Which doctor treats depression in adults - which doctor should I contact?

Determining the type of depression

Division of disorder:

Endogenous. This disease is the result of an imbalanced chemical environment in the brain. This is “real” depression, treated with antidepressants.
Reactive. The cause of this condition is traumatic events in a person’s environment (accumulated experiences, loss of a loved one, big changes). In his thoughts he often returns to the crisis event and fails to cope with it. Treatment includes psychotherapy and lifestyle adjustments.
Symptomatic. This is a condition that looks like depression, but is the result of another problem (poisoning, epilepsy, tumor, dementia). Which doctor should I consult for this type of depression? To a general practitioner. The condition requires treatment of the underlying cause.
Masked. The disorder manifests itself only on the physical level (digestive problems, back pain, dizziness). These symptoms do not have a biological basis, because the cause lies in the psyche.
Seasonal. The disease manifests itself as depressed mood, usually in the autumn months (can also occur in the spring). The condition is treated with phototherapy. Therefore, the answer to the question of who treats depression is simple - a physical therapist.
Postpartum. Most often, the disorder occurs 2–3 days after birth. A new mother is filled with anxiety, confusion, and doubt. “True” postpartum depression occurs between 2 weeks and 6 months after giving birth. This is a serious condition accompanied by anxiety, sadness, fatigue, and inability to care for oneself or the child. Rarely, a psychotic state of the mother occurs (presence of delusional thoughts, hallucinations). This disorder requires hospitalization, because in extreme cases the lives of mother and child are at risk. It is important to know which doctor treats depression in pregnant women. For mild forms, a consultation with a psychologist is sufficient. But more often the help of a psychotherapist or psychiatrist is required.
Menopausal. This type of disease has a hormonal basis and occurs in women during menopause (menopause). The main treatment for the disorder is hormonal replacement. Psychotherapy is also effective because, in addition to the biological factor, psychological and social circumstances play a role.

Symptoms of depression

Decreased mood
Increased fatigue
Pessimism
Guilt
Anxiety
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Sleep disorder.

If you find similar signs in yourself, do not wait, consult a doctor immediately!

What symptoms should you see a doctor for?

Despite advances in the treatment of the disorder, the growing availability of mental health care, and the awareness of general practitioners, many people remain without help. The reason is the lack of specific manifestations. Depression may not be recognized for a long time and not be considered a disease.

This is an individual disease with a variable clinical picture. Certain types of the disorder have different symptoms. We are talking about depression when they persist for at least 2 weeks.

A sick person can explain fatigue as laziness, decreased performance as a manifestation of inability, impaired attention as temporary stupor, and consider excessive remorse justified. He begins to perceive himself as a bad, incompetent, inferior, but not a sick person in need of help and treatment.

Therefore, no matter which doctor treats depression in adults, the role of loved ones is important. They are often the first people to recognize that a person has problems. They have advantages over psychiatrists: awareness of the patient’s health status, knowledge of his behavior, habits, interests, temperament. Visible changes in these characteristics may signal a disorder. But pushing a person to seek help can be difficult...

Without awareness of the manifestations of the disease, the patient does not know who to contact with depression. People sometimes consult a doctor (but not a psychiatrist) because of a number of accompanying symptoms, considering these manifestations to be a consequence of a physical condition (insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue). If there is no physical illness that explains these problems, depression should be considered. Sometimes its only symptom is a prolonged bad mood.

You can talk about a depressive state when observing the following signs:

pessimism;
negative mood;
sadness;
low self-esteem;
loss of self-respect;
loss of meaning in life;
feeling of loneliness;
abulia (loss of interest, inability to experience joy, increased fatigue);
anxiety;
suicidal thoughts (60–80% of patients).

In addition to a bad mood, negative forms of thinking and biological symptoms (sleep disturbances, sudden weight loss, etc.) are also characteristic.

Three signs of depression

On this topic: Tea won’t drink itself: what to do so that work doesn’t make you depressed

The chief specialist in psychiatry at the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation notes that bad mood occurs not only from real external causes, but also from a disease called “depression.”

