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How to distinguish temporary blues from a dangerous illness.
If we list the possible symptoms of depression, there will be more than one hundred of them, because almost any discomfort in the body or change in the psyche can be its manifestation.
We took the most common symptoms and grouped them into nine groups. They are somewhat similar to the Hamilton Depression Scale, a template questionnaire that psychiatrists, psychotherapists and general practitioners can use to screen for depression. This scale contains a minimum of standard questions that help the doctor not to forget anything and collect as much information as possible.
Remember that the most accurate way to rule out depression is to talk to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.
Here is a list of signs that may indicate depression.
Manifestations
Deterioration in mood is often accompanied by mental (thinking), emotional, somatic, and autonomic disorders, including:
- Lack of self-confidence and self-confidence, low self-esteem
- Gloomy pessimistic vision of the future
- Dissatisfaction with the results of one's own activities
- Indifference to the environment and to others
- Slow response to external stimuli, motor retardation
- Decreased physical endurance
- Lack of concentration
- Phobias - obsessive fears
- Hypochondria – fixation on one’s own feelings, real or imaginary diseases
- Suicidal tendencies (suicide), suicide attempts
- Sleep disorder
- Tearfulness, desire to evoke pity from others
- Headache, tinnitus,
- Fluctuations in blood pressure, palpitations and heart pain
- Movement coordination disorders
- Insomnia or drowsiness.
Of course. Not all of these manifestations will be expressed to the same degree in a particular case, and some of them may not exist at all.
What is depression?
Everyone is talking about depression now. Many people make this diagnosis without thinking that it is very serious.
Important! You should not say that you have depression if you have not been to a psychotherapist or clinical psychologist and have not confirmed with some certainty that you have this disease. Low mood, sadness, melancholy, blues happen to every person. This is fine. And a person can cope with this, because the most important thing is preserved - the ability to have fun and a strong volitional resource . This is precisely what becomes inaccessible to people with depression and this is what they really lack for recovery.
It is very important to recognize the signs of depression in yourself or a loved one, pay attention to it, and seek qualified help as soon as possible. Because each recurring depressive episode significantly worsens a person’s condition and can lead to disability, disability, and even death.
There is no need to rush to give advice in the spirit of “Get up and go!” For a depressed person, such advice can be literally fatal, since people in such a state often contemplate suicide. For them, your “good intention” may be a reason to implement your plans. What can help? Understanding, participation, acceptance, care - just not intrusive, but very calm, tactful, quiet. This state can most easily be described as “the ability to be close.” You can take on some of the worries yourself, for example, household chores that a person does not have the strength to do. You can listen and support your intention to spend time quietly. What you need to save:
- walks in the open air;
- good nutrition;
- dream.
And this is where your presence may be needed.
Take a depression test
How to prevent a bad mood
If your condition is still far from depressive, simple and effective ways to improve your mood. They work regardless of whether the causes of the blues are known or not. None of the things listed below are supernatural, but it is from the simple things that all great things begin. If you follow these rules constantly, the bad mood will not linger for long, life will become brighter and more fun.
Nutritious food
Food is another factor that greatly influences mood. To stay in a good mood longer, you should reconsider your views on nutrition. The body is a mechanism in which everything is interconnected. It is important to maintain a balance of substances so that your mood does not decrease.
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The hormones tryptophan, phenylethylamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and endorphins are responsible for a positive attitude. If the content of these substances decreases, the emotional background also decreases.
You can stock up on vitamin complexes from the nearest pharmacy and not get any results. The fact is that the body absorbs most of its nutrients from the food it eats. You need to periodically delight yourself with products that contain the listed “happy” hormones and other beneficial substances:
- Tryptophan and phenylethylamine are found in large quantities in chocolate. It is better to choose dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage of at least 75%.
- Bananas are a source of serotonin, as well as potassium, magnesium and vitamin B
- Kelp or seaweed. It is a storehouse of iodine, an element responsible for the functioning of the adrenal glands. These glands produce hormones that affect mood.
- Red pepper. Contains capsaicin, a burning substance that stimulates receptors on the surface of the tongue. In response, the body begins to intensively release endorphins, which improves mood.
- Nuts are not only a source of omega-3 fatty acids, but also tryptophan, selenium and vitamin B
- Eggs contain fatty acids, tryptophan and vitamins.
This does not mean that you need to consume huge quantities of only the foods listed above to improve your mood. Nutrition should be varied and balanced.
Physical activity
Physical exercise helps to cope with the blues. Even a simple five-minute exercise can lift your mood - the body produces endorphins. The workout can be combined with listening to fiery motivating tracks.
To make such an activity a joy, you should choose an activity you like. This can be any genre of dance (modern, street jazz, jazz-funk, oriental or strip dance), training in the gym, ball games (football, volleyball or basketball), running training, going to the pool or yoga. You should choose based on your physical parameters. This way you can combine maintaining good shape and vitality.
