Are bad moods, drowsiness and irritability following you around? There are two news about this. Let's start with the good one? Experts note that this is a normal reaction of the body to the approaching cold and lack of sun. But the bad news is that if nothing is done about this condition, it is fraught with serious consequences for mental health and the body as a whole. Practicing psychologist Nadezhda Chikilina shared with us professional life hacks on how to cope with sudden sadness.
Know the enemy by sight
When it comes to autumn (and not golden and sunny, but cloudy and rainy), the word “depression” automatically comes to mind.
This psychiatric diagnosis is mentioned on any occasion - and in vain. First, let's figure out what classic depression is and why it is often confused with ordinary blues. — The symptoms are really very similar, so they are sometimes misinterpreted,
— Nadezhda Chikilina explains.
— In autumn there is much less sun than in summer, it is difficult for the body to get used to this, so it protests.
Chronic fatigue appears, sleep becomes restless and intermittent (some, on the contrary, hibernate and cannot wake up), apathy and melancholy set in. It seems like the weekend has just passed and you should have a lot of energy, but there is absolutely no energy or desire to do anything. A few other symptoms to watch out for are overeating and decreased libido (sex drive) or its complete absence. But all this can be dealt with without the help of a specialist, you just need to follow simple recommendations. But with depression, everything is much more complicated: harmless symptoms are supplemented by very specific suicidal thoughts or actions, excessive self-criticism and a complete loss of pleasure in life. This is the state when it seems: I’m at the bottom and don’t see a way up. In this case, you need urgent help from a psychologist or psychotherapist who can prescribe medication. “It seems to me that every person experiences difficult times differently: for some, it’s enough to cry, throwing out the accumulated emotional fatigue, while others can walk around in this state for six months.” How do you know when it's time to see a specialist?
— The defining time marker is two weeks. If during this time you do not feel better, it is better to play it safe and ask for help from a professional.
A psychiatrist explained how the autumn blues differ from depression
St. Petersburg, October 6 . In the fall, we risk not only catching a cold and catching a virus, but also facing the autumn blues or even depression. The latter have similar manifestations, but completely different consequences: if the blues can go away on its own, then with depression the help of specialists is necessary. Channel Five found out how to distinguish one from the other from psychiatrist Andrei Khvatkov.
The specialist notes that depression is a mental disorder that primarily affects the human brain. Symptoms of depression can be different - from anxiety and banal hysterics to problems with sleep, melancholy, and general depression.
This is largely due to the reduction in the number of hours of sunshine. Due to this, a person may notice a slowdown in all normal daily processes.
“People are weather sensitive and feel all the seasonal changes themselves,” the psychiatrist explained. Changes in external factors affect mental processes. A person understands that in the summer he felt much more energetic, but with the onset of autumn he is no longer as active as a month ago,” explains the psychiatrist.
Due to the fact that there are fewer sunny days in autumn, serotonin, the “happiness hormone,” decreases in the body. It is he who is responsible for all mental processes.
"Do not panic! Serotonin deficiency in the fall is insignificant and is observed in most people, especially those living in northern latitudes,” warns the doctor.
With the onset of the autumn blues, a person’s mood deteriorates, but this is normal. In this case, the autumn blues can be considered as a certain cycle of our emotional background. The mood can be bad in the morning and significantly improve in the evening. But if this condition lasts for more than a month, it may be a problem. Emotional swings are primarily characteristic of the autumn blues, but not of depression.
The second important point that you should pay attention to in case of prolonged lack of mood is sleep disturbance or insomnia. Too sensitive and superficial sleep, sudden awakenings at two or three in the morning, which psychiatrists call “depressive night hours.” It is usually extremely difficult to fall asleep after them. If you notice a prolonged lack of sleep, appetite and mood, Andrey Khvatkov advises consulting a doctor.
Experts do not advise self-medication even in case of autumn blues. But if you still decide to take a course of vitamins for prevention, the psychiatrist classifies this as placebo therapy and advises you to pay attention to B vitamins - B1, B6 and B12. This group is suitable for normalizing the state of the nervous system. Also in the fall, vitamin D will be useful. But before you start taking vitamins, the doctor advises you to get tested and determine what exactly your body is missing.
