation for these types of situations is the main thing, it is not recommended to get into a direct confrontation and a vision that family and friends need to have is that at that moment who is taking the actions is not the person they love, but a paranoia that is in the head of this person. The goal in dealing with these cases is to try to bring the person back to lucidity and seek immediate treatment.

Seasonal affective disorder

It is a depression that happens in a specific period that tends to be mostly in the winter periods. Studies prove that the cloudy and rainy day, and even the colder temperatures cause a low esteem in the brain with a higher rate than in the days of clear skies, sun and high temperatures. The lack of vitamins absorbed on these days is also a risk factor, leading to the developmentof triggers for depression.

Bipolar affective disorder

The exact cause of this disorder is not yet known, but the likely circumstances is a combination of factors such as genetics, environment, brain structure and chemistry. This disorder takes a person from high to low in an abrupt manner and without a definite time frame the person can go from very depressed to extremely cheerful in a day.

It is extremely difficult to live together because the mood swings can generate a lot of friction and challenges for the family. The ideal is that after the diagnosis the treatment remains strict and serious, this will help both sides. Dealing with a bipolar person is challenging, but remember that she is sick and needs the help of the family to treat herself.

The symptoms come in the form of episodes, which can include euphoria, difficulty sleeping and loss of contact with reality. While in depressive moments it can manifest lack of energy and motivation, and loss of interest in daily activities. The symptoms can be varied and treatment can greatly improve the episodes.

Signs of depression

The symptoms of depression can present themselves in various ways and intensity, many times it is confused only as a despondency or a lack of interest without expression, but with the advance of the disease it can become disabling and more difficult to treat, besides having as an extreme consequence death, either by suicide or other causes.

For a long time this disease was treated with much prejudice by society, making it difficult for people who were suffering from it to ask for help. Many experts place it as the disease of the 21st century, and the opening that society gave to the debate was very important to break this paradigm and save lives.

Constant sad mood

Life and the day to day push situations that many times end up discouraging and really putting the person in a low mood, but not the eternal evil and when the episodes of sadness become constant and longer lasting is a red flag that something is not right.

When a person begins to isolate himself and stop living new experiences this begins to become disabling, and this symptom is so subtle that many times not even those who live with the person can notice immediately. Self-monitoring and protection with friends and family needs to be constant because everyone is susceptible.

Total hopelessness

The characteristic of humanity is hope, not all that is said that it is the last to die. Hopelessness in a first moment can be connected only to a pessimistic person, but this reality becomes increasingly greater when the person simply can no longer find a reason to live.

Motivation is very much associated with personal development and high performance, however everyone needs a reason that will govern their actions. When a person stops seeing this reason they simply have no reason to do anything, and this is very dangerous because if they have nothing else to do here then why stay alive? This is the dangerous thought and the question that needs to beanswered in a positive way.

Irritability

Another change in behavior that can exist is constant irritability, it seems that the noise of a feather falling to the ground is already a chaos and can lead to fights without any sense. This is an extremely difficult symptom because it generates a lot of friction during its manifestation and not always people can identify at the time.

What is worth observing is the context of the situations, starting with the personality of the person, if she was calm and started to manifest this irritability something is not right, but when the person already has this more explosive behavior it is difficult to support in the first moment and family and friends end up suffering as well as the person.

Constant guilt

Martyrdom and self-punishment can be manifested by the symptom of constant guilt, here it is not worth making a value judgment of the reasons for this guilt because the person may have killed someone and feel guilty, or may have just broken a glass. This guilt is usually not rational and rationalizing with the person will not solve it.

This guilt can manifest from a real situation and then be prolonged and aggravated by depression, usually this guilt manifests itself in several depressions because the person feels guilty for being in that situation and take the suffering to other people, it can be common after the diagnosis verifying the depression.

No pleasure in living

Our brain has two specific areas responsible for pleasure, which are the limbic system and the nucleus accumbens, whose neurons have numerous receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine, the "pleasure molecule". This whole system was developed primarily to drive the body to actions.

When a problem occurs in this system or depression attacks this system the person becomes without will or enthusiasm to do anything at all, the most severe cases, leads the person to lock himself in his house or in his room without eating or at least going to the bathroom, generating other diseases and death.

Lack of vitality

The lack of vitality by itself is already a problem, but the consequences that it brings to the life of the person who is going through this problem is terrible and can further hinder the diagnosis and treatment. A man without vitality decreases his sexual appetite, and due to the macho taboo to admit this fact is extremely embarrassing.

