Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Depression can be described in a variety of ways; Basically, depression is when the person experiences a long period of boredom or loss of interest. In order to best describe a person with depression, you must understand how it feels, what causes it, as well as the sex difference between it.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Understanding Depression

1. 

   Understand what depression is in one day. For a depressed person, life is a series of fears followed by a feeling of temporary energy. One characteristic of depression is exhaustion at the end of the day, so people often sleep deeply - even though they generally don't sleep well. The next morning, the first thing they feel is fear and anxiety, which keeps them from getting out of bed. That fear and anxiety has become a burden to them, making getting out of bed an extremely difficult task. In addition, the feeling of fear also made them drown in depression. That is a huge burden.
   • However, the sequence above may be an explosion of energy, allowing the person to accomplish a lot of activities, as long as the energy remains. After an energy burst, the next feeling would be fatigue again, and the cycle repeats itself. It seems that exiting that cycle is very difficult.

2. 

   
   
   Understand that emotional suffering can lead to physical pain. Depression can be manifested in physical pain for no specific cause, and pain is also absent from any specific organ. In fact, it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose depression because the patient only talks about the physically unusual symptoms.
   • In addition, these are persistent pains, often present in many different parts, meaning that it usually goes on for quite a long time.

3. 

   
   
   Remember that depression makes things more difficult. When a person has depression, every activity becomes a difficult task. For some, it is nearly impossible for them to perform the routine. Even getting out of bed became a lot more difficult. It seems that they have to prepare a serious plan just to pass through the room - people with depression may have to put all their energy into such a simple thing.
   • Maintaining a conversation is also difficult because they almost lose the need to express themselves. Not wanting to do anything comes in many forms - from not wanting to think to being quiet.

4. 

   
   
   There is a change in opinion. The way you look at things around you will be affected by depression. When the reality turns bleak, it is difficult for the person to maintain an optimistic attitude. Even for them, the sun was becoming dim and much less warm. Everything is covered in gray. People with severe depression may experience the phenomenon of "depressed realism." Usually, people tend to see the world and themselves with optimism, but depressed realists don't.
   • Dark days became more and more bleak, and mornings no longer felt refreshed with pleasant surprises. No matter how optimistic they used to be, it's gone now — no matter what positive things have happened.

5. 

   Realize that they have lost interest in things they already enjoy. This is also known as the "inability to experience joy" phenomenon. This means that the things they once loved, cherished and expected to do no longer / or less affected them.
   • For example, nature lovers no longer feel at peace when taking a walk in a beautiful view. The flowers no longer smell and the music becomes hard of hearing. Money, love, partying - these are all no longer as attractive as they are to a depressed person.
   • Everything was enveloped in depression and an unpleasant sense of weight. It seemed their lives were going on at a more sluggish and sluggish pace than everyone else. Everything in general seems to have "drowned".

6. 

   Understand the importance of finding out what triggers your feelings of discomfort. For people with depression, they always feel hopeless and nothing can bring positive emotions. Emotional pain combined with a lack of joy will cause a serious overload for the sick person. The emotional pain seemed to get worse and worse for no reason.
   • The sick person may cry often for no reason at all. They may feel uncomfortable with things that family or friends often do, or with a loved one's normal behavior.

7. 

   Understand that depression can make a person feel insensitive. Depression can leave a person feeling empty and emotionless. This can make the person feel lonely even with family and friends around.
   • The feeling of being trapped in a cloud or bubble, away from everyone, can also happen. People with depression may feel like no one understands their condition. Loneliness only makes depression worse.

8. 

   Understand how they feel: death is a sensible choice. The pain and tragedy that depression brings can be so real and so persistent that death seems like the right choice. The sick person may mention or try to find death. This is because one cannot end feelings of loneliness, worthlessness and boredom, unless thanks to death.
   • When life has no real meaning, death will not be a big deal. This is not because the person wants to die, but just because they don't want to live anymore. The sick person may feel no longer interested in anything in life, so life is meaningless.
   • If someone feels this way, has suicidal thoughts and plans, whether it's someone you know or yourself, seek help immediately. Call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If in Vietnam, you can call the hotline 1900599930, key number 1 to contact the Center for Psychological Crisis and Suicide (PCP). In addition, you should contact your doctor, a friend, a therapist or a relative for help.

9. 

   Understand the difference between depression and sadness. Everyone is sad at times, but depression is another condition. It is not the usual kind of sadness. Instead, depression includes:
   • See life in a pessimistic way and often feel hopeless.
   • Loss of interest or pleasure in life. What used to make patients excited no longer works.
   • Weight problems. Patients lose 5% or more of their normal weight in a short period of time.
   • Sleep problems like insomnia or excessive sleep.
   • Attitude issues such as anger, being annoyed, or irritable.
   • Feeling sluggish and lethargic, unable to complete even the simplest of tasks.
   • Guilt. People with depression often torment themselves or always blame themselves for what they think is their fault.
   • Have thoughts of suicide or reckless behaviors. Thoughts of death are permanent and are supposed to be liberation. Lack of thinking about this safety can lead to rash or foolish behavior.
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Part 2 of 3: Understanding the Causes and Effects of Depression

1. 

   Understand the cause of your depression. While depression does not have a single cause and it is not possible to know exactly what it causes, there are a number of factors that will help you to anticipate someone's likelihood of getting sick, including:
   • Relatives died.
   • Separation from relatives.
   • Financial losses.
   • Big life changes like moving to another city, retiring or changing jobs.
   • Problems in private life such as divorce, conflict.
   • Responsibilities pile up, for example giving birth to a baby or taking care of the sick.
   • Conflicts at work, for example, change in position and responsibility while that is not consistent with interests and abilities.
   • Have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
   • Serious illnesses such as HIV / AIDS, Parkinson's, heart disease or cancer.
     • However, it is normal to have a certain degree of depression when something bad happens. If the depression doesn't go away after six months, that's a serious problem.

