Addressing depression, the most prevalent psychological disorder
Written by:Depression is a common disease. In fact, it is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders among the population, alongside that of the most incapacitating.In Spain currently suffers from this disease 4% of the population. Also, the risk that the population develops a major depressive episode in their lifetime increases twice in women (16.5%), and 8.9% in males.
Symptoms of depression that can alert
There are some typical symptoms of depression:- Affective symptoms, with sadness, hopelessness, lack of illusion, frequent crying, loss of interest or ability to enjoy things that were previously enjoyable, guilt and pessimism.- Somatic symptoms that are related to sleep disturbances (both insomnia and drowsiness), impaired appetite related, in turn, with weight gain or weight loss, impaired libido, fatigue and apathy.- Cognitive symptoms related to lack of concentration and attention, difficulty in making decisions, worries, fears and even obsessive delusions.
Types of depressions
There are different types of depression. On one side are hereditary / endogenous depressions and on the other, exogenous depressions, which are caused basically by family stress, marital, health or economic issues. There are also depressions associated with the character, such as depression or dysthymia neurotic.
Recommended treatment depending on the type of depression
Treatment depends on the type of depression that question. For endogenous and moderate to severe, intensity depression associated pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy is recommended, always carried out by a specialist in Psychiatry. When it is mild or secondary depression, related to a stressor, the approach include psychological treatment which may be accompanied, or not, of drug treatment.
