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Depression
How to explain mild depression
During the guidance process for patients with mild depression, cognitive behavioral therapy can be used. Cognitively speaking, the patient's low mood is caused by negative cognitions about themselves, the world, and the future, which we call the cognitive triad. They feel incompetent, worthless, and disliked in regards to themselves. They perceive the world as incapable or negative. Regarding the future, they feel unable to succeed and see themselves as failures, among other expressions. Therefore, the patient exhibits irrational and distorted cognitions. By observing these irrational cognitive patterns, we guide the patient to look for evidence, seek alternative explanations, make predictions, judgments, and responses, and resolve internal conflicts of thoughts through reality check methods, ultimately alleviating low moods. Additionally, behavioral methods, such as organizing a good life schedule and engaging in interesting activities, can also be used to enhance the patient's sense of pleasure and control, thereby improving their mood and ultimately achieving therapeutic effects.
How is depression diagnosed?
The diagnosis of depression in clinical settings involves four aspects: First, the collection of medical history, which includes understanding the onset, progression, treatment, and outcome of the illness, as well as past treatment experiences, etc. Second, psychiatric assessment, involving examinations with the patient concerning their sensations, perceptions, consciousness, thinking, emotions, intelligence, memory, self-control, willpower, and other aspects. Third, the use of scales to measure depression, which includes self-rating scales or observer-rating scales for depression to assess the severity of the patient's condition. Fourth, through related auxiliary examinations, excluding physical illnesses that may cause symptoms of depression. Ultimately, the diagnosis of depression is determined by integrating information from these four areas.
Is depression contagious?
Depression is not contagious, but there is a certain genetic predisposition to it. Clinically, depression is closely related to genetic, environmental, physiological, and psychological factors. For families with a history of depression, their offspring are 4-8 times more likely to suffer from depression than the general population. However, this does not mean depression is a hereditary disease. Interaction with individuals suffering from depression may influence others negatively, including feelings of sadness, self-blame, or despair. Nevertheless, depression cannot be transmitted to others. Through systematic and standardized treatment, particularly with the use of new antidepressant medications, depression can be effectively managed.
Causes of Postpartum Depression
The main reasons for postpartum depression occur because, after childbirth, there is a sharp change in hormone levels in women, which often leads to the development of postpartum depression. Additionally, aside from hormonal changes, there are also psychological changes in women after childbirth. Women may struggle with poor adaptation postpartum, as well as a lack of clear role identification and acceptance, leading to contradictory emotions that they find difficult to manage under normal stress. This situation is prone to lead to depression. Moreover, women tend to be physically weaker after childbirth, experiencing fatigue and physical discomfort, which can also affect their emotional state. Furthermore, the lack of care from family members or the husband can make it more likely for postpartum depression to occur.
Can mild depression cause fantasies?
In clinical settings regarding patients with mild depression, hallucinatory symptoms generally do not occur. It is commonly believed in clinical practice that patients with moderate to severe depression might experience hallucinations. However, according to the new mental illness diagnostic standard, IC11, it is considered that patients with mild depression may also exhibit symptoms of delusions and hallucinations. Therefore, the presence of hallucinations and delusions in patients should be assessed based on the severity of the condition. Typically, the occurrences of hallucinations and delusions indicate a higher severity of depression, generally moderate to severe. If diagnosed with psychotic depression, the clinical approach should involve the combined treatment using antidepressants and antipsychotic medications to address both the psychotic and depressive symptoms effectively.
Where to seek treatment for postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression is a type of mental illness in puerperal women, so it is best for such women to see a psychiatrist, as psychological treatment for depression is very important. The key is to enhance the patient's self-confidence and raise their self-esteem. Additionally, it can provide individualized psychological counseling based on the patient’s personality traits, psychological state, and the causes of the condition, and it can eliminate the psychological factors causing the illness. Common clinical treatments include medication and psychological counseling.
Can depression recur?
Relapse in patients with depression is a relatively common issue in clinical practice. Large-scale studies have found that even with systematic, standardized treatment with sufficient dosage and duration of antidepressant medications, still 15% of patients do not achieve clinical recovery. Even with persistent standardized treatment, the relapse rate remains at 20%. If treatment is discontinued, the relapse rate can rise to as high as 85%. For patients who have recovered, there is still a 20% chance of relapse within six months. 50% of patients relapse within two years after their first episode. Therefore, the relapse rate is higher in patients over the age of 45. Thus, depression is characterized by a high rate of relapse, yet it is also highly treatable. Therefore, during the course of pharmacological treatment, psychological and physical therapies should be concurrently employed as adjunctive treatments to improve cure rates and reduce the likelihood of relapse.
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.
Can postpartum depression breastfeed?
When postpartum depression occurs, it is possible to continue breastfeeding. If the depression is mild and no medication is taken, continuing breastfeeding will not affect the baby's growth and development. However, depression often leads to low spirits, frequent crying, and a reluctance to care for the child, which can affect milk secretion and lead to a reduction in milk supply that may not meet the baby's growth needs. In such cases, it may be necessary to add supplementary food or formula. If postpartum depression is severe and involves medication, these medications may enter the baby's body through the breast milk, which can affect the baby's health. Therefore, if postpartum depression occurs and medication is taken, breastfeeding should be stopped. (Note: The answer is for reference only. Medication should be administered under the guidance of a professional physician, and blind medication should be avoided.)