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How to tell when you are depressed


SAMHSA’s National Helpline | SAMHSA

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  • SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

    Also visit the online treatment locator.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

The service is open 24/7, 365 days a year.

English and Spanish are available if you select the option to speak with a national representative. Currently, the 435748 (HELP4U) text messaging service is only available in English.

In 2020, the Helpline received 833,598 calls. This is a 27 percent increase from 2019, when the Helpline received a total of 656,953 calls for the year.

The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.

The service is confidential. We will not ask you for any personal information. We may ask for your zip code or other pertinent geographic information in order to track calls being routed to other offices or to accurately identify the local resources appropriate to your needs.

No, we do not provide counseling. Trained information specialists answer calls, transfer callers to state services or other appropriate intake centers in their states, and connect them with local assistance and support.

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    For additional resources, please visit the SAMHSA Store.

Last Updated

Last Updated: 08/30/2022

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

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Misusing alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can have both immediate and long-term health effects.

The misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans. NSDUH estimates allow researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health. These reports and detailed tables present estimates from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Alcohol

Data:

  • Among the 133.1 million current alcohol users aged 12 or older in 2021, 60.0 million people (or 45.1%) were past month binge drinkers. The percentage of people who were past month binge drinkers was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (29.2% or 9.8 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (22.4% or 49.3 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (3.8% or 995,000 people). (2021 NSDUH)
  • Among people aged 12 to 20 in 2021, 15.1% (or 5.9 million people) were past month alcohol users. Estimates of binge alcohol use and heavy alcohol use in the past month among underage people were 8.3% (or 3.2 million people) and 1.6% (or 613,000 people), respectively. (2021 NSDUH)
  • In 2020, 50.0% of people aged 12 or older (or 138.5 million people) used alcohol in the past month (i.e., current alcohol users) (2020 NSDUH)
  • Among the 138.5 million people who were current alcohol users, 61.6 million people (or 44. 4%) were classified as binge drinkers and 17.7 million people (28.8% of current binge drinkers and 12.8% of current alcohol users) were classified as heavy drinkers (2020 NSDUH)
  • The percentage of people who were past month binge alcohol users was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (31.4%) compared with 22.9% of adults aged 26 or older and 4.1% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (2020 NSDUH)
  • Excessive alcohol use can increase a person’s risk of stroke, liver cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, cancer, and other serious health conditions
  • Excessive alcohol use can also lead to risk-taking behavior, including driving while impaired. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver daily

Programs/Initiatives:

  • STOP Underage Drinking interagency portal - Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking
  • Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking
  • Talk. They Hear You.
  • Underage Drinking: Myths vs. Facts
  • Talking with your College-Bound Young Adult About Alcohol

Relevant links:

  • National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
  • Department of Transportation Office of Drug & Alcohol Policy & Compliance
  • Alcohol Policy Information Systems Database (APIS)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Tobacco

Data:

  • In 2020, 20.7% of people aged 12 or older (or 57.3 million people) used nicotine products (i.e., used tobacco products or vaped nicotine) in the past month (2020 NSDUH)
  • Among past month users of nicotine products, nearly two thirds of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (63.1%) vaped nicotine but did not use tobacco products. In contrast, 88.9% of past month nicotine product users aged 26 or older used only tobacco products (2020 NSDUH)
  • Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death, often leading to lung cancer, respiratory disorders, heart disease, stroke, and other serious illnesses. The CDC reports that cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States
  • The CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health reports that more than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking cigarettes

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use data:

  • In 2021, 13.2 million people aged 12 or older (or 4.7%) used an e-cigarette or other vaping device to vape nicotine in the past month. The percentage of people who vaped nicotine was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (14.1% or 4.7 million people), followed by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (5.2% or 1.4 million people), then by adults aged 26 or older (3.2% or 7.1 million people).
  • Among people aged 12 to 20 in 2021, 11.0% (or 4.3 million people) used tobacco products or used an e-cigarette or other vaping device to vape nicotine in the past month. Among people in this age group, 8.1% (or 3.1 million people) vaped nicotine, 5.4% (or 2.1 million people) used tobacco products, and 3. 4% (or 1.3 million people) smoked cigarettes in the past month. (2021 NSDUH)
  • Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Among both middle and high school students, current use of e-cigarettes declined from 2019 to 2020, reversing previous trends and returning current e-cigarette use to levels similar to those observed in 2018
  • E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, or pregnant women, especially because they contain nicotine and other chemicals

Resources:

  • Tips for Teens: Tobacco
  • Tips for Teens: E-cigarettes
  • Implementing Tobacco Cessation Programs in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Settings
  • Synar Amendment Program

