Mental disorders, depression, stress. About stress and depression

Emotional overloads have become an integral part of our life: every day so many problems require our attention and immediate solutions that the nervous system simply cannot stand it. We are accustomed to explaining the psychological discomfort that we experience under the yoke of overloads by stress or depression.

Specialists are concerned that when we make such "diagnoses" to ourselves, we do not distinguish between these states at all. In fact, stress and depression can be interrelated, but they are very different from each other in symptoms and, most importantly, require different approaches to treatment.

What is stress?

Stress is characterized by increased nervousness, irascibility, and irritability, often accompanied by unmotivated anxiety and difficulty concentrating. All this seriously reduces the efficiency and significantly degrades the quality.

life in general, therefore, a person in a stressful situation needs mild sedatives that can restore lost peace of mind and at the same time allow them to lead their usual active lifestyle. This is the mechanism of action that distinguishes the natural herbal preparation "Persen". It contains extracts of peppermint, lemon balm and valerian, medicinal plants that have long proven themselves to be effective in combating stress. Depression is also a very common disorder of the nervous system, moreover, sometimes it develops as a result of chronic stress, but manifests itself with completely different symptoms.

What is depression?

Depression is characterized by loss of energy, appetite disturbances associated with these sudden weight fluctuations and specific sleep disturbances: a person suffering from depression usually wakes up in the early morning and cannot then fall asleep again. To overcome chronic fatigue, depression and emotional exhaustion that are characteristic of depression, it is better to use natural remedies that can improve the functional state of the nervous system.

Among medicinal herbs, this mechanism of action is distinguished by St. John's wort, which is part of the drug "Deprim".

And we must also remember that very often it is not some specific events that are to blame for our nervous breakdowns, but our attitude towards them. Therefore, experts say, it is very important to learn to separate the main from the secondary in life and not be nervous about those circumstances that cannot be changed.

Content:

Stress and depression are increasingly affecting the psychological state of people of different ages. It is important to be able to distinguish the signs of a particular condition in time. Stress can imperceptibly go to the level of depression, then it will be possible to help a person, but much more difficult. Therefore, it is worthwhile to carefully study the signs of this or that phenomenon in order to protect yourself and loved ones in time.

Stress and its symptoms.

If we talk about a more or less accurate definition, then stress is the reaction of the protective psychological functions of the body to external stimuli. There is a beneficial stress that helps to maintain the body in working order and does not allow you to relax. But if such stress is no longer controlled, it can develop into a form that has a detrimental effect on the human psyche as a whole. In order to recognize the body's alarming signals, it is necessary to know the symptoms and signs of a stressful situation that goes beyond the normal state.

The main stress symptoms are the same for most people. For instance:

It is believed that the symptoms may not immediately appear "bouquet". They can appear one at a time and if the process is not stopped or slowed down in time, a nervous breakdown or exhaustion can occur. In psychology, there are only 2 main types of stress: useful (work) and harmful, which just destroys the body from the inside. The types of stress also have their own characteristics. So, stress at the physical level is accompanied, at first glance, by jumps in body temperature, dizziness and other ailments for no apparent reason. And the biological species includes injuries and other troubles received in an unexpected way, for example, during sports training.

Signs of depression.

Depression is a more intractable disease than stress. If you fail to recognize the first alarming signals in time, you can miss the right moment for treatment, and it will become more difficult or almost impossible without the patient's desire. In other words, the sooner the signs are noticed, the faster the person will recover.

The disease itself has been known to people since ancient times. Only under a different name - melancholy. By the way, melancholy means black bile. Depression does not appear out of nowhere. One way or another, its appearance provokes a number of external circumstances, such as:

In the presence of at least one of these possible causative agents of depression, it is worth stopping and carefully analyzing the situation, and not following failures. Giving in to difficulties, willy-nilly, a person becomes a puppet and a magnet for even greater problems.

It is important to respond in time to the first signs of a depressive disorder. Many "psychologists" can attribute depression to other disorders or a sign of temporary difficulties, thereby further complicating the situation. Signs of a depressive state can be:

  • Lowered level of self-esteem or a sharp decline in it;
  • Constant fatigue, inability to concentrate;
  • General disturbances in the functioning of the body, for example, disturbed sleep or the usual nutrition system;
  • Not making contact with anyone;
  • Ignoring the positive moments of life, focusing on the negative;
  • Potential emergence of bad habits, such as smoking or alcohol cravings;
  • Launched appearance.
As you can see, the symptoms, although similar, are different. Therefore, it is so important to be able to distinguish between these 2 diseases and to be able to take timely measures to help a loved one.

