Depression can happen to anyone.And this does not mean that you are weak in spirit or even crazy. Some people suffer from depression for quite a long time, and some recover from it quickly. Someone needs help, and someone has enough strength to cope with their condition on their own. Most often, depression occurs in women, and this is due to their increased emotionality and vulnerability. If you are reading this article, then you are also worried about depression - what to do with it, do you know? We will try to help you with advice. But first, let's determine whether you really have depression.

Signs of Depression

Take a look at the list below and see if you can say anything similar about yourself:

• I often feel anxiety or sadness;
• I feel guilty or useless;
• I am irritable and easily lose control of myself;
• I eat less or more than usual;
• I do not want to do even what used to be fun;
• I have too little energy to live a normal life;
• I sleep much more or significantly less than usual;
• I find it very difficult to concentrate;
• I do not go to work, I miss lectures or something else very important;
• I suffer from headaches and aches in the body;
• I started drinking alcohol to feel a little better;
• I have no plans or hopes for the future;
• It seems to me that my life will never be better;
• Something strange happens to me: I began to think more often about death and about causing harm to myself.

If you have told yourself four or more times that these statements apply to you, then it is likely that you are indeed depressed.

Causes of Depression

So, you stated: “Yes, I have depression!» If you really have no doubts about this, then it is worth starting the path to healing. After all, you do not want your future life to pass under the sign of despondency and hopelessness? But in order to know how to get rid of depression, it is not enough to make sure that you have it. You also need to figure out why you got it in the first place. What are the reasons that can cause such a disorder? Here are the most common of them:

Steep changes in life It can be loss(for example, death of a loved one or loss of property), moving to a new place of residence, divorce, serious illness. Everyone who has passed through such a test, eventually recovers. This happens at all at different rates, and sometimes people need additional support to begin to feel better.

Genetic predisposition Some types of depression can be predetermined by heredity. The genes of your body work like "blueprints", which set the algorithm for your reaction to stress.

Chemical processes in the brain Chemical imbalancesubstances in the body leads to malfunctions, the result of which becomes depression. In addition, depression may provoke some medications. If this happens, then to get rid of the depressing state it is enough to cancel the reception of the drug that caused it.

Among other things, the emergence (and(flow) of depression can be significantly influenced by the type of thinking of a particular person. If you are an optimist, then even a real disaster will not be able to put you out of action for long. Having given in to despair, such people very quickly realize: “Stop! I am starting to get depressed! I need to act differently!” Optimists by nature are not inclined to think about something that could lead them to a feeling of hopelessness. But what if you are more pessimistic by nature? Then you should know what thoughts can directly lead you to depression, and you need to try to avoid this type of thinking.

Thoughts that can lead to depression

According to American psychologist Paul Hauck (and our Russian psychologists completely agree with him), three types of thoughts can seriously harm your psychological well-being:

Self-accusation Samoedstvo is typical for those whosays: whatever they do, it's always so terrible that they do not deserve anything but blame. If you, too, are prone to self-flagellation, then you are familiar with a constant sense of guilt, which depresses from day to day. Surely you also consider yourself a completely useless member of society, from which everyone is only anxious. There is nothing surprising that constantly feeling guilty in all conceivable and unimaginable sins a person very soon falls into the abyss of despair and hopelessness. You have to figure out where you got such a conviction in your worthlessness. Most likely, the origins of such low self-esteem lie in your childhood. Usually this happens with those sufferers who grew up in an atmosphere of authoritarianism and the complete suppression of their own will. At that moment in your life you did not yet know how to think abstractly, and therefore could not realize that it was simply impossible - for any person! - constantly behave just fine. You were constantly told that your actions were wrong, and the vulnerable child's psyche was formed with the realization of your own imperfection. It is very important that you realize the illogicality of your thinking: just because of several unsuccessful decisions, you consider yourself a complete nonentity. But it's the same as if you said: "I'm covered from head to toe with pimples," if you had a single pimple on your nose!

Self-pity Such people endlessly sing alone andthe same songs: "Ah, I feel so bad! In my life there is nothing good, everything goes awry, every day I am alone in trouble and suffering! No one likes me, I do not need anyone. I will not wait for any gratitude from anyone! "Did they recognize themselves? If you do not want to admit that such your thoughts are not grounded, then you can understand. It takes courage and moral maturity to recognize that you can not wait for other people to rush to solve all your problems for you. It is necessary to act independently, and not to spend all energy only on lamentations. If you are inclined to this type of thinking, you should understand that the energy of your negative emotions inevitably transforms into depression. And the only way to prevent depression or get rid of it is to change the type of your thinking.

Pity to others This is the third type of thinking,capable of leading to depression. If you are filled with compassion for other people, this does not mean that you treat them with respect or do something good for them. And this is not even empathy. Empathy is a constructive feeling. It allows you to understand the feelings of another person and provide him with the necessary support.

