Many of the psychological problems experienced by psychotherapy patients are related to sadness and emotional pain. This means that, sometimes, this feeling of deep discomfort is interpreted by those who suffer from it as an example of a very popular disorder: depression.
Those who do not feel like doing anything, notice how they lack motivation for everything, feel extremely sad and even have difficulty experiencing joy or fun, apparently they are manifesting symptoms related to depression; However, you have to be careful with these assessments.
It is possible that you have one of those disorders that are similar to depression but are not, and, of course, you may not really suffer from any mental disorder. In this article we will explore the first option: that of the mental illnesses and disorders similar to depression.
First of all, we must bear in mind that diagnosing a mental disorder is very complicated and requires the involvement of health professionals who are experts in the subject. Detecting psychological problems is tremendously complicated because there are no purely objective aspects to look at to determine with a good margin of safety that an individual has such a disorder or that, on the contrary, they are healthy.
To diagnose, psychologists and psychiatrists They resort to subjective information given by patients and their close social circles; They cannot analyze blood samples to diagnose social phobia, for example.
The same thing happens with depression, and that is why we must keep in mind that the criteria for diagnosing this disorder and not another are very specific and cannot be covered with a vague explanation of what people who suffer from it experience. As an example, you can see these other diseases and psychological disorders that, although they are related to mood problems, are not depression and have their own diagnostic category.
1. Chronic fatigue syndrome
This disease, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis generates some symptoms that can pass it off as depression to someone who is inexperienced.
Specifically, those who suffer from this disorder experience strong fatigue constantly and without apparent explanation That helps understand why this happens. In addition, other symptoms are difficulties concentrating, problems falling asleep and staying in that state for several hours, and muscle pain; All are also common in patients with depression.
So,what is the fundamental difference l among these disorders? The motivation. People with chronic fatigue syndrome feel bad because they do not have the strength to do what they want to do, while people with depression do not, because they do not feel motivated by practically anything.
2. Dysthymia
It must be taken into account that dysthymia is not radically separated from depression, and in fact It is part of the same family of mental disorders. Furthermore, even the medication given to dysthymic patients is usually the same as that given to those who have major depression: antidepressants.
However, the concept of dysthymia refers to a significantly milder type of depression that, yes, is chronic, which means that it lasts several years or a lifetime and instead of consisting of outbreaks its symptoms are more stable: diagnosed after having suffered from them for more than two years.
There are many myths about bipolar disorder. and there are even those who believe that it has to do with having several personalities. But, to make the confusion worse, this disorder can generate virtually all the symptoms associated with depression. This is because, as its name suggests, bipolar disorder has two phases, and one of them is depression. The difference between the bipolar patient and the depressed patient is in the second phase of the disorder that the first presents: mania.
During phases of mania, the person feel a sense of euphoria energy and optimism take over their body and, in fact, in many cases it makes them feel very good. However, this heightened mood can cause them to take great risks and even compromise the well-being of others.
4. Anemia
Anemia is a health problem that in most cases has occurred due to lack of iron in the blood which makes it have less capacity when it comes to transporting oxygen. In practically all cases this generates fatigue and loss of strength, and it is also common for dizziness and general discomfort to occur.
Sometimes, this situation can cause the sufferer to do fewer and fewer things, to the point where they isolate themselves and begin to feel quite bad for being in that state of passivity, something that has a superficial resemblance to depression.
However, this is an alteration easily identifiable from medical tests and unlike what happens with depression, it can disappear when its original cause is corrected, which usually has to do with an inadequate diet or a discrete but constant blood loss.
The thyroid gland, located in the neck is one of the largest producers of hormones in our body, and that is why any problem in its functioning can produce significant changes in the person’s mood.
In hypothyroidism, the thyroid secretes less hormones than normal, and this produces low mood and fatigue, depressive symptoms. As with anemia, this is normally completely corrected by acting on the root of the problem, usually by taking medication.