The terms "stress" and "depression" are used very often. In fact, it has become an integral part of articles of a psychological, medical, sociological nature.

However, calling their condition stress or depression, people rarely think about the correct use of terminology. People know little about depression and associate this concept with low self-esteem, apathy, and loss of strength.

Few people can explain stress using ordinary vocabulary. An interesting situation, everyone understands what it is, gives examples from life, but cannot give a reasonable explanation. In fact, people often confuse concepts such as stress, nervous tension, depression.

Let's understand these concepts.

Psychoemotional (psychological) stress is a state that is accompanied by strong negative emotions: fear, anxiety, melancholy, jealousy, anger, denial, irritability, arising in special situations perceived as threatening and difficult. Social interactions, perceptions and assessments can be a source of psychological stress. The stress factor does not affect the human body, but its personality.

When assessing the situation under the influence of accumulated experience, motivations, expectations, attitudes, perception of oneself, either an adequate productive reaction or a stress disorder may arise. With psycho-emotional stress, the impact occurs on the emotional level, changing the mood, the general background, and a positive attitude towards the environment.

Nervous tension

Nervous stress is often confused with depression due to the duration of its manifestation. Nervous tension arises as a result of great emotional stress. Depending on the intensity and duration of stress, the strength of its influence on the human body depends. If the tension is not recognized and released, then it will go into the stage of neurosis.

Mild nervous tension occurs under the influence of minor but unpleasant factors. It can be removed by switching to other thoughts or areas of activity, but if you try to concentrate on a separate negative thought, then you can increase the negative influence.

Strong stress can arise in case of important problems, tasks, the solution of which does not tolerate slowdown. Tension in these situations can be accompanied by weakness, discomfort, headache. If such stress has become obsessive, then it can lead to depletion of the body, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. These symptoms can be the beginning of the onset of a depressive state.

You can work with tension in different ways:

Stress

Stress is the body's defense response to strong emotional, mental or physiological stimuli that are part of the body's adaptive response system.

Stress can appear as a reaction to stress: fatigue, overstrain, anxiety, worries, extreme experiences.

Adapting to new conditions, the body goes through several stages:

  • stage of anxiety;
  • stage of resistance;
  • stage of exhaustion.

If the body's protective resources are insufficient to withstand the influences, then the actions of defense begin to harm the body itself.

Stress is often referred to as emotional disturbances or intense experiences. Stress is a physiological response that primarily affects the body's resistance and health, leading to serious illness.

Positive stress, which is based on positive impressions and emotions, can lead to successful adaptation and mobilization of all the forces of the body. Negative stress manifests itself as an inability to adapt to new conditions, resulting in vulnerability and exhaustion.

If the defense response is not successful, the chemical release of adrenaline becomes constant or regular. At the same time, the adaptive resources of the organism are insufficient for new challenges. But at the same time, the body continues to struggle, which increases the depletion of the body. Stress causes a large number of diseases.

Stress can manifest itself in different ways:

  • external manifestations of stress: rash, skin irritation, hair loss;
  • disturbances in the activity of internal organs: gastritis, peptic ulcers, colds, reduced immunity, allergic reactions, hypertension, convulsions, tics, menstrual irregularities and sexual functions.

Such stress cannot be dealt with on an emotional level. Biological stress treatment focuses on the physiological condition and health of a person.

A person encounters stress very often, if not constantly, solving various problems. Often a person does not even think about how full of stress his life is.

Unfortunately, it must be stated that negative stresses are much more common in humans than positive ones. Strong negative emotions can appear after an unsuccessfully passed exam, the lack of the necessary product in the store, problems in the family or at work, troubles in everyday life (for example, a burnt dinner, a damaged dress).

Unrealized opportunities, negative assessment of one's own activities, mistakes and failures, love disappointments, destruction of plans - all this is only a small fraction of everything that can cause stress in life. Layering of emotions creates a constant need for the body for protection, which leads to depression.

But if small stresses can even be beneficial to the body, making it more resilient and strong, then large stresses have a destructive effect on both the body and the psyche. They are the ones that cause depression.

Depression can't be easy. It can be moderate to severe. Depression, moderate in severity, lasts for two weeks. In severe forms, depression can last for several months. Medicine knows cases when people have depression for several years.

Most often, depression is caused by the death of loved ones. The church rite of commemoration of the departed at 9 and 40 days has a high therapeutic effect. "Farewell to the soul" reduces stress after a heavy loss and helps to get out of depression. The general mentality dictates the rule to wear mourning for 40 days, and then remove it, which psychologically frees a person from worries.

After stress, the body is in a state of exhaustion. Subject to a number of conditions, the body begins to accumulate energy until the moment of recuperation.

