Depression: the 9 symptoms, how to get out?

Dull mood, loss of tone, frequent irritation, fear of the next day? One in five people would experience depression. More so, women. What symptoms should alert? How to fight against depression? 

Almost eight million people have experienced or will experience depression in their lifetime. Along with anxiety, it is the most common of mood disorders. Depression is also the psychological disorder that has experienced the greatest boom in recent years, to the point that the use of antidepressants has skyrocketed. 

Definition: what is depression?

Depression is a mood disorder. Deep sadness, despair, a lack of desire to live, withdrawal into oneself, loss of interest and motivation for daily activities, changes in behavior, and psychic and motor slowing are all symptoms of depression, which can lead to suicide in the most extreme cases. True depression, also known as a major depressive episode, is not just a wave-to-soul lasting a few days. It causes a specific set of symptoms that appear over at least two weeks and can last for weeks, months, or even years.

Types of depression

Depressed state

Depression is a psychological disorder characterized by a characteristic depressive state. This results in a drop in mood, a lack of interest in activities that are usually a source of pleasure, a feeling of guilt, and/or a drop in self-esteem. Depression can also affect sleep and diet and lead to suicidal thoughts.

Chronic depression

Chronic depression is defined as depression that lasts for at least two years. When antidepressants and psychotherapy are ineffective, hospitalization in a psychiatric setting may be required.

Reactive depression

This can be the result of bereavement, an accident, a professional problem… or even sometimes events that may seem trivial. People in reactive depression are prone to unwanted crying, sleep disturbances and present the symptoms of a classic depression: sadness, loss of interest and motivation, withdrawal into oneself, psychic and motor slowing down, changes in behavior.

Postpartum depression

In the first case, the young mothers are sad, have sudden crying attacks, they are irritable, sometimes sleepless and anxious, symptoms that appear between one and three days after birth and disappear spontaneously after two weeks.“. In the case of postpartum depression, the symptoms are a deep and lasting sadness, an almost total disinterest in daily activities, insomnia, irritability and anxiety, permanent fatigue as well as disturbances in the interaction between mother and child “.

Seasonal depression

This depressive episode, which affects women and children more often, usually occurs in the fall or early winter and lasts until spring. “The symptoms are those of a depressive episode: permanent sadness, loss of interest in everyday activities, sweet bulimia, hypersomnia, drowsiness and intense fatigue upon awakening,”. “It entails exposing yourself to bright light,” our expert explains. The sessions are half-hour long. However, commercially available light therapy lamps are also available.

What are the Nine signs of depression?

According to the WHO, nine symptoms of depression. They vary from one individual to another. Among them :

• a sad mood expressed almost every day, often more pronounced in the morning than in the evening, sometimes resulting in unmotivated crying spells; loss of interest in usual activities,
• a general decrease in libido;
• self-deprecation,
• guilt vis-à-vis those around them,
• systematic and exaggerated doubt about the value of his actions or his ideas;
• recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal ideation;
• psychomotor slowing resulting in difficulty concentrating, loss of vigilance, memory loss, difficulty following or participating in a conversation; indecision in the face of the simplest choices;
• significant variation in weight (5% of body mass) in loss or gain;
• sleep disorder manifested by insomnia (difficulty falling asleep, waking up at night) or hypersomnia (frequent urge to sleep, conscious or unconscious desire to find refuge in sleep); the feeling of fatigue in the morning.

Helping a loved one who suffers from depression

In the slightest doubt, if you notice that a loved one has changed, it is essential to make him admit his condition and his need for treatment. The objective is that he consults, ideally a specialist, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. If not, he can see his GP first, who is usually well trained in the problem of depression. If necessary, the latter prescribes antidepressants, which will be used to get the head out of the water to be able to start work with a psychotherapist or a psychologist in a second step. It is important not to let the situation get worse.

On a daily basis, here are some tips:

• No guilt . Often relatives do not understand the reasons for the discomfort, especially when there is no major problem. So they can feel responsible and this can create tension. Know that depression has multiple and complex causes and that you are not the cause.
• No complaints . No need to overwhelm him more by reproaching him a thousand times and trying to motivate him too brutally with phrases like “stop hanging out in bed”, “don’t let yourself go”, “others are more unhappy than you”. ..
• Support and listen . It is important that you remain patient, even if he or she rehashes the same ideas and doesn’t seem to be listening to you. On the other hand, avoid the trap of close and stifling protection. The risk is that the depressed person will feel infantilized and diminished. 
• Affection and small gestures . Even if your loved one does not seem to react, he or she will be sensitive to it. On your side, your efforts can sometimes seem useless to you. It is not, on the contrary.

Last Say,

In India, People are Curious to know about symptoms of depression. I came across this topic when I was doing keyword research for my website.  Many articles have been written on the Hindi website on these topics.