Depression

All depressive illnesses are manifested by a change in mood or a change in the sensory palette (in professional terminology, "affective disorders"). There are such forms of manifestation in which only a depressive (depressive) mood occurs, and those in which depressive and manic (accompanied by euphoria, increased intrinsic motivation) phases of mood alternate (so-called bipolar disorders).

Symptoms

Further symptoms:

• decreased motivation and activity;
• severe weakness and increased fatigue;
• insomnia or early awakening with the so-called "morning retardation": a special form of weakness in the morning hours;
• obsessive self-criticism;
• feeling of fear;
• feeling of inferiority;
• a strong sense of guilt, often over a trifling matter;
• loss of faith in one's own strengths;
• thoughts of suicide or the development of his plans;
• loss of appetite;
• loss of sexual interest;
• various somatic manifestations: pain, mobility restrictions, etc.

Treatment

To date, in most cases of the disease, a combination is shown as a treatment:

• antidepressant medications
• psychotherapy
• complexes of physical activity.

When prescribing medications, all the details of the picture of the disease of each individual patient are scrupulously studied, since all people react differently to some antidepressants.

One of the first phases of psychotherapy is for the patient to learn to interrupt the flow of intrusive doubts and negative thoughts.

The next step is to determine the causes and conditions that caused the disease processes (for example, experienced losses), and in a conversation with patients, a search is made for ways to make a life without depression possible. Consideration of early childhood experiences, possibly burdened heredity, as well as an analysis of the patient's emotional needs are important factors; the patient learns to find ways to balanced satisfaction of these needs.

Since ancient times, we have known that physical activity has an antidepressant effect - that is why medical training and mental conditioning are integral elements of treatment - and they are selected individually in each case. Art therapy supports the healing process through the use of creative means: all kinds of drawing, clay modeling and working with other materials. In this way, one's own hidden internal reserves of vitality are activated in a targeted manner.