Depression in women, treatment

The term "depression", translated from Latin meaning "to press", "suppress", is ideally suited as a name for this phenomenon. This psychological disorder, which is characterized by a decrease in mood, it suppresses a person's ability to feel joy, this is called anhedonia. Along with this, the thinking of a person is also disturbed, he begins to judge negatively, and the views on everything that happens around him become pessimistic, as does motor inhibition. When depression lowers self-esteem, a person loses interest in everyday, habitual activities and in life itself. Often a person, being depressed, begins to abuse narcotic, alcoholic or other psychotropic substances.

A person can become depressed as a result of dramatic experiences, such as loss of loved ones, failures at work. Developed as a reaction to the above events, depression is called reactive depression. This form of depression arises from excessive brain strain due to stress, caused by physiological and psychosocial factors.

But if there are no psychological factors among the causes of depression, or they are not obvious, then this form is called endogenous, as it were "arising from within".In 35 percent of cases of manifest depressions, external influences are absent, that is, they arise autochthonously.

There are a lot of people who have depression due to lack of light, for example, in cloudy weather, or when they are in low-lighted rooms. This form is called "seasonal depression", because it is most often observed in autumn and winter.

As depression can appear as a result of side effect of some medicines. Most often this type of depression quickly appears and just as quickly passes after the abolition of the application of the appropriate medication.

Currently, depression is easy to treat, but still it is the most common type of psychological disorders. In a state of depression, 10% of the population is over 45 years of age, by the age of 65, cases of depression have tripled. The number of depressed patients among adolescents reaches 40%.And at this age people are more prone to suicidal actions.

Depression of in women, manifestation of the disease.

Women are more likely to fall into depression, two out of three are women. This has been reliably confirmed by numerous studies in various countries.

What is the relationship of women's penchant for depression?

Depression is closely related to changes in the hormonal background in the female body in the reproductive age. This so-called genital cycle resides in a number of stages: the menstrual cycle, pre-menopausal and climacteric periods, pregnancy and childbirth. During each of these stages, the composition and amount of hormones varies greatly, accompanied by changes in the physiology of all functions of the body of the woman, including the psychological sphere. In men, such changes in the hormonal background are not observed, because women are more likely to develop depression.

The manifestation of depression in women.

Depression in women can be manifested in different ways. The mood can become apathetic, oppressed, depressed, and at the same time irritated, anxious and whiny. They can also feel inner tension. A change in mood is often accompanied by fatigue, decreased activity, inattention and absent-mindedness. There are also various somatic disorders, such as increased sleepiness or, conversely, insomnia, a decrease or increase in appetite. In addition, pain in the joints, heart, muscles, in the mammary glands and headaches, sensations of rapid heartbeat, with severe strokes, frequent fluctuations in blood pressure may appear.

The duration of depressions that develop as a result of changes in the body during the reproductive cycle can be varied. Premenstrual depression usually lasts not for long, about 1 week before menstruation and 1 week after, but there may be relapses associated with monthly menstrual exacerbations. Postpartum depressive syndrome and menopause depression are more protracted and may last for several months.

How can depression be treated?

Depressive syndrome is a completely curable disease. Depression in women - treatment of it does not take much effort if you choose the right medicines correctly and take them in the right doses.

Antidepressants are special medicines used to treat a depressive syndrome.

Today, there is a huge number of such drugs. All medicines in this class are safe and effective. But you need to keep in mind that each type of these drugs has its own characteristics, both in the effectiveness of treatment, and the methods of application and dosing.

Treatment of depression, regardless of its form, takes time. It is impossible to recover from depression on the first day of taking medicines. Any modern antidepressants will begin to work on depression not earlier than in couple of weeks after the beginning of their application. Just because women are more likely to develop depression, do not think that treatment for depression in men takes less time than treatment for women.

The appointment and withdrawal of antidepressant medication should only be performed by a qualified physician. The use of antidepressants should be continued for a certain time, even if all of the symptoms of depression have completely disappeared. Because the possibility of exacerbation of the depressive syndrome due to premature withdrawal from therapy reaches 80%.In addition, the acute depression is more difficult to treat.

If suddenly you decide to stop the treatment before the appointed time, determined by the doctor, without fail, consult with him.