“There are usually three main signs: a feeling of low mood, motor (motor) retardation, idiotic retardation (when a person feels that it has become harder for him to think, to choose words more slowly, a feeling that he is not thinking about anything),” explained Kekelidze.

In addition to the main signs of depression, there are many varieties: masked (mild depression), seasonal, postpartum, depression accompanying other somatic conditions - Alzheimer's disease, hypothyroidism and many others.

The psychiatrist advises parents to take a closer look at changes in the child’s behavior: sleep disturbances, changes in appetite (stopped eating or eats a lot of sweets) can be early signs of depression.

Causes of depression

There is no single cause for depression. It can develop under the influence of many provoking factors.

For some people, a major upset or stressful life situation - such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, illness, layoffs at work, or professional or financial difficulties - can cause depression.

Depression is often caused by a combination of different reasons. For example, you may feel depressed after an illness and then experience a traumatic situation, such as the death of a loved one, which together leads to depression.

People often talk about the "downward spiral" of events that lead to depression. For example, after breaking up with a loved one, you are likely to feel depressed, which in turn will lead to an unwillingness to see friends and family members and to drinking a lot of alcohol. All this can lead to an even greater deterioration in health and cause depression.

Some studies also suggest that the likelihood of depression increases with age, and that the disease is more common in the presence of difficult socioeconomic living conditions.

For most people, coping with stressful situations such as bereavement or relationship failure takes time. When these types of events occur, your risk of depression increases, especially if you stop seeing friends and family and try to solve all your problems on your own.

You are more likely to experience depression if you have been diagnosed with a chronic or life-threatening illness, such as coronary heart disease or cancer. Head injuries are also often a possible cause of depression. Severe head trauma can cause mood swings and emotional problems.

Some people have an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) due to problems with the immune system. In rare cases, a minor head injury can damage the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain that produces thyroid-stimulating hormones. This injury to the pituitary gland can cause increased fatigue and loss of interest in sex (loss of libido), which in turn can lead to depression.

People with certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem or excessive self-criticism, are prone to depression. This may be genetically determined, inherited from parents, or a consequence of individual characteristics or experiences.

If anyone else in your family—a parent or sibling—has suffered from depression in the past, you are also at increased risk of developing it.
Some women are especially susceptible to depression after pregnancy. Hormonal and physical changes, as well as the burden of responsibility for the child, can lead to postpartum depression.
Losing contact with loved ones and friends can increase the risk of developing depression.

Some people try to cope with difficult life situations by using large amounts of alcohol or drugs. This can lead to the development of depression. Using marijuana can help you relax, but there is evidence that it can trigger depression, especially in teenagers. And don’t try to “drown your sorrows” in alcohol. It is considered a “major depressant” and actually makes depression worse.

Psychologist

The psychologist also specializes in the treatment of mild depression. He is not classified as a doctor, since he may not have a medical education. The psychologist does not diagnose and does not prescribe pills for the disease. The main method of treatment is a conversation with the patient, during which the doctor gives a positive attitude to the patient. The psychologist helps the patient figure out what led him to depression and how to get out of this state. The goal of therapy is to activate the patient’s internal resources to combat pathology.

In their therapy, psychologists use methods of psychoanalysis, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), meditation, and psychological tests. The specialist analyzes the signs of depression, during the conversation finds out when the disease began, what preceded it, and how long the depression lasts. The psychologist excludes other somatic causes (endocrine, tumor, etc.) that can cause depressive symptoms.

Diagnosis of depression

If you have been experiencing symptoms of depression every day for about two weeks, you should seek help from a doctor.

It is especially important to talk to your doctor if:

symptoms of depression do not go away;
your mood affects your work performance, other hobbies, and relationships with family and friends;
you have thoughts of suicide or physical harm to yourself.