Creation
Any creative impulses need to be realized. During periods of confusion, such impulses may not exist, but creating something new will be a good cure for the blues, so it’s worth overcoming your reluctance to do anything and try your hand at:
- poetry;
- music (in the absence of musical instruments, you can play on improvised ones - spoons, pots and everything that your imagination allows);
- dancing and singing (just turn on your favorite music and move to the beat, singing along to familiar words);
- drawing (video tutorials, paper and pencils - anyone can learn to draw);
- cooking (cooking can also be creative).
You can do anything that makes you smile and enjoy the results. Any creation motivates and improves your mood.
Music
You can fight sad thoughts with the help of music. It has been proven that listening to your favorite songs stimulates the production of dopamine and has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body. The mechanisms of this effect have not yet been fully studied, but the effectiveness of music against bad mood has been proven.
According to the results of sociological surveys, music is included in the list of things that bring people a feeling of happiness. To take your mind off your problems, you should turn on a cool track and relax or do what you love. Training with musical accompaniment is especially useful. The sound waves block the body's signals of fatigue, allowing you to exercise longer. It’s also worth waking up to a pleasant melody.
Good deeds
Another way to cope with a bad mood and feel better is to do a good deed. For most people, helping others brings moral satisfaction. It is important that it is necessary and productive.
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You can become a blood donor, shelter a stray animal or find a home for it, sign up as a volunteer, etc. If you are not yet ready for large-scale actions, you should start small, for example, giving gifts to loved ones for no reason.
Mood swings: general information
Mood swings
represent emotional instability, in which a cheerful state can be replaced by a sad one, joy can turn into despondency (and vice versa), a good mood can be replaced by irritability, aggression and anger - and the like. Mood changes can be observed in all categories of people: women, men, teenagers, adults and the elderly.
If there is a constant sharp change in mood, then it is necessary to urgently contact a specialist. Otherwise, the consequences can be serious and dangerous: depression, bipolar disorder may develop, and the case may also end in suicide. The necessary specialist may be a psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, or neurologist.
It would seem that this is a problem, because everyone has episodes of low mood or severe irritability. Of course, such emotional reactions to troubles and stress are quite natural, but they should not last too long. If this condition does not go away and torments you day after day, then this may be an alarm bell indicating such psycho-emotional disorders as anxiety disorder, depression, neurotic disorder. This mental attitude can take many forms.
“I’m in a bad mood all the time”, “Everything makes me angry” “Nothing makes me happy anymore”
Sometimes what yesterday made you happy and brought pleasure no longer evokes any response in the soul, or even irritates you. A person is always in a bad mood and with a feeling of constant dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction. Such chronic, background negative emotions are, of course, a deviation from the norm, because living with constant heaviness in your soul and irritation towards the whole world is difficult and unpleasant. Such experiences are a good reason to contact a professional psychotherapist who will provide you with the necessary support.
“I have no goal”, “I constantly think about bad things”, “I am in apathy all the time”
The desire to develop, improve your living conditions and get pleasure from it is a property of a healthy, strong psyche. However, it happens that everything around turns pale and loses its taste, the desire to do anything disappears, and anxious thoughts torment you all the time. Often, these already unpleasant experiences are mixed with a feeling of guilt due to one’s own, often just apparent, inactivity. This condition can be quite unpleasant and even painful, since all the body’s forces are spent on negative experiences. Very often they are combined with problems such as sleep disturbances, concentration problems, constant fatigue, and appetite disturbances.
The causes of such symptoms may be recent severe grief, depression and other psycho-emotional disorders.
It is very important to observe your own condition and notice such a long-term deterioration in your mood, because very often depression has a hidden, implicit course and allows a person to lead a socially normal life, while constantly poisoning his existence.
Such conditions can and should be fought. A good psychotherapist will be able to provide you with the help you need, as well as help you improve your mood and self-esteem, and bring back the zest of life.
Advice from psychologists
To maintain a normal emotional state, psychologists advise resorting to special psychological exercises, for example, “Meeting with the inner child.” You need to imagine a small child next to you - yourself as a child. There is no need to talk to him, it is better to enjoy moments alone. Then you should hug the imaginary baby, trying to feel what he is missing.
You need to try to help him, take him to a safe place and express gratitude for everything. In such situations, it is possible to show strong emotions, but you should not be afraid of it. Exercise allows you to understand the root causes of your anxiety and find mental balance.
A gloomy mood is periodically common to all people. To harmonize your emotional status, you should use simple methods - ensure healthy sleep and proper nutrition, engage in creativity or listen to music. If nothing helps, you need to consult a specialist for an accurate diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
