You can get rid of the blues with the help of a professional psychologist or on your own, at home.

Since pathological mechanisms affect not only the emotional state of a person, but also negatively affect the work of all internal organs and systems, people with severe disorders often require a course of medical treatment.

What is stress

Stress is the response of the human body to physical overstrain and negative emotional experiences.

After the occurrence of these negative factors, the endocrine glands begin to actively produce the hormone adrenaline. This allows a person to tune in to find an effective solution to a problem situation. Thus, there is a positive impact that allows you to easily resolve conflicts in a minimum amount of time.

If a person experiences constant stress, their useful function is lost and the body suffers from psychological and physical overwork. If you do not use the methods recommended by the doctor to calm the nerves, then the organs of the immune and nervous, cardiovascular and hormonal, digestive systems may suffer.

In domestic medicine, such conditions are briefly characterized by the term VVD. Vegetative-vascular dystonia involves damage to internal organs due to disorders of nervous regulation.

Causes of stress

When classifying the factors that caused severe stress, psychotherapists distinguish:

1. internal determinants. Fertile soil for overexertion is a specific (too strict, religious) upbringing, unusual values ​​and beliefs;
2. external determinants. Circumstances arise regardless of the will of the person (discomfort before menstruation or due to the spring restructuring of the body, job loss, death of a relative, divorce, separation from a girlfriend or boyfriend, loneliness).

stress symptoms

The presence of disorders due to the excessive influence of stress can be established by such behavioral manifestations as:

• insomnia and drowsiness, restless sleep and frequent nightmares;
• eating disorders, uncontrolled intake of junk food, a sharp decrease or gain in body weight;
• a constant feeling of depression and irritability that occurs for no reason;
• headache and chronic fatigue, lethargy and general weakness;
• a decrease in the speed of the thought process and concentration of attention, a drop in working capacity;
• incredulity, lack of interest in others;
• inability to relax, put aside routine affairs and problems;
• melancholy and laziness, tearfulness and pessimism;
• obsessive habits (frequent biting of lips, tearing off nails, desire to tear paper).

What is depression

Depression is usually called a mental disorder, which entails a violation of mental functions, a decrease in the background of mood and an inability to feel joy. Patients acquire a pessimistic outlook on life, build mostly negative judgments.

In behavior, there is a strong inhibition and closeness. Self-esteem decreases, interest in ordinary daily activities is lost, thoughts of committing suicide arise.

The condition is accompanied by a pronounced state of affect. A person who is in prolonged depression often tries to escape from reality with the help of alcohol or large doses of psychotropic substances.

At-risk groups

According to the World Health Organization, pathological changes affect approximately 5% of children under 10 years of age and 12-20% of adolescents. Both sexes suffer from depression. The number of patients with this diagnosis under medical supervision in adolescence ranges from 15 to 40%.

Postpartum depression often affects women who have experienced pregnancy for the first time in their lives. The overall prevalence of all types of psychotic disorder in men and women over 50 years is 34-55%.

Men's and women's depression occurs in the population with the same frequency. However, bouts of blues and apathy usually occur for different reasons. The greatest susceptibility to pathological states of the psyche are persons with a suspicious nature and a depressive personality, prone to frequent and detailed introspection.

Etiology of depression

Depression occurs due to the influence of many adverse factors. Physiological and psychosocial factors may underlie the disease. Doctors associate the deterioration of a person's well-being with a deficiency of biogenic amines.

If the body lacks the required amount of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine for a long time, then there are signs of severe irritability and apathy, bad mood and deep despondency, fear and anxiety.

The amount of necessary chemical compounds in the blood decreases as a result of some external circumstances, for example, a long stay in darkened rooms, which is typical for representatives of certain professions (miners, surveyors, environmentalists). The lack of the hormone of joy is observed in residents of the northern regions with long winters. Thus, endogenous depression can be called not only organic, but also seasonal affective disorder, which is exacerbated in autumn and winter.

AT recent times depression is common among young people, which is the result of side effects of drugs or drugs. Iatrogenic, or pharmacogenic depression, is formed as a result of uncontrolled intake of levodopa, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines. A condition associated with constant strong nervous experiences can be completely cured after discontinuation of drugs and a course of detoxification.

There is such a thing as depression due to the abuse of sedatives or hypnotics. A depressed state occurs due to the regular use of alcoholic beverages of any strength level (including "non-alcoholic"), cocaine, cannabinoids and heroin, psychostimulants and amphetamines. In this case, the clinical picture of a depressive disorder will be the result of persistent physical and mental dependence on a prohibited substance.

Causes of depression

Causes of depression in women

Severe forms of psychogenic pathologies occur in female patients due to:

• genetic causes (the presence of signs of any mental disorders in relatives);
• biochemical factors (the effect of hormonal drugs, the onset of menopause);
• external circumstances (conflicts with loved ones, dissatisfaction with personal life, lack of material resources);
• psychological determinants (low self-esteem, a tendency to introspection, dependence on the opinions of others, inability to adequately respond to stress and provocations).

age factor

The causes of depression in women differ depending on the age of the patient. Girls going through puberty undergo drastic hormonal changes. Adolescents aged 11-13 are experiencing changes in appearance and personality problems. There is dissatisfaction with one's own weight, deviations in eating behavior (anorexia and bulimia). A separate reason for the onset of chronic depression is sexual abuse by strangers, peers or relatives.

Upon reaching reproductive age (18-40 years), young women experience dramatic mood swings. Their condition is often determined by the stage of the menstrual cycle. A girl may worry about the lack of children due to the disorder of her personal life or infertility. Severe depression is observed after an abortion. The highest probability of developing neurotic pathologies exists among patients who are subjected to increased psychological stress and are characterized by emotional lability.

In old age, women are worried about the deterioration of their appearance and weakening of health, the loss of a spouse and the alienation of children, lack of communication and loneliness.

Causes of postpartum depression

Postpartum depression occurs in about 15% of women who have had a pregnancy. The risk of depression increases under the influence of:

• negative experience of a previous pregnancy associated with the low qualification of the medical staff of the maternity hospital, severe pain and a long recovery period;
• hereditary predisposition. If there were signs of psychological illness in the anamnesis of relatives, women often suffer from nervousness and irritability;
• hormonal changes. When carrying a fetus, the level of estrogen and progesterone in the body increases. After childbirth, the plasma concentration of substances drops sharply. After about 3 days, the content of hormonal compounds in the blood returns to normal. The described spasmodic changes cause a decrease in mood and a feeling of weakness;
• unrest. Experiences related to the fate of the child and problems in the family, failed marriage, material or housing problems, entail sleep disturbance, fatigue and physical overwork;
• premature birth. Women often feel guilty because of the inability to bear a child for the required period and consider themselves the cause of all diseases of a newborn baby;
• early discharge from the hospital, lack of necessary knowledge and skills to care for the baby;
• violations of lactation and stagnation of milk, the inability to breastfeed a newborn;
• negative changes in appearance associated with weight gain, the formation of stretch marks and a decrease in skin elasticity, deterioration in the quality of nails and teeth;
• violations of sexual relations. There is a temporary need to stop sexual intercourse, the level of sexual desire decreases.

Causes of depression in men

Latent protracted neuroses are often observed due to:

• social reasons, for example, after being fired from work or losing a business, deteriorating financial situation, family quarrels and conflicts, divorce or retirement;
• physiological abnormalities, including acute post-alcohol conditions (hangover);
• hormonal disruptions and a decrease in potency due to a natural decrease in testosterone levels, which is observed after reaching the age of 40 or occurs earlier in people who regularly drink beer;
• brain injuries, malignant and benign formations.

Symptoms of depression

Signs of illness in women

Among the emotional manifestations are:

• feeling of despair, loss of the meaning of life;
• depressed mood;
• internal tension and premonition of trouble;
• causeless fears, exacerbation of various phobias;
• chronic fatigue syndrome;
• feelings of guilt and self-flagellation;
• suicidal thoughts.

Physiological symptoms of depression are often cited as:

• migraine;
• drowsiness and insomnia;
• increased fatigue;
• weight gain associated with the habit of seizing stress;
• gastrointestinal pathologies, refusal to eat and constipation;
• loss of sexual attraction to the opposite sex;
• discomfort in the body, heart and muscle pain;
• feeling of suffocation, coughing fits.

