Distinction between sadness and depression Everyone at some point in our lives has felt sad, because like other emotions such as happiness, anger or fear, it is a basic emotion of the human being. It is a natural response of our brain to a negative situation or a stressful event such as the loss of a loved one or when personal expectations are not met. Confusion between sadness (emotion) and depression (disorder) is common. Sadness is an important quality and a criterion for talking about depression, but it must be remembered that sadness is a normal emotion that we all experience on different occasions and that it does not have to become a problem. However, if sadness persists over time, it can become a depression, that is, it becomes a pathological sadness. Depression, on the other hand, is a disease where sadness is pathological due to its intensity and duration. It is an mood disorder characterized by being associated with a set of symptoms such as anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), pérdida de peso abulia (lack of energy), loss of self-esteem or identity,weight loss and appetite,sleep disorders, fatigue,difficulty concentrating andrepeated ideas of guilt, suicidal ideation and related to chronic pessimism, as well as presenting a feeling of discomfort in general. To feel depressed, we do not need to have a dramatic, regrettable or hurtful event. Depression is the result of the interaction of many factors, including genetics, neurobiological changes and environments. Depression can be triggered by both tragic events and there may also be an absence of external cause to justify it. Depression is a disorder that, when manifested with intensity, affects the functioning of the person suffering from it in a personal, family, social and work environment. Main differences between sadness and depression:
In conclusion, the difference between sadness and depression lies in the intensity and duration of sadness. It can be said that there are different types of
depression. This article discusses the most severe depressive disorder: major depression.. Depression As initially said, Depression is trastorno del estado de ánimo a mood disorder characterized by the onset of one or more depressive episodes lasting at least two weeks, during which a set of affective symptoms (pathological sadness, apathy, anhedonia, hopelessness, decay, irritability, etc.) and cognitive (thoughts, volitive (will) and somatic (conversion of psychological symptoms into physical) occur. Major depression is also known as unipolar depression. People with major depression are not simply "sad," but tend to show an extreme lack of initiative to do anything, inability to be cheerful and feel pleasure, and experience a number of physical and psychological problems that significantly damage their quality of life. In addition, major depression also affects the way memory and attention are thought and reasoned. Also,the lack of total or partial motivation makes people who have entered such a crisis seem absent and do not feel like doing anything, not even thinking much. Major depression The major depressive table can be divided into:
Take
Moderate
Serious
There are two types of major depression:
Major depression with single episode: there is only the presence of a single depressive event in the patient's life.
Major relapsing depression: Depressive symptoms appear in two or more episodes in the patient's life. The separation between depressive episodes should be at least 2 months without having symptoms.
Major depression usually occurs during young adulthood, although it can also occur at virtually any stage of life. The individual suffering from this condition may experience normal mood phases between depressive phases that can last for months or years. Major depression is a type of unipolar depression, which means that it has no mania phases, differing from bipolarity). Causes As already said, major depression is a multifactorial phenomenon,so different factors cause this disease: genetic factors, childhood experiences and current psychosocial adversities (social context and personality aspects). Difficulties in social relationships, cognitive dysfunctions, or socio-economic status can be risk factors for the development of this disorder. In short, the interaction of biological, psychological and social factors favors the onset of major depression. Major depression has also been linked to a lack of dopamine in the brain's reward system, which causes the person to have no goals. This can trigger a sedentary and monotonous lifestyle, as well as serious self-esteem issues. Symptoms For the diagnosis of major depression, symptoms of depression should represent a change from the patient's previous activity and one of the symptoms should be a depressive mood or loss of interest or ability to feel pleasure (anhedonia), just as the subject must present for a minimum period of two weeks, at least five of the following symptoms:
Depressive mood most of the day, almost every day
Loss of interest in activities that were previously rewarding or enjoyable
Weight loss or gain
Insomnia or hypersomnia
Low self-esteem
Concentration problems and decision-making problems
Feelings of guilt
Suicidal thoughts
Psychomotor delay (slowing movements) almost every day
Fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
