People may not be unfamiliar with depression . From his "brother" Leslie Cheung who committed suicide due to depression in his early years, to rock musician Nirvana's Cobain, Oscar winner Robin Williams, and more recently to Qiao Renliang and Linkin Park's lead singer. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, there are 350 million people suffering from depression around the world, and depression may become the second largest disease in humans. The number of suicides due to depression is as high as 1 million every year. The number of patients with depression in China has reached 90 million, but nearly 70% have not been "identified". About 280,000 people commit suicide in China every year, 40% of whom suffer from depression.
The terrifying depression is like "smog" and is attacking more and more people. So, what exactly is depression? How to spot latent depression? How do we deal with depression when it strikes? Let us talk about this "number one psychological killer" together.
Depression, a "cold of the soul"
"Xiao Cui, I heard that you are depressed." Aunt Baiyun's words on the Spring Festival Gala many years ago made many Chinese viewers pay attention to depression on TV for the first time. Cui Yongyuan spoke frankly about his depression when he was a guest on CCTV's " Art Life ". He said that the biggest problem he faced at the beginning of his illness came from the people around him, because they did not think he was sick at all.
In fact, there are many such examples in life. Many people are latent patients with depression. They have negative thoughts and pessimistic life. Once they encounter negative events, they will suffer from depression, which will have serious adverse effects on their life and work. But even so, many patients with depression do not know what depression is or whether they are suffering from depression for a long time. There was an online survey on depression in China, and the results showed that only 25.02% of netizens said they knew a lot about depression; 63.99% of netizens said they had heard of it, but didn’t know much about it; 6.44% of netizens said they knew there was a problem, but didn’t know it was a disease; and 4.56% of netizens said they had no idea at all.
Ms. Wang is 60 years old. People who know her can hear her say almost every day, "My daughter got divorced and they all blame me." What's going on? It turned out that this woman did not help her daughter and son-in-law take care of the children. Later, her daughter's marriage broke up. She believed that her daughter and son-in-law divorced because of this incident. Moreover, she had been doubting this for a long time, and gradually became depressed and mentally depressed. Her daughter took her to the hospital for treatment, and she was diagnosed with depression.
Compared with Ms. Wang’s experience, 12-year-old Xiaogang is unlucky. Xiaogang has always been more conscious in his studies and his grades are relatively stable. But after entering junior high school, Xiaogang's academic performance dropped significantly due to his parents' divorce. He couldn't concentrate in class, communicated less with classmates, and often sat alone in a corner wiping tears. When I got home, looking at Xiao Gang who was struggling to do his homework, his mother was very angry: "Why don't you understand Mom so much? Why don't you pay more attention to your studies so that I can relax a little bit..." Her mother kept complaining like this. However, what caught her off guard was that Xiao Gang, who had been silent all day, suddenly turned around and walked towards the window. As he climbed onto the window sill, he jumped out and died on the spot. By the time the mother realized her son's behavior, it was too late. Later, by describing Xiaogang's condition, my mother realized that he had long suffered from depression.
It is not difficult to see from the above cases that the claws of depression never only extend to celebrities. Research by the World Health Organization shows that the global annual prevalence rate of depression is about 11%, and the suicide rate due to depression is as high as 15%, making it known as the "number one psychological killer." "We have to admit that depressive disorder may trouble people at all times due to its high incidence, recurrence and suicide rates." Wang Gang, a medical consultant to this publication, deputy director of Beijing Anding Hospital, and an expert on mental illness, Wang Gang said that there may be a patient with depression "lurking" around everyone, and everyone often has the bad emotion of "depression" in their heart.In fact, every patient with depression has more or less unfortunate experiences or is under great pressure, many of which are related to factors such as genes and changes in brain neurotransmitters. In addition, the social environment is also one of the important causes of depression. Too fast a pace of life and excessive work pressure are factors that cannot be ignored in causing depression. "Everyone is likely to catch a common cold, and depression is a 'cold of the soul.' A common cold can heal on its own, but if depression is not treated, it is likely to evolve into a life-consuming serious illness. The World Health Organization's lifetime incidence survey on depressive disorders shows that 11% of people have experienced quite severe depression that requires treatment at some time in their lives."
