Low energy and depression

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.

Suggested Resources
What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families
Created for family members of people with alcohol abuse or drug abuse problems. Answers questions about substance abuse, its symptoms, different types of treatment, and recovery. Addresses concerns of children of parents with substance use/abuse problems.
It's Not Your Fault (NACoA) (PDF | 12 KB)
Assures teens with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs that, "It's not your fault!" and that they are not alone. Encourages teens to seek emotional support from other adults, school counselors, and youth support groups such as Alateen, and provides a resource list.

After an Attempt: A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department
Aids family members in coping with the aftermath of a relative's suicide attempt. Describes the emergency department treatment process, lists questions to ask about follow-up treatment, and describes how to reduce risk and ensure safety at home.
Family Therapy Can Help: For People in Recovery From Mental Illness or Addiction
Explores the role of family therapy in recovery from mental illness or substance abuse. Explains how family therapy sessions are run and who conducts them, describes a typical session, and provides information on its effectiveness in recovery.
For additional resources, please visit the SAMHSA Store.

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: 03/22/2023

Lack of energy in depression

Treatment of depression

Depression is characterized by a loss of energy. This fact must be recognized if we are to understand and treat it. A depressed person complains of a lack of energy, and most observers agree that this complaint has a real basis.

Everything that concerns the patient himself indicates his exhaustion. All the main functions of the body that control the body as a whole, and not individual organ systems, are suppressed. The number and strength of movements are reduced. Videotaped data also confirm this observation, showing a significant decrease in body mobility in a depressed state compared to a normal state. This reduction is especially noticeable in people who are severely depressed, who simply sit most of the time with little to no movement. But even in cases with less severe depression, there is a significant decrease in spontaneous gestures and a lack of facial changes becomes apparent. In a state of depression, the face takes on a dull expression, the skin seems wrinkled, as if it lacks the energy to maintain tone. The normal range of facial movements - eyes, mouth, eyebrows, etc. - is absent.

Such a low energy level can be directly related to a decrease in metabolic processes in the body. I mentioned earlier that loss of appetite is a common occurrence in depression. However, a more serious violation is a decrease in oxygen supply due to severely labored breathing. The patient's breathing is hampered by his depressive reaction. The relationship between depressed mood and depressive breathing is so obvious and immediate that any technique that increases breathing, makes it deeper and smoother, weakens the pressure of a depressive state. This happens due to an increase in the energy level of the body, as well as due to the restoration of the flow of bodily excitation. Forced breathing will usually lead sooner or later to some form of emotional release, which will manifest itself either in crying or in anger.

However, the question remains, which cannot be answered, is the depressed person suffering from a sharp decrease in their energy level due to disappointment in their illusions and loss of interest in life, or was the loss of interest the result of a decrease in the energy available to him? This cannot be answered, because we are dealing with two interrelated aspects of the single function of the organism, namely, the ability to maintain life or the sensations of the life stream. When this flow has been largely depleted, we speak of depression. When it freezes completely, it means death. On the other hand, having strength, the flow maintains a high level of energy, enhancing metabolic processes and at the same time stimulating interest in life.

From a therapeutic point of view, it is easier and more effective to work with a patient in the physical and energetic area of his personality than in the psychic or in the area of his interests. Anyone who has dealt with or treated a depressed person knows how difficult it is to set them in motion and arouse their interest in life. His resistance to taking an active interest in the world is enormous. This is partly due to a deeply hidden negative attitude, which he himself is not aware of and which must be opened and worked out in order to achieve a lasting and lasting result. But to a greater extent, his resistance comes from a feeling of devastation and exhaustion caused by a lack of energy. If the depressive tendency has not yet had time to cover all the structures of the personality, a spontaneous restoration of energy often occurs, followed by an interest in life. But, as a rule, such a return is temporary, if a person cannot find ways to constantly maintain his energy and interests at the proper level.

Here it is necessary to explain the phenomenon of the difference between the amount of energy that a person has before the onset of a depressive reaction, and the low energy level that he remains in a state of depression. The energetic contrast between these two states is often striking and bewildering to people who knew the person before they fell ill. Often patients themselves notice such a change. For example, one patient told me: “Before I got depressed, I was the best employee in the company. I could work faster than anyone." The same can be said about the alcoholic, who seemed to be a very energetic person, until the addiction to drink overcame him to such an extent that he was unable to work. Both the man before his depression, and the alcoholic before his drinking problem became serious, were all diligent workers. The collapse of their irresistible urge to work diligently immediately revealed her pathological essence and weakness. (The seeming energy of a zealous worker is deceptive.) This similarity also indicates that alcoholism is a kind of cover for depression. An alcoholic drinks to avoid depression, although in some people the two symptoms often appear at the same time.

