What is the depressive mood of depression like?

Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
Updated on December 04, 2024
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Patients with depression primarily exhibit symptoms of low mood. They often experience persistent sadness and pessimism. Patients might find it difficult to feel happy, appear gloomy, and are unable to experience joy, particularly in activities that they used to find interesting. In severe cases, they might feel hopeless, in despair, and have thoughts of death, leading to an overwhelming sense that each day is unbearably long. Furthermore, patients might feel that life isn't worth living and that their existence has no meaning, which can lead to thoughts or actions of suicide or self-harm. In this emotional state, their self-evaluation is also typically low; they might feel utterly worthless, viewing themselves as a burden on their family and a parasite in society. Thus, feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, despair, and self-blame are significantly more pronounced.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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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.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can you have intercourse with postpartum depression?

Women may experience a decrease in sexual desire when they suffer from postpartum depression. Therefore, if a woman wishes to engage in sexual activity after childbirth, the husband must be fully understanding and should not force intercourse, as it may worsen the symptoms of postpartum depression. When suffering from postpartum depression, a woman may experience emotional lows, decreased interest in hobbies, reduced motivation, and physical fatigue. However, with active treatment, these conditions can be improved. At the same time, the psychological care provided by family members and the husband is very important. They should offer sufficient reassurance to help the woman recover from postpartum depression.

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Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
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Dietary Cautions for Geriatric Depression

Patients with geriatric depression currently find antidepressant medications and electroconvulsive therapy to be quite effective. However, due to lack of appetite and poor mental responsiveness in these patients, their nutritional status often remains unfulfilled. Therefore, we should enhance the dietary nutrition of elderly patients with depression. The focus should be on protein-rich foods such as eggs, shrimp, fish, chicken, and duck. Additionally, attention should be given to including roughage in the diet, ensuring daily fruit intake and vegetables in every meal.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Is depression considered a mental illness?

Depression is clinically classified as a mental illness, specifically a type of mood disorder. Its main clinical manifestations include low mood, slow thought processes, reduced volitional activity, fatigue, lack of interest, lack of pleasure, often accompanied by sleep disturbances, changes in weight, changes in sexual desire, and low self-esteem. Patients often feel fatigued and dissatisfied throughout the day, and their attention may decline. They may experience feelings of guilt, worthlessness, futility, and despair. It is not uncommon for patients to have thoughts or behaviors of self-harm or suicide. Thus, depression is a mental disorder that requires systematic antidepressant treatment once diagnosed. Effective treatment outcomes can often be achieved through a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and physiotherapy.

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Written by Yue Hua
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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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.