Depression is a mental illness that is often associated with a deterioration in mental health.
About 5% of all children, 10% of all men and 25% of all women suffer from depression.
Signs of severe depression are: persistent sadness, slow speech and movements, thoughts associated with bad things, irritability, nervousness, fatigue, weight changes, insomnia or excessive sleepiness, problems with concentration, decreased interest or pleasure in usual activities, guilt, lack of value, helplessness, pessimism.
In the case of childhood depression, the following symptoms are observed: isolation from family and friends, alcohol abuse, deterioration in school performance, problems with concentration, apathy, weight loss, insomnia, fatigue, headache, abdominal pain, dizziness.
A distinction is made between: depressive reaction, dysthymia and severe depression.
Depressive reaction is the mildest form of depression, dysthymia is the moderate form, and severe depression is the most serious form.
Severe depression is characterized by the following symptoms: helplessness, guilt, sleep disturbances (insomnia), constant fatigue, lack of interest in normal activities.
Depression is characterized by a high risk of relapse.
Severe depression occurs suddenly and goes away just as suddenly after 6-12 months.
Even children and adolescents can suffer from severe depression.
The risk of severe depression increases with age.
The most common causes of severe depression can be: the loss of a loved one and physical limitations associated with age.
Other causes of depression can be: an unpleasant event in the patient's life, viral diseases (flu), hormonal changes (menstruation, postpartum depression), side effects from drug treatment.
Dysfunction of brain neurotransmitters (serotonin) can affect the development of dysthymia and major depression. To diagnose depression, it is necessary to exclude the body's reaction to certain medications, Graves' disease, and deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals.
The following are used to treat depression: electroconvulsive therapy, antidepressants, and psychotherapy.
The most commonly used antidepressants are: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, bupropion), tricyclic antidepressants (desipramine, doxepin, nortriptyline, amitriptyline, imipramine), monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and lithium carbonate.