Links:

  • Truth Initiative
  • FDA Center for Tobacco Products
  • CDC Office on Smoking and Health
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Tobacco, Nicotine, and E-Cigarettes
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: E-Cigarettes

Opioids

Data:

  • Among people aged 12 or older in 2021, 3. 3% (or 9.2 million people) misused opioids (heroin or prescription pain relievers) in the past year. Among the 9.2 million people who misused opioids in the past year, 8.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers compared with 1.1 million people who used heroin. These numbers include 574,000 people who both misused prescription pain relievers and used heroin in the past year. (2021 NSDUH)
  • Among people aged 12 or older in 2020, 3.4% (or 9.5 million people) misused opioids in the past year. Among the 9.5 million people who misused opioids in the past year, 9.3 million people misused prescription pain relievers and 902,000 people used heroin (2020 NSDUH)
  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Understanding the Epidemic, an average of 128 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose

Resources:

  • Medications for Substance Use Disorders
  • Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit
  • TIP 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
  • Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Criminal Justice Settings
  • Opioid Use Disorder and Pregnancy
  • Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
  • The Facts about Buprenorphine for Treatment of Opioid Addiction
  • Pregnancy Planning for Women Being Treated for Opioid Use Disorder
  • Tips for Teens: Opioids
  • Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Grants
  • Tribal Opioid Response Grants
  • Provider’s Clinical Support System - Medication Assisted Treatment Grant Program

Links:

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Opioids
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Heroin
  • HHS Prevent Opioid Abuse
  • Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
  • Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network
  • Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network

Marijuana

Data:

  • In 2021, marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug, with 18. 7% of people aged 12 or older (or 52.5 million people) using it in the past year. The percentage was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (35.4% or 11.8 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (17.2% or 37.9 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (10.5% or 2.7 million people).
  • The percentage of people who used marijuana in the past year was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (34.5%) compared with 16.3% of adults aged 26 or older and 10.1% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (2020 NSDUH)
  • Marijuana can impair judgment and distort perception in the short term and can lead to memory impairment in the long term
  • Marijuana can have significant health effects on youth and pregnant women.

Resources:

  • Know the Risks of Marijuana
  • Marijuana and Pregnancy
  • Tips for Teens: Marijuana

Relevant links:

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Marijuana
  • Addiction Technology Transfer Centers on Marijuana
  • CDC Marijuana and Public Health

Emerging Trends in Substance Misuse:

  • Methamphetamine—In 2019, NSDUH data show that approximately 2 million people used methamphetamine in the past year. Approximately 1 million people had a methamphetamine use disorder, which was higher than the percentage in 2016, but similar to the percentages in 2015 and 2018. The National Institute on Drug Abuse Data shows that overdose death rates involving methamphetamine have quadrupled from 2011 to 2017. Frequent meth use is associated with mood disturbances, hallucinations, and paranoia.
  • Cocaine—In 2019, NSDUH data show an estimated 5.5 million people aged 12 or older were past users of cocaine, including about 778,000 users of crack. The CDC reports that overdose deaths involving have increased by one-third from 2016 to 2017. In the short term, cocaine use can result in increased blood pressure, restlessness, and irritability. In the long term, severe medical complications of cocaine use include heart attacks, seizures, and abdominal pain.
  • Kratom—In 2019, NSDUH data show that about 825,000 people had used Kratom in the past month. Kratom is a tropical plant that grows naturally in Southeast Asia with leaves that can have psychotropic effects by affecting opioid brain receptors. It is currently unregulated and has risk of abuse and dependence. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that health effects of Kratom can include nausea, itching, seizures, and hallucinations.

Resources:

  • Tips for Teens: Methamphetamine
  • Tips for Teens: Cocaine
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse

More SAMHSA publications on substance use prevention and treatment.

Last Updated

Last Updated: 03/22/2023

symptoms, causes in men and women, remedies

Lack of vitality, unwillingness to get out of bed, bad mood for a long time, and even unwillingness to live are all signs of depression. Depression has a negative effect on the health and general well-being of a person. That is why it is so important to get medical help from a specialist in time.

How to determine the presence of depression?

Pathology can appear after experienced stressful situations. If there is no disorder, after the problem is resolved, a good mood returns to the person. But when the cause is eliminated, and apathy, depression and loss of strength do not leave the person, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist. It may also decrease performance.

You can determine the presence of depression on your own, but you should not self-medicate even at an early stage of development. This should be done by a doctor, since self-medication can only aggravate everything.

Depression in women is often postpartum, as their lives change dramatically, and sleepless nights add fatigue. This is where frustration and apathy come in.

When the pathology is in advanced form, then a person has the following symptoms of depression - not only a bad mood and impotence, but also persistent disorders of the nervous system. There are also symptoms such as: a significant decrease in self-esteem, disadaptation in society, despondency and loss of interest in any events.

In physiological terms, appetite changes, intimate needs and energy decrease, sleep and bowel function are disturbed (constipation, weakness, fatigue during physical and intellectual stress are observed), pain in the body (in the heart, in muscles, in the stomach area).

The patient shows signs of depression such as loss of interest in other people, a tendency to frequent solitude, refusal of entertainment, use of alcohol and psychotropic substances.

Mental signs of depression include difficulty in concentrating, concentrating, making decisions, slowness of thinking, a pessimistic view of the future with a lack of perspective and thoughts about the meaninglessness of one's existence, suicide attempts, due to their uselessness, helplessness, insignificance.

Causes of depression

The appearance of the disorder is not influenced by age category or social class. Most often, depression appears against the background of stressful negative situations, with constant failures - then a person falls into despair from the inability to somehow influence the course of events.

But in addition to the social factor, severe psychological trauma can also lead to the development of depression, for example: family breakup, death of a loved one, a serious illness that affects not only the patient himself, but also his relatives. In this case, depressions are referred to as reactive.

The likelihood of depression increases with changes in hormonal levels: during adolescence, after delivery, with the onset of menopause, and also in old age. It can affect the emotional and physical level.

Another factor is brain damage and somatic pathologies. Often depression affects patients who have had a stroke, suffering from a chronic lack of blood circulation in the brain, after a traumatic brain injury.

The causes of depression can manifest themselves as a result of the side effects of drugs (benzodiazepines, corticosteroids). Often this condition disappears on its own after the drug is discontinued.

Types of depression

  • Neurotic - people with low self-esteem, insecure, straightforward people often suffer. They constantly feel a sense of injustice, and apathy arises from this.

  • Clinical - bad mood, loss of energy, problems with appetite and sleep. Often there is a tendency to suicide. This clinical picture can last at least 2 weeks.

  • Vegetative - manifested by such signs as tachycardia, a drop in blood pressure, tinnitus.

  • Psychogenic - develops after severe psychological trauma - divorce, loss of a loved one, dismissal from work, betrayal, etc. Accompanied by mood swings, anxiety, excessive sensitivity.

  • Masked - often the disease manifests itself secretly. Apathy, solitude and a decrease in interest in life can only appear as negativity and fatigue accumulate.

  • Asthenic - the condition is manifested by fatigue, sleep disturbance, emotional imbalance due to accumulated difficulties, stress, physical and psychological stress.

  • Postpartum - usually occurs 10-14 days after delivery. A young mother shows an increased sense of excitement for the baby, and constant lack of sleep and fatigue worsen the situation even more. In addition, the hormonal background also affects the state of the mother.

  • Somatogenic - attacks occur due to disturbances in the endocrine system, the formation and growth of neoplasms, both benign and malignant.

  • Alcoholic - depression is accompanied by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. The post-alcohol state is accompanied by an uncontrolled craving for alcohol and the growth of withdrawal syndrome when alcohol is refused.

  • Bipolar - the patient is changing euphoria depressive, manic disorder. But in the period between these phenomena, caused by various factors: stress, loss of means of popularity, etc., a person lives an ordinary life and does not show symptoms of the disease.

How does depression develop in stages?

First, the patient has a depressed state, which he himself attributes to fatigue, a hard working week, drinking alcohol and other reasons. At the same time, he wants to retire from others and at the same time is afraid to be alone.

Then the stage of acceptance arises: the awareness of the dangerous state comes, the problem worsens, the intensity of negative thoughts grows, the body and the immune system fail.

The third stage - in the absence of adequate therapy, the patient loses control over himself, aggression increases.

Diagnosis and treatment of depression

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To identify the disease, experienced specialists use short questionnaires - screening tools to identify symptoms: anxiety, anhedonia (loss of pleasure from life), suicidal tendencies. Thanks to this, it is possible to determine whether the patient has chronic depression, symptoms and treatments for depression, what form and severity it is.

To fully understand the picture of the disease, the doctor needs to familiarize himself with the symptoms that indicate depression, and not another psychological disorder.

For the treatment of depression, you can contact the following specialists:

  • Psychiatrist - treatment of depression with hypnosis, drugs for acute mental pathologies - schizophrenia, mental retardation, epilepsy, as well as other less severe ailments - neurosis, depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.