Depressive constitution: These people are more likely to be targeted
Nowadays, society is developing rapidly, the pace of modern life is accelerating, and the pressure of work and social survival is increasing. Many people find it difficult to release themselves in daily life. Complaints such as "mourning" and "Buddhist mentality" seem to have become the normal life of many people. Because of this, the incidence of depression has been increasing in recent years.
However, "depression" and "depressed mood" are two completely different conditions. Depression, also known as depressive disorder, is characterized by significant and persistent low mood and is the main type of mood disorder . The degree of depression varies from depression to grief, low self-esteem, depression, and even pessimism and world-weariness, resulting in attempts or behaviors such as suicide. Some cases have obvious anxiety and motor agitation; in severe cases, hallucinations, delusions and other psychotic symptoms may occur. Depression is a disease caused by problems with human body functions, and depression is only a manifestation of depression, but it does not mean that depression is depression.
Depression will inhibit a person's normal psychological and physiological functions. To restore normal functions, it is necessary to use drugs to restore the patient's autonomous brain function; and then gradually reduce the dose of the drug to keep the patient's brain function at its maximum function. After completing a course of depression treatment, patients can effectively return to their normal lives. So, which groups are prone to depression?
According to experts, there are many types of depression. Some depressions are mainly based on physiological factors, and some are mainly based on psychological factors. Genetic factors account for about 60%, and acquired environmental influences account for 40%. If one parent suffers from depression, the probability of their children suffering from depression is as high as 25%. If both parents are patients, the attack rate of and will increase to 50% to 75%. In addition, the following groups of people are relatively more likely to be targeted by depression.
1. Suffering a major life blow, such as widowhood (especially elderly widowhood), divorce, unemployment, etc.
2. New mothers after giving birth.
3. Elderly people.
4. There are chronic negative life events and long-term stress.
5. People who have too low self-esteem, often rely on others, blame themselves or have poor ability to withstand stress.
"Actually, depression now affects almost every age group of adults." Director Tian of the Mental Health Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University said frankly that some patients with depression are already very ill, but he does not think this is a disease because Therefore, they did not seek treatment from professional doctors; some patients were recommended to the psychiatry department after failed diagnosis and treatment in other departments, and were unable to face their condition after diagnosis; other patients knew very well in their hearts and knew that they should seek guidance and treatment from professional doctors, but they were afraid of being discriminated against and found it difficult to take the first step. "Actually, depression, like many chronic diseases, requires standardized treatment. However, the vast majority of patients have a sense of 'stigma.'"
In fact, most people will encounter depression in their lives. According to follow-up studies, 95% of people will experience depression at some point in their lives. So, how do you confirm whether you are suffering from depression? According to mental health experts, patients with depression often feel that although their bodies are alive, their sense of self is dead.Feeling depressed for no reason, losing appetite, and losing interest in things you once liked, resulting in a long-lasting sense of uselessness, helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. In the later stages, cognitive function damage may even occur, such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and longer reaction times. At the same time, severe insomnia or drowsiness will occur, either difficulty falling asleep or waking up early, or being unable to get out of bed. "Depression is not simply self-pity or sadness. It is a mental illness with significant and persistent low mood as the main clinical feature, causing a series of physical and mental discomfort. The public can use it as a screening reference, but diagnosis still requires a specialist, because the diagnosis of depression is not easy. In addition, there are 5 easily overlooked symptoms of depression that everyone should pay special attention to."
◎Forgetful Hesitation During a depressive episode, some patients will show symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and indecisiveness, which directly lead to low work efficiency and are more prone to making mistakes than usual.
◎Migraine The prevalence of migraine in patients with depression is three times that of patients without depression. If patients with migraine and depression and anxiety only receive analgesic treatment, it will not be beneficial to the depression and anxiety, and some patients will experience worsening headaches.