Symptoms of postpartum depression

Constant jumps in the level of hormones in the body of a young mother provoke emotional instability. You can identify signs of a nerve disorder by:

• depressed state. Exacerbation is often observed in the morning and evening hours;
• increased emotional sensitivity and increasing irritability, unreasonable attacks of aggression;
• guilt. A woman cannot live in peace after childbirth because she has lost her former attractiveness or severe congenital malformations were found in the child;
• memory lapses, inability to concentrate, absent-mindedness, slowness and lethargy;
• excessive concern for the health of the baby, frequent visits to the pediatrician and other pediatric doctors;
• inability to enjoy joyful moments, loss of a sense of humor;
• frequent complaints about one's own health, an obsessive search for signs of deadly diseases;
• feeling of dislike for the baby. Some mothers believe that the newborn was changed or mixed up in the hospital.

Symptoms of depression in men

Depression in men occurs with some features, patients often experience:

• slow pace of speech and detachment;
• significant weight fluctuations;
• the desire to escape from reality with the help of drinking or taking a drug;
• pain in the neck and back;
• incontinence in relation to other people;
• intimate problems (erectile dysfunction);
• suicidal intentions.

Treatment

Medical

When contacting the clinic, patients who want to cope with a protracted disorder are prescribed medication and psychotherapy sessions. A progressive method of dealing with depression is considered to be a complex introduction:

• antidepressants (minoamine oxidase inhibitors, lithium salt). Medicines are taken for 4-6 months;
• neuroleptics (chlorpromazine, zyprex). Tablets are selected depending on contraindications and identified side effects;
• nootropics (glycine, quattrex);
• tranquilizers (phenibut, phenazepam). Possess anxiolytic and anticonvulsant action;
• sedatives (valemidin). Normalize the work of the nerve centers and relieve excessive irritability, accelerate the process of falling asleep;
• vitamins B and D, calcium and magnesium.

Treating depression at home

How to quickly and easily get rid of the effects of stress and depression without medication? Before you start treatment yourself with the help of folk remedies, you need to undergo an examination in the clinic. Based on the results of the tests, the doctor will recommend safe methods that can be used at home.

In books on traditional medicine and on forums on the Internet, you can find many positive reviews about such herbal remedies as:

• decoction of St. John's wort;
• collection from chamomile root and hops;
• melissa root and motherwort;
• Ivan tea and peppermint;
• valerian root;
• ginseng and lemongrass Chinese;
• myrtle and passion flower;
• freshly squeezed carrot juice.

Psychological help

Relatives and close people of the patient can help him cure depression on their own. Many psychologists (David Allen, Andrei Kurpatov, Sergei Perov, Nikolai Kozlov) in their video lessons talk about the beneficial effects of collective psychotherapy.

The ability to independently get rid of nervousness develops after a thorough analysis of the situation and a confidential conversation with loved ones. Relatives can help a person avoid bad thoughts and prevent suicide.

Experts note the positive influence of the Orthodox religion. Prayers allow people to achieve inner balance and calm the nerves.

Sport helps to improve physical fitness and increase the concentration of the hormone of joy.

What should a woman on maternity leave do to overcome chronic depression forever? The advice of psychotherapists boils down to:

• increasing self-esteem through work on appearance, intellectual improvement;
• learning the rules of communication with the child;
• receiving help from her husband, who should be a full-fledged participant in the educational process;

The information is given for informational purposes. The use of any methods should be started after consulting a doctor.

Depression can manifest as simple fatigue or a general feeling of not feeling well. It is natural to experience some depression after the death of a friend or relative, after a deep disappointment in the family or at work. However, depression that continues for a long time and without a serious cause may be a sign of a mental illness, and then you need to see a doctor. Depression is experienced as a feeling of deep sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness; characterized by loss of self-control, low self-esteem, as well as a decrease in interest in the necessary daily activities, communication with people. There are thoughts of suicide and attempts to commit it.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood stress can shorten life expectancy.

Individuals who reported at least 6 out of 8 negative childhood experiences, ranging from regular abuse to living around the mentally ill, had an average life expectancy of 61 years, while those who had a quiet childhood (none of these factors ), died at an average age of 79 years.

To test the relationship between childhood stress and longevity, CDC Drs. David W. Brown and Robert Anda and their colleagues at the CDC and the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Population Health Research examined 17,337 people who came for wellness checkups from 1995 to 1997.

Today, there is a clear connection between stress in childhood and diseases of the heart, lungs, liver and other organs. "The relationship between childhood stress and health has been amazing to me," says Dr. Anda.

The next step, the scientists decided to analyze the relationship between stress in childhood and the age at which death occurred. In 2006, 1539 study participants died.

During the study, participants were asked to indicate which of the following stressors they had experienced in childhood. The list of factors included the following 8 items:

1. insults in words
2. physical abuse
3. sexual assault with physical contact
4. regular beating of the mother by the father
5. alcoholism or drug addiction in family members
6. mental illness in family members
7. Imprisonment of family members
8. divorce or separation of parents.

Among participants under 65 years of age, at least one of these events was noted by 69%, among those 65 years of age and older, it was 53%.

For those who noted six or more events, the risk of dying during the observation period was 1.5 times higher than for those who noted none. Those who experienced 6 or more stressful childhood events were 1.7 times more likely to die at age 75 or younger and 2.4 times more likely to die at 65 or younger than those who had a stress-free childhood .

Childhood trauma can affect health in a variety of ways, explains Dr. Anda. Thus, under the influence of stress slows down the development of the brain, so people who experienced childhood stress may be more prone to depression and anxiety and more often turn to alcohol and smoking as a means of coping with problems.

Only a third of the participants did not experience any of the 8 events listed in their childhood, indicating a high prevalence of such events in families.

"If we really want to deal with the serious diseases that cause the greatest concern of specialists, first of all we need to save children from the stress that they can be exposed to in their own families - this will be the best prevention," says Anda.

MENTAL DISORDERS DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY CONDITIONS

Depression

may manifest as simple fatigue or a general feeling of being unwell.

It is natural to experience some depression after the death of a friend or relative, after a deep disappointment in the family or at work. However, depression that continues for a long time and without a serious cause may be a sign of a mental illness, and then you need to see a doctor.

Symptoms. Depression is experienced as a feeling of deep sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness; characterized by loss of self-control, low self-esteem, as well as a decrease in interest in the necessary daily activities - personal hygiene, eating, work and school duties, communication with people. There are thoughts of suicide and attempts to commit it. Children with depression are often unsociable, aggressive, have difficulty at school, and complain unnecessarily about their physical condition. Symptoms of depression do not depend on age, they can be mild or severe, lasting from several weeks to many years.

Manic depressive syndrome

characterized by frequent mood swings - from euphoria and exaltation to severe depression. It occurs in both women and men. Usually the first manifestation occurs after 30 years.

Symptoms. The manic phase is characterized by an exalted, hyperactive state of the patient; hallucinations (auditory, visual and olfactory sensations that are not perceived by other people), delusions (beliefs or opinions that do not agree with reality), weakening of common sense, rapid speech, irritability, jumping from subject to subject of thought, a sense of the extreme importance of one’s conclusions are typical , reduced sleep duration and decreased appetite, impulsive and aggressive behavior. Lost professional, educational and social skills and abilities. Manic symptoms range from mild to severe.

Manic behavior in children and adolescents

It is expressed in increased activity, irascibility, temporary weakening of attention, which leads to conflicts with law enforcement agencies: troubles at school and problems in interpersonal relationships.

Alarm states

are feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, or fear that arise from anticipation or a sense of threat. The feeling of anxiety is necessary for the survival of a person: it encourages you to monitor your health, to stop at a red light. However, anxiety can reach dangerous levels. The higher the level of anxiety, the more a person is forced to concentrate, think, and the more difficult it is for him to make decisions.

Anxiety is more common in women than in men. The causes of such conditions may be due to heredity, and may also be a violation of the functions of the thyroid gland or adrenal glands; poisoning with chemicals or deficiency of some substances; physical or mental injury or fear of them; prolonged hostility or condemnation of others; propensity for unrealistic goals and fantastic beliefs. With a strong sense of anxiety, a person, as a rule, speaks louder and faster, quickly gets tired, feels trembling in the body, becomes absent-minded and irritable, aimlessly repeats certain forms of behavior (for example, clasping hands or pacing around the room endlessly).

