Depression is a depressed mood that goes on over time. It arises as a result of experiencing certain emotions. However, remember that not all sadness is depression. For an accurate diagnosis, it is worth going to a specialist. This disease can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. How are severe mood disorders diagnosed? What causes them?
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What is depression?
Many people wonder what depression is. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers it to be one of the leading causes of inability to work. More and more people suffer from it, mostly women. Every tenth patient who comes to a GP with a different problem is diagnosed with full-blown depression. Unfortunately, in many patients it cannot be diagnosed, and a significant proportion of people do not receive adequate treatment. This makes it worth knowing the symptoms of depression, as well as the basics of its diagnosis and treatment.
What is depression caused by?
So far, the causes of the progression of severe mood disorders are not fully understood. According to clinical trials, depressive states are extremely common along with somatic diseases, such as:
- hypertension,
- diabetes,
- neurological diseases.
Remember that depression can be conditioned by:
biologically – it results from abnormalities in the production of neurotransmitters, e.g. serotonin and norepinephrine,
psychologically – it occurs through a very stressful event, e.g. death of a loved one, illness, divorce.
Depression can also be caused by the side effects of drugs or are associated with exposure to psychoactive substances.
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Symptoms of depression
The characteristic symptoms of depression include:
- limitation of life activities, contact with friends and family, lack of any interests,
- pessimistic thinking,
- the appearance of anxiety and neurosis,
- feeling of hopelessness, decreased energy, low self-esteem,
- attempted suicide, self-harm,
- loss of joy in life, constant feeling of sadness,
- neutralization,
- concentration disorders, worse memory,
- insomnia, difficulty falling asleep
- a significant decrease in libido,
- menstrual disorders.
How do you recognize depression? Which doctor should you go to?
Every doctor, not only a psychiatrist, diagnoses depression. If you suspect this disease in yourself or someone close to you, you can also use teleportation without leaving your home. A quick two-question test helps to make a diagnosis. The first one concerns the reduction of interests and the weakening of the feeling of pleasure during the last month. The second, on the other hand, deals with the issue of feeling depressed and sad. The appearance of at least one positive answer should prompt a specialist to investigate depression more thoroughly.
A thorough psychiatric examination and an interview with the patient (sometimes also with the family) are the basic methods of diagnosing depression. It is also important to recognize potential coexisting mental disorders. It is important to remember to assess your somatic health and perform a complete set of laboratory tests to exclude or confirm general medical disorders. They may contribute to the development of depression or coexist with it (e.g. thyroid disease).