2. 

   Recognize the prevalence of depression. Depression affects 6 to 7% of all adults in the United States. The majority (70%) of those infected are women - however, this is not definitive as women are more likely to find a doctor more comfortable, and / or men tend to commit suicide successfully. more.
   • Suicide (behavior related to depression) is a fairly common behavior. It is the leading cause of death equivalent to the flu and pneumonia.

3. 

   Watch for signs of insecurity that may keep the person away from others. The patient's sense of self-worth and self-esteem are diminished by their pessimistic thinking patterns. Patients often think that they are not good enough, not lovable, unwelcome or uninterested. Patients often feel that their presence is not what everyone needs. Therefore, in their mind, they feel like they want to distance themselves from others, no matter how close they have been.
   • Depression affects a person's thinking processes and ability to process information, and as a result, a person's ability to think, react, and decide becomes slower. That adversely affects their confidence, keeping them away from family and friends. This includes staying away from activities that they used to enjoy.

4. 

   Recognize the emergence of bad habits. In order to forget about one's isolation, anxiety, and loneliness, one will seek alcohol, drugs and unhealthy foods high in sugar and carbohydrates. Alcohol, sugar, and carbohydrates will boost your mood, but only for the short term. When the happy feeling passed, only an awful feeling remained. Unfortunately, eating disorders and anxiety have always been associated with depression.
   • Some people are in the opposite direction and "don't" eat anything. The person no longer wants to eat or drink. Pay attention to their changing weight and food intake. They're not on a diet, it's just that they're thinking, "What for?"

5. 

   Is it possible to anticipate a change in work efficiency? The ability of a depressed person to process information, coupled with a sense of self-deprecation, leads to lack of concentration and reduced productivity and capacity. Often times, people with depression will try to endure when working or participating in activities that require concentration.
   • People who are depressed often experience sleep disturbances, such as sleep deprivation or excessive sleep. Some other health problems such as headache, abdominal pain, back pain, constipation, diarrhea ... are common symptoms in people with depression. Those symptoms can affect work performance.

6. 

   Watch for changes in weight. Depression is related to weight gain or loss. They are all consequences of depression. However, whether depression stems from weight changes or vice versa has not been clearly proven. For example, a person becomes obese and suffers from depression due to self-esteem in his body and becomes lack of confidence. advertisement

Part 3 of 3: The Difference Between the Sexes During Disease

1. 

   Men often hide their emotions more. There are many differences between men and women when they are depressed, or in how they exhibit symptoms, and sometimes even in anger. In particular, men are less likely to manifest depression through feelings and emotions. They expressed less verbal sadness, hopelessness, and feelings of helplessness.
   • Instead, they display depression through anger and frustration with the smallest aggressive behaviors. They often present symptoms as discomfort. Men also often complain of fatigue and sleeplessness more often, and reduce interest in activities they enjoy.

2. 

   A man with depression may also avoid social interaction. Because of the huge difference between what they are feeling and what society “wants” them to feel, men often try to minimize the time they spend with friends and family. Instead, they will dive into work, or abuse drugs and alcohol to relieve their depression.

3. 

   Pay attention to changes in sexual habits. Male depression often increases sexual problems. It will cause loss of interest and contribute to impotence.
   • Men often use what society thinks is right and acceptable to hide symptoms of depression. They often assume the symptoms are stress, not depression.

4. 

   Understand that killing behavior affects men and women differently. Although women are more likely to attempt suicide, men actually die from suicide more. This is because men often act more quickly and hastily when attempting suicide. They also often use higher lethality methods, such as guns, to do the trick. Meanwhile, women tend to be more open to their thoughts, and often take suicide measures with a lower chance of success such as drug overdoses.
   • Men are less likely to express their intentions to others. When no warning signs are seen, relatives and their families often cannot intervene in time.

5. 

   Understand that depression is more common in women than in men. However, it may be that it is easier for women to express their condition, or because men think they are not sick while women do. Anyway, there are reasons to conclude that women are more prone to depression than men:
   • Hormonal changes.
   • Pregnancy.
   • Menopause.
   • Hypothyroidism.
   • Chronic illnesses (Many studies show that illnesses often cause depression in women more than men).

6. 

   Know that hormones (hormones) can affect women. Hormones are directly related to the substances that control mood and emotions in the brain. Hormonal fluctuations often occur during the menstrual cycle, menopause, pregnancy or postpartum. This can start cyclically (temporarily) and lead to chronic depression (a lifelong battle).
   • In addition to the hormonal changes, the responsibilities placed on a woman during childbirth are enormous, for some it is terrible and can lead to depression - in particular, postpartum depression. .

7. 

   Hieu understood how the stresses women are under can lead to depression. Psychosocial factors also lead to high rates of depression in women. Women may feel pressure to take care of family, work part-time or full-time, and the stress of trying to cultivate strong relationships.

8. 

   Know that the weather also affects women more than men. The depression that usually comes on during a certain season is called Seasonal Affective DisordeR (SAD). It occurs more in women than in men. This type of depression will end in warm seasons like spring or summer, but return in winter. Although the causes of this depression are very different, the symptoms are the same - sadness, mood swings, anxiety, cravings for sweets and carbohydrates, and sleep disturbances.
   • SAD is a type of depression that results from changes in the amount of light between seasons. People living in cold regions where winters are long and heavy snow falls are more susceptible to this disease.
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Advice

• If you need to describe your depression to someone, ask someone else who has had depression.

Warning

• If you are trying to describe your own depression and intend to commit suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If in Vietnam, you can call the hotline 1900599930, key number 1 to contact the Center for Psychological Crisis and Suicide (PCP).