Depression

by: healthzia.net

The feeling of sadness or indifference that a person with depression feels usually lasts more than 2 weeks. The characteristics of depressed people can be seen from 2 aspects, namely psychological and physical. From a psychological aspect, the characteristics of depression include:

  • Always burdened with guilt and often blame yourself

  • Feeling hopeless, inferior, and worthless or have low self esteem

  • Always feeling anxious and excessive worry

  • Continuously bad or sad mood

  • Irritable or sensitive, and easy to cry

  • Difficulty concentrating, thinking, and making decisions

  • Become apathetic to the surrounding environment

  • Disinterested and unmotivated for everything

  • The idea of self-harm or an attempted suicide occurred

Meanwhile, from the physical aspect, the characteristics of depression consist of:

  • Always feel tired and lose energy

  • Decreased appetite or no appetite

  • Insomnia or even too much sleep

  • Dizziness or pain for unknown reasons

  • Slower than usual gestures and speech

  • No sexual desire

  • Weight loss drastically or increase dramatically

Depressed individuals do not always feel the same symptoms, depending on the severity of the depression they are experiencing. Mild depression can interfere with daily activities and social relationships. In severe conditions, the sufferer is completely unable to carry out daily activities and build relationships with other people.

Types of Depression

In addition, there are several types of depression that can occur. This division is based on the severity and cause. The following is an explanation of the types of depression:

1.Major depression

This condition is characterized by feelings of sadness, loss of interest, or other symptoms of depression, every day, most of the time, and lasts more than 2 weeks or more.

2.Dysthymia

Dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder (persistent depressive disorder) is a condition of major depression, which has been going on for a long time, at least 2 years.

3.Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by drastic changes in mood, feelings or emotions over two periods of time. When experiencing bipolar disorder, a person can experience episodes of mania (very happy) and episodes of major depression (very sad or down).

4.Postpartum depression

This condition is usually experienced by women who have just given birth. Generally, postpartum depression will be characterized by the appearance of major depressive symptoms within 1 week to 1 month after delivery.

5.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

In some women, complaints and symptoms of depression can appear before and during menstruation. This is called PMDD. This is different from the symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

6.Atypical depression

Atypical depression will be characterized by the appearance of several depressive symptoms that are sometimes atypical, such as drastic weight gain, excessive sleep, excessive sadness with rejection. Usually these symptoms can subside with a positive atmosphere or event.

If depression is accompanied by psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, disturbed thought patterns, or delusions, this is known as psychotic depression.

When to See a Doctor?

Check with your doctor if you or someone closest to you experiences complaints and symptoms as mentioned above. Proper handling from an early age can help sufferers to be more productive. In addition, early treatment can prevent complications due to depression.

Immediately go to the doctor or emergency room if you feel the urge to harm yourself or others. People with major depression are often unaware of their condition. If you see someone around you who wants to do a fresh suicide attempt take him to the doctor for treatment.

That’s what we can tell you about depression. Hopefully it can be useful.