Sadness and melancholy are two feelings present at some point in everyone’s life, just like joy and pleasure. The first two are not pathological in themselves, but on some occasions they can be pathological for certain people. When an individual’s mood at a certain point in their life suffers from severe and prolonged feelings of sadness or related symptoms that affect their ability to relate to others, work or cope with the day, sadness becomes an illness, which It is known as depression.
The causes of depression are varied, but biochemistry can help explain some cases. Depressed people show very high levels of cortisol (a hormone) and several chemicals that act in the brain, such as the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These levels may be elevated for hereditary reasons. Explanations given for the family origin of depression are that children receive a sad view of the world due to the behavior of their parents, or growing up in an environment that is not totally enriching.
Regarding depression that is not caused by family reasons, very deep emotional losses can cause biochemical changes that drive depression. These changes can cause the disease not immediately, but later. Other factors may be the loss of a job, or the lack of ability to adapt to certain changes. Although it is not known exactly what causes depression, there are various factors identified as imbalances in neurotransmitters in the brain. Antidepressant drugs can help solve this problem.
Diagnosis:
Investigation into the patient’s history is a fundamental weapon for the professional to diagnose a case of depression. A complete medical history should be included, showing when the symptoms began, their duration, and also asking questions about drug or alcohol use or whether the patient has thought about suicide or death. A diagnostic evaluation should include a mental status examination to determine if speech, thinking, or memory patterns have been affected. To diagnose a depressive disorder, some of the symptoms discussed above must occur within a two-week period. One of them must be a change in mood, loss of interest or the capacity for pleasure.
Treatments:
The environment that surrounds a person suffering from depression is essential to achieve their rehabilitation. The understanding and affection of family and friends is important, as is patience, since the lack of desire and motivation of patients can cause despair. Suggesting and not ordering activities, proposing and not imposing conversations are basic supports for the therapy imposed by professionals. One of the most important problems that this group presents is the abandonment of therapies, so it is essential to induce them to follow the treatment until the end.
Treatment for depression is of two types: pharmacological and psychotherapy. Depending on the problem, one or the other may be necessary, or a combination of the two. When cases are serious there is another type: electroconvulsive therapy or electroshock. In general, pharmacological treatment is necessary. In the first phase, the patient is intensively medicated to ensure that the symptoms disappear and the patient’s recovery can begin. In a second phase, drugs are administered to prevent the manifestation of the disease.
-Pharmacological treatment with antidepressants: Antidepressants are used to correct imbalances in the levels of brain chemicals, especially serotonin, a brain chemical that transmits messages in the area of the brain that controls emotions, body temperature, appetite, hormonal levels, sleep and blood pressure. Antidepressants work by increasing serotonin levels in brain cells. Each class of antidepressants does this in a different way. They do not usually cause dependency. They normally take effect between three and six weeks after starting treatment. If there has been no progress in this time, the doctor usually decides to change the treatment, adding more doses or opting for another antidepressant. Among its most common side effects are insomnia, nervousness, sexual dysfunction, nausea, dizziness or weight gain.
-Psychotherapy: Its purpose is to help the patient know themselves better and change their bad ways of thinking, feeling and acting.
-Electrocompulsive therapy: It is used when the patient cannot take medication or does not improve with it; when the risk of committing suicide is high or if there is weakness due to another physical illness.