  • Psychotherapist – treatment is carried out through special therapy, which provides for explanations, conversations, search for solutions to problems together with the patient.

  • Psychologist - consults the patient, cannot prescribe drugs and examinations. Clinical psychologists use modern test methods to identify problems that caused a psychological disorder.

The main directions of therapy in treatment are psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, social therapy.

A necessary condition for the effectiveness of treatment is cooperation and trust in the doctor. It is important to strictly follow the prescription of the therapy regimen, visit the doctor regularly, and give a detailed account of your condition.

Preparations for the treatment of depression

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For the treatment of the disorder, antidepressants are used for anxious depression or when the pathology is accompanied by lethargy. Antidepressants are prescribed directly by a doctor and are not recommended for self-administration. The action of many antidepressants manifests itself two weeks after administration, their dosage for the patient is determined individually.

In bipolar depression, depression is treated with insomnia. While it has a negative effect on a healthy person, in a patient with a psychological disorder, sleep deprivation, on the contrary, brings the psyche back to normal.

Moderate or mild depression requires the appointment of drugs on a light, natural basis (herbal).

Where to get tested and treated for depression in Krasnoyarsk?

If you or your loved ones show signs of an emotional disorder, you should immediately contact a specialist. Since depression can lead to dangerous consequences:

  • isolation from society

  • deterioration in appearance

  • relationship problems

  • low performance or its complete absence

  • sexual problems

Contact the private clinic "Medunion" in Krasnoyarsk, get examined and treated for depression. Our phone number for appointment +7 (391) 202-95-54.

Depression: what it is, signs, symptoms and how to cope with it

Fortunately, the diagnosis of depression is much less common than we use the word (but more often than our grandmothers think). Clinical psychologist Aliya Sabirzyanova tells about the signs, symptoms and causes of depression, as well as how to get rid of a depressive state and why you should not try to get out of it on your own. women and children

Depression is a mental disorder in which a person has a pathologically low mood, a persistent sense of guilt, loss of the opportunity to enjoy, a pessimistic assessment of oneself and one's future. It is not for nothing that depression is sometimes called the “disease of the 21st century”: today it is considered one of the most common disorders. According to the World Health Organization, about 280 million people worldwide suffer from diagnosed depression, that is, about 5% of the adult population of the planet. For several years now, experts have noted a trend towards an increase in the number of such diagnoses, and, according to forecasts, their prevalence will only grow.

In modern psychiatry, there are a large number of different classifications of depression, and first of all, this is necessary in order to more accurately determine the cause of the condition and more accurately choose a treatment algorithm. In general, two main types can be distinguished.

Women are diagnosed with depression more often than men: in men, the risk of falling ill is 7-12%, in women - 20-25%

Endogenous depressions occur against the background of impaired neurotransmitter metabolism, most often against the background of complete social well-being. There may be mood swings during the day with improvement in the evening. The predominance of feelings such as guilt and anxiety is clearly noticeable. The perception of the future is often pessimistic and hopeless.

Psychogenic depression occurs under the influence of traumatic situations. During the day, mood swings are practically not observed: it is consistently bad. You may notice sleep disturbances: difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night. Feelings such as resentment, irritability, constant search for the guilty in their condition prevail. The perception of the future is always based on the hope of improvement.

Women are diagnosed with depression more often than men: in men, the risk of getting sick is 7-12%, in women - 20-25%. Scientists still cannot find a single reason for this variation. Most likely, this may be due to the fact that women seek help more often, as well as the greater influence of the stress factor and greater biological vulnerability, especially often occurring in the postpartum period.

Postpartum depression occurs in 10-13% of women who have recently given birth. Most often, it begins to appear 30-35 days after birth and can last up to 1.5-2 years. Talking about postpartum depression is very important, because in most cases in the initial period it remains unrecognized. Society still condemns and does not recognize postpartum depression or classifies it as a whim of a young mother, which contributes to the progression of the disorder and makes diagnosis difficult.

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We can also note other differences in the structure of depression in men and women. For women, loss of appetite, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, lack of strength, constant anxiety and guilt are more characteristic. Men are more likely to have a decrease in motivation, panic attacks, abuse of alcohol and other psychoactive substances.

In children, the occurrence and increase in depressive symptoms varies with age. So, in children 6-8 years old, sadness, crying, helplessness, hopelessness, immersion in their experiences are more often observed; 8-12-year-olds begin to change self-esteem, there is an expectation of failures and misfortunes. Adolescents develop feelings of guilt, self-flagellation, passive and active thoughts of self-harm.

