Feeling depressed or having a set of depressive symptoms is normal in the face of some negative events that people experience. It is a natural response motivated by the circumstances that the person experiences.
However, when sadness, discouragement or extreme apathy lasts excessively without apparent cause, that is when we can say that we suffer from “depression”.
This type of mental alterations are complex, so in the next lines we will see several explanations that help understand Depressive Disorders
Depression physically and mentally affects the individual’s way of feeling and thinking, and can cause a desire to distance themselves from family, work, and friends. Additionally, it can cause anxiety and other psychological disorders.
It is common to find in some patient testimonies the loss of interest and the inability to enjoy usual activities, showing little motivation
Furthermore, there are many patients who think that having depression means staying in bed crying and not wanting to do anything, which is why they do not identify with this concept even though they may actually be diagnosed with a depressive disorder. And although there are symptoms that are characteristic of this type of psychological alterations, there are differences from one person to another.
For Marta Garrido González, psychologist specializing in Psychologists Málaga PsicoAbreu, depression is an emotional disorder that appears due to irrational thoughts These beliefs, attitudes and thoughts are created from the person’s lived experiences and learning.
Often, people who suffer from depression think that if the environment is not as they wish (that is, the absence of a loved one, a relationship breakup, not getting a certain job, etc.) it is normal to feel depressed and that life has no meaning.
However, This occurs due to the person’s way of coping and for placing their happiness in factors external to themselves, without realizing that happiness does not depend on what happens to us, but on how we take it.
What are the differences between feeling sadness and having depression?
The term depression is confusing since It is used on an everyday basis to describe when a person is in a low mood when it is very negative, or in grieving processes, among other reasons.
It is evident that all people go through difficult situations throughout their lives and these can cause sadness. However, this does not have to mean that you suffer from depression.
The characteristics of normal sadness are the following:
Below we will see an example of a case in which symptoms similar to those of depression appear but do not constitute a true psychiatric pathology.
In a relationship breakup, the person who has been left may not understand why they are single again, and they feel that they loved that person and that they do not know how to live without them, they think about all the time they lived together and about the future that they no longer have. It will be with that person.
On a psychological level, the person feels emotional pain, negativity towards the future, etc. You may want to lock yourself at home, cry and even make many plans without enjoying yourself.
In these cases, the symptoms are the same as in depression, but proportional to the event.
On the other hand, the characteristics of depression are the following:
An example of depression could be the following:
In the previous case; Let’s imagine that the person locks himself in and maintains his negative thoughts for weeks, leading him to lose self-confidence, to have the feeling of failure and to feel constant discomfort.
When a person has depression, sadness is constant and causes feelings of worthlessness and loss of pleasure Depression is a mood disorder that is characterized by a cognitive-affective alteration, negatively influencing all areas of your life. In extreme cases, there are people who see no meaning in life, and begin to think about suicide.
Symptoms of depression
Depression causes symptoms at a cognitive, physical and behavioral level.
A set of symptoms appear that affect the emotional sphere, showing constant sadness, depression, irritability, emotional discomfort, frustration, decrease in usual daily activity, etc. The psychologists of the PsicoAbreu team affirm that physical symptoms are what usually lead people to seek psychological help.
1. Motivational and behavioral symptoms
They are apathy, indifference, decreased capacity for enjoyment, depressed mood. Getting out of bed, going to work or school, in short, doing any daily task, is complex for a person who is in this state.
These patients tend to isolate themselves from the environment, reduce the frequency of social relationships and have difficulty solving problems.
2. Emotional symptoms
The most notable emotional symptoms are loss of self-confidence, apathy and reluctance, feelings of guilt, suicidal thoughts brought on by your horrible present and your (theoretically) worse future excessive worry, etc.
3. Physical symptoms
Physical symptoms are a common characteristic of people suffering from depression. A high percentage of patients who come to the clinic have sleep problems (insomnia). Other symptoms are fatigue, loss of appetite, decreased activity and sexual desire, etc.
Causes of depression
Despite the studies carried out to find the origin of depression, the mechanisms that cause it are still not known. However, there are influencing factors. They are the following.
1. Personality
People prone to developing depression They tend to be more insecure individuals, with low self-esteem, perfectionists, self-demanding.
2. Environmental factor
When the person faces an economic, family, work, etc. problem.
3. Biological factor
Here are included the brain alterations or alterations in neurotransmitters (the lack of correct communication in the neurons of the brain).
The Depression It can be classified into different subtypes depending on the degree, intensity and duration Depressive episodes differ in severity, that is, the impact they have on the person’s life.
1. Major Depression
In this subtype the depressive symptoms are very intense and appear in episodes that can last weeks or months The depressive episode is defined by the appearance of symptoms during a continuous period that affects all areas of life.
2. Dysthymia or Dysthymic Disorder
The person suffers from prolonged depressive states lasting two or more years, and they do not incapacitate the person, although they do prevent you from developing your life normally
The most common symptoms are loss of generalized pleasure, pessimism, despair, low self-esteem, irritability, social isolation, concentration and memory problems… It is one of the most common depressive disorders.
3. Psychotic depression
It occurs when depression is accompanied by some form of psychosis such as discordance with reality, delusions or hallucinations.
4. Seasonal affective disorder
Depression appears during winter, when the hours of sunlight decrease and during changes in the season.
5. Postpartum depression
It occurs when a woman suffers an episode of severe depression within the first month after delivery
6. Bipolar Disorders
It is a disorder suffered by people who have episodes of mania and depression
The patient has ups and downs in mood. When you are in the manic phase you usually manifest feelings of grandiosity or high self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, excessive activity in different areas of your life (love, work, social), potentially high-risk activities… and In the depressive phase their symptoms are opposite.
Psychological treatment
The team of psychologists at the Psychologists Málaga PsicoAbreu Psychology offices is specialized in the psychological treatment of depressive disorders.
Psychological therapy is aimed at finding the cause of depression and provide the patient with tools to modify thinking, emotional and behavioral factors that maintain depressive symptoms. The purpose of the treatment carried out by the center’s specialists is for the person to regain meaning in their life and for this form of discomfort to disappear forever.
