If a person dies of depression. Depression after the death of a loved one: what to do, who to contact? Why do people die of depression?
A large-scale multi-year study confirmed that people who had at least one serious depressive episode significantly higher risk of early mortality. And this risk is higher for women.
It is one of the most common mental disorders among adults in developed countries. For example, according to data provided by the US National Institute of Mental Health, 6.7% of American adults experience at least one major depressive episode per year.
A depressive episode is defined as the presence of five or more of the following symptoms continuously for 2 weeks:
Depressed mood
loss of pleasure from activities that were normally enjoyable
sudden weight loss or weight gain
insomnia or waking up
abnormal physical arousal or sluggishness
feelings of guilt or worthlessness
inability to concentrate
recