Mental Aids For Coping With Depression

Knowledge of mental aids in coping with depression is a great help in the treatment of mental illness.

What is depression?

Depression is a mental health condition. Sadness, guilt and self-destruction take over those who suffer from them, hindering their normal daily activities.

Depression reduces interest in what they once enjoyed. It usually starts during adolescence or when people are between 20 and 30 years old. However, it also occurs in children.

Contrary to popular belief, depression is not the same as weakness. Nor is it necessarily linked to lack of affection, childhood trauma, or personality disorders.

The causes can be very diverse : the death of a family member, broken relationships, work situations, serious illness or even hormonal changes.

Statistics show that 30% of patients in primary care have symptoms of depression and 10% end up in a serious condition. One in six people can be affected by this condition.

Symptoms of Depression

Listlessness, exhaustion, sadness, irritability or anxiety are symptoms of depression. People lose their ability to experience certain emotions, such as happiness or pleasure.

Instead, they have feelings of guilt, hopelessness, abandonment, loneliness, and uselessness.

In these situations, the person has a hard time making decisions. They don’t sleep much and may eventually consider committing suicide. They also no longer take care of their personal hygiene, their children or their pets.

Physical disorders and depression

Physical disorders can be directly or indirectly related to depression:

• Thyroid disorders, for example, can affect hormones, which can cause depressive symptoms.
• Maternal brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia or sleep apnea can cause depression.
• Tuberculosis, pneumonia, and hepatitis may play a role, among others.
• Anxiety disorders, alcoholism or schizophrenia can also cause it.

Depression and much more

Depression can get progressively worse  and eventually become a major and persistent condition.

At first, the person is sad. Their eyes are filled with tears every day for weeks. They avoid eye contact and do not want to participate in conversations.

• The persistent depressive illness lasts for two years or more. They lose their sense of humor or the ability to enjoy themselves; they are more taciturn, more pessimistic and more skeptical.
• In what is called “premenstrual dysphoric disorder”, the symptoms only occur during the days just before menstruation. It can start at a young age, but it disappears with menopause.

Depression: how to treat?

Complementary treatments, psychotherapy, and medications are the medical tools used to combat depression.

In general, there is no need for hospitalization unless you are dealing with suicidal thoughts, weight loss or heart problems.

• If the depression is mild, psychotherapy may be sufficient. This is a treatment that can be performed individually or in groups. It helps in the gradual adjustment to the pressures of life.
• If the depression goes from moderate to severe, the therapy may also be accompanied by a new generation of anti-depressant drugs. There are also selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

• If none of this improves, electroconvulsive therapy can be used. This consists of placing electrodes on the head that cause convulsions in the brain through the use of electric shocks. It requires an anesthetic when performed.
• Depression related to the seasons is treated with light therapy. This is done with a special lamp that emits light and which the person has to sit next to for 30 minutes, without looking directly at it.

Fight depression with mental aids

There are many mental aids that can help you cope with depression:

• Participate in activities you are interested in. This will increase your physical and mental energy and help you avoid negative thoughts.

• Convert your negative thoughts into positive ones. In general, developing self-confidence helps you avoid depression because self-confidence helps you value yourself and tolerate your flaws.
• In addition, another tool is to promote your assertiveness or your ability to defend your beliefs.
• The fact that you can accept your  emotional state, even if it is negative, shows emotional intelligence. It is necessary to be able to recognize anger, sadness or fear in order to learn to deal with it.
• In life, your goals motivate you and keep you going. That’s why a goal is  a good stimulus that helps you get over depression.

• Relaxation as a way to loosen your muscles and mind is very important.
• Meditation is also a very effective approach.