In some episodes or times of our lives it is normal that we may feel depressed and that sadness takes over our mood, since it is in these moments that we usually feel that we do not have the strength to continue with our daily life and do anything. type of action or activity, presenting a large number of difficulties in carrying them out. It is common for people at these times to have preferences for doing nothing and closing in on ourselves. If you find yourself in this situation and don’t know what to do to improve, we recommend you continue reading this Psychology-Online article: what to do when you are depressed.
Difference between depressive disorder and sad mood
Major depressive disorder and sadness are two totally different conceptss but easily confused. For this reason, it is necessary to show their difference.
On the one hand, the major depressive disorder refers to a Psychological trastorn which is the result of a combination of genetic causes, neurobiological causes and environmental causes. To develop this disorder, it is not necessary that some traumatic event has occurred that could justify it, but a depressive disorder can also develop in a person whose life has not taken any traumatic or drastic turn that could explain the disorder.
Furthermore, in major depressive disorder, one must take into account a series of symptoms: sadness (pathological and long-lasting sadness), loss of interest and/or pleasure, feelings of guilt, lack of self-esteem, sleep and/or appetite disorders, feeling tired, lack of concentration, depressed mood, low energy or fatigue, suicidal ideation, difficulty making decisions and feelings of hopelessness.
It should be noted that this occurs when a minimum of five of these mentioned symptoms persist for two weeks and represent a change in the person’s previous functioning. At least one of the symptoms being depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure. However, depression can be considered chronic when at least two of the aforementioned symptoms occur and persist for a minimum of two years in adults and one year in children and adolescents.
On the other hand, the sadness refers to a basic emotion that appears due to the experience of living situations understood as negative, painful, traumatic, unfavorable, frustrating, stressful and/or unfortunate, such as parental divorce, failure to meet one’s expectations (failing a subject), among others. . The fact of experiencing any of these situations implies that the person experiences sadness that is normally temporary and appropriate to the situation experienced.
Am I depressed?: Beck Depression Test
The Beck depression test is a very useful instrument to be able to diagnose a depressive disorder older or, on the contrary, affirm that one does not suffer from this disorder. This is a questionnaire that includes 21 groups of affirmative sentences, which must be read carefully to be able to answer them correctly. The patient must choose, marking with a circle, one of the statements from each group, specifically the statement with which he or she feels most identified based on the last two weeks.
To be able to access this test, it is advisable to go to a specialist so that they can carry out an appropriate evaluation of the results. However, in Psychology-Online you will find an adaptation that you can answer for free and online, and it will give you “high score”, “average score” or “low score” as results. In this case, if a high or medium score obtained, it is recommended go to a specialist to be able to carry out a good treatment and a good evaluation of the situation.
What to do when you are depressed? 11 tips
Below we present 11 tips so that people who are depressed can better manage their situation.
1. Go to a specialist
Depression is not a disease that is overcome with the passage of time, but rather it is an illness that must be treated both pharmacologically and psychologically. Well the fact of being treated means a greater probability of overcoming it successfully. For this reason, it is recommended to go to a specialist and inform them of the situation.
2. Recognize your own merits
People who suffer from depression usually lose interest and/or pleasure in the activities of daily living. Therefore, it is recommended and considered important to recognize one’s own merits, such as getting out of bed or taking a shower. Carrying out this type of activities means A big effort for these people and, therefore, they must learn to assess its achievement as something very positive.
3. List of positive things of the day
In order to better manage depression, it can be very useful to make a list at the end of the day where all those things are written down. good or positive things that have happened to you to the person during the day. Within this list you can find the merits discussed in the previous advice, that is, among the positive things we can highlight the fact of having managed to achieve a merit. Other examples could be: going for a short walk, talking with a friend, among others. In this way, making a list allows people to value events that are not normally taken into account.
4. Take care of yourself on a daily basis
Another recommendation for people who suffer from depression is to try to take care of themselves on a daily basis. While it is true, people with depression present symptoms such as alterations in appetite and sleepTherefore, it is important to take care of these two aspects that are part of daily life, trying to eat three times a day and regulate your sleep schedule, without getting up excessively late.
5. Limit time to think about causes and consequences
People who suffer from depression are not in a good time to reflect appropriately on the causes and consequences of their situation. That is why it is recommended to limit the time to think about it and, in order to keep your thoughts elsewhere, it is advisable to do activities that distract your mind and take her away from those thoughts. When the person has improved regarding his illness, he will be able to take the time he wants to reflect, since he will already be in an optimal state of mind and more prepared to be able to reflect in an appropriate and useful way.
6. List of positive qualities of oneself
This is the second list that is recommended to be made when a person is in a situation of depression. Making a list of positive qualities about yourself can help you evaluate own aspects that allow you to strengthen your attitude towards the situation in which you find yourself. Friends and family can help with this, especially if the person is unable to value anything about themselves.
7. Cognitive restructuring
Cognitive restructuring is a technique that refers to a change in thinking, that is, it is about power transform negative thoughts into positive ones. Therefore, it is very important to learn to identify these negative thoughts and, once identified, you must learn to replace them with thoughts that are more positive and realistic.
Therefore, it can be helpful to write down the identified negative thoughts, make them conscious and, when they are written down, their transformations into positive thoughts should be noted next to them.
8. Get active
Another tip for managing depression is to apply behavioral activation, a . Behavioral activation consists of look for activities that improve your mood and interest. In addition, carrying out activities allows you to increase the level of physical and mental energy, separate and distract the mind from negative thoughts. That is why it is recommended to carry out activities that previously generated great interest and pleasure.
Furthermore, the fact of carrying out activities can be related to the recognition of one’s own merits and with the list of good and positive things that have happened during the day, therefore, it can influence an increase in the person’s motivation.
9. Set goals and objectives
It is advisable to set realistic and short-range goals and objectives, as this allows you to deal with one of the symptoms of depression: loss of interest. Having objectives and goals allows the person increase your motivation to achieve themalthough they must be adjusted to the reality of the situation.
10. Future plans
In the same way that it is important to establish goals and objectives, it is also very important and advisable to investigate future plans. Having plans for the future implies a greater probability of not having suicidal ideations, since something is expected from the future, demonstrating Have hope.
11. Delay important decisions
When a person suffers from a major depressive disorder and taking into account their symptoms, they are not at their best to make important decisions that directly affect their daily life. Therefore it is advisable wait for the situation to improve to be able to start making decisions of this caliber, taking into account the possible consequences of each decision from a more realistic perspective.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2014). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. DSM 5. 5th Edition. USA: Panamericana.
- Retamal, P. (1999). Depression. Guides for patients and families. Santiago de Chile: University Publishing House.