Depression is a condition that often occurs in society. According to research, depression occurs in 80% of people at some time in their lives and can occur at any age. Depression is more common in women than in men. Depression is a condition that is described as a mood disorder that causes feelings of sadness and loss of interest that persists.
Depression can affect your feelings, ways of thinking and behaving, and can make you have various emotional and physical problems. If sadness lasts for a few days or weeks, interferes with work or other activities with family or friends, or is suicidal, this is likely depression. Discuss with your doctor (Psychiatrist Appointment in Kuala Lumpur) if you feel symptoms of depression.
What are the signs and symptoms of depression?
Depression can cause a variety of symptoms in everyone. For example, when suffering from depression some people will sleep more, while other symptoms are insomnia and no appetite. Even so, there are some common symptoms, such as:
- Difficult to concentrate
- Feeling sad or empty
- Loss of interest in happy things
- Feeling his future will not be good or hopeless
- Feeling out of energy
- Feeling restless or having trouble sleeping
- Lost interest in sex
- Severe depression can cause thoughts of suicide and murder.
In people wih depression, these symptoms last for up to 2 weeks or more. There may be signs and symptoms not mentioned above. If you have a concern about a specific symptom, consult your doctor. The doctor will conduct a psychiatric evaluation of the symptoms experienced, thoughts, feelings, and behaviour patterns of the patient. This is done to determine whether someone is depressed or not.
Depression will be easier to cure if detected early and treated immediately. Treatment for depression includes psychotherapy, medication, or electroshock therapy. The treatment method given will be chosen based on the patient’s condition.
Psychotherapy
The psychiatrist will conduct psychotherapy to help sufferers overcome the following aspects:
- Negative viewpoints on the situation experienced
- A stressful experience
- Communication and relationships with others
- Emotions
- Antidepressant drugs
In addition to psychotherapy, administering medications for depression (antidepressants) can also help overcome symptoms of depression. Antidepressants improve the way the brain uses brain chemicals to control mood. There are several types of antidepressant drugs to treat depression, namely:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Antidepressant drugs take about 2 to 4 weeks to work and relieve symptoms in people with depression. Drug consumption also requires a long time, which is 6 months to 1 year, and the cessation must be based on the advice of a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist will reduce the dose gradually. If the drug consumption is stopped suddenly, symptoms of depression will reappear.
Electric Shock Therapy
If the administration of the drug has not been able to relieve symptoms of depression, then electric shock therapy or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be the next treatment option. In ECT, electrical waves will be transmitted to the body to affect the workings of the brain, so that symptoms of depression subside. ECT can also be performed on patients who are at high risk for suicide.
In addition to the three therapies above, magnetic stimulation can also be performed in people with depression who do not respond to antidepressant drugs. This therapy sends magnetic signals to stimulate nerve cells in the brain that regulate mood.
People with severe depression need to be hospitalized. This is done to monitor and protect sufferers until their moods change for the better.