Constant rush, a huge list of tasks and a burden of responsibility from which it is impossible to hide lead to chronic stress. If a person is unable to cope with the load and daily fatigue, a nervous breakdown and depression appear. Then you have to put things aside and look for a solution to get rid of depression and stress.
Important
If overload and stress have led to depression, simple rest will not help a person - the nervous system is exhausted, it needs help to recover. The best option is a course of treatment with a psychotherapist.
Those who suffer from depression often experience the depressive triad. The mood decreases, the person is no longer able to experience joy. A pessimistic view of oneself and the surrounding reality is formed. There are almost no thoughts in the head, the person speaks slowly and moves little, strives to maintain one position (for example, lie in bed for days, weeks).
It is difficult to get out of this state on your own; recovery can take months. It is necessary to seek the help of a specialist - a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
Tablets to help with depression
The most important group of drugs in the treatment of depression are antidepressants, which contain substances that correct mood from bad to normal. They can improve the emotional background, reduce feelings of anxiety and restlessness, cope with inhibition, and improve a person’s motor and mental activity. This effect is achieved due to the thymoleptic effect. Now there are several forms of antidepressants that differ in composition and mechanism of action on the body; there are stimulating and calming ones. If a person is depressed, these pills will help; they can not only get rid of the symptoms of depression, but also prevent more severe consequences that can develop in the central nervous system.
Not the usual blues
As the name implies, chronic fatigue syndrome is a set of symptoms that characterize a painful condition of the body that requires long-term treatment.
Experts focus on the following symptoms, if at least four of the eight are present, we can talk about a possible diagnosis: ♦ lack of a feeling of rest after a full night’s sleep;
♦ frequently recurring headaches for no apparent reason;
♦ increased sleepiness during the day;
♦ inability to fall asleep quickly even after strenuous physical labor;
♦ unmotivated irritation;
♦ bad mood, for which there is no reason;
♦ frequent infectious diseases;
♦ decreased memory and ability to concentrate;
♦ pharyngitis, inflamed lymph nodes in the neck and axillary area;
♦ unexplained muscle pain.
Story
Before such drugs appeared, doctors actively used drugs with an stimulating effect, which could induce a state of euphoria and happiness in a very melancholic person. Such stimulants used to be opiates, caffeine, and ginseng root. To relieve excitability and anxiety, bromine salt, valerian and motherwort were used.
Pills for depression and stress were discovered in the 50s of the 20th century and this became a truly serious revolution in psychological pharmacology. All this time, drugs have taken a leading position in the treatment of depression. The first drugs for depression were discovered completely by accident - this happened when isoproniazide, a drug used in the complex treatment of tuberculosis, had an unusual side effect. Patients who used it noted an unusually elevated mood, a state of lightness and euphoria.
After this, this substance began to be used to treat depressive conditions. Almost at the same time that experiments were taking place on various substances, a doctor in Germany discovered imipramine to the world, which improved mood and relieved the blues. Unlike isoproniazide, imipramine is still on the WHO list of official drugs. And more recently it received the status of the most popular and best-selling antidepressant. There are also drugs that are based on sources of serotonin. Right now, such medicines are very popular among people because they contain natural ingredients, usually heather, lotus and mint.
Symptoms of drug-induced depression
Drug-induced depression can occur in different ways, with different symptoms. This is due to which drug caused the complication. The disease can occur as a type of neurotic depression. Characteristic symptoms for it are: constantly depressed mood, anxiety, tearfulness, self-pity, blaming others for one’s problems. People who are the opposite of the “fighter” type are especially prone to such manifestations. Any life situation with difficulties can drive them into despondency and despair.
Another form of the condition, more severe, occurs similar to endogenous depression. It is often caused by a drug against the background of some kind of stressful situation, heredity, or other negative influences. In addition to low mood and general depression, lethargy, lack of joy from anything, inhibition of thinking, speech, and action also manifests itself. Possible manifestations of suicidal tendencies.
Treatment of cancer is subsequently manifested by decreased mood and general exhaustion of the body, aversion to food. A side effect of exposure to psychotropic substances is drowsiness, indifference, and depression.
Why are antidepressants dangerous?
People of the post-Soviet period believe that antidepressants are harmful and addictive. But now times have changed and a huge number of drugs have appeared that are not addictive from use, even after a long period of use. The task of modern antidepressants is to restore mechanisms in the body that are disturbed by depression. Medicines for depression can restore a person’s inner world crippled by stress and anxiety and return him to a normal lifestyle and active state.
The nutritionist named a dietary supplement to improve mood
Candidate of Medical Sciences, nutritionist, therapist, Solgar expert Natalya Artemyeva told Izvestia about what biologically active supplements (dietary supplements) should be taken to improve mood.
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As the specialist noted, the main part of serotonin, the hormone of happiness, is concentrated in the intestines. This hormone plays an important role in regulating the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, with dysbiotic changes in the intestine, the production of serotonin is significantly reduced, which can lead to deterioration or mood swings.
“Accordingly, in order to improve your mood, you need to pay attention to the gastrointestinal tract. First of all, a course of probiotic complexes is recommended. In addition, it is recommended to review the diet, reduce the amount of fast carbohydrates and pay attention to the amount of fiber. Not everyone eats the daily norm of up to 30 g. Insoluble dietary fiber is fermented by the normal flora of the colon, forming short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, acetate), stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells in the intestine, increase blood circulation in the intestinal wall and improve gastrointestinal motility,” explained Artemyeva.
Mood swings can occur when adrenaline levels increase, especially if a person has a stressful job. At the same time, the number of beneficial bacteria decreases - beneficial lactobacilli regulate the rate of serotonin metabolism. This negatively affects a person’s well-being and mood.