Symptoms. Many people experience symptoms of anxiety from time to time without actually having the disorder. The frequency and severity of symptoms, and the impact of these symptoms on relationships at work, school, and home, determine the presence of the disease.

Obsessions

These are thoughts, urges, emotions that a person cannot cope with. Obsession is expressed in the involuntary repetitive performance of seemingly meaningless actions (rituals) that a person performs, as if trying to prevent something undesirable. Ritual behavior typical for such people includes an unreasonable desire to wash or clean something, check and recheck, following a strict sequence in actions (for example, put on and take off socks 11 times before putting on shoes). Obsessive disorders usually appear during puberty or somewhat later.

panic state

characterized by recurring and usually unpredictable episodes of anxiety that ranges from panic or terror and lasts from minutes to hours. Panic states usually appear at the end of puberty or somewhat later.

Phobia

Unconscious fear of any object, action or situation. A person is capable of anything, just to avoid the object of the phobia. Experts believe that a person with a phobia unconsciously replaces a real internal source of anxiety (for example, guilt or fear of losing someone's personal affection) with an external source (fear of certain situations in society, closed spaces, animals, etc.). Phobias can appear at any time - from early childhood to old age.

post-traumatic stress

characterized by anxiety symptoms that appear after some kind of mental trauma: rape, captivity or robbery. A person with post-traumatic stress, as it were, relives what happened again and again during sleep and wakefulness, night and day. He avoids people and situations related to this incident, suffers from insomnia, becomes depressed and irritable. Post-traumatic stress can occur at any time, even years after the traumatic event.

Traditional treatments for depression and anxiety. Depending on the nature of the disorder, treatment includes individual, group or family therapy, the use of drugs. Some severe conditions require hospitalization.

Treatment of depression folk remedies

Depression- a state of melancholy, depression, gloomy and depressed mood, impotence and poor physical health, combined with mental retardation, slow speech, decreased activity and initiative. Depression is observed in various neuropsychiatric diseases. Patients who are in the depressive phase of psychosis need constant monitoring due to the persistent attraction to suicide and self-harm. Treatment of the disease must be carried out by a doctor; as a rule, the patient should be admitted to the hospital as soon as possible.

Causes of depression

At some point in our lives, most of us experience some degree of depression due to the physical or emotional stresses that are part of adult life. We suffer the loss of love and friends, disappointments in relationships and careers, endanger our physical health or the health of our parents, spouses, children. Sometimes the emotional burden of the typical stresses of adult life becomes unbearable, and then we fall into depression.

This situational or reactive type of depression, a direct result of psychologically distressing events, may require nothing more than time, patience, and supportive love to resolve, unless the symptoms become too severe or take too long to subside.

But when such typical symptoms as: depressed mood, guilt, feelings of worthlessness and helplessness, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, loss of interest in work and social life, loss of energy, headaches and other physical complaints, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite and decrease in sexual desire come into conflict with your actual capabilities and normal activity, you need qualified advice to find a way out of depression.

Other forms of depression have more real causes. For example, the hormonal shift that women often experience during menopause can cause severe depression. Despite the fact that therapeutic treatment and prescription of drugs is often necessary, the use of traditional medicine is a more effective help in getting rid of depression.

Depression usually occurs in people who are deficient in folic acid and vitamin B6, a deficiency of which leads to low brain levels of serotonin, a substance important in maintaining a good mood. Deficiency of thiamine (vitamin - B1), riboflavin (B2) and vitamin B12 can also contribute to the formation of depressive syndromes. Depression is one of the earliest symptoms of vitamin C deficiency.

Iron deficiency causes depression at the same time as anemia, but anemia disappears after taking iron faster than a bad mood. Forms depression and insufficient intake of essential fatty acids, since they are the raw material from which the body produces a group of chemical factors called prostaglandins, important for maintaining a stable mood.

People who consume large amounts of caffeine (three to four cups of coffee a day or more) usually score high on a test designed to detect symptoms of depression. Many people in the throes of a depressed mood turn to sweets as a solace, but medical research has shown that sugar consumption increases depression, fatigue, and moodiness.

You should reduce the consumption of all types of refined sugar and all types of food made using these products. If you eat food high in animal fats, especially the fats found in meat, you can increase the manifestations of a depressive state.

Every year, millions of people suffer from depression between September and April, especially in December and February. The so-called seasonal depression is caused by shortening of daylight hours and lack of sun in winter. For many, seasonal depression is a serious disease that prevents people from living their usual rhythm, working normally, without resorting to medications. For some, seasonal depression is associated with only mild discomfort, mood swings, and does not require medical intervention.

Symptoms of seasonal depression

• Constant desire to sleep more, difficulty getting up in the morning. However, in some cases, there may be an opposite effect: insomnia.
• Feeling tired, lack of strength for the usual routine work.
• A strong desire to eat sweets, which, as a rule, leads to extra pounds.
• Feeling of some kind of loss, guilt, sometimes a feeling of helplessness and despair, apathy and underestimation of oneself.
• Reluctance (accompanied by irritability) to contact people.
• Laziness, not wanting to do something.
• Feeling of tension, severe experience of stressful situations.
• Lack of sexual desire.
• In some cases, seasonal depression can cause hyperactivity, mood swings

Already somewhere starting from April, seasonal depression goes away by itself, and this is due to an increase in daylight hours and greater solar activity. Seasonal depression can start at any age, but most often people aged 18-30 fall into the so-called risk group. Residents of hot countries suffer from seasonal depression less often than others.

Non-traditional and folk methods of treating depression

home remedies for depression

Eat 1 banana daily. Bananas are a small miracle that kills depression. These yellow fruits contain the alkaloid harman, which is based on the "drug of happiness" - mescaline.

Eat 100-200 g of carrots or 1 glass of carrot juice per day.

Herbs and preparations for the treatment of depression

Pour the roots with the rhizomes of the lure with 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10, insist. Take 30-40 drops 2-3 times a day before meals. It is used for neurasthenic conditions, depression.

Pour 3 tablespoons of chopped straw with 2 cups of boiling water, insist. Drink during the day. It is used as a tonic and tonic.

Pour 1 tablespoon of chamomile aster flowers with 1 cup of boiling water, cool, strain. Take for the treatment of depression 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day. It is used as a tonic and strengthens the nervous system.

Pour dried ginseng roots or leaves with boiling water in a ratio of 1:10, insist. Take 1 teaspoon daily to treat depression.

Pour the crushed roots or leaves of ginseng with 50-60% alcohol in the ratio: roots 1:10, leaves 1.5:10. Take for the treatment of depression 15-20 drops 2-3 times a day.

Pour 1 teaspoon of angelica rhizomes and roots with 1 cup of boiling water, insist. Drink 0.5 cup 3-4 times a day. It is used as a tonic and tonic for nervous exhaustion.

Pour 2-3 tablespoons of highlander herb with 2 cups of boiling water. Drink before meals. It is used for nervous exhaustion and weakness.

Pour the crushed roots of Manchurian aralia with 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1: 5, insist. Take 10-15 drops 2 times a day. It is used for neurasthenia and depression.

Pour 2 teaspoons of chopped herbs and roots of gentian pulmonary with 1 glass of water, boil for 10 minutes. Drink 0.5 cup 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. It is used for loss of strength, diseases of the nervous system.

Pour 1 tablespoon of peppermint leaves with 1 cup boiling water, cook for 10 minutes. Drink 0.5 cups in the morning and at night. It is used for various nervous disorders, insomnia.

The Spirit of Melissa tincture has been known since the 8th century, it was prepared in one of the women's monasteries in Germany and used for overwork, deep depression, and to increase tone.

1 liter of vodka take 10 g of dry lemon balm leaf, 1 g of crushed angelica root, peel of 1 lemon, 1 pinch of ground nutmeg and crushed coriander seeds, 2 buds of dried cloves. Infuse for at least 2 weeks, then filter through a dense cloth. Drink drink in small doses with tea; for heart disease, take on a piece of sugar; for migraines rub whiskey.

Folk remedies for depression

It is useful to wipe yourself in the morning with water with the addition of table salt (at the rate of 1 teaspoon of salt per bottle of water).