Sometimes when people are depressed, they find it difficult to believe that treatment can help. But the sooner you seek help, the sooner depression will subside. There are no laboratory tests for depression, although your GP may evaluate you with urine or blood tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms, such as an underactive thyroid.

The main way to diagnose depression is through a conversation during which your doctor will ask you a lot of questions about your general health and how your mood affects your mental and physical well-being. Try to be as open as possible with your doctor. Describing your symptoms and how they affect your well-being can really help your doctor understand whether you have depression and how severe it is.

Any conversation with the doctor is confidential. The only time a doctor can break this rule is if there is a risk of harm to your health or the health of others. Then the doctor has the right to inform your relatives or guardians about your condition, but only if this will reduce the risk of such situations.

Where to go first

If depression is left untreated, it can lead to problems with the heart and blood vessels. Constant, repeated episodes of illness tend to shrink the area of the brain involved in emotion and memory. In addition, depression can be a symptom of other dangerous pathologies, so if the disease manifests itself, you should seek help from a specialist.

Therapist

If the patient finds it difficult to choose a specialist whose competence includes treating depression, then first of all you should visit a therapist.
A general practitioner does not specialize in mental disorders, but he is able to make a primary diagnosis and recognize the form of depression by severity. The therapist can also refer you for an examination that will confirm or refute the presence of other pathologies (their consequence may be bad mood and depression). Depending on the severity of depression, the doctor will refer the patient to a specialist. Therapy for a mild form of the disease can be carried out under the supervision of the therapist himself. With this degree of severity, there are no fundamental changes in the patient’s mood, and the disease responds well to treatment. At this stage, after identifying the cause of the mental disorder, the disease recedes without the use of medications. If necessary, the doctor prescribes sedative medications and mild antidepressants and monitors the progression of depression.

Doctor's choice

Depression is a serious illness, not just a bad mood. If a depressive state is not treated, it can lead to disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system and other equally unpleasant problems. In addition, signs of depression may be symptoms of other diseases that affect a person’s emotional state. A bad mood does not appear for no reason; it can often be associated with impaired cerebral circulation, excessive fatigue and exhaustion of the body.

Therefore, it is better to seek qualified medical help for depression in a timely manner. To choose the right specialist, you need to understand what caused the serious condition of the victim of mental trauma and how far the disease has progressed.

Based on the severity of depression, it is classified into the following types:

Mild – characterized by minor changes in mood. It is the initial stage of the disease and is easily treatable. Does not require drug intervention.
Moderate (moderate) - which is a more advanced degree of the disease than a mild form. More difficult to treat. Requires a special approach. It is characterized by signs of the influence of the psycho-emotional state on physical factors: sleep disturbance, loss of appetite.
Severe – which is the most advanced and dangerous form of manifestation of the disorder. At this stage, obsessive thoughts may appear. Requires long-term specialized treatment.

The more severe the disease, the more serious and highly specialized treatment it requires. If the patient cannot independently decide on the choice of doctor, then he can contact his attending physician, who will advise who to choose or prescribe treatment on his own.

The therapist is a general practitioner, and therefore he is also familiar with the signs of depression. But he can only treat the disease in a mild form; more severe manifestations require highly specialized care. During the initial examination, the therapist will draw conclusions about the severity of the disease and try to identify the causes of its occurrence. Based on the conclusion, the doctor will either prescribe a course of treatment on his own or give a referral to other doctors: psychotherapist, psychologist, psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, neurologist. If you wish, you can contact the required specialist yourself - no referral is required.

Therapists, general practitioners

At first, they may prescribe medication. However, they can only support the body with sedatives and mild antidepressants, which will only create the appearance of recovery, and then only if depression is not advanced.

Methods:

Primary diagnosis
Prescription of treatment using sedatives and antidepressants.

Psychologists

This category of specialists works with the mental space (the client’s thoughts, his attitude towards his personality and others, emotional experiences). Psychologists heal with words, changing the general emotional background, helping the client find the path to healthy thoughts and find peace of mind. Using the tools available to them, psychologists provide support to people who have lost support in life. Their techniques are aimed at activating the client’s internal strengths.