Including omega-3 fatty acids in your diet will help regulate serotonin metabolism, reduce psycho-emotional stress, prevent the risk of depression and reduce the synthesis of cortisol (stress hormone). In addition, additional intake of omega-3 PUFAs can affect cognitive function and prevent the development of dementia, since this element is a key component of cell membranes and is also involved in the formation of new functioning neurons in the brain.
Also, to improve mood, the doctor recommended including beneficial enzymes in the diet that are aimed at breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Enzymes improve the digestion process and reduce the feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
“To improve mood, complexes of B vitamins are also recommended, since very often, when we receive tests from patients with dysbiotic changes in the intestines, we see a deficiency of this group of vitamins (primarily B9 and B12). In addition, in a general blood test, we see a change in the ratio of lymphocytes and neutrophils, which will indicate an inflammatory process in the intestines,” added the nutritionist.
Vitamin D, in turn, enters the human body in two ways: with food or is synthesized in the skin under the influence of UV rays. With food, it can be obtained mainly from marine fish and fish oil, but it is quickly destroyed during heat treatment of foods during the cooking process, so it is necessary to drink additional Vitamin D in the form of supplements.
Vitamin D takes part in the regulation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism, innate and acquired immunity, antitumor protection, reduces the body's susceptibility to skin diseases, affects neuromuscular conduction, growth and control of the body's inflammatory reactions, helps regulate hormones and improve mood. Regular intake of this vitamin improves performance, concentration and memory, as well as learning ability.
On October 17, psychologist and member of the Association of Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy Tatyana Petukhova spoke about how to cope with apathy in the autumn. She advised increasing physical activity and also taking vitamins.
What pills help with depression?
An important point in choosing a drug is the name of the antidepressant. For example: the same medicine on the domestic market can be presented by a dozen medical developers. That is, a drug with the same active ingredient is sold under 10 different names. The cheapest are Russian medications for depression and stress and pills produced in countries with cheap labor. But they bring more side effects. Tablets produced by Western pharmaceutical companies are more expensive, but their therapeutic effect is better and there are practically no side effects.
How to take medications?
Firstly, it is necessary to clarify that depression pills are prescribed by a psychiatrist. Only a good doctor can prescribe the right treatment and the right medications. It is better to consult a doctor in this matter, as depression can cause more serious nerve problems. Antidepressants must be taken every day at a specific time, as prescribed by your doctor. It is also better to check with your psychotherapist for the number of appointments per day and duration of the course. There are different types of antidepressants, some have a hypnotic effect - they are best taken immediately before bed, and those that stimulate activity are best taken in the morning.
If you are depressed: what to do and who to contact
Suppose you are faced with manifestations of clinical depression.
You are sad, life seems meaningless, you have problems sleeping and eating, your thoughts seem to be moving in a fog, and every morning you are overtaken in turn and in any order by despair, the inability to answer the question “Why should I get up?” and overwhelming fatigue.
And this dubious pleasure lasts for several months. At the same time, your life may well not be objectively so bad, and you don’t understand yourself.
You try to have a positive attitude, think positive thoughts and smile at people, but it doesn't help. Relief doesn't come. At some point you decide to surrender to the hands of professionals.
Question one: where and to whom should I go?
Most likely, your local clinic has a psychiatrist or psychotherapist whom you can see free of charge, under compulsory medical insurance. What is the difference between them?
Psychiatrist - has a medical education and specialization that allows him to diagnose and treat a disease with the help of medications.
Psychotherapist - worked as a psychiatrist for at least three years, has undergone retraining and can use both medication and psychotherapeutic methods.
In practice, due to limited appointment time, there is no significant difference between these specialists in a government institution, and both use psychopharmacology as their main weapon.
What antidepressants are used for depression?
- Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
- Melatonergic antidepressants.
Now on the pharmaceutical market there are a huge number of antidepressants aimed at different effects. And if you have a problem with depression, call the hotline and contact our psychotherapists. They are true professionals in their field and will be able to help you cope with depression.
Find and neutralize
A few years ago, experts agreed that CFS is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, or analogues of the herpes virus.
— Now there is data and we see in practice that chronic fatigue syndrome also occurs after coronavirus.
The body becomes exhausted, which leads to the onset of disease. In addition to viral infections, the syndrome can also occur due to lifestyle. Excessive physical and psychological stress, switching to vegetarianism or strict diets are risk factors that also lead to the onset of the disease, says Alexey Malkov.
CFS is often confused with neurosis or depression. A neurologist or psychotherapist will help you establish an accurate diagnosis. First of all, it is important for them to exclude pathologies of the central nervous system and endocrine system.
Among other things, recent studies show that the disease, which was typical only ten years ago for 25-40 year olds, has become significantly younger. 18-year-old students are increasingly seeking medical help. The risk of encountering chronic fatigue syndrome is much higher among residents of megacities.
— The flow of information aimed at modern people is much greater, —
Alexey Malkov thinks.
— In addition to TV and newspapers, laptops, tablets and smartphones compete for our attention.
The human body cannot always cope with such an avalanche of information and, accordingly, stress - it malfunctions. Experts believe that chronic fatigue syndrome is more common in women—it accounts for 75 percent of the population. However, this does not mean that they seek help more often. If CFS is of a slow-onset nature, the patient can apply ten years after the onset of the disease, the neurologist states:
“The longer the disease lasts, the more drastic treatment will be needed. Over a period of several years, optimization of work and rest simply will not give the desired effect. Most likely, we will talk about tranquilizers and antidepressants. A month of severe symptoms should be enough to see a doctor and start treatment.