As prescribed by a doctor, you can take pharmaceutical preparations containing iron and arsenic (take only as directed by a doctor!).

3 art. spoons of crushed straw of oats sowing pour 2 cups of boiling water. Insist, strain. Take the entire dose during the day.

1 st. pour a spoonful of chamomile aster flowers with 1 cup boiling water, cool, then strain. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day.

2/3 st. spoons of herb knotweed (knotweed) pour 2 cups boiling water. Insist, take before meals, take the entire dose during the day.

1 teaspoon of rhizomes and roots of angelica descending (bear bunch) pour 1 cup boiling water, insist. Take 1-2 cups 3-4 times a day.

2 teaspoons of chopped herbs and roots of gentian pulmonary (blue St. John's wort) pour 1 glass of water, boil for 10 minutes. Take 1/2 cup 3 times a day half an hour before meals.

Pour 5 g of crushed roots and leaves of spring primrose with 1 cup of boiling water and insist in a thermos for 2-3 hours. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 2-3 times a day.

1 st. pour a spoonful of peppermint leaves with 1 cup boiling water, boil for 10 minutes. Take 1/2 cup in the morning and at night.

Infusion of poplar leaves used in the form of baths.

Take a tincture of curly lily bulbs (saranka).

Prepare a tincture with 50-60% alcohol from ginseng roots in a ratio of 1:10, or from ginseng leaves - in a ratio of 1.5-2:10. Take 15-20 drops per reception.

Brew dried roots or leaves of ginseng in a ratio of 1:10 as a tea. Take 1 teaspoon per reception.

Prepare a tincture of roots with rhizomes of lure in 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Take 30-40 drops 2-3 times a day before meals.

Prepare a tincture of Manchurian Aralia roots in 70% alcohol at the rate of 1 part of the plant to 5 parts of alcohol. Take 10-15 drops 2 times a day.

Rinse 250 g of oat grains in cold water, drain through a colander, pour 1 liter of cold water and boil until tender. Then insist, strain and take throughout the day. You can add honey. Take until complete recovery. A month later, start drinking tea from St. John's wort.

Mix 100 g of raisins, 100 g of dried apricots, 100 g of prunes, 100 g of nuts, 1 lemon with zest. Skip everything through a meat grinder, mix with honey. Store this mixture in the refrigerator. Take 1 tbsp. spoon in the morning before breakfast.

A tablespoon of chamomile aster flowers pour 1 cup boiling water, cool, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day. It is used as a tonic and strengthens the nervous system.

Prepare an alcohol tincture from the roots of the lure high and 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Take 30-40 drops 2-3 times daily before meals. This remedy relieves nervous excitement and is good for depression.

Pour 1 part of the crushed roots of the Manchurian aralia with 5 parts of 70% alcohol. Take the tincture 2 times a day (preferably in the morning), 10-15 drops with water.

In case of heart diseases with pronounced nervousness, brew a tablespoon of chopped dry motherwort herb with 1 cup of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Drink an infusion of 1/5 cup, diluting it with water to 1/2 capacity, with 20 drops of lily of the valley infusion.

Pour a tablespoon of peppermint leaves with a glass of boiling water, boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Drink 0.5 cups in the morning and before bed.

Pour 2 teaspoons of finely chopped roots and herbs of gentian pulmonary with 1 glass of water, boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Take 0.5 cup 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals with exhaustion of the nervous system, loss of strength.

Pour 20 g of crushed chicory roots with a glass of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, strain. Take a decoction of 1 tablespoon 5-6 times a day for hypochondria and hysteria.

2/3 tablespoons of herb knotweed (knotweed) brew 2 cups boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes, strain. Infusion to drink during the day before meals.

In depressive states, exhaustion of the nervous system, try drinking 1/2-1 teaspoon (depending on your weight) of flower pollen 3 times a day for half an hour or an hour before meals.

Take warm soothing baths in the evening before going to bed, adding lemon balm or a little honey to the water.

Pour 20 g of rosemary leaves with a glass of boiling water and boil for 15-20 minutes over low heat. Cool, strain. Decoction take 1/2 teaspoon 30 minutes before meals. Or: 25-30 g of rosemary leaves insist on 100 ml of alcohol. Tincture take 25 drops 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. Rosemary is an effective tonic for the low energy that accompanies depression.

Take 15-20 drops of Eleutherococcus tincture (pharmacy) 2 times a day, morning and afternoon, 30 minutes before meals. It is used for neurasthenia, depression, hypotension as a tonic.

Motherwort (grass), cudweed (grass), hawthorn (flowers), chamomile (flowers) mixed equally. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture with 1 cup of boiling water, insist, wrapped, 8 hours, strain. Drink 1/2 cup 3 times a day one hour after meals. The infusion is used for nervous breakdown, heart weakness, combined with suffocation and headache.

Contraindications for the use of drugs from zamaniha, aralia and ginseng are hypertension, feverish conditions, cardiac disorders, insomnia.

diet for depression

It is recommended to completely exclude tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, white flour products, sugar, chemical additives, spicy seasonings. Meals should be three times a day. In the morning it is good to eat fruits, nuts, milk. Lunch may consist of steamed vegetables, wholemeal bread, and a glass of milk. Green vegetable salad, legumes, cheese, milk - for dinner. One of the most valuable medicines for depression is apples. They contain vitamin B, phosphorus and potassium, which contribute to the synthesis of glutamic acid, which controls the process of wear and tear of nerve cells. Apples are good to use with milk and honey. This remedy effectively strengthens the nervous system and charges the body with vital energy.

Content:

Stress and depression are increasingly affecting the psychological state of people of all ages. It is important to be able to distinguish the signs of a particular condition in time. Stress can imperceptibly go to the level of depression, then it will be possible to help a person, but much more difficult. Therefore, it is worth carefully studying the signs of a particular phenomenon in order to protect yourself and loved ones in time.

Stress and its symptoms.

If we talk about a more or less precise definition, then stress is a reaction of the protective psychological functions of the body to external stimuli. There is stress useful, which helps to keep the body in working condition and does not allow you to relax. But if such stress is no longer controlled, it can develop into a form that has a detrimental effect on the human psyche as a whole. In order to recognize the alarm signals of the body, it is necessary to know the symptoms and signs of a stressful situation that goes beyond the normal state.

The main stress symptoms are identical for most people. For example:

It is believed that the symptoms may not immediately appear "bouquet". They can appear one at a time and if the process is not stopped or slowed down in time, a nervous breakdown or exhaustion may occur. In psychology, there are only 2 main types of stress: Useful (working) and harmful, which just destroys the body from the inside. Varieties of stress also have their own characteristics. So, stress at the physical level is accompanied, at first glance, by jumps in body temperature, dizziness and other ailments for no apparent reason. And biological species include injuries and other troubles received in an unexpected way, for example, during sports training.

Signs of depression.

Depression is a more intractable disease than stress. Failure to recognize the early warning signals in time can miss the right moment for treatment and make it more difficult or almost impossible without the patient's will. In other words, the sooner the signs are noticed, the faster the person will recover.

The disease itself has been known to people since ancient times. Only under a different name - melancholy. By the way, melancholy in translation means black bile. Depression does not appear out of nowhere. One way or another, its appearance provokes a number of external circumstances, such as:

In the presence of at least one of these possible causative agents of depression, it is worth stopping and carefully analyzing the situation, and not being led by failures. Giving in to difficulties, willy-nilly, a person becomes a puppet and a magnet for even greater problems.

It is important to respond in time to the first signs of a depressive disorder. Many "psychologists" can write off depression as another disorder or a sign of temporary difficulties, thereby complicating the situation even more. Signs of depression may include:

• Low self-esteem or a sharp decrease in it;
• Constant fatigue, inability to concentrate;
• General disturbances in the functioning of the body, for example, sleep or the usual nutrition system is disturbed;
• Not making contact with anyone;
• Ignoring the positive aspects of life, focusing on the negative;
• Perhaps the emergence of bad habits, such as smoking or craving for alcohol;
• Launched appearance.

As you can see, the symptoms, although similar, are different. Therefore, it is so important to be able to distinguish these 2 diseases and be able to take timely measures to help a loved one.