You also need to follow a few simple rules: go to bed and wake up at the same time every time, even on weekends and during vacation. Our brain is a machine that works only if the regime is followed, the specialist notes. It is recommended to completely eliminate daytime naps, add physical activity in the fresh air and limit the circle of people around you to avoid respiratory and viral diseases.
Health checklist
The psychologist is sure: the first thing to do in case of apathy is to do something that brings joy.
I like lying on the sofa under a blanket and flipping through comics or watching TV series - great, don’t scold yourself for supposed laziness. If you like to paint by numbers or assemble puzzles - great, run for a new frame for your next masterpiece. Is cooking something that always lifts your spirits? Great, treat yourself and your loved ones to an unusual delicacy. But pay attention to the details: choose colorful dishes, lay out napkins in origami style, place decorative candles with a pleasant smell on the table, or place a herbarium of autumn leaves in a vase.
— By the way, these recommendations are universal for everyone. It’s just that our men are much less likely to look deep into themselves and may admit to some kind of weakness. It is easier for them to suppress emotions or drown them out with alcohol, to pretend that all experiences are far-fetched,
- Nadezhda warns.
- But being honest with yourself is very important for the formation of a healthy psyche, so think about it.
Let's move on to the next point. Treat yourself. What happens if you constantly constrain yourself with limits and restrictions? At some point, you can forever lose your individuality and say goodbye to your present self. You shouldn't go all out, but you can play harmless pranks.
Praise yourself for your achievements. A bad mood greatly affects self-esteem, so sometimes it seems to us that we have achieved nothing and are lagging behind everyone we know. Here it is important to turn on critical thinking and spend half an hour on one useful exercise. All you need is nothing: a 30-centimeter sewing tape (a kind of life line), a felt-tip pen and an atmosphere of solitude with your thoughts. Imagine that you are the screenwriter of a film about yourself and you need to remember the main achievements of your entire life. This could be a diploma from a university, winning a professional competition, buying a car, going on a long-awaited trip and much more. As you check off each item, tell yourself “I’m doing great!” and imagine what other victories will soon join this list.
Physical exercise. Sport helps you take your mind off everyday problems, improve your mood and keep not only your body, but also your head in good shape. Just don’t overdo it by lifting barbells that weigh several tens of kilograms. Treat yourself with care: pay attention to Pilates or stretching, plunge into the philosophy of yoga or get acquainted with the incendiary Zumba. Moreover, you don’t have to spend money on a gym membership, because today thousands of video lessons can be found on the Internet.
Comfort at work and at home. Try to make the surrounding space as comfortable as possible, because it sets the tone for the mood. The simplest thing is to hang garlands with warm light in the room, place scented candles or light an aroma stick and choose relaxing music.
Citrus scents with notes of lemon, orange and bergamot will help you get into a positive mood. As for your office, place flowers and souvenirs there that you brought from exciting trips. All this will warm you up on cold autumn days when it’s drizzling outside.
Moody little by little
Autumn blues are, in general, a normal thing for our latitudes, where “winter is white and green.”
The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. The weather is also not happy: sometimes snow, sometimes rain, sometimes both, and even with an icy wind, all this against the backdrop of pressure changes. The most unpleasant thing is that everything changes all at once: just yesterday you could walk in light trousers and a windbreaker, but today it’s time to take out warm socks and a sweater. And a T-shirt underneath. And on top is a down jacket. Neither our body nor our psyche are simply ready for such drastic and unpleasant changes. And if we also remember that our “green winter” lasts only three months, and the rest of the time it’s white... and if we add here the joys of living in the city, like a very long road to and from work, problems with heating and chronic lack of sleep... Naturally , we are starting to mope! Normally, this condition lasts up to three weeks. Then the body gets used to the given circumstances - and now we happily begin to plan who we will give what for the New Year and where we will spend it.
Blues or depression! Is there a difference?
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1.11.2013 // Galina Chernaya
Blues or depression! Is there a difference?
