At present, depression is ahead of all other mental disorders in terms of the degree of damage to working capacity and, accordingly, in the proportion of years lost for a full life. A significant proportion of patients with depressive disorders seek help from the general somatic network. Moreover, only in 10-30% of cases, depression is recognized in a timely manner. In this test, the symptoms of depression and the assessment of its severity are brought in accordance with the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10), but filled with specific content from our personal medical practice.
Typical signs of depression
- The mood is bad, depressed, lousy, gloomy, oppressed, nasty, decadent, dreary, “nothing is cute”, “boredom in my soul”, “everything is gray for me.”
- “No craving for business”: you postpone the implementation of any plans or deeds, or set yourself up for a long time to carry them out. There is no desire to delve into the essence of a business problem, the content of an important conversation – you know that this should be done, but you do not . You also postpone production decisions, business acquaintances until tomorrow. Nothing interests you, you do n’t want to do anything, but you know what to do. There is no such joy as before – “Everything became somehow all the same.” It has long been forgotten when we rejoiced at something.
- You get tired right away, even after a slight physical effort, or in the evening after returning from work, you don’t have enough strength for anything . Feeling of constant fatigue is possible . Seems like they never rested. I would like to throw off the responsibilities at home, at work – to relax, gain strength. However, short-term rest does not improve the condition, and entertainment quickly loses its attractiveness.
Other symptoms of depression:
- It is difficult to concentrate in the presence of an extraneous stimulus (for example, TV, radio, conversation in the next room); because of the “parallel” thoughts – “I read, but think about something else.” In communication, it became difficult to choose words, to catch the thread of the conversation; when reading books, magazines, business documents, it is difficult to grasp the meaning of what has been read, you have to re-read the pages.
- There was an indecision unusual for you, constant doubts about the fulfillment of ordinary household and well-known professional duties, after the decision was made. Gone confidence in yourself – “Suddenly not so say, not as I will.”
- A critical assessment of the entire past life is possible – “Everything that was useless in the past, it was necessary to do something else.” You are experiencing a painful feeling of a “burden” in the family, a “superfluous person” at work. You reproach yourself with an irresponsible attitude towards your filial or daughter responsibilities, insufficient attention to other close relatives.
- You are overwhelmed by gloomy thoughts that you are a “loser”, that you will not be able to solve your problems in life; statement of complete professional bankruptcy, finish (“I have worked out my resource”). A gloomy and pessimistic vision of the future can be filled with very specific everyday circumstances.
- From time to time there are thoughts – “It may be easier to get away from life, as all bad, bad, bad …” hopeless, not visible prospects and, in general, life for you ceased to be something meaningful, lost its meaning.
- Sleep disorders are quite diverse. This is a difficult period of falling asleep; reduced hours of night sleep due to frequent awakenings; waking up at 3-4 a.m. or 5 a.m. followed by insomnia. With all variants of sleep disorders, after the final awakening in the morning, there is no feeling of freshness (rest).
- Appetite is reduced (“I can limit myself to a glass of tea per day”), or there is no appetite at all, perhaps even with aversion to the sight and smell of food.
Self-diagnosis of depression
In the event that you do not collect 3 of any symptoms (main and additional list), you do not have depressive mood disorder in accordance with the ICD-10 criteria.
Mild depressive disorder
The presence of any 2 typical symptoms of depression and at least 2 symptoms from the list. You are worried about your condition. Have some difficulty in doing normal work and social activities.
Moderate depressive disorder
The presence of any 2 typical symptoms of depression and at least 3 (preferably 4) from the list. There are significant difficulties in performing social duties, household chores and continuing professional work.
Severe depressive disorder
The presence of all 3 typical depressive symptoms and 4 or more from the list. Social and domestic activities may be very limited or unlikely to be performed.
If you have a depressive mood disorder in accordance with the above criteria, your condition may be aggravated by a number of additional painful manifestations:
- You want to be one (alone), isolate yourself from everyone; feel the desire to “crawl like a snail into the sink – so that no one touches you, not to answer questions.”
- People close to you notice that you have become unusually silent; the smile disappeared from his face.
- Relations with relatives in the family, employees at work are complicated by increased irritability unusual for you earlier, sometimes reaching aggression.
- Feeling of heaviness in the chest (“Like a stone in the heart”, “Like an elephant stepped on”) or aching pain in the left side of the chest, or a burning sensation behind the breastbone.
- Slowness in movements, which is unusual for you , or, on the contrary, motor excitement, anxiety, restlessness (“I can not find a place for myself”).
- During the period of depression, libido is significantly reduced – “As I cut it off, I don’t even think about it”
- You feel especially bad in the morning and in the afternoon. By the evening, the state of health improves somewhat (a typical daily rhythm of a depressive mood disorder).
- An attempt to improve one’s well-being, relieve mental discomfort by drinking alcohol brings only a temporary and unstable effect.
In the event that you will find in themselves or in their family member the reasons for self-depressive mood disorders should seek psychological help.
You can also take online tests to diagnose depression:
- Zung scale
- Beck’s questionnaire