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Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
About me
Engaged in mental health work for nearly 10 years, and have undergone further training at the Shandong Provincial Mental Health Center. Honored with the title of Skillful Mental Health Worker in Shandong Province.
Proficient in diseases
Schizophrenia, anxiety disorder, depression, postpartum depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, hypochondria, bipolar disorder, mania, postpartum psychosis, phobia.
Voices
What causes depression?
The causes of depression are not yet clear, and it may be closely related to multiple factors such as biological, psychological, and social factors. Firstly, from a biological perspective, depression may involve genetics, biochemical factors, and endocrine factors, especially closely related to the secretion of serotonin and norepinephrine. Secondly, psychological factors. The psychological characteristics and personality traits of patients, especially before the onset of depression, are closely related. Particularly, individuals with a depressive disposition are often more likely to develop depression. Thirdly, social environmental factors. Particularly, encountering major negative life events is often an important contributing factor to clinical depressive episodes. Therefore, the onset of depression is not caused by a single factor, but likely the result of multifactorial interactions, ultimately leading to the disease onset.
What to do about insomnia caused by mild depression?
Patients with mild depression who experience insomnia symptoms can partly manage this through self-adjustment. For example, they can improve insomnia through exercise, especially two hours before bedtime, with medium intensity exercises to expend excess energy and ultimately achieve comprehensive muscle relaxation, leading to good sleeping habits. Additionally, in the treatment of mild depression, sedative antidepressants such as paroxetine, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine, and trazodone can be used, sometimes including tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, which have been very satisfactory in their effects. Therefore, clinically, for insomnia in mild depression, both pharmacological treatment and self-adjustment methods can be adopted.
Causes of Depression
The causes of depression are often unclear and may be closely related to multiple factors such as biological, social, and psychological aspects. From a biological perspective, genetics is a primary factor, especially as indicated by family studies, which have found genetics to play a significant role. Genetic factors typically involve multiple gene loci. Furthermore, neurochemical factors like serotonin and norepinephrine are notably related. Beyond biological factors, psychological elements, particularly in individuals with certain depressive traits or personality characteristics, significantly increase the incidence of developing the condition. Social environmental factors are primarily associated with adverse major life events. After experiencing acute life events, individuals may become susceptible to depressive episodes. Hence, it is observed that depression in patients results from multifactorial influences rather than a single factor, culminating from a complex interplay of these elements.
Does anxiety disorder cause insomnia?
Patients with anxiety disorders may experience symptoms of insomnia, primarily due to high sympathetic nervous excitement and hyperfunction of skeletal muscles. Therefore, patients may exhibit high alertness, difficulties falling asleep, frequent awakenings during sleep, or inability to fall back asleep after waking up. In such cases, clinically, anti-anxiety medications with sedative and hypnotic effects, such as benzodiazepine anti-anxiety drugs, or antidepressants with sedative effects, can be effectively used. Moreover, if anxiety disorder patients can self-adjust, such as through exercise, they may also improve their sleep conditions to some extent.
Is mild depression normal?
Patients with mild depression, although also experiencing symptoms such as low mood, decreased interest, reduced motivation, slow thinking, and reduced volition, may have difficulty falling asleep and frequently wake up during sleep, among other related symptoms. However, patients often retain most of their social functions, causing some disturbance to daily life and work. Through self-adjustment, standardized psychotherapy, and medication, patients often achieve good treatment outcomes. Sometimes, the symptoms of some patients are relatively mild, and they may appear normal outwardly, but their inner experience is indeed pathological. Therefore, it is still necessary to undertake standardized, systematic, and scientific treatment to achieve clinical recovery.