Is depression a disease or condition? Let's try to figure this out together. Medicine characterizes depression the following symptoms:

Depressed, depressed mood, loss of interest in close, everyday affairs, work;
- insomnia, early awakening in the morning or, on the contrary, excessively long sleep;
-irritability and anxiety, fatigue and loss of strength;
- lack of appetite and weight loss or sometimes, on the contrary, overeating and weight gain;
- inability to concentrate and make a decision;
-decreased sexual desire;
- Feelings of worthlessness and guilt, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness;
- frequent bouts of sobbing;
- Thoughts of suicide.

On the other hand, depression can be seen as a response to stress. We are faced with stress almost constantly, solving certain problems. For example, a bad mark on an exam or not passing a test causes stress (strong negative emotions) to a greater or lesser extent. We can experience stress when standing in a long line, because of difficulties at work or problems in the family, in the absence of mutual love, when we want to do a lot and there is no time for this, when there are unrealized opportunities, when there are daily crime stories on TV and many other reasons, the list of which can be continued almost indefinitely.

And after stress, a response (defensive) reaction of the body necessarily occurs - a state of depression. In response to every even the smallest (insignificant) stress, the body responds with adequate depression. But small stresses are even good for the body. They constantly train him, introducing him into a state of activation or training. The more stress, the stronger (deeper) and longer the state of depression.

In time, depression of moderate severity lasts up to two weeks. In severe cases (with severe stress, for example, the death of loved ones), depression can last for several months or even several years. That is why the obligatory commemoration of the deceased after 3, 9 and especially 40 days (“farewell to the soul”) helps to first reduce stress, and then get out of the depressive state of family members, relatives and friends.

During stress, the body mobilizes and maximizes its energy and directs it to protect the body. After stress, the body is in a state of "discharged battery", exhaustion, i.e. depression, after which a gradual accumulation of energy ("recharging" of the body) begins until the moment of complete restoration of strength and energy. The process (duration) of depression or inhibition of the body in time is approximately three times longer than the time of exposure to a stressful situation (the process of excitation of the body) and this must be taken into account when eliminating the consequences of any stress, large or very small.

The processes of excitation and inhibition of the body in different stressful situations - a small (small amplitude and duration) stress that we encounter every day or severe stress - the reaction of the body is different. In the negative phase, the body is most energetically weakened, and against this background, various diseases can develop, especially during periods of prolonged depression. According to statistics, up to 70% of those who go to the clinic for somatic diseases have some form of depression. And so, "bombardment" of the body by small stresses and protection by small and short-term depressions - this is the usual state of the body, accustomed to constant protection from the environment.

Severe stress takes a lot of energy from the body, causes deep and prolonged depression (strong inhibition of the body with a significant decrease in activity). The body gradually accumulates energy, trying to return to the state of dynamic balance that it had before the stress, i.e. self-healing. I would like to draw attention to the fact that the most difficult and dangerous time for the body to develop other diseases during depression does not come immediately after the end of the stress, but after some time, from the end of the stress. During this period of time, you need to take special care of your health.

We can make an unambiguous conclusion that the cause of any depression (depressive state) is stress. Depression is a nonspecific response of the body to stress. Slight depressions, with mild stresses, are a normal state of the body, with which the body, as a rule, copes on its own. Strong, deep depression is already a disease and one cannot do without the help of a doctor.

As a rule, at melancholic stress reactions are most often associated with excitation of the constitution, such as anxiety or fear, phobia or neurotic anxiety. At choleric people- a typical stress reaction - anger. That is why they are more likely to suffer from hypertension, stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis. At phlegmatic under the influence of stress, the activity of the thyroid gland decreases, metabolism slows down and blood sugar levels can rise, which leads to a pre-diabetic state. In stressful situations, they "click" on food, as a result of which they can become obese. Sanguine with their strong nervous system, stress is most easily tolerated.

Ideally, the body should not react to any stress at all or with a minimal reaction, but in practice this does not happen in life. To achieve this, persistent and long-term training of the body is necessary. People who do not have a culture of health, especially young people, try to solve problems associated with stress and depression with the help of drugs (the fastest, easiest and most affordable way to overcome stress or get out of depression, but also the most harmful to health).

Subsequently, they develop an addiction (constant craving) to such drugs as tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and so on, from which it is already impossible to get rid of without outside help. And these problems are gradually moving from personal to state ones (the state's struggle against the drug mafia, the treatment of drug addicts, etc.).

Tips for stress
You can remove or reduce stress and its consequences using various techniques and methods:
Learn to remain calm and cool in a stressful situation. Breathe slowly and deeply and imagine that you are exhaling your stress out. Try to relax. Do a full body self-massage with a small amount of warm vegetable oil from the top of your head to your toes. For sanguine and choleric people, sunflower oil should be used, for melancholic people - sesame oil, for phlegmatic people - corn or mustard oil. Take a hot shower or bath after the massage.

It is good for a believer to read a prayer during and after a stressful situation. Analyze the causes of stress. If you can now change the situation that led to stress, then do it without delay. If nothing can be done - put up with it, take it for granted and find peace. Follow your thoughts. Try to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.

Exercises with health-improving Chinese (Tibetan) balls help to achieve balance and strengthen the entire body. In a stressful situation or immediately after it, it is necessary to roll two (three) balls in your hands. Instead of Chinese balls, you can use ripe chestnut fruits. At night, rub a little of Karavaev's "Auron" balm into the scalp and Karavaev's "Somaton" balm into the soles of the feet - this will relax and soothe.

Soothing bath
To relax and calm down, take a hot bath with 1/3 cup each of ginger and baking soda. Take baths with rosemary extract (especially for people with low blood pressure). After the bath lie down and rest for 30 minutes.

Phytotherapy
Drink tea from chamomile, angelica and comfrey (in equal amounts). Drop 20-30 drops of rosemary preparation on the tongue. Pour 5 g of thyme with 500 ml of boiling water, leave tightly closed for 40 minutes. The indicated portion is taken 3-4 times a day. Infusion can be consumed no more than 2-3 times a week. Two teaspoons of the herb astragalus fluffy flower to insist an hour in 200 ml of boiling water and drink 1-2 tablespoons 3-5 times a day for 30-40 minutes before meals.

1 tablespoon of crushed valerian roots pour 200 ml of boiling water in a thermos, leave overnight. With increased excitability, drink an infusion in 3 doses of 70 ml. A tablespoon of the crushed mixture: flowers of hawthorn, motherwort, cudweed, chamomile, in parts - 3: 3: 3: 1, brew 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 8 hours, strain. Take 100 ml 3 times a day one hour after meals.

A tablespoon of the crushed mixture: hawthorn fruits, St. John's wort, yarrow, hawthorn flowers, valerian root, in parts - 3: 3: 3: 2: 2, brew 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 5-6 hours, strain. Take 50 ml 4 times a day 30-40 minutes before meals.

beetroot juice, mixed in half with honey, take 100 ml 3-4 times a day for 10 days or long-term - 200 ml a day for 3-4 weeks.

If you are feeling deep sadness or grief, let yourself cry. A good way to relieve stress is to laugh. Start laughing, even if at first you have to make an effort on yourself. Watch a funny movie comedy.

Traditional Medicine Tips
Eat a herring with plenty of mineral water (suitable especially for melancholic people). Massage the whole body with a brush (with a needle roller, you can lie down on Kuznetsov's iplicator), then rub the body with alcohol with coniferous extract (you can use Karavaev's "Somaton" balm for rubbing).

Relieve severe stress before exams or sports competitions
A little stress before and during exams is definitely helpful. It activates the body and mobilizes the reserve capabilities of the body to solve the problem. And it is not for nothing that people advise scolding a student before passing and during exams. You can activate the body by strongly rubbing with hot palms (rubbing one palm against the other) the auricles until redness appears (so that the ears "burn"). But sometimes, before exams or sports competitions, there is too much excitement of the body (overexcitation).

Students are very worried, their blood pressure and pulse rise, they forget the material that they knew well before, etc. Athletes have a strong “trembling” before a responsible competition, a slight tremor in their arms or legs, strong excitement. You can relieve such stress (overexcitation, distress) with a 5-minute massage of biologically active soothing points (II 4, he-gu) located on the hands, between the thumb and forefinger, closer to the middle of the II metacarpal bone.