◎ Staying in bed for more than two weeks. I always stay in bed. When I wake up, I feel weak, have no interest in doing anything, and have no motivation to get up. If this situation lasts for ten days and a half, you should be diagnosed with depression.
◎Discomfort in the digestive tract and heart. Some patients may be introverted and not easily express their feelings. Their depressed mood is not obvious. They often suffer from somatization disorders , such as loss of appetite, not wanting to eat, constipation, etc., or they often feel palpitations, chest tightness and other symptoms, which may also be symptoms of depression.
◎Neck and back pain Some depression mainly manifests as some physical symptoms. For example, the most common is chronic pain in various parts of the body, especially the trunk and limbs.
Get out of depression, I hope you won’t be defeated
Those of us who have never suffered from depression still can’t figure it out. If a person is not even afraid of death, what else can he not live for? "If there was a bottle of euthanasia in front of me, I would definitely not be alive now." A patient who has recovered from depression said. It is not difficult to see from this that depression, in addition to psychological and physical devastation, also causes psychological and physical torture. Therefore, you must not hide your illness and avoid medical treatment.
In fact, depression can be treated, and almost all patients with depression can greatly improve their condition after receiving correct treatment. However, depression is very easy to relapse. Among patients who have experienced one episode, at least 50% will have one or more relapses; and among patients who have experienced two episodes, at least 80% will relapse again. On average, a person who has suffered from depression may face 4 to 8 relapses in his or her lifetime. So, how should we face the invasion of this "number one psychological killer"?
First of all, if you suspect that you have a mental illness, you must go to a regular psychiatric hospital for examination. Do not rely on the so-called "depression self-examination" on the Internet for self-diagnosis, because the diagnosis of depression requires comprehensive diagnosis based on medical history, clinical symptoms, course of disease, physical examination, and laboratory tests.
Secondly, you must trust the judgment of professional doctors. is more important to receive treatment. For patients diagnosed with depression, treatment needs to be started according to the methods recommended by the doctor. Remember, never stop taking, increase or decrease the dosage of medicine at will. In addition, psychotherapy should also be included throughout the entire process.
Finally, change a lifestyle.
【Keep exercising】During exercise, the brain will produce morphine-like endorphin hormone substances, which can make people feel happy.
【Outdoor Socializing】Force yourself to go out, contact more friends, participate in social activities or travel. Although it will be painful inside at first, as long as you persist for a period of time, the negative emotional feelings will be slowly dissolved by the external environment, and your self-confidence will be rekindled.
【Don't be separated from your family】When serving your family, don't skimp on your share. For example, make breakfast and buy new clothes.
[Keep in touch with family and friends] The contact mentioned here is not about calling to say hello or asking for help when you need something, but about real communication, talking to each other about your interests, wishes, motivation, pressure, worries, etc.
【Develop a hobby】It may become a bridge for you to connect with family, friends, colleagues and even strangers. People who share common interests are usually more likely to understand and trust each other.
[Integrate into your work team] Turn colleagues into people who can rely on each other and understand each other, divide work and cooperate, share ideas, and share risks.
Most patients with depression are cheerful and lively in life, and often do not easily express their emotions and feelings. Some are even ashamed to seek help from a psychologist, and end up taking the most irrational path. What we can do is to pay more attention to and care for patients with depression, give them more love and help within our ability, save their lives before they go into the abyss of isolation and loneliness, and accompany them towards the light. And they themselves must learn to face depression and their own lives, look at difficulties with an optimistic attitude, actively seek help, and get out of the predicament of depression.
The road of life has never been smooth. Those people you envy who always live a happy life also have a difficult and long journey, but they are better at handling the difficulties and sufferings they face. You have to believe that nothing is difficult enough to give up your life. You are never alone. There are family and friends behind you who love you. As long as you reach out, they will give you the warmest embrace.
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The clinical significance of the rapid onset of antidepressant drugs:
●can relieve symptoms faster, reduce the risk of suicide, and improve the treatment compliance of patients with depression;
●shorten the treatment cycle and reduce the economic and social burden of patients as early as possible;
●increase the cure rate of patients and improve their long-term prognosis.
