More than 10% of the total adult population suffers from various forms of depressive conditions. But most people do not realize their condition, they are embarrassed to seek professional medical help. Therefore, often the disease develops into a chronic form, leads to the development of severe pathologies of a psychological and physical nature. How does depression manifest the main symptoms in women? What methods exist to eliminate depressive conditions?
- Causes of depression in women
- How depression manifests itself in women
- Signs of postpartum depression
- Symptoms of depression in women after forty
- How to get out of depression - advice from doctors
- How to get out of the depression yourself
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Causes of depression in women
Women suffer from depressive conditions 2 times more often than men. This is due to fluctuations in the hormonal background, lability and vulnerability of the female psyche. The habit of treating oneself is critical, the constant desire to be ideal in everything leads to the development of female depression. Women's depression is inherited - the first signs of a depressed state appear most often at the age of 15-30 years.
Why is women's depression developing:
- Dependence of the psychological state of the hormonal background. Women each month experience harsh and spasmodic hormonal changes that occur before menstruation. Severe hormonal changes occur during adolescence, during pregnancy, immediately after the birth of the baby, with the onset of menopause. All this leads to stress, the female psyche experiences excessive stress almost constantly.
- Hypersensitivity. From nature, women are more sensitive emotionally. Therefore, many events in their lives they experience hard, while they hide their state, leave everything in themselves, refuse the help of close people. Often there is depression after a divorce, with infertility or a conscious unwillingness to have children, after retirement, retirement.
- Unstable self-esteem. Women often react very sharply to the opinions of others, do not know how to respond adequately to stressful situations, which leads to depression, various psychological disorders.
- Acceptance of some hormonal drugs.
- Elderly age, loneliness.
Important! Apathy, fatigue, a depressed state often arise with severe fatigue, against stress, loss of loved ones. But more often such signs pass quickly without any medicamental or medical help. Depression can be said if the symptoms become chronic, worsen the mental and physical state of a person.
How depression manifests itself in women
Depressive states can manifest themselves in different ways, depending on the form of the disease. The main symptoms in women are oppression, sudden mood swings, lack of joy in life, increased appetite or, conversely, a complete refusal to eat.
Forms of depression and their symptoms:
- PMS is one of the most common forms of mild female depression. It manifests itself in the form of increased fatigue, anxiety, irritability, mood swings. The quality of sleep deteriorates, appetite increases, and an inexplicable panic may occur. Usually all the negative signs disappear on their own, with a strong manifestation of PMS doctors recommend taking sedative preparations of plant origin.
- Neurotic depression (dysthymia). This nervous disorder is characterized by low self-esteem, chronic fatigue, and lack of appetite. With dysthymia, a woman pessimistically perceives any changes, it is difficult to concentrate, memory worsens, insomnia appears.
- Psevdoslauumie - a type of depression, which often occurs in women in old age. The main symptoms are memory impairment, concentration of attention, there are difficulties with orientation in space.
- Atypical depression often becomes the cause of obesity - a person begins to mindlessly seize the stress. Experiencing a constant feeling of hunger. In addition, the disease is accompanied by increased emotional excitability, which is replaced by apathy and drowsiness.
- Circular depression occurs often in the autumn-winter period. A woman feels a constant boredom, she has a desire to lie and do nothing.
Symptoms of depression can not be ignored - the disease can lead to serious disabilities, negatively affect the mental and physical state. The most dangerous consequence of prolonged depression is suicidal tendencies.
Important! The craving for alcohol and other addictive habits only exacerbates depressive conditions.
Signs of postpartum depression
After the birth of the child, postpartum depression occurs in every fourth woman. Causes - a change in the hormonal background, anxiety, financial difficulties, constant pressure from relatives, lack of free time and personal space. The disease manifests itself in the form of hypersensitivity, against which a variety of accompanying symptoms develop.
Important! Depression does not always appear right after the birth of the child, the disease can manifest itself within a year. The disease can go on independently, but often turns into a chronic form - relapse diagnosed in 20-25% of cases.
The main signs of depression in women after childbirth:
- decreased mood in the morning, which is caused by chronic lack of sleep;
- despondency, tearfulness, panic attacks;
- irritability, which can be directed towards the child;
- increased appetite or total absence;
- frequent attacks of headache in the morning, aches in the joints;
- reduction or total absence of sexual desire.