The main goal of their work is for the client to understand their problems and their origins. Many experts in this field believe that only awareness and acceptance of one’s imperfections is the path to recovery.

Methods:

Conversations
Consulting
Psychoanalysis
NLP
Meditations.

Psychotherapists

Just like psychologists, psychotherapists rely on the great power of words. Their consultations have certain similarities with the work of a psychologist. So the goal of psychotherapy is to teach the patient to recognize thinking errors, identify painful prejudices and change a negative vision to a positive one. The result of the psychotherapist’s work is an expansion of consciousness, a change in the patient’s attitude towards himself, he stops tormenting himself. In addition, understanding your problem allows you to find strength in the cause of depression. As a result, what caused the disease becomes a reserve source that helps to overcome everyday difficulties.

Unlike psychologists, psychotherapists have the right to prescribe antidepressants and treat depression with tranquilizers.

The success of psychotherapists in the fight against depression largely depends on an integrated approach to therapy. The patient’s work of thought with his internal fears and problems is supported by medications. This symbiosis brings very good and, importantly, lasting results. Under certain circumstances, depression can return and become chronic. Psychotherapy solves this problem.

Methods:

NLP
Hypnosis
Psychoanalysis
Drug treatment
Consulting
Meditations
Massage
Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy
Gestalt therapy
Interpersonal psychotherapy.

The methods used by psychotherapists literally “hack” the brain and subconscious, allowing the patient to develop his own correct attitude towards the disease and set himself up for a positive outcome. In addition, during therapy, the doctor teaches you to recognize the first signs of approaching depression and take timely measures, thereby preventing a relapse.

Psychotherapeutic treatment helps patients with depression adapt to life, establish interpersonal contacts, and helps strengthen their professional status. The doctor selects treatment methods and their combination with medications individually depending on the patient’s condition, severity, duration of the disease, taking into account the type of affective disorder.

Neurologist

Specialists in this category, like therapists, can diagnose and treat depression. This usually applies to depression accompanying neurological diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, vascular dementia, post-stroke condition, etc.). Their competence includes helping patients with subsyndromal and minor depression.

Methods:

Drug treatment with antidepressants.

Psychiatrist

Moderate and severe depression is treated by a psychiatrist. He specializes in supporting the conditions of mentally ill people. Hence the concept of treatment proposed by this specialist; it is based on the understanding of depression as a disease with global mental damage. At the same time, only a psychiatrist can help in cases of severe depression. It is worth knowing that 25% of patients become patients of psychiatrists. In addition, only a psychiatrist can diagnose some forms of depression.

Once in his “hands,” you should forget about intimate conversations and attempts to understand your internal problems. Specialists in this area take a fairly strict position; in some cases, with the permission of the patient or his relatives, they prescribe treatment in hospitals.

Methods:

Treatment with medications (tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, nootropics, “dual action” antidepressants)
Electroconvulsive therapy
Behavioral psychotherapy
Suggestive psychotherapy
Rational psychotherapy
Insulin therapy.

All of the listed groups of antidepressants differ in clinical manifestations, contraindications, and mechanisms of action. Some drugs have a sedative effect, some have an activating effect, so only a doctor should choose the type of drug. So, in case of an anxious state, the patient will be prescribed medications with a sedative effect, and in a depressed state (asthenia, apathy) - with an activating effect. All drugs have serious side effects, which can be avoided if they are prescribed correctly. The treatment course lasts several months.

Which doctor treats nervous disorders

Frequent emotional overload and repeated stress can often lead to the fact that the nervous system ceases to work stably. As a result, nervous disorders of varying severity occur.

Often people try to wait until all the symptoms go away on their own, but often the wait-and-see tactic leads to a worsening of the situation and the development of the disease. The difficulty of contacting a specialist for such disorders is that several highly specialized doctors deal with the nervous system.

To figure out which of them treats in each specific case, you need to find out what is within its competence.

