Depression is a mental mood disorder, which is usually accompanied by a feeling of distress and a sense of fear in the face of elements of daily life, such as simple decision making. It is very important that in the face of a prolonged feeling of loss of interest and desire for elements which we previously found attractive and motivating, we can seek help, in order to initiate a process of psychological therapy. Within the professional staff of Top Doctors we have Dr. Marcelo Mendes Facundes, Psychologist and Expert in Depression, Anxiety, Psychotherapy, Bipolar Disorder and Eating Disorders. Discover with the Doctor what are the main symptoms of a depressive condition, as well as how to proceed to treat anxiety symptoms.
What are the symptoms of depression and how are they diagnosed?
Depressive disorder affects a large part of the world’s population, and it is estimated that in the next 20 years this will be the main cause of illness, ahead of others which have a more common form of treatment. Depression is characterized by a mood of unhappiness, exhaustion, despondency and guilt, which makes the sufferer perceive a hopeless future. They also suffer from sleeping problems because they either sleep irregularly, or in some extreme cases they sleep too much or too little.
In many cases, depression is accompanied by anxiety attacks, which appear and develop in cases that are perceived as threatening by the person suffering from such disorder. This type of patient, when faced with a recurrent situation of anxiety, develops a crisis related to a phase of anxiety attack, which causes symptoms of distress such as tremors, palpitations and even a feeling of shortness of breath and choking. Stress often ends up generating physical problems of symptoms related to depression, such as lack of appetite, insomnia, irritability, and a general feeling of tiredness; all signs directly linked to a depressive condition.
What is the treatment for depression and anxiety based on?
One of the usual forms of treatment for anxiety and depression is psychotherapy, which seeks to get the patient to make a change in their behavior. This should be applied mainly to their thoughts, although it is also very important to change their actions and routines, as well as their behavior before certain episodes of everyday life. A brief psychotherapy process undergoes this type of psychological treatment, mainly in order to fight against mental illness problems, which affect the day to day work of patients. Sometimes, this type of therapy is accompanied by a