Depression prevents a woman from establishing emotional contact with the child, which can lead to the development in his future of various cognitive disorders. With a neglected form of depression, a woman stops taking care of herself and her child, and the risk of suicide or infanticide increases.
Postpartum psychosis can indicate the infection of blood, bipolar, cyclothymic disorder. Therefore, a woman needs to undergo a complete examination.
Symptoms of depression in women after forty
After 40 years, women undergo various serious changes in their lives - children grow up and start to live independently, signs of wilting begin to show themselves strongly, family life seems boring and monotonous, a climax sets in. How to deal with age-related depression? The woman should reconsider vital priorities, get rid of unnecessary things and connections - all this weight can become the reason of mental frustration.
Important! Menopause is a very dangerous condition that can lead to dementia and other serious problems. During this period, a woman should closely monitor changes in the mental state, especially if the depressive states were manifested earlier.
Signs of age depression:
- uncontrolled manifestation of emotions - a woman is constantly experiencing anxiety, worries about the future;
- constant desire to complain to someone, obsession;
- suspicion of her husband, constant search for signs of betrayal;
- irritability for anything, grumbling.
Health problems and hormonal adjustment only exacerbate the depressive state.
How to get out of depression - advice from doctors
When the first signs of depression appear, you need to seek help from a specialist - he will tell you how to treat, what you need to change in life, in communication, and choose a therapy regimen.
Radical methods of treatment in the form of strong drugs and electroconvulsive therapy are rarely used by modern doctors, they try to limit themselves to hypnosis, social and art therapy, classical psychotherapy. Drug treatment is used in clinically severe depression.
The main groups of drugs:
- Antidepressants help to increase the synthesis of neurotransmitters, the lack of which is the cause of depression. Modern popular means - Prozac, Lerivon are not addictive. The duration of therapy is 4-8 weeks.
- Neuroleptic drugs - Solian, Rispolept. They are prescribed for exacerbation of depressive conditions, psychosis.
- Tranquilizers - Phenazepam, Trioxazine. Suppress the activity of the nervous system, are addictive.
All drugs for the treatment of depression refer to prescription drugs, they can be taken only under constant medical supervision.
The complex therapy necessarily includes vitamins - folic acid, A, C, E, D. Often the cause of depressive states is deficiency or excess magnesium, insufficient amount of zinc, chromium, iron. The best vitamin complexes for the treatment of depression - Doppelgerz active magnesium, Vitrum, Neuromultivitis.
How to get out of the depression yourself
With mild forms of depression, you can get out of it yourself. The main thing is to realize that the problem exists, and it must be solved. There are many techniques and recommendations that will help to normalize the mental state.
What to do to get rid of depression:
- Get enough sleep. With a chronic violation of sleep, the psyche suffers first.
- Learn to express negative emotions - the anger and sadness that a person leaves inside begin to destroy it. You can give vent to emotions in active training, dancing. Well, art therapy helps - you can draw anything you like and anything. Drawing helps to create inner balance, to realize and accept your own emotions.
- Long walks, swimming, yoga help to calm down, to find peace of mind.
- Start a diary. The day's description will help you see your achievements, raise your self-esteem.
- Limit the flow of information - modern media broadcast a lot of negative information that settles in the subconscious, destroys the psyche. Meeting with friends, the soul book - a great alternative to the evening at the TV.
- Get rid of perfectionism, learn to accept compliments and praise.
- Every day please yourself with pleasant trifles. Women tend to take care of their loved ones, while completely forgetting about themselves, their desires and interests.
- Aromatherapy is one of the safest but effective methods of treating depression, especially its seasonal form. Beneficial effect on the psyche of the smell of the sea, coniferous aromas, ethereal almond, mint, orange oil.
Important! With an independent exit from depression it is important to start - in order to develop a new habit, it will take only 21 days.
Depressive conditions are often found in modern women, they can occur at any age. The disease is manifested not only by changes in the mental character, the physical condition also worsens. At the initial stage, you can try to relieve depression yourself with the help of herbal preparations, methods of art therapy. Sometimes it is enough to change the habitual way of life a little, get enough sleep so that the disease recedes. But it is better to seek help from a psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist.