Which specialists will help?

Dysfunctions of the nervous system can be caused by a variety of reasons and have completely different manifestations.

Specialists dealing with such diseases are divided into 3 main categories: neurologist, psychotherapist and psychiatrist.

All of them must have a diploma of higher medical education, after which they must complete an internship within 2 or 3 years and begin independent practice.

Neurologist

A neurologist is a specialist whose field of activity covers all areas of neurology: prevention, examination and influence on the central and peripheral parts of the nervous system. Neurology studies in detail the anatomy, functioning and treatment of the nervous system.

The term “neuropathologist,” which was actively used in Soviet medicine, also belongs to this category. Now it is considered outdated and incorrect, but sometimes out of habit it is used by individual doctors.

Psychotherapist

Psychotherapist – a doctor who deals with patients with mild or moderate mental disorders is called a psychotherapist. A prerequisite for his practice is a detailed study of psychotherapy.

The psychotherapist's field of activity is mental disorders caused by childhood traumas, severe stress, or due to genetic predisposition. As a rule, patients treated by this doctor do not have organic or anatomical brain injuries, but exhibit only psychological disorders.

The question often arises as to whether there are differences between a psychologist and a psychotherapist. There is a difference, and it lies in the fact that a psychologist does not have a higher medical education, and therefore can only advise patients, while a psychotherapist has the right to make a diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment.

Psychiatrist

The scope of his activity is almost the same as that of a psychotherapist, but the psychiatrist also works with cases of the highest severity. A doctor who has studied for 6 years at a medical university and spent 2 years in an internship or is engaged in the activities of a graduate student has the right to work as a psychiatrist.

If a psychotherapist’s treatment methods are predominantly based on speech, and medications are used only as an aid, then the psychiatrist primarily carries out drug treatment and active non-drug therapy. Such methods cause stimulation of brain activity.

Reasons for contacting

Depending on the health of a particular person, his temperament and the type of personal reactions, the symptoms of nervous disorders can be very individual. But there are a number of signs that are inherent in most cases:

long-term sleep disturbance;
increased irritability and neuroses;
chronic fatigue syndrome;
severe unreasonable anxiety;
constant desire to sleep;
a sharp decrease in ability to work and activity;
absentmindedness;
difficulty concentrating on a specific action or object;
noticeable deterioration of short-term memory;
obsessive thoughts;
panic attacks.

Often all these signs do not add up to the overall picture and are ignored for a long time by a person who needs the help of a doctor. All of the above signs can be perceived as a change in mood, emotional exhaustion, moral fatigue, etc. But for a specialist, a combination of these signs will indicate a certain disease.

Over time, physical manifestations of the disease are added to the above conditions:

dizziness;
severe shortness of breath;
neuralgia;
feeling of strong heartbeat;
difficulty swallowing and enlarged thyroid gland;
digestive disorders (constipation or diarrhea, stomach pain, flatulence);
lack of appetite;
increased body temperature after stress;
surges in blood pressure.

The most common symptom that accompanies most mental disorders is a severe headache that occurs periodically. In severe cases, it is combined with fainting.

Causes of nervous disorders

Most people believe that mental and neurological disorders are caused solely by nervous breakdowns and difficult emotional conditions. This is not true at all, the reasons may be:

injuries resulting in damaged nerves (most often head injuries);
acute or chronic hypoxia, leading to oxygen starvation of the brain and other tissues of the nervous system;
osteochondrosis;
prolonged overheating or hypothermia of the body (in this case, the degree of damage directly depends on the time of exposure to high or low temperatures);
poisoning with neurotropic substances that selectively affect cells of the nervous system;
factors that have an aggressive effect on the body - electric current, prolonged vibration, electromagnetic field;
metabolic disorders with damage to the central or peripheral parts of the brain;
suffered serious illnesses (most often of the endocrine system);
hereditary factors - depression, bulimia or anorexia, schizophrenia, alcoholism, severe neuroses or Alzheimer's disease in one of the blood relatives;
the presence of tumors in the body;
inflammatory or parasitic diseases of the brain.

