Depression is an emotional state characterized by sadness, less activity and the inability to enjoy life. It is one of the most common psychological problems. The presented study presents typical symptoms of depression as well as its various variants. In the following chapters, we also describe how to deal with this disease and how to deal with a person suffering from depression.
Seasonal depression
The phenomenon of "winter sadness" has been known for a long time, observed and described in particular in the countries of the northern part of the terrestrial globe. It is believed that seasonal depression affects not only the mood of the person affected, but also the whole body, causing irritability, increasing the discomfort of menstrual states in women and giving weight gains in all patients. Most of the people suffering from it are as much as 80% of women. It is believed that it may be caused by a specific sequence of cloudy days in the winter. The average duration of seasonal depression is several months.
Typical symptoms of this ailment include: increased appetite, especially for sweets - usually giving weight gain. It can cause weight increase in the winter by as much as 6 kg, lowering vitality, apathy, sleep disorders, decreased sex drive, constant irritability.
The American poet Robbyn Turner characterizes his mood related to seasonal depression (translated by Krystyna Broczek):
This anxiety - this depression - is the feeling that I do not live in the same world as others. But now the only thing I think about is that for a few months This year the Sun returns. And for that I am deeply grateful.
Masked depression
This type of depression usually takes the form of a chronic, nagging and often painful somatic illness. It may therefore resemble a variety of strong neuritis or radiculitis. Sometimes it may be in the form of trigeminitis or sciatica. It happens that the patient reports severe and persistent headaches. The diagnosis of this type of depression is extremely difficult and usually occurs after the exclusion of other somatic diseases. A characteristic feature of pain occurring in masked depression is the ineffectiveness of analgesics and blockages.
Depression, subliminal, subclinical
As the name suggests, all these types of diagnoses are synonyms for incomplete depression, and perhaps even suspicions that lowering the mood with which the patient came in is some form of incomplete depression. Observing the well-being of our patients over the years, we know exactly when they are depressed, and when only periodicity marks some features of depression in their lives. Then we use these synonyms to determine their mood.
Psychotic depression
It is characterized by the occurrence of psychotic symptoms in the course of major depression. The patient may start to speak self-accusing or nihilistic delusions. At other times they may be hypochondrial delusions. He may claim to be infected with a venereal disease that "has infected the whole family, neighbors and the surrounding area." Another, he may maintain that he is so seriously ill that "his liver and the entire digestive tract have completely disappeared. Now he can not take food because he has nothing to digest. " Whoever else may say that "his body produces such a stench that makes him ugly and must dwell only in his home." Such beliefs usually lead to tragic conclusions and that is why it is believed that psychotic depression has a high risk of suicide.The types of depression described above are sometimes also said to be anesthetic depressions (with no sensation).
A message from the author for the reader
The characteristics of depression are enriched by authentic statements of patients, descriptions of their ailments and difficulties in overcoming the disease. The author has been conducting extensive private practice for years, in which depressive patients make up the majority of applicants.
Dr. Janusz Krzyżowski, MD, psychiatrist