Why depression occurs and how it affects the brain

There can be many reasons for depression, but it is important to note the main ones, which traditionally include biological, psychological and social. Speaking about biological causes, one can rely on the monoamine concept, according to which depression is caused by a deficiency of serotonin mediation.

The best known function of serotonin is related to the control of negative emotions. In our brain, there is a delicate work to maintain a balance between the centers of positive and negative emotions. Consequently, with a decrease in the level of serotonin, it already ceases to suppress those centers that are associated with resentment, sadness, disappointment, and the person begins to feel them very actively. Other biological causes can also provoke depression, namely hormonal changes (during pregnancy, the postpartum period, hypo- or hyperthyroidism or menopause) and asthenia (as a result of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19).).

Mild depression can be difficult to distinguish from sadness and melancholy, easily confused with melancholy or apathy

Depression can also have social causes. Violence in the family, constant comparison with others, the cult of success, growing up in a culture of perfectionism - all this leads to a high stress load, which can lead to the development of a depressive disorder.

Psychological reasons are largely considered the way of thinking of a person, his habits, stereotypes of behavior, which initially transmit a negative view of oneself, the future, the world, which is always cruel and unfair. The trigger for the development of depression in this case is usually severe stress or a traumatic experience (loss of a job, death of a loved one, divorce or separation from a partner).

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Depending on the severity, three degrees of depression are traditionally distinguished. Light can be difficult to distinguish from sadness and melancholy, easily confused with blues or apathy. The set of symptoms and their severity do not yet allow a clear diagnosis of depressive disorders, but with a high degree of probability a person may experience depression in the future. This condition is also called subdepressive or subsyndromal (minor) depression.

A moderate degree is characterized by a distinct clinical picture, but a person is able to fully (or almost fully) function in society. And only the severe form is associated with pronounced symptoms, up to loss of functionality, delusions or hallucinations.

Symptoms and signs of depression

Depression can be successfully masked and at first appear only as physiological symptoms: drowsiness, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain (the cause of which cannot be determined by a cardiologist). All this should already be a reason to pay attention to your mental health. However, there are also characteristic symptoms that make it possible to determine that a person has depression. If you notice symptoms within two weeks, please see your doctor. Symptoms of depression include:

  • depressed mood, main emotions - sadness, melancholy, anxiety, sadness, irritability;
  • loss of the opportunity to enjoy even what used to interest or bring joy;
  • frequent feelings of guilt that tend to increase constantly;
  • loss of self-confidence, the appearance against this background of thoughts about one's own worthlessness, uselessness and uselessness;
  • constant fatigue, feeling that there is no strength even for the simplest and easiest things;
  • sharp fluctuations in weight and appetite, it can either decrease or increase;
  • sleep disturbances, difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, interrupted sleep or, conversely, increased drowsiness;
  • recurrent suicidal thoughts or suicidal attempts.

One of the most common psychodiagnostic methods for diagnosing and self-diagnosing depression is the Aaron Beck Depression Scale. However, it is worth knowing that depression as a disorder cannot be diagnosed by the results of only one test, so entrust the interpretation of the data to a specialist. Based on your history, symptoms, general condition and diagnostic results, he will accurately determine the disease.

Photo by Getty Images

You need to understand that only a psychiatrist can diagnose depression. Self-medication is very dangerous, so the first thing that is important and should be done when you find similar symptoms in yourself is to seek professional help. The treatment of depression always stands on two pillars - drug therapy, which is individually selected by the doctor, and psychotherapy, which will teach you how to cope with various conditions and the factors that cause them.

In addition to medical care, you can start taking care of yourself: get enough sleep, eat healthy food, feel free to ask for support from loved ones, increase physical activity (at least 30 minutes of walking a day), stop drinking alcohol or other psychoactive substances.

What to do if a loved one is depressed

The first and most important thing is to take care of yourself. In order to support a loved one, you must have a sufficient amount of internal resource. Track your condition, do not take full responsibility, relax. Seek psychological help if necessary.

It is very important not to devalue the condition of a loved one and not to give him harsh advice. The phrases “Don’t be sad!”, “Pull yourself together!”, “What a depression, wash the floors better / find yourself a husband / give birth to a child - and everything will pass” will deeply hurt a person, and perhaps he will no longer want to share his thoughts with you. state or feeling of depression. Focus on actions, not words - you can help loved ones with household chores. Making tea, grocery shopping, or even just ordering a delivery can be very difficult when depressed, and combined with the occasional loss of appetite, it can lead to more serious consequences.

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