How to get an appointment

If the patient understands which doctor to contact, then this must be done as soon as possible. If the patient has doubts, then it is advisable to go to a therapist, who will identify a specialist.

In order to choose a qualified doctor, you need to pay attention to the following features:

sufficient practical experience in the treatment of nervous disorders;
an integrated approach to determining the patient’s condition;
It is desirable to have scientific articles or works in the area that the patient is faced with;
sufficient initial consultation time (at least 30 minutes).

At the appointment, the doctor will determine the further direction of the examination, if necessary. Having all the necessary data, he will be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe drug or non-drug treatment. If necessary, the patient will be recommended a course of treatment in a hospital.

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April 7, 2018

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Source: https://DocTown.ru/kto-lechit/nervnye-rasstrojstva/

Hypnosis as a treatment for depression

Hypnosis for depression can be used by psychiatrists and psychotherapists. To conduct therapy, the doctor must have an appropriate certificate of advanced training courses on this topic. Keep this in mind when you find out which doctor treats depression.

The task of the doctor who conducts a hypnosis session is to switch the patient from negative thoughts to positive ones. The human consciousness is capable of concentrating on one thing, so preference should be given to the positive aspect. During the session, the doctor completely relaxes the patient, helps him turn off his inner voice and “programs” new, positive thoughts. Under their influence, other behavioral strategies that are more adaptive to life are subsequently formed. The techniques used by the doctor provide the following changes:

increase in energy potential;
return of interest in the surrounding world;
obtaining inner balance and tranquility;
getting rid of oppressive and obsessive thoughts.

How to get an appointment

If the patient understands which doctor to contact, then this must be done as soon as possible. If the patient has doubts, then it is advisable to go to a therapist, who will identify a specialist.

In order to choose a qualified doctor, you need to pay attention to the following features:

sufficient practical experience in the treatment of nervous disorders;
an integrated approach to determining the patient’s condition;
It is desirable to have scientific articles or works in the area that the patient is faced with;
sufficient initial consultation time (at least 30 minutes).

What to expect when meeting with a doctor?

If you think you have depression, your first visit should be to your doctor for a complete evaluation. To shorten the examination time, you should tell your doctor in advance about your concerns about your mental state.

When you meet, your doctor may ask you the following questions:

How long have you been sad?
Do you have problems sleeping?
What's your appetite?
Have you noticed any changes in your weight recently?
How quickly do you get tired during the day?
Do you have problems concentrating or making decisions?
Are you thinking about death or suicide?

Your answers will help your doctor determine whether you have major depressive disorder. Before confirming the diagnosis, the doctor must rule out other possible health problems, as there are diseases that can mimic depression.

Such diseases include:

vitamin deficiency (for example, vitamin B12),
anemia (anemia),
low blood sugar (hypoglycemia),
hypothyroidism (dysfunction of the thyroid gland),
organic brain damage (stroke),
low blood calcium levels,
impaired renal or liver function.

A complete blood count cannot be used to diagnose depression, but only to rule out some of the above diseases. The doctor may also order an MRI of the brain to rule out structural brain disease, especially if the patient has neurological signs or has had a previous stroke.

Also, some medications may have side effects similar to symptoms of depression. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you take.

It's worth noting that some mental illnesses can be confused with depression. For example, bipolar disorder may be misdiagnosed as depression. Due to improper collection of patient complaints, symptoms of mania may be overlooked, leading to incorrect diagnosis and incorrect treatment. After a complete medical examination, examinations and interviews, if the doctor diagnoses depression, the patient may be referred to a psychiatrist to determine the correct combination of medications and dosage of medications.

What does psychological help consist of?

Methods of psychological assistance depend on the individual life situation of the patient, the causes of depression, the severity of the disease, and the symptoms of the pathology. The choice of treatment method is made individually by the attending physician.