I have already pointed out that the collapse preceding the depressive reaction can be explained by the collapse of illusions, sometimes it is caused by an event that breaks some kind of cherished dream of a person. But such cases are not as common as those in which the depressive reaction cannot be associated with any specific event. Therefore, here, most likely, there is an energy factor.

For example, consider the case of Martin, who was referred to me for treatment due to a severe depressive reaction. He sat at home all day and was unable to do any work or interact with the environment. Before the onset of the depression, Martin was a very hardworking man, a house painter by profession. He once told me proudly that he was one of the best and could work ten hours a day like clockwork. Giving himself completely to work, he saved up a certain amount, which he invested in real estate. But this was not enough for him, and he spent almost every evening at social and church meetings, where he developed a vigorous activity. But one day he suddenly felt that he had lost all interest in any activity, which, naturally, was a shock to his friends.

Martin himself could not explain his fall. During the treatment, I also could not find any specific event that would provoke depression. Most likely it was something minor. After all, it is enough to lightly touch with a pin or a lit cigarette for the ball to burst. But given Martin's history, the remarkable event would not have been so important in his case. He maintained his intense lifestyle for nearly eighteen years. How much longer could he live like this? A person is not a machine that needs only constant refueling in order to continue to work. A person needs pleasure and a sense of satisfaction from life. Pleasure was foreign to Martin. He just worked. Even sex had lost its appeal to him long before depression hit him. Over the years, he gradually lost interest in his wife and family. And other pleasures that men indulge in - boating, fishing, bowling, etc. - Martin considered below his dignity.

He was a zealous, diligent worker, but by no means creative. In a culture that puts productivity first on its scale of values, Martin would pass for a normal person, despite the fact that his emotional life was quite suppressed during the years of constant work. When we think that such a person is energetic, we forget the fact that being alive in the emotional realm requires much more energy than living like a machine. Whatever self-respect Martin had developed prior to his depression, it was not self-respect based on the true nature of a person. If earlier he was proud of his efficiency, now he is faced with the realization that it is not a real measure of human qualities.

Something about him was not right, and I believe that Martin's depression was inevitable. The self-denying pattern began at an early age and was associated with the need to prove one's worth through work. Despite his involvement in religious activities, he had no faith, and despite a strong civil position, he was not a grounded person. The only thing that surprised me was that it hadn't collapsed earlier.

In my opinion, it is reasonable to assume that the depression came when Martin the Machine ran out of steam, when he squandered his life resources, trying to maintain his impossible image. I think if he had more energy in reserve, depression would come just later. Imagine a person who runs until he collapses from exhaustion, and then he has neither the energy nor the desire to get up again. That was the kind of person Martin looked like.

Regardless of the catalyst, the depressive reaction will not set in until the person reaches a critical point. If he hasn't reached that point yet, I don't think he'll give up further efforts to fulfill his illusion. The proof is that when a person recovers his energy and regains interest in life, he is still oriented towards the pursuit of an illusory goal. So, the interest in life is associated with a high energy level to the same extent that the disillusionment and loss of interest are associated with a low energy level.

Helping a person regain their energy is the first step in treating depression. But even when his energy level is restored to normal, this means that he is freed only from the most depressive reaction, but not from his tendency to depression. No matter how normal the energy level may be, it cannot be considered as the equivalent of health. It does not cover all the conditions for the healthy existence and functioning of the body. It provides sufficient strength for the ego's quest for power and power, but it does not support the pleasure motivation. It can keep the upper part of the body charged, but it cannot reach down to the lower part - to the legs and to the ground. It takes real energy, or vitality, or inner strength to never lose heart, but a depressed person doesn't have that kind of energy.

Recommended as the first step to overcome depression: our online course "From unhappy to happy"

A tendency to depression indicates an undercharged body. Healthy, energetic and cheerful people do not get depressed like some individuals. If these people's culture is depressed, it may affect them, but this is not the kind of depression that psychiatrists see in their appointments. This depression is a selective personality reaction rooted in cultural phenomena, but it is not caused directly by them. These roots we will explore in later chapters; here we must take a closer look at the energy factor.