Holding the point between the index and thumb of the massaging hand, carry out light rhythmic pressure (with the help of the thumb). Press on the point until a slight sensation of fullness, aches, heaviness or slight pain appears. Do the massage first on one hand and then on the other hand.

Traditional Medicine Tips for Depression
Now let's talk more about depression. For each type of temperament, depression proceeds differently and the ways out are also different. Depression melancholic characterized by fear, anxiety, nervousness and insomnia. In unopened cases, the following remedies help:

Take tea from basil and sage officinalis. Instill warm sesame oil into the nose (3-5 drops in each nostril). Do this on an empty stomach in the morning and evening. Rub warm sesame oil on the top of your head and the soles of your feet. Take regular sea salt baths. The water temperature is 38 degrees C, the duration of the bath is 15 minutes. Regularly visit the Russian ("wet") bath, especially in the fourth phase, including the new moon, of the lunar month. Wear glasses (eg sunglasses) with a yellow filter. Spend more time socializing.

Depression phlegmatic causes a state of "mental heaviness" and may be associated with oversleeping, weight gain, lethargy. In this case, the following recommendations are useful: 3-4 day fasting on fresh apple juice. Actively engage in physical exercise. Regularly visit the Finnish ("dry") bath, especially in the first quarter of the lunar month. Take ginger tea. Brew 0.5-1 teaspoon of ginger powder in a cup of hot water and drink twice a day. Wear glasses (eg sunglasses) with a pink or red filter.

Depression choleric people usually associated with anger, fear of failure and loss of control, with fear of making a mistake. At the same time, thoughts of suicide are not uncommon (this is already a serious disorder, where you should consult a doctor). Choleric people often become heavily addicted to success and, in case of failure, are easily upset and depressed, which do not last long or not too deeply. People with a choleric temperament are most susceptible to seasonal affective disorders, which usually occur in winter and are a fairly mild form of depression.

For all types of depression, try to use the following remedies:
Before going to bed, rub coconut or sunflower oil on the scalp and soles of the feet. It is good to rub Karavaev's balm "Auron" into the scalp. Prayers are good for believers.

For the rest - various types of meditation, for example this:
It is my right to have what I need for life and my own development. Life is Beautiful. She brings me everything I need. Every day I am getting better and better in every way.

Every morning repeat this formula in a low voice, in a monotonous tone of prayer with closed eyes twenty times in a row, counting mechanically on a string (rosary) with twenty knots. Speak this formula with confidence, with the firm conviction that you will achieve what you want. Wear glasses (such as sunglasses) with a green filter.

Traditional Medicine Tips
Phytotherapy:

Fresh and dried berries and seeds of magnolia vine. At home, a tincture or decoction is prepared 1:10. I take a decoction in a tablespoon 2 times a day, tincture - 20-40 drops. The action of drugs occurs in 30-40 minutes, lasts 5-6 hours. It is best to take them in the morning, on an empty stomach, and in the evening, 4 hours after eating. Taking them is contraindicated in case of nervous excitement, insomnia, cardiac disorders and very high blood pressure.

Infuse three tablespoons of crushed oat straw in 400 ml of boiling water - a daily dose. A tablespoon of chamomile aster flowers pour 200 ml of boiling water, cool, strain. Take a tablespoon 3-4 times a day.

A tablespoon of raw rhizomes and roots of angelica descending, insist in 200 ml of boiling water. Drink 100 ml 3-4 times a day.

Pour two teaspoons of crushed gentian herb pulmonary into 200 ml of water, boil for 10 minutes. Drink 100 ml 3 times a day 30-40 minutes before meals.

5 g of crushed roots and leaves of spring primrose insist in a thermos (500 ml) for 2-3 hours. Take a tablespoon 2-3 times a day.

A tablespoon of peppermint leaves pour 200 ml of boiling water, cook for 10 minutes. Drink 100 ml in the morning and evening.

A tablespoon of the collection (three-leaf watch leaves, peppermint leaves, valerian root - in equal parts) pour 200 ml of boiling water, insist. Drink in the evening 200-400 ml of infusion.

Wipe in the morning with water with the addition of table salt (a teaspoon of salt per 500 ml of water)

Yu. V. Khmelevsky

Depression: do not rush to diagnose, do not be late with treatment.

After the events with the hostage-taking by terrorists, all those who followed the development of this tragedy received a dose of information "irradiation". We experienced with these people every minute of their mortal captivity. Of course, the measure of our pain and anxiety cannot be compared with what the hostages themselves and their relatives suffered, but we were still included in the events through television reports, radio and newspapers, which means that we experienced extreme stress, and the consequences of this can be very different.

For some, the pain will subside on its own, and for some, the help of a doctor will be required. How to distinguish the disease from the reaction of a healthy nervous system to stress, says Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Yuriy Polishchuk.

When is it time to see a doctor? The "trigger" mechanism of a depressive state can be situations when a person has lost someone close to him, lost his job, found out that he is seriously ill, experienced some other stress. In this case, psychogenic or reactive depression may occur. This is a serious mental disorder that has certain symptoms and requires treatment. There is no need to rush to diagnose yourself - this is the business of doctors, but at the same time do not hesitate to admit that there is a problem, and if necessary, seek help.

Doctors believe that if sadness-longing overcomes for more than 2-3 weeks and this is accompanied by the fact that a person does not find peace either at work, or in the family, or in a favorite hobby, then, most likely, depression has begun, then the most painful condition, which affects 15% of women and 10% of men. In this case, adaptive behavior is disturbed, and it is very difficult to get out of this state on your own.

Depression is dangerous precisely because mental pain can become so strong and acute that it becomes impossible to endure. Such a condition is sometimes much more severe than bodily pain. Suddenly, thoughts about the worthlessness of life, about the fact that “everything must be stopped at once”, can suddenly “surf” and a person really thinks about exactly how it is easier and more reliable to part with the world, which, in his opinion, does not need it and which brings only suffering . Even if such thoughts appear, know that such a state is transient and must be endured, experienced, overcome.

Depression is curable
But not everything is so dramatic. Many depressions are quite easily treatable mood disorders. Almost all those who turn to the doctor for help in time recover completely. Choose your own specialist. It can be a psychologist, psychoneurologist, psychiatrist. Ways to bring a person out of a state of depression are well known.

Medicinal methods are used more often in cases of severe, deep, prolonged depression. There are a lot of medicines - these are mainly antidepressants and sleeping pills. Another way to cope with depression is the method of individual and group psychotherapy. There is a therapy of distraction, switching, creating an optimistic, cheerful mood, there is a game psychotherapy, where various physical exercises are used, body-oriented psychotherapy.

Acupuncture is used, there is a method of dosed therapeutic starvation, which has proven itself well for shallow depressions.
There are also spiritually oriented, religious methods of patristic psychotherapy. If a person wants to heal the soul and not take pills, then today there are Orthodox doctors who talk about the need for prayer, observance of all rituals that help believers.

With depression, you can’t stay stale, you can do jogging, swimming, any physical work, because during exercise, movement, endorphins (hormones of joy) and other substances are produced in the body that help to cope with the state of depression. And remember that "life will chew, chew and spit out a good person."

E. Pilikina.

Beware if
- You have sleep disturbances. Trouble falling asleep and waking up early or unnatural sleepiness is one of the symptoms of depression.
- You lost your appetite and began to lose weight dramatically.
- You do not have any desire to move, there is a lethargy, absent-mindedness.
- There were sensations of pain in the back, neck, retrosternal and headaches, which are difficult to describe in words. In women, the menstrual cycle may be disturbed.

The fact that depression is more common in women is related to biological, hormonal and psychosocial factors.

Exist four types of depression occurring only among women. These are premenstrual depressive syndrome (PMDS), depression during pregnancy, postpartum depression, and depression occurring in perimenopause and menopause.

"Antidepressive therapy using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine has been shown to be effective in PMDS," write G. McQueen and P. Chokka of McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

Despite the reluctance of some women to undergo antidepressant treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding, there is much evidence that antidepressants are safe and effective during these periods, while untreated depression can have negative consequences for both mother and child.