The method of psychoanalysis is based on examining depression from different angles. As a negative phenomenon, expressed in the apathetic and depressed state of the patient, and as a positive factor that forces one to concentrate on the patient’s life goals and desires.

The first task of psychoanalysis is to establish the cause of depressive disorder.

To do this, it is necessary to go through the stage of psychological defense, when the patient’s answers to questions are false due to internal difficulties. Psychoanalysis takes the patient back in time (often to infancy) in order to discover the situation that served as the starting point of the disease.

The NLP technique allows you to reveal the patient’s inner potential. The doctor provides assistance in identifying and understanding the real values and needs of a person. NLP is not aimed at analyzing and processing negative experiences that have occurred; its goal is a positive attitude and teaching a new model of behavior to the patient. With the help of NLP, the patient is programmed to set life goals and achieve them.

Autogenic training, based on Buddhist practices, allows you to master the ability of self-regulation. The method is especially effective for psychosomatic (bodily manifestations of depression) and functional disorders. With depression with an increased feeling of anxiety and suspiciousness, the situation may worsen.

Can a neurologist prescribe a drug?

Neurologists often use antidepressants in their practice; they prescribe them to treat depression in neurological patients, chronic pain syndromes, neuropathic pain, panic attacks, and eating disorders. Depression can develop in patients who have an organic disease of the central nervous system. In Parkinson's disease, depression can develop in 50% of patients.

In patients who have suffered a stroke, depression occurs in 30-50%. The severity of clinical manifestations of depression depends on the location of the stroke, the degree of neurological defect, the age of the patient, and the duration of the stroke.

Depression may develop in patients with advanced dementia. Depression has been found to be more common in patients with vascular dementia than in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Depression can also develop in patients whose brain has been subjected to hypoxic, autoimmune, metabolic, toxic, and hormonal damage. One factor that can trigger depression may be acute emotional stress. Chronic pain syndrome and depression occur in 50-60%.

A neurologist does not treat patients who have a mental health disorder not related to a neurological disease. A neurologist may refer the patient for consultation to a psychiatrist.

Can a therapist prescribe the right drug?

Depression affects people in different ways. General practitioners can identify the most common symptoms of depression. But if many of the symptoms of depression are considered independently, this can lead to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.

Every patient has different symptoms of depression, so seeking specialized treatment is critical in treating depressive illnesses. For some categories of patients, the therapist becomes the first person to deal with their symptoms of depression. But all patients who suffer from depression have one common problem, which is that when people rely on a therapist, there is a risk that they may receive insufficient treatment. In some cases, a therapist or family doctor can prescribe antidepressants, but only a specialist can provide a comprehensive, competent approach to the treatment of a specific pathology.

Undertreatment involves prescribing a low dose of medication or prescribing medications that are better used to treat other mental disorders and that are not appropriate for the individual patient. Which leads to early cessation of treatment.

Medical research has highlighted new generation antidepressants, which are safer and easier to administer than previous generation antidepressants.

With new medications, therapists are exposed to more educational material, which is important to consider. And today, therapists treat many people who seek help for depression.

After analyzing numerous studies, it was found that many patients with mild to moderate depression often receive appropriate treatment from a therapist.

Getting a correct diagnosis is key in treating depression. Depression is not a universal condition, so symptoms often vary. Many people don't know that depression can cause insomnia, fatigue, or other physical problems. Without proper attention, physical symptoms come to the fore and are a priority in treatment, and depression remains untreated.

Some therapists do not show proper attention in collecting complaints from the patient, and some manifestations of depression can be mistaken for an independent disease. Finding out whether depression is the root cause of these symptoms is a secondary concern.

Depression is a multifaceted disease; making an accurate diagnosis requires more time than a therapist can devote to each patient. Doctors need time to ask the right questions to determine whether a patient is depressed and needs antidepressant treatment.

Even if depression is correctly diagnosed, primary care physicians may not fully understand the impact of antidepressant side effects on the patient. Anxiety, loss of sex drive, and weight gain are the three most common side effects.