No wonder that the suicide rate among men is almost 2x higher than in women, the act of asking for help and dealing with their feelings was never taught and stimulated to men and is not even a little natural. Aligned to this, attitudes that can lead to lack of vitality as smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep and an unbalanced diet, is also higher among men, worseningeven more of a problem.

Restlessness

This symptom can come masked as imperativeness or even concern, but when it becomes frequent it needs to be treated before it evolves into a more serious and difficult to treat case. The fight against depression is a race where whoever comes out ahead wins life, treatment at the beginning generates a faster and more effective recovery.

Lack of concentration

The lack of concentration is aligned with several other symptoms such as lack of vitality or no pleasure to live. The tasks become heavier and more tiring generating a cycle that feeds itself, the heavier the tasks the more discouragement and less vitality, pleasure or motivation. The path is turbulent and difficult, but reversible and satisfying after recovery andthere are many methods for help.

Dysregulated sleep

In the digital age that we live in the habit of taking the cell phone to bed or continue watching one more episode of the series may seem fragile and harmless, but the chemicals released during sleep help in the correct maintenance of our brain and the lack of adequate sleep can generate other problems as well as can be the problem itself.

Change in appetite

This symptom as well as some others may be linked to other syndromes, but they also present themselves within the clinical picture of depression, mainly caused by other major symptoms. The ideal is not to let it go because food takes the energy that the body needs, whatever the reason to stop eating is harmful to everyone.

Suicidal thoughts

This is a symptom that should never, ever be ignored. Do not take it as a joke or a drama of those who ask you for help in this regard. The act of taking one's own life is not rational and does not involve courage, it is something that happens in a fraction of a second and that often is too late to repent. Help and watch those you love, because this disease is silent and can really bedeadly.

Headaches

The constant headaches can also mean several other problems and diagnose depression by her is very difficult, but exhausted other reasons this is one that can not be ignored, especially if it comes accompanied by other latent symptoms described here. Only a professional will be able to diagnose and indicate the correct treatment.

How to prevent depression

The silence and the sneaky way this disease presents itself is very dangerous, most of the time you only know you have a problem when it presents itself in a serious way. But that doesn't mean there are no ways to prevent against it, most things you probably already know, but you need to understand the importance of doing. Continue reading to see ways to preventdepression.

Beware of alcohol and drugs

The term "socially" has taken on a new meaning in recent times and unfortunately the abuse of alcohol and drugs has become more frequent. Both substances lower the critical sense and aligned with this brings to the surface what is repressed inside. The more the problems come to the surface the use of these substances changes in meaning.

When problems are latent, both alcohol and drugs become a kind of fictitious amoral escape, the more you try to escape the more reality comes back and the more you try to escape, generating a vicious chain where the path is almost always problematic, so really do things in moderation.

Attention to overwork

Overwork is one thing that can bring about various problems, be it stress or heart problems or even amplify the need for escape that brings about the previous problem. No amount of money or profession is worth the price of your health and well being, at the end of life only the moments of happiness is what you really take from this world.

Regular exercise

The act of exercising can be a challenge for some people, but the benefits contained in the act make the effort worthwhile. Starting with the oxygenation in the blood that will increase naturally, providing more spirit, resistance and willingness to face the daily rush.

Besides being chemically and hormonally an excellent shield against depression and related disorders because in physical exercise is released quantities of endorphin, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, the known hormones of happiness. Of course it is a new habit for those who do not practice and it takes time to get used to it, but it is very worth it in the long run.

Volunteering

The act of giving and practicing charity gives you another perspective on life, gives contact with different stories of your conviviality. Often it is possible to observe the overcoming and resilience of people and be inspired by this. But avoid volunteering where the situation is sensitive for you, such as a nursing home or an orphanage, the goal is to feel good.

Pursue your attitude of gratitude

Be grateful for what you have and if you think you have nothing be grateful for your life. The act of feeling gratitude is small and can bring a very good feeling, force yourself to live this feeling if it is difficult for you, write every day in a notebook 3 things for which you felt grateful that day, this simple exercise can make a big difference.

What to do when noticing the signs of depression?

Do everything, any attitude in order to overcome is better than nothing. Talk to people close to you and expose the situation, and do not get frustrated if they do not understand, denial is normal for human beings in difficult times. Second and most important is, seek the help of a professional, is not demerit or frills, do not feel ashamed and do not be afraid, you are being very strong toto seek that help.

Thirdly, do everything and maintain constancy, the process may seem slow, but the result is effective. Seek the reception in faith regardless of which, do physical exercises and especially focus on your improvement, this is the time to think first in you to then think about how to help others.