Life, as you know, is striped for all of us. White stripe, black stripe. Sometimes the stripes merge and become one continuous gray carpet. With the whole range of gray colors. From light gray to almost black. Blues or depression? Understand yourself.
There is no desire to wake up in the morning, there is no reason to be happy. Or we don't see them. There is no strength, no desire and, in general, there is no meaning in anything. And in life itself too.
Stop. If such thoughts have settled in your head, take immediate action.
First, understand your condition.
Blues or depression? What visited you?
Seasonal or regular blues. She came for a short while and went nowhere. The main thing is not to let her get too busy.
Most often, the blues visit us in spring or autumn. This is due to vitamin deficiency in the spring or a reduction in daylight hours in the fall.
Besides, no matter the season, everyone has encountered a sad guest. Melancholy, apathy, reluctance to communicate, to do usual things. Everything is forced, I don’t want to see anyone.
Gray-green melancholy without end and edge.
Such a guest needs to be driven away from the threshold as quickly as possible. Even if she visited you after a bereavement or bitter disappointment.
Prolonged blues can develop into depression.
This is what Wikipedia explains to us.
“Depression (from the Latin deprimo - “to press”, “to suppress”) is a mental disorder characterized by a depressive triad: decreased mood, loss of the ability to experience joy (anhedonia), thinking disorders (negative judgments, a pessimistic view of what is happening, etc. .) and motor retardation. With depression, self-esteem is reduced, and there is a loss of interest in life and usual activities. In some cases, a person suffering from it may begin to abuse alcohol or other psychotropic substances."
Do you see the difference? What is your initial conclusion about your condition? Blues or depression?
Do you think this is depression?
Take immediate action. Look for your own reserves for the fight.
Or contact specialists. But do not remain in a painful swamp yourself and, under no circumstances, do not leave a person close to you in it, alone with yourself, if, God forbid, you suspect such a condition.
Your own strength may not be enough here. Remember that this is a serious illness.
People of all ages are susceptible to depression. And this is happening more and more often. Life doesn't get any easier, and not everyone has the ability to successfully adapt to it.
Difficulties of survival, unhappy love, loss of loved ones, collapsed plans - everything can plunge a person into depression. And here a lot depends on the ability to overcome stress. (You can read about this here article 2)
Children (alas!), teenagers, young, active people, and old people who have crossed the 65-year mark are at risk. Neither life experience, nor wisdom, nor material well-being can save you from depression.
The most terrible, irreparable consequence of this disease is suicide, and it happens in 40% of cases of diagnosed depression. Especially in teenagers. Terrible numbers.
Deteriorating health, emerging serious illnesses that turn chronic are the inevitable consequences of depression.
But depression is treatable. And this should be remembered, no matter how difficult the condition may seem to you.
In any case, it would be a good idea to check the condition of the endocrine system with a doctor. The production of the hormone endorphin, which is also called the hormone of joy, depends on the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.
If the cause is identified, the doctor will prescribe medication. But that's not all.
You will have to find a psychologist or deal with the problem (and depression is a real problem) yourself. And immediately.
The most important thing here is to realize that you are dealing with a problem that cannot be brushed aside and withdrawn into yourself. Delay is like death. Fight, fight, and life will return to you in all its glory.
Important: don’t hope that someone will come and sort out the trouble with their hands, return you to a good mood and pull you out of the pool of despair. Only you can help yourself. Herself. Putting significant effort into this.
Although, sometimes it’s worth just breaking plates or shouting in a deserted place. To the point of exhaustion, to complete devastation. This way you will throw out all the negativity from yourself and begin to build your life from scratch. With a new attitude of positivity.
Imagine for a moment how many children are not born at all. You are incredibly lucky. You have received a priceless gift. You came into this world, you live. You see around you everything that was created for you: a summer day, mushroom rain, clouds in the sky, and the forest outside the window.
This means you need to live in such a way that every day is a joy. And let the temporary guest of the blues not pass beyond the threshold. Drive her away with a broom. We're a little sad and that's enough. Life is so fantastically interesting and so offensively short!
There is so much to see, so much to do, so much to do, so much to achieve! Neither blues nor depression have the right to take away a single day from you.
the authorship of the article is confirmed in GOOGLE
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