Will we be able to cope with depression and stress?
Aguado José Luis Carrillo *
Conversus Magazine
Perhaps the gentle reader has been subjected to stress, or perhaps know someone who has sunk into a depression. It is not an isolated case. In Mexico, about 15 million people have suffered from major depressive disorder. How to tell if one is a victim of this evil? If fatigue, insomnia, lack of energy, much like eating or not eating, pain would be worth asking the origin of these symptoms. If suicidal thoughts, the indication is to go immediately to a psychiatrist. Despite the annoying symptoms, more than 75 percent of the depressed worldwide, totaling 340 million people never receive treatment. Are you then?
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that depression will become in 2020 the second leading cause of disability worldwide, behind heart disease (heart attacks, heart failure, stroke), while in 2000 occupied fourth. Hence, from the different levels is boosting health research is to try to stop this mental disorder, whose prevalence rate, far from diminishing, threatening to increase as the expiry of the century.
DEFINITION
Depression comes from the Latin depressio: sinking. The patient feels a weight plunged to its existence. It is a mood disorder ranging from: low transient mood that are characteristic of life itself, to the clinical syndrome, severity and duration of major symptoms associated with markedly different from normal.
Depression is a treatable disease, like diabetes or hypertension. Many mistakenly believe that depression is normal in older people, adolescents, menopausal women, new mothers or people with chronic illnesses. But this is a misconception, no matter the age, gender or life situation, depression is never normal. Anyone experiencing symptoms of depression should be diagnosed and treated to reverse his condition.
Depression is not just a mental disorder, but also emotional and physical symptoms due to brain chemistry is altered. So it is not in any way or execrable ominous this disease, since anyone who has mind is potentially a victim of depression. According to the Medline Plus website, the depression is defined as a condition associated with lack of contact with reality (psychosis). This may take the form of false beliefs (delusions) or detecting something that is not really there (hallucinations). The content of these delusions and hallucinations can be consistent with depression. For example, some people hear voices criticizing and that trying to inadequate or evil, or they say they do not deserve to live and, therefore, should kill themselves.
Here it is worth emphasizing that psychotic depression requires immediate medical attention to prevent the person from hurting themselves or others. Especially when there is suicidal, but is suspected to be a way to get attention. It is actually a desperate cry for help.
TYPES OF DEPRESSION
As in other diseases, such as heart disease, several types of depressive disorders. The three most common types of depression are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and bipolar disorder. In each of these three types of depression, number, severity and persistence of symptoms vary.
Major depressive disorder is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat and enjoy once pleasurable activities.
Dysthymic disorder is a less severe form of depression, symptoms include chronic (long term) does not disable both, but still interfere with the operation and welfare of the person. The essential feature of this disorder is a chronically depressed mood that is present most of the day most days for at least 2 years. Many people with dysthymia may also experience major depressive episodes at some point in their lives.
Another type of depression is bipolar disorder. This is not as prevalent as other depressive disorders. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cyclical changes in mood, elevated mood or phases of euphoria (mania) and of low mood (depression). The mood changes are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual. When a person is in the depressed cycle, you may have one, several or all the symptoms of depressive disorder. When in the manic cycle, the individual may be overactive, excessive talking and having a lot of energy. Mania often affects thinking, trial and how to behave in relation to others. Can lead to the person gets into serious problems and embarrassment. For example, on the manic individual may feel happy or elated, having grandiose, crazy business decisions, and engage in adventures or romantic fantasies.
Cordova Dr. Alejandro Castañeda, head of the Advisory and Operational Support Coordination Unit of High Specialty Medical Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), said the problem of diagnosis of depression is that many patients do not interpreted as an illness and seek support when they come to a general practitioner in the first instance (according to the National Survey of Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2003). Dr. Córdova says the general practitioner often has not received enough information to make a diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment.
To make the diagnosis using a clinical evaluation consisting of a psychiatric evaluation, physical examination and laboratory tests. Ruling out other medical conditions that can cause the same symptoms (such as reactions to certain medications).
When the psychiatrist is faced with a depressed patient, the first thing is to evaluate the patient and determine whether it is a depression for a number of specific symptoms that are clearly defined for this disease and not necessarily accompanied by sadness, but other in dismay, discouragement of readiness and motivation for life, and so on. In his book on the subject, clinical psychologist Sue Breton mentions that depressive episodes, however serious, show some or all of the following symptoms:
a) Loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities, or loss of ability to enjoy these activities.
b) Decreased ability to concentrate.
c) Sleep disorders.
d) Changes in appetite.
e) Decreased self-esteem and self confidence.
f) ideas of guilt and worthlessness.
g) sad and pessimistic visions of the future.
h) Ideas or acts of self-inflicted harm or suicide.
i) Loss of feelings.
j) Decrease of tolerance.
Once the diagnosis of depression, said Dr. Córdova Castañeda, established patient characteristics, age, sex, complexion, personal history, and specifies the type of depression. On this basis indicates a therapeutic plan that includes drug treatment through the most appropriate antidepressant to the patient's characteristics which provide information on the dose prescription, the time should preferably use to reduce the risk of relapse, the fact that is not addictive, and go planning a psychotherapeutic approach according to the psychiatrist profile as appropriate for the patient characteristics.
A patient who complete treatment and psychotherapy reduce symptoms about four to six weeks after having started and take it. When there are no complications, psychotherapy and drug treatment significantly reduced symptoms of depression in the short to medium term. Two months later the patient is almost asymptomatic at the time considered to start healing, but it is recommended to continue treatment for a year or two to minimize the possibility of relapse.
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