0 1027 September 5, 2020 at 09:04 pm Author of the publication: Elena Zhdanova
According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents worldwide. In most cases, teenage depression is not diagnosed on time, and a person receives help only when his condition reaches an extreme level of severity. Severe depression can lead to dire consequences, including the desire to commit suicide. How to recognize real teenage depression in time and distinguish it from conditions that many mistakenly call depression: laziness, bad mood, apathy, boredom? Is there a test for depression for teenagers that will accurately and accurately determine or exclude this condition? You will learn about all this in this article.
What does the Zang Self-Rating Depression Scale test consist of:
The test consists of ten positively and ten negatively worded questions (be careful!). To take the test, you will need to select one of the answers for each question (“rarely,” “sometimes,” “often,” and “most of the time or all the time”). Each answer, depending on the frequency of the symptom, is scored from 1 to 4 points. The total score determines the level of depression. The test takes about 10 minutes.
INTERPRETATION OF TEST RESULTS:
- 20-49 Normal condition
- 50-59 Mild depressive disorder
- 60-69 Moderate depressive disorder
- 70 and above Severe depressive disorder
How to get rid
The choice of treatment method depends on the form of the psychotic state and the intensity of symptoms.
Mild cases can be eliminated without taking medications. Chamomile tea with honey and valerian infusion help overcome apathy.
Patients are recommended:
- be more active;
- walk in parks and forests every day;
- maintain a sleep-wake schedule;
- communicate more with friends and family;
- stop drinking alcohol.
The following recommendations will help you get out of depression:
- It is important to get your self-esteem in order.
- It is worth changing your attitude towards what is happening.
- We must stop looking for the cause of our apathetic state. Let a specialist do it. He will find the root of the problem and help change your attitude towards it.
- You need to be able to listen to your body and give it rest when necessary.
Another tip on how to overcome laziness and apathy at home involves finding the right motivation. It is easier to cope with these phenomena if a person sets a goal, plans his time wisely and pays attention to physical health.
A severe form of the disorder is observed by a neuropsychiatrist. He knows what to do in case of apathy and depression. Therapy in this case involves the use of pharmacological agents, which are taken in courses.
Usually the patient is prescribed:
- antidepressants;
- vitamins;
- neuroleptics;
- diuretics (for brain damage).
Psychotherapy sessions play an important role. During them, a specialist finds out the cause of the apathetic state. Cognitive behavioral therapy is especially effective for those who don’t know what to do if they don’t feel like doing anything.
You cannot fight indifference with alcohol or drugs . This will only worsen the situation and cause bad habits to develop.
In most cases, the prognosis for treatment is favorable. With adequate therapy, the symptoms of the disorder decrease. If apathy is caused by mental or somatic diseases, its prognosis depends on the course of the underlying pathology.
Pregnant women whose apathy is a consequence of hormonal imbalance should take more walks in nature and do light exercises.
In order to eliminate the symptoms of the disorder, self-analysis is used. It is recommended to change your place of residence, go on a trip, consume more vitamins and healthy foods, and get a massage.
To prevent apathy from disturbing you in the future, doctors advise:
- Healthy food;
- avoid stress;
- maintain a daily routine;
- exercise;
- try to restrain emotions;
- rest more often;
- to have a pet.
As a preventative against apathy and depression, it is useful to take the Mumiyo twice a day for ten days. It is recommended to conduct such courses in spring and autumn.
Knowing why apathy occurs and how to deal with it, you can easily cope with the symptoms of the disorder and prevent relapses.
Before taking the online test:
Please note: this test does not collect, store or share any information about you or your results. Therefore, if you want to track the dynamics of your condition, write down the test results or use a printed copy.
Read each statement carefully and select the item that best reflects how often you have felt or behaved in this way during the past week. Don't think too long, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers in the test.
What it is
Laziness is often perceived as apathy. These phenomena are indeed similar in their symptoms. However, they have significant differences.
Laziness is a bad habit and character trait. A person does not want to work or study because he is not interested in it.
A lazy individual prefers to perform actions that he likes. During apathy, there is no desire to do anything at all.
Psychiatrists know what apathy is in a person, but psychology does not provide a specific diagnosis.
The term is described as total indifference .
The individual does not care whether the weather is rainy or sunny, what to eat for dinner or breakfast. Nothing makes him emotional. Advanced forms of the disease can lead to dire consequences.
Among them:
- anxiety;
- depressive triad;
- suicide attempts.
It is important to understand what apathy means and how it differs from abulia . The latter phenomenon means inactivity, inability to perform basic tasks. With apathy, a person continues to exist based on habits.
Some signs of apathy
Inhibited perception of information; loss of interest in contact with people, in your hobby; to the perception of information; monotonous speech; concentration of attention; forgetfulness; loss of appetite; a waste of time during the day. If you have been experiencing these symptoms for a week and after rest it is still impossible to come to your senses, then it is better to take a psychological test for apathy and consult a psychotherapist.