Pity is expressed in the following thoughts:"She feels so bad that I simply have no right to be happy at this time. If I care about her, then I should be just as unhappy. And if I don't feel sad, then I won't be able to share her experiences." Do you feel the difference? Instead of understanding and accepting the feelings of another person, helping him find a way from deep grief to the joy of life, you simply plunge into melancholy and despair together with him. Nothing but depression can be expected after this.

Biological and psychological causes of depression in women

There are also reasons for depression that are specific to women. This is due to the peculiarities of female physiology. These reasons include:

• Premenstrual problems Hormonal fluctuationsDuring the menstrual cycle, these symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) familiar to each of us can cause. This bloating, increased fatigue, irritability and emotional reactivity. For many of us, PMS appears quite gently. But in some women the symptoms are so severe that they can destroy their psychological health, causing severe dysphoric disorder.
• Pregnancy and infertility Numeroushormonal changes that occur in the body of a pregnant woman can contribute to the onset of depression, especially if the woman is at risk. This also applies to other situations related to childbearing issues, such as miscarriage, unwanted pregnancy, abortion or infertility.
• Postpartum Depression Many young mothersexperience not only positive, but also disturbing emotions after the birth of the child. They are overcome by concern for the health of the baby, fear of responsibility, which comes with motherhood, and an immense sense of fatigue after a difficult period - pregnancy and childbirth. This is a normal reaction, and these fears pass within a few weeks. Nevertheless, some women experience very severe depression, which is called postpartum.
• Perimenopause and menopause Perimenopause - stage,leading to menopause. During these physiological changes in the body, women may be at increased risk of depression, because they have a major hormonal change in their bodies.

Psychological reasons The peculiarities of the female psyche also manifest themselves in the reasons for the occurrence of depression in them:

• Focus on feelings and emotions Womenmore than men, are prone to thinking if they are depressed. We try to analyze our feelings, crying to reduce emotional tension, trying to figure out what led us to depression, tell our friends about our feelings. Nevertheless, all these reflections and conversations only fuel our depression and can even exacerbate its course. Here are men, if they fall into such a situation, try to get distracted from their experiences. Unlike constant conversations about their frustrated feelings, distraction from heavy emotions helps to relieve depression greatly.
• Dissatisfaction with your body Gender differences indepression become visible already in adolescence. Girls are very hard to perceive the apparent shortcomings of their appearance, which they find simply horrible, and this causes them the most unpleasant emotions. The same desperation can be experienced by an adult woman, if she thinks that she must meet some standards of appearance, but she can not do it.
• Exposure to stress Some studiesshow that in women much more often than men, against the background of stress, depression develops, and the level of stress can be much lower for a woman than the one that can cause depression in a man. In addition, the physiological response to stress itself differs from the reaction of the male organism, so depression in women occurs much faster.

What should be the treatment for depression?

Even the most severe depression can be treated, and the sooner it is treated, the better. Some common treatments include:

• "Speaking" therapy. Discussing your problems with a psychologist, you can use it to find the best way to solve them. In most cases, such therapy gives very good results in the treatment of depression, especially if it is not too deep.
• Cognitive (behavioral) therapy will help change your negative thinking and behavior.
• Interpersonal (interpersonal) therapy focuses on your relationships with others and works to make them more positive.
• Purpose of antidepressants. If the doctor deems it necessary, he will appoint suitable drugs specifically for you that will help alleviate your condition. Pay special attention to the doctor's instructions on how to use the prescribed medication so as not to harm yourself.

Self-help for depression

Remember that moment when you said yourselfto yourself: “I have depression!” You were able to realize it yourself, right? This means that you are quite capable of helping yourself. First, learn to recognize and accept your emotions. And then you will be able to make a huge hole in the wall that depression has surrounded you with if you simply try to change your lifestyle: start enjoying each new day, start acting contrary to your desire to isolate yourself from others, eat only healthy food and be sure to find time for rest and relaxation. Fighting depression on your own can take a lot of time, but you will significantly reduce it if you allow yourself to rely on the support of your loved ones. Talk about your feelings with those you trust. You can say what kind of help you expect from them. Perhaps your loved ones will have to change something in their relationship with you; but they will do this, understanding that everything will return to normal as soon as this difficult time is over for you. Try to be socially active, even if you do not really want to. When you are depressed, it is more comfortable to feel hidden in a thick cocoon. But being around other people, you will not feel as depressed as when you are alone. And if someone else needs your help, then your own troubles will no longer occupy all your thoughts. And be sure to do sports! Experts say that regular physical exercise can be as effective in increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue as taking antidepressants. So why take medications if you can help yourself in a more enjoyable and safe way? You don’t have to go to the gym for this. A daily thirty-minute walk will give you everything you need to defeat depression. Be sure to stick to the rule: you need to sleep on average eight hours! Depression usually includes sleep problems. And if you sleep too little or too much, your mood will suffer greatly from this. Learn healthy sleep habits and be sure to stick to a sleep-wake schedule. Try to be outside every day so that your body gets the amount of daylight it needs to function properly. Lack of sunlight itself can cause depression, and this is due to chemical processes that occur in our bodies only under the influence of daylight. It is not at all necessary for the weather to be sunny; your body will get everything it needs even if the sky is covered with clouds all day.