Estrogen may enhance the effects of antidepressants in peri- and postmenopausal women, but a pooled analysis of data from women over 50 years of age after venlafaxine treatment shows that remission rates do not differ between estrogen and non-estrogen groups. "Treatment of women's depression with antidepressants and alternative interventions may be safe and effective throughout life," Canadian researchers say.

Source: Vertigo.ru

If you want to live - goodbye

Studies by American scientists have shown that people who tend to save up and not forgive their grievances, as a rule, have big health problems. They are characterized by depression, sleep problems, and many suffer from diseases of the internal organs. However, this does not mean at all that a person should silently endure all insults, psychologists from Michigan clarify. The main thing is to get rid of the “burden of rage and resentment” that destroy health.

If you are sad:
bathe
Baths with essential oils: for depression - 5 drops of bergamot, 3 drops of ylang-ylang, 2 drops of orange oil; invigorating bath - 5 drops of rosemary, 3 drops of pine, 2 drops of leuzea. Water temperature - 35 - 38 degrees, lie down for 10 - 15 minutes.

Smell
Healing aroma in the room: add 3 - 5 drops of essential oil to a saucepan with water (about 1 liter). Put on a small fire and gradually evaporate. Choose your own oil.

For insomnia: Melissa, Lavender, Geranium, Marjoram, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Jasmine, Bitter Orange, Bergamot, Basil, Rose, Rosewood, Frankincense.

During an attack of pessimism: ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, bergamot, lemon, orange.

From stress: lavender, valerian, lemon balm, ylang-ylang, rose.
For fatigue: mint, rosemary, thyme, cajuput.
For fatigue: juniper, geranium, rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram.

Eat
Mix equal parts of light honey and walnuts and dried apricots, rolled through a meat grinder. Take this yummy twice a day before meals. Strongly strengthens and tones the body.
Add pears, bananas, chocolate to your diet - these foods contain the "hormone of joy."

go down
Visiting old friends for punch and preference or chatting with a neighbor - it doesn't matter.
A visit to the solarium once a week for 5 - 10 minutes will ease your suffering by exactly half.

Do
Psychiatrist Andrew Lansworth believes that the following exercises will change your mood for the better in less than 90 seconds:
* stand up, stretch to your full height, force yourself to smile, even if you don’t have the slightest desire for this.
* 50 percent of your depression will evaporate when you straighten up and literally squeeze out a smile;
* spread your arms wide, as if you want to hug someone. Then lower them along the torso. Repeat these movements several times. The muscles of the arms will send a positive impulse to the brain;
* Rub your thighs vigorously with your fingertips. The resulting electric current will charge your body with joy

Autumn depression
It affects seven out of ten women, and 7 percent of patients need urgent help from a medical specialist.

Where and how does it appear
All people live on "solar batteries" - they are charged with energy from the sun. Therefore, it is in the fall, when the daylight hours are shortened, that our nerves are "at the limit". And, as you know, all diseases are from nerves. As a result, depression gives rise to a whole chain of diseases.

Psychologists say that people of "fine mental organization" are especially prone to depression. Well, it's all about us, right? The onset of depression in most cases coincides with the end of October. The first signs: irritability, unreasonable anxiety, fatigue appear. As a result, constant drowsiness (or, on the contrary, insomnia), a breakdown, a feeling of complete hopelessness, and there it is not far from suicide.

D. Litvinova.

And who are just nervous.
A sharp stratification of society is an additional stress factor, - says Professor Elena Filatova Autumn neurosis, perhaps, can be considered an occupational disease of the elite, and the Russian one too: politicians, businessmen ... Examples are in plain sight. Those "who are just nervous" do not sleep peacefully. And life is hard for them. This is our conversation with the professor of the clinic of nervous diseases of the Moscow Medical Academy Elena Filatova.

Elena Glebovna, even in the narrow-minded view of people who are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and even crossing this line, there are more and more.

Unlike mental diseases, which are transmitted mainly by genetic means, and the percentage of which remains approximately the same for a long time, diseases that occur under the influence of chronic stress can be associated with the situation in the country, in the family, at work. Now Russia is going through an era when everything has changed, the very system of values ​​has changed. Very rich people appeared, others, on the contrary, became impoverished. The sharp, rapidly emerging stratification of society is an additional stress factor, and not only for the poor, but to the same extent for the rich.

As for the poor (more precisely, the impoverished), everything is clear. And what happens to the rich, why neuroses arise in them?

For many reasons. American researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Ray developed a stress scale that assesses the risk of a nervous breakdown in points. The highest risk - 100 points - death of a spouse. Divorce - 75 points. Nervous disorders are sometimes caused by stress associated with pleasant events: a wedding or even outstanding personal achievements. Such events are experienced by people of any income. But business owners and businessmen face stresses that were previously unknown in our country: for example, with a change in financial situation.

It turns out that the employee is in a more favorable position in relation to stress?

A well-paid employee of a firm is probably less stressed than the owner of that firm. Responsibility, material and moral, of course, is an additional stress factor. It seems that it was Rabelais who said that the disease is a drama in which there are three participants: the patient, the doctor, and, finally, the disease itself. So, the relationship between the doctor, the patient and the disease is completely different for the poor and the rich.

A person with a large income, able to pay for any medical care, makes completely different demands on the doctor than a person going to a district clinic. The doctor must be of an appropriate appearance, work in a well-known or at least well-equipped medical institution. And, most importantly, the doctor must inspire confidence in the patient. A wealthy patient usually goes to several doctors and in the end settles on the one who made the greatest impression on him.

In general, in the process of healing, the importance, so to speak, of a certain shamanic element is great. Our rich love to be treated abroad. But domestic medical education is not bad at all. No wonder Russian doctors successfully work in any Western clinics. We now have enough modern equipment, especially in well-organized medical centers. Nevertheless, most rich people prefer to be treated not in Moscow, but abroad.

Why? Yes, just because foreign medicine is surrounded by an aura of mystery, a certain magic is felt in it, and, perhaps, therefore, the treatment will be more effective. The end result of any treatment is health, and it does not matter in what way it is achieved. The poor patient is more trusting.

Is there a downside here, do people with money, accustomed to the fact that high cost means high quality, become easy prey for fashionable charlatans?

Maybe. But faith in a doctor is especially important in a situation of psychotherapeutic influence. Psychotherapy is a delicate thing and expensive. Its high cost is an element of treatment. In order for the patient to open up to the psychotherapist, to believe in his abilities, he must pay for it. With money or in some other way.

For example, one well-known Western psychotherapist was treating a very rich man. The effect could not be achieved, money did not matter to the patient. Then the doctor, knowing that his patient goes to bed late and wakes up late, scheduled psychotherapy sessions for him at seven in the morning. It was extremely difficult for the patient. But faith in the doctor, reinforced by the effort of getting up early, which served as a kind of payment for treatment, brought success.

Some time ago I had to deal with such a phenomenon. We treated obese patients (this is also a neurotic problem). Patients were given a drug that made it easier to follow the diet, as it created a feeling of satiety. The company that produced this drug provided the clinic with enough of it for a course of treatment of 20 patients. Patients, along with recommendations to follow a diet, physical activity, received this medicine for free. After a month, three months, half a year, changes in the weight and volume of patients were recorded.

The next 20 patients, who were treated later, had to buy the drug with their own money, and it was expensive. And unexpectedly, it turned out that the results of treatment of those who paid for the medicine are significantly better than those who received it for free. Apparently, patients who bought the drug for a lot of money followed medical recommendations more carefully. So, on the one hand, it's good when medicines are cheap, treatment is free, but one cannot but take into account the other side, especially in situations where the patient must actively participate in treatment.

I think this applies to all diseases, but especially those in which psychotherapy is used along with medicinal effects, primarily neurotic disorders. Now depressive states are leading among neurotic disorders, so antidepressants have to be prescribed. All of them reduce depression. Some of them have an activating, exciting effect, while others, on the contrary, are hypnotic. Recently, balanced antidepressants have also appeared.

Who is more likely to suffer from neurotic disorders?

They really have headaches, panic attacks, sleep disturbances, problems with the menstrual cycle, with weight. But all this is purely psychogenic in nature. As a rule, there is no primary disease either in the field of gynecology or in the central nervous system. The endless search for a magical doctor, new drugs is useless.

Do people who have to fight their way have a more natural psychological situation?