Although these side effects are temporary and resolve within 2-3 weeks of treatment, many patients are not warned about this and may stop taking antidepressants before they experience clinical improvements in their mental health. General practitioners usually do not have much experience in prescribing antidepressants.

Who is treating?

does not treat depression . The main specialist who treats this disease is a psychiatrist. A psychotherapist assists a psychiatrist in treating a patient.

A psychiatrist treats the disease, and a psychotherapist supports the healthy part of the patient’s psyche. In other words, a psychiatrist helps you become less sick, and a psychotherapist helps you become healthier. It is by working together that these two specialists help the patient overcome the disease.

It is important to note that exactly two different specialists .

Often a psychiatrist is also qualified as a psychotherapist.

But with such qualifications, the specialist treats the patient either only as a psychiatrist, or only as a psychotherapist.

Depressive conditions: how correctly and for how long should it be treated? Find out from the video:

Living with depression

There are several key steps you can take to improve your mood and speed up your recovery from depression.

Talk about the problem

Being able to share your problem with someone else can support you and help you understand the cause of your own depression. Research shows that communication can help people recover from depression and cope with stress more easily.

Some people feel uncomfortable discussing their mental health problems with other people. If this is the case, then keeping a journal to write about your feelings may help. Also try expressing your emotions through poetry or art, which can help improve your mood.

Physical training and nutrition type

Exercising and eating a healthy diet can make a huge difference in your recovery from depression. In addition, both of these factors improve health. Research suggests that exercise may be as effective as antidepressants in reducing symptoms of depression.

Physical activity improves your mood, reduces stress and anxiety, increases the release of endorphins (healthy chemicals) and strengthens your self-esteem. Eating healthy also helps improve your mood. In fact, food is also a kind of medicine and is just as important for maintaining your mental health as it is for preventing physical health problems.

Work and financial situation

If your depression is caused by work overload or is affecting your performance, you may need time off to recover. Some studies show that taking too much vacation or sick leave can make depression worse. There is also quite a bit of evidence that returning to work can help relieve depression.

It is important to avoid excessive stress, and this includes stress at work. Alternatively, you could ask for a reduction in your hours or a flexible work schedule, especially if you feel your work pressure is causing your depressive symptoms. In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, a person diagnosed with depression (which is officially recognized as a disease) has the right to receive paid sick leave and, if necessary, a change in work schedule.

If you are unable to work due to depression, you are entitled to a number of legal benefits, depending on your specific circumstances. These include:

sick leave payments;
disability pension (after passing the commission and assigning a certain disability group);
disability benefits (after passing the commission and assigning a certain disability group).

Smoking, drugs and alcohol

Smoking or drinking alcohol may seem like good ways to feel better when you're depressed. It seems that cigarettes and booze can help, but this is only at first, and later they only make the situation worse.

Be especially careful with marijuana. Recreational drug use appears to be safe, but research shows a strong link between smoking marijuana and mental illness, including depression. Research shows that if you smoke marijuana, you:

symptoms of depression worsen;
you feel more tired and indifferent to everything;
the likelihood of developing depression increases, which will occur earlier and will occur more often (than in people who do not use drugs);
you will not feel the good effect of taking antidepressants;
there is a high probability that you will stop treatment with antidepressants prematurely;
It is unlikely that you will be able to completely cure depression.

If you drink or smoke too much or use drugs, talk to your doctor about it, or read articles about tips for quitting smoking, using drugs, or drinking too much alcohol.

Caring for a person with depression

Depression does not only directly affect the person suffering from the disease. It also affects people close to him. If you are caring for someone with depression, your relationship and family life may become strained and you may feel confused and helpless. In this case, communicating with other people who find themselves in a similar situation can help you.

If you have problems with your personal relationships or marriage, a family psychologist can help improve the situation by talking with you and your partner. Men, compared to women, are less likely to seek help from a psychologist, and are more likely to use alcohol or drugs when depressed.