Depression with stress is common. As a rule, the body copes with this situation on its own. But severe depression is a serious illness that cannot be treated on your own. You need to see a doctor.

The manifestation of depression depends on the type of higher nervous activity. Choleric depression is usually associated with manifestations of anger, fear of failure, fear of making a mistake. In this case, there may be thoughts of suicide. The reason for this condition is that choleric people are very dependent on success. Their weak type prevents them from accepting failure. However, their depression does not last long.

Emotional overloads have become an integral part of our life for a long time. After all, many daily problems require attention and immediate solutions. And, in the end, the nervous system just can't stand it. People used to call this psychological discomfort stress or depression. But the majority, making these "diagnoses" for themselves, in fact, do not distinguish between these states at all. So how stress differs from depression?

Defining stress is pretty straightforward. Unlike depression, stress tends to go away with its cause. For example, if the stress was caused by work, then you can get rid of it while on vacation. But if the stress does not go away in the new environment, then it means that we are already talking about anxiety, which can soon develop into depression. In a state of depression, a person not only feels a lack of strength and decreased activity, but also loses a sense of joy, interest in life and even hope. Everything around becomes insipid and colorless. Previously, this state was called melancholy, today it is depression.

Stress and depression vary widely in symptoms and treatment, but are nearly always correlated. For example, everything can start with the most harmless nuances - with resentment. However, usually people are immersed in a stressful situation after a traumatic event (death of a loved one, accident, job loss, conflicts, etc.). Minor stresses also become not harmless over time. They accumulate gradually, so for some people depression may appear in seemingly complete well-being. Often stress, and then depression, grows out of family relationships. And it all starts with little things that no one practically notices. For example, constantly trying to make your soul mate better, which causes outbursts of anger, resentment and frustration, and then overexertion.

During depression, it seems to a person that such a feeling will remain forever, he sees his future only in dark colors. The depression can last for weeks or months. And with prolonged depression, this condition can last for years. Many people believe that sharing a problem with friends or acquaintances can easily get rid of psychological stress. However, this is a misconception. Stress can only get stronger over time, which can lead to a feeling of physical heaviness, from which it is very difficult to get rid of. As a rule, everyone has their own effective method of liberation, which is not suitable for everyone.

Do not be discouraged, because life without depression is quite real. The source of this problem is a lack of serotonin, the hormone of pleasure. Of course, it can be added to the body with the help of drugs, but they do not last long. Therefore, the best assistant in such a struggle is sport. Studies by English, German and Israeli scientists have shown that sports also produce serotonin, and, moreover, they work better and much longer than any medication. Regular moderate exercise can not only increase serotonin levels, but also reduce stress hormone production.

It should be remembered that depression is not a sign of weakness, but a serious problem that needs professional help. Depression can lead to loss of family, job, obesity, or even alcohol and drug addiction. Therefore, if you suspect depression, an urgent need to consult a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Emotional overloads have become an integral part of our life: every day so many problems require our attention and immediate solutions that the nervous system simply cannot stand it. We are accustomed to explaining the psychological discomfort that we experience under the yoke of overloads by stress or depression.

Specialists are concerned that when we make such "diagnoses" to ourselves, we do not distinguish between these states at all. In fact, stress and depression can be interrelated, but they are very different from each other in symptoms and, most importantly, require different approaches to treatment.

What is stress?

Stress is characterized by increased nervousness, irascibility, and irritability, often accompanied by unmotivated anxiety and difficulty concentrating. All this seriously reduces the efficiency and significantly degrades the quality.

life in general, therefore, a person in a stressful situation needs mild sedatives that can restore lost peace of mind and at the same time allow them to lead their usual active lifestyle. This is the mechanism of action that distinguishes the natural herbal preparation "Persen". It contains extracts of peppermint, lemon balm and valerian, medicinal plants that have long proven themselves to be effective in combating stress. Depression is also a very common disorder of the nervous system, moreover, sometimes it develops as a result of chronic stress, but manifests itself with completely different symptoms.

What is depression?

Depression is characterized by loss of energy, appetite disturbances associated with these sudden weight fluctuations and specific sleep disturbances: a person suffering from depression usually wakes up in the early morning and cannot then fall asleep again. To overcome chronic fatigue, depression and emotional exhaustion that are characteristic of depression, it is better to use natural remedies that can improve the functional state of the nervous system.

Among medicinal herbs, this mechanism of action is distinguished by St. John's wort, which is part of the drug "Deprim".

And we must also remember that very often it is not some specific events that are to blame for our nervous breakdowns, but our attitude towards them. Therefore, experts say, it is very important to learn to separate the main from the secondary in life and not be nervous about those circumstances that cannot be changed.