In some families, loved ones try to help overcome this disease, thinking that the person has become depressed. They try to cheer him up, lift his spirits. But the patient does not even have enough strength and energy for this, since he is devastated. Of course, without a doubt, the relatives are right, because the full name of this disease is apathetic depression.
It’s better not to waste time and take a test for apathy, as the condition can develop into Alzheimer’s or Pick’s disease, and a weakening of intelligence and degradation begins.
Tests to help determine depression. How to treat depression
When we talk about health, it is important to remember that it should be not only physical, but also mental. In winter, it is very easy to feel depressed, depressed and apathetic. Perhaps you just don’t have enough sun and are tired of the grayness around you. But what if the reason is buried deeper? How to recognize depression and what to do if all the symptoms converge is discussed below.
According to WHO, more than 350 million people in the world suffer from depression. But few people know the real symptoms of this disease, especially not many can distinguish them. Some people overestimate their condition and call depression simply a bad mood. Others do not pay attention to its serious signs and ignore them.
It happens that depression comes on gradually, and at some point we get used to gray colors and begin to believe that it has always been this way, and it cannot be otherwise. Someone is suddenly hit. The saddest thing a person can do in this case is to live with this feeling for years and not seek help.
Signs of depression:
* loss of meaning and joy of life; * lack of mood for a long period of time; * decreased self-esteem; * feeling of hopelessness of the future; * decreased immunity; * eating disorders; * exhaustion; * apathy; * sleep disorders; * reluctance to communicate with people; * alcohol or drug addiction.
Of course, the most terrible sign of depression, manifested in extreme forms, is suicide attempts. In a depressed state, a person does not notice that in his thoughts death is perceived as deliverance from suffering. Every year, about 800 thousand people aged 15 to 29 commit suicide due to depression. Think about it, this is a very large number. That is why it is important to recognize the disease in time and help loved ones or seek help yourself.
Causes of depression
Despite the fact that many claim that depression does not exist without a reason, these types of disorders still exist. Fortunately, they make up only 2-3% of the total. Why fortunately? In this case, interest in life is lost unexpectedly, for no apparent reason. These depressions occur most acutely and for a long time, and it becomes more difficult to provide help.
Psychogenic depression can occur for a number of reasons:
* loss of a loved one; * changes in appearance; * long-term psychotraumatic factors (loneliness, hard work, family quarrels, etc.)
There are many more reasons that can lead to depression, but it is worth understanding that they can be completely different for everyone. And what may seem like a mere trifle to one person may break another and become the last straw.
Methods for diagnosing depression
1. Zang scale. One of the most popular methods for diagnosing depression. Zhang identifies four degrees of severity of the disease: normal (20-49 points), mild depression (50-59 points), moderate depression (60-69 points), severe depression (70-80 points).
Take the test
2. Self-assessment of Eysenck's states. Eysenck's method includes testing for four key parameters that distinguish depressive individuals: anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, rigidity (inflexibility).
Take the test
3. A. Beck Depression Scale. The advantages of this questionnaire lie in the possibility of targeted assessment of the severity of both the depressive syndrome as a whole and the individual symptoms that make it up.
Take the test
But when taking tests, you need to remember that self-diagnosis and self-medication are not the best methods in the fight against depression. Be sure to consult a specialist.
How to help?
For severe depression and moderate disorders, antidepressants and psychotherapy sessions are prescribed. If it’s mild, you can get by with fitness, a visit to a psychologist, or a visit to the spa.
* Don't be alone. Don’t isolate yourself and lock yourself within four walls. Go to work, call your family. If you suspect depression in your loved ones, try to distract them with conversations and entertainment, but do not be too intrusive.
* Write down everything you feel on paper. Feel free to describe your entire stream of thoughts. It's okay if it's absurd and incoherent.
* Eat more fruits and chocolate. They will definitely lift your spirits.
* Take vitamins B and C, as well as sedatives. However, you shouldn’t overdo it with the latter, as apathy and drowsiness can only increase.
Although visiting psychologists in Russia is not yet popular enough and often it still seems something shameful, consulting with a professional is the best step towards treating depression. At a minimum, you will definitely be convinced that the diagnosis is correct, and the specialist will suggest the correct and appropriate ways to solve the problem in your case.
Therapy methods
In the treatment of manic syndrome, 2 main groups of medications are used: mood stabilizers and antipsychotics.
The patient may also be prescribed medications that have auxiliary effects, for example, for insomnia, anxiety and restlessness, etc.
The main drugs used in therapy:
- Mood stabilizers: a group of drugs intended for preventive treatment. Their long-term use reduces the risk of relapse of depression or mania. Drugs in this group are also used in acute cases of mania or depression.
- Antipsychotics (antipsychotics): drugs used to treat mania or depression. Some of the newer antipsychotic drugs have also demonstrated effectiveness in long-term, prophylactic use, thus resembling the effects of mood stabilizers.
Additional (auxiliary) drugs:
- Antidepressants are used to treat depression. It is not recommended to use drugs in this group without a mood stabilizer - this can lead to a worsening of the disease.
- Sleeping pills and tranquilizers are intended only for short-term use in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, in cases of tension or excitement.