Physicists define energy as the force capable of doing work and measure it by the amount of work done. However, the work involved in life processes is not mechanical in nature. Life energy is used for growth, reproduction, excitement and emotional interaction. It participates in the work of the entire animal kingdom, forcing organisms to satisfy their needs, as well as to express themselves, which leads to creativity and is experienced as pleasure.

Since the organism is an independent, autonomous system, its ability to function effectively depends on its state of excitability, or, if you prefer, exuberance, although excitability would be the preferred term. Within the boundaries of its biological structure, an organism with more energy has a higher level of internal arousal. He moves faster than others like him, in dangerous situations, interacts better with the environment. He has better coordination of movements, and therefore he acts more efficiently. A high charge is also manifested in the brilliance of the eyes and in the mobility of the body.

Excitation and depression are opposite states. When a person is excited, he is not depressed. When he is depressed, his level of internal arousal is reduced. In a state of euphoria and mania, the level of arousal quickly rises, but just as quickly falls down. A healthy person can maintain their arousal at a fairly high level. The fire of metabolic processes burns with a bright, hot flame, while the flame itself remains unchanged. And we cannot ignore the fact that energy is required to sustain these processes.

Energy enters the body in the form of food, air and stimuli. A comes out of it in the form of movements or some other bodily activity.

The inflow and outflow of energy are always in balance if we consider growth as a single aspect of bodily activity. If input is reduced, output also decreases. It would also be correct to say that if the return is decreasing, then the input will spontaneously weaken. The motivation for giving is the pursuit of pleasure. Any activity of any animal organism is aimed at obtaining pleasure either now or in the future. From this statement, we can conclude that the body also moves and acts to avoid pain.

When pleasure is absent, motivation decreases accordingly. The return of energy decreases - the energy level of the body decreases. When the absence of pleasure is explained by a structured inability to enjoy it, then we have a person whose emotional reactions are limited and, in addition, whose internal level of excitability is low. Such a person is the number one contender for getting a depressive reaction, since he already has a tendency to depression.

When dealing with depression in a therapeutic way, each of its several aspects—lack of self-belief, pursuit of unrealistic goals, inability to be properly grounded, low energy levels—should be taken into account. It will not be enough, for example, to interest a depressed person in something new, unless, of course, he can enjoy this interest, which seems hardly possible if he unconsciously experiences feelings of guilt and anxiety about pleasures. Probably this aspect needs to be worked out first of all. In the process, we will encounter his lack of identification with his body, and we will also be able to observe the lack of connection with the earth. This then inevitably leads us to the energetic basis of the phenomenon of depression.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to treat an analyst who attributed his depression to an inability to read literature in his field. He asked if I could help him overcome this block. After examining his physical condition, I found that his body was in the same depression as his soul. He was about fifty, overweight, breathing very shallow. The mobility of the body is extremely limited due to the strong tension of the muscles that fettered it like chains. To this I may add that before me he had undergone psychoanalysis therapy for twenty years.

At first I did not agree to undertake his treatment. I did not believe that I could help him properly, I also explained to him that he had a very serious problem with his body, especially with his weak breathing. To which he replied: "I'm not interested in breathing, I just want to overcome my inability to read." I didn't want to give it up completely without trying bioenergetic therapy on it, but I had very strong doubts about any positive results. In the end, we both agreed to see what could be done about the situation.

We worked on his problems for forty sessions, once a week, combining a physical approach with verbal analysis. But, despite the fact that in the course of our studies very interesting and important material arose, we did not make significant progress. He told me about a sexual experience he had with his sister when he was young. He did not disclose this fact to any of his previous analysts, and I understood why he suppressed his feelings to such a great extent. But he wasn't ready or didn't want to regain his sense of life again. He cut himself off from active interest in the life of his body, and I think this had a lot to do with his depression. Undoubtedly, it is because of this factor that we have not been able to break the vise of the depressive reaction. This incident confirmed in me the feeling that, being interested in life only within some limited limits, a person will not be able to acquire either lasting faith or true self-respect.

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Alexander Lowen, psychotherapist

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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

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 - advises the patient, cannot prescribe medications 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.

Depression drugs

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.

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Low energy and depression

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Depression drugs