The point, probably, is in the system of priorities of each person. To live in psychological comfort, no matter whether it is poor or rich, one must set achievable goals and achieve them. Then the bar can be raised.

Scale of events causing stress:
Death of spouse 100
Divorce 73
Separation from spouse 65
Prison term 63
Death of a close relative 63
Personal injury or illness 53
Marriage 50
Dismissal from work 47
Reconciliation with spouse 45
Resignation 45
Deterioration of the health status of a family member 44
Pregnancy 40
Sexual problems 39
Addition to the family 39
Getting used to a new job 39
Change in financial position 38
Death of a close friend 37
Transfer to a more difficult area of ​​work 36
Increase in family quarrels 36
Mortgage or loan over $10,000 31
Foreclosure 30
Increasing accountability at work 29
Leaving the home of a son or daughter 29
Problems with relatives on the part of the husband (wife) 29
Outstanding Individual Achievement 28
Spouse enters (or leaves) a job 26
School Entry (or Graduation) 26
Changing living conditions 25
Reviewing personal habits 24
Relationship problems with superiors 23
Changing conditions or hours of work 20
Change of residence 20
Transition from one school to another 20
Changing Your Entertainment Habits 19
Change in Church Activity 19
Change in social activity 18
Mortgage or loan less than $10,000 17
If you have had events in your life in the last 12 months that have scored 300 or more on a stress scale, then you are at risk for depression or another nervous disorder.

A. Gorbachev.

Do you feel like the ground is slipping from under your feet? Are you no longer in control of your own life? Everything falls out of hand, the emotional state leaves much to be desired and it is completely incomprehensible how to live on? It is important to determine the source of the problem that has crippled your soul - are you depressed or stressed? The present symptoms will help to establish the diagnosis and start the restoration of mental health in time.

Do you live like in an aquarium or on a powder keg? Depression differs from stress in the answer to this question! Of course, one answer is not enough to accurately diagnose the cause of mental discord. But you can identify significant signs of disease.

The symptoms of these mental illnesses are significantly different and lead to different consequences, but both conditions need timely correction. Remember that both neglected stress and neglected depression take a person out of the game for a long time and become the cause of the rapid destruction of his life (career, family and social relationships, creative realization).

Symptoms of stress - reaction to a problem

Stress always occurs according to the principle of "stimulus-reaction" and is an adaptive mechanism of the psyche. In small quantities, it is necessary to maintain vitality, as well as to form an adequate response to the danger emanating from the environment. When stress becomes a constant attribute of human life, the body gets used to the state of tension and loses the ability to relax and renew internal reserves. Chronic stress becomes a serious problem because it provokes deep personality deformations and forms the basis for a nervous breakdown. Consider explicit

Increased anxiety

Each situation is felt sharply, exaggerated. Pessimistic forecasts for the outcome of any business prevail. There are manifestations of mild neurosis - constant calls to relatives with questions like: “Is everything all right?”, “Is the iron turned off?”. In advanced cases, panic attacks of varying intensity are observed.

Physical and mental stress

There is an unpleasant feeling of constant nervousness, like a stretched bowstring inside, which is about to burst. The muscles of the body are tense most of the time, pain appears after sleep. A typical phrase of a person experiencing chronic stress: “I wake up broken, as if a truck drove over me or I was beaten all night.”

Sleep disorders

Depending on the characteristics of a particular individual, there may be either bouts of insomnia, or an excessive passion for “bed rest” without a feeling of rest. Nightmarish or psychologically uncomfortable dreams may occur

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Fatigue becomes a constant companion of life. The greatest difficulties arise for knowledge workers (the concentration of attention decreases, the quantity and quality of creative ideas decrease) and those whose work is impossible without constant contact with other people (sellers, journalists, sales representatives, secretaries).

Self-diagnosis of stress

In order to correctly diagnose the problem, it is necessary to understand that the psyche reacts the same way to both external and internal stress:

1. External stress includes objective events that can provoke psychological exhaustion - exams, job changes, problems in personal relationships, moving, social conflicts, illness of relatives.
2. Internal stress includes a person's assessment of his life - an internal conflict based on: "I want / I need, I can / I can not", an age crisis, spiritual throwing.

"Restoration work" makes sense to produce after identifying the source of the problem. If the cause is external (conflicts at work), it is enough to take a short break to recover and make the right decision (change of work, the right conflict resolution strategy).

Do you see signs of stress in yourself, but you are not sure that you should contact a psychologist? Conduct a self-test using the following questionnaires:

1. (Well-being. Activity. Mood).

The data obtained during self-testing will help to better understand the causes of severe. Then you can start moving towards mental health recovery.

Symptoms of depression - dehydration of the soul

Depression differs from stress in the duration of the course and the severity of the experience of one's condition. If all people allow themselves to experience stress, calmly sharing their emotions and thoughts with others, then “depression” (especially in men) is considered a “shameful illness”, equated to venereological diseases.

Often depression develops as a result of neglected stress (acute or). Less often, melancholia is provoked by serious physical diseases that cause disruption of the brain and the production of hormones responsible for regulating emotions.

Anything can be a trigger for depression. It is important to remember that the loss of control over life is always associated with a cognitive impasse - a person becomes trapped in negative thoughts and emotions. The more the patient tries to solve the problem, the more he gets bogged down in it. The state of depression is like falling into quicksand, as any attempt to get out on your own leads to more bogging down.

Spontaneous healing of deep depression is observed only in one case - the emergence of deep, healing love. However, in this scenario, the "second half" often acts as an energy donor and fills the dried-up spring of the patient's soul with life.

Self-diagnosis of depression

You can’t confuse the fundamental signs of depression with anything, let’s consider them carefully.

Anhedonia

Complete loss or sharp decrease in the ability to receive joy. Life is discolored or seen in dirty gray, black tones. Not a single thing, even the most significant and positive (from the point of view of healthy people), causes pleasant experiences. Any communication and activity becomes a burden, because a person does not get pleasure from them.

cognitive disorders

There are many problems with mental activity. In the early stages, analytical and creative abilities are not violated, although they acquire a pronounced negative connotation.

Signs of a major depression:

• impenetrable pessimism;
• a state of constant despondency (“life is meaningless”, “nothing good awaits me in the future”);
• sharply negative judgments on any occasion (often having no real basis).

Catastrophic decline in self-esteem

The attitude of a depressive patient to his person is at best full of sharp self-criticism. With a neglected disease, a person gradually begins to experience increasing self-loathing, reaching hatred and the appearance of suicidal thoughts.

Suicidal mood

The world would be a better place if I wasn’t in it”, “It would be easier for my relatives without me”, “I am not worthy of happiness”, “I am a nonentity, incapable of anything”, such programs can bring a person to a real suicide and can only be eliminated with the help of an experienced psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist.

Decreased or complete lack of interest in favorite activities

Some symptoms of depression can be observed (individually) among other mental disorders, but a complete and sudden loss of interest in your favorite activities / hobbies is typical for melancholia!

“A musician who has ceased to express his soul through music. An artist who abandoned painting. A scientist who has ceased to enthusiastically discuss the subjects of his scientific research, ”someone believes that they have lost the Muse. In 90% of such cases, people experience depression and often do not realize their condition, believing that they are simply bogged down in everyday life and in a bad mood.

Self-testing for depression

You can test for depression with a self-test. The simplest tests allow to identify the real presence and degree of neglect of the disorder:

1. Zang Scale (Self-Reported Depression) - /
2. Beck Scale (Major Depression Inventory) - /

Both methods are quite simple and give a clear answer to the question: “Do I have depression?”, “Try to cope on my own or consult a psychotherapist?”.

1. Mild depression - treat yourself! With mild depression, you can try to change the quality of your life, fill up with new experiences, increase physical activity, and develop positive thinking.
2. Moderate depression - a psychologist to help! With moderate depression, you should contact a psychologist and correct your condition under his guidance (personal counseling, group work). Such a state can no longer be corrected by one's own efforts - there simply will not be enough "clarity of thinking" and a reserve of mental strength.
3. Severe depression - need medical support! If the tests reveal a severe depressive state, then you need to consult a psychiatrist and prescribe medication support for the period of psychotherapy.

However, first you need to contact an experienced psychotherapist, since patients with depression tend to exaggerate the severity of their condition.

Video:"Clinical picture and diagnosis of depression"