Ten Ways to Prevent Depression

In conclusion, we will give you ten more pieces of advice that we recommend elevating to the rank of life rules that must be strictly followed.

Understand and accept that there is a cycleemotions. Life is like a roller coaster. Some days you are full of energy, and nothing can stop you. On other days, everything seems completely hopeless to you. And most of the time your emotions are somewhere in the middle. Understanding the structure of positive and negative emotions will help you see the perspective of your sensations. Next time, if the world turns gray, you will not panic, knowing full well that after a dull day a sunny day comes. You will understand that you are experiencing a completely natural emotion that will inevitably pass and be replaced by a completely different mood. Knowing that the sense of depression is temporary, you will experience this period much more easily.

Communicate mainly with positive people. Nothing affects how you think and how you feel about your environment. Thoughts, both negative and positive, are transmitted from person to person, as if it were a virus. If you are surrounded by negative people, it is only natural that you begin to think and feel the same way. To improve your attitude, spend time with positive people. Try to understand how they see the world. Most likely, you will be able to get infected with their ability to be happy.

Remember about your past successes Once you are onlineit's very easy to forget everything you've ever done right. Spend just a few minutes every day to remember all your achievements. Ask yourself: what helped me then to be successful? What are my greatest strengths? How can I use them to solve today's problems? Such daily exercises will help regain your self-confidence. It will be much easier to understand what exactly this time went wrong, and you can easily generate ideas that will help to achieve success today and tomorrow.

Focus on gratitude Not worth itfocus on the unpleasant surprises that can bring life. It is much more sensible to celebrate joyful moments, which are also many in every lived day. Learn to enjoy the small: the sunbeam that made its way through the lacy edge of the cloud, bird singing, which in itself is able to relieve stress, the smile of a beloved friend, the inept attempt of a child to wash dishes, a bouquet of field chamomiles, which the husband brought, not too lazy to get out of the car and pick them for you, making your way to the waist in the grass ...

Change the "scenery" One of the best waysChange your feelings is changing the environment. When you experience a recession, you begin to associate your problems with what surrounds you. This can result in the fact that the environment will again and again remind you of your problems, which can become a rather dangerous provocation of depression. The solution will be to change the situation. Put your order in the room where you spend most of your time, achieve better lighting in it, add eye-pleasing ornaments. All this can completely change your mood for the better.

Dilute the daily routine If day by daydoing the same thing, it can be too monotonous and depressing. Which will lead you safely directly to the gates of depression. To get rid of this, change something in the daily routine, at least sometimes. You can take a day off at work at an inopportune time. On this day, do something that usually does not have enough time on a normal day or on a scheduled holiday. Let it be something unusual, something you have never done before, and very pleasant for you. This way out of the usual schedule will help to shake up and make you more productive in the days that follow.

Communicate more with animals and nature Watchingfor animals, you can understand how funny people behave, giving too much importance to their problems. Animals live in the present moment, showing us their unconditional love. This does not mean that there are no problems in their lives; but they think about the problem only when they face it, for the rest of the time they just live and enjoy the sun, communicating with each other and your attention. Perhaps, we should learn from them to switch their attention from unpleasant moments to the positive that surrounds us in everyday life and which we do not always notice?

Move more Ordinary walk or trek inThe gym will help you get rid of the lethargic stupor, which will inevitably lead directly to depression and depression. The more you move, the more energy you will have and the better your psychological state.

Take action to help yourself The best thing isyou can do to help yourself get over depression is to start taking action. Once you make the decision to stop moping and start moving forward, you won't have time to dwell on your worries. Taking action will occupy your thoughts and give you the opportunity to look forward to the results. Once you get them, positive thinking will begin to take hold.

Think about your problems from the perspective ofWe live in a huge universe on a tiny planet, and ultimately everything we do is not so soon forgotten. Do not be afraid that such a picture will overwhelm you and depress you. Rather, it will help you to understand that all our problems are illusory. What worries so much tomorrow will leave us completely indifferent, and in a hundred years no one will remember who did what or did not do. Is it worth it because of your mistakes, if tomorrow you can fix it? Moreover, the human memory is so arranged that only the good is remembered, and all the bad things from it are quickly erased, like any other unnecessary information!

Perhaps not all of our suggestions will beacceptable to you, but they will definitely help to overcome the negative vision of your life picture. Well, and if you think that you have encountered too serious a problem with your psychological health, then do not hesitate to disturb with your visit medical workers who will help you cope with the problem. We advise you to read:

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