It is important not to confuse major depression with other similar mood disorders (such as dysthymia). This psychological alteration is also associated with many of the symptoms of major depression, but has some differences. What distinguishes dysthymia from major depression is that in order to diagnose dysthymia, depressive symptoms have to occur for a much longer period of time (at least twoyears)and theitensity of symptoms is lower,as well as generally no anhedonia. For the diagnosis of major depression, symptoms must cause clinically significant discomfort, i.e. a deterioration in the personal, family, social, work or other important areas of functioning. It should also be ruled out that the depressive episode can be attributed to the physiological effects of a substance or other medical condition, as well as the major depression episode should be better explained by a schizoafective disorder (a disorder characterized by a combination of symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations or delusions, with symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression or mania), schizophrenia (disorder that alters thinking and perception, causing hallucinations and delusions to occur), schizophreniform disorder (disorder with characteristics identical to those of schizophrenia except because they differ in the total duration of the disease, between 1 and 6 months and that the presence of a social or occupational disability is not required for part of the disease) , delirant disorder (psychotic disorder characterized by the presence of one or more delusional ideas, without any other significant pathology such as hallucinations) or another specified or unskilled disorder on the spectrum of psychotic disorders. Treatment Identifying the causes that lead to depression is the first step in treating it, with professional help. However, if the enemy is sadness, there are simpler strategies (such as calling a friend and venting). Major depression is a serious pathology but it is treatable. Treatment options usually vary depending on the severity of your symptoms. In severe cases, administration of Psychopharmaceuticals combined with Psychotherapy Psicoterapia is the most appropriate treatment. However, in recent years the effectiveness of other treatments has been shown, such as Electroconvulsive Therapy (whichwill be used when depressive symptomatology is very severe) when drug therapy does not work (this therapy is not comparable to the old electroshock,as the intensity of discharges is much lower and painless). Minfulness has shown some efficacy when intervening in cases of mild depression, with major depression not seeming to work. People diagnosed with major depression can easily relapse this type of crisis,so treatment is posed as a lifetime aid. In addition, the methods used to prevent relapses are different from those used when the patient is experiencing a depression crisis. Psychological therapy Psychological therapy, on the other hand, has proven to be an effective tool for the treatment of depression,, especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This type of therapy considers the patient as a system that processes media information before issuing a response, i.e. the individual classifies, evaluates and gives meaning to the stimulus based on his set of experiences from interaction with the environment and his beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, world visions and self-assessments. This therapy uses different techniques that aim to have a positive effect on low self-esteem, negative problem-solving styles, or how to think about and evaluate events that occur around the patient. Some of the most common cognitive behavioral techniques are:
Self-preservation: Registration sheets or realistic goal setting are techniques that are often used and have shown their effectiveness.
Cognitive Restructuring: used so that patient can have knowledge about their own emotions or thoughts and to detect irrational thoughts, replacing them with more adaptive ideas or beliefs.
Developing problem-solving skills: Problem-solving deficits are related to depression, so problem-solving training is a good therapeutic strategy. Social skills training and assertive training are also helpful treatments for this condition.
Pharmacological therapy In less severe cases of depression or other types of depression, psychopharmaceuticals are not always necessary. In severe cases, different medicinal products are advised for a specified period of time. Among the most commonly used antidepressants are:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: They arethe most used and are the first choice in the pharmacological treatment of depression. They have fewer side effects than other antidepressants, but they can also cause them (such as dry mouth, nausea, nervousness, insomnia, sexual problems and headache). Fluoxetine (Prozac) is the best known SSRS, although Citalopram, Paroxetine or Sertraline is also used.
Tricyclic antidepressants: they are known as first generation antidepressants, although they are rarely used as the first choice for their side effects (dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, difficulty urinating, worsening glaucoma, impaired thinking and tiredness; they can also affect blood pressure and heart rate, so they are not recommended for older people). Examples include: Amitriptyline, Clomipramine or Nortriptyline.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors : areantidepressants that act by blocking the action of the enzyme monoamine oxidase. They are used less frequently due to their serious side effects (weakness, dizziness, headaches and tremors). Examples of this drug include Iproniazide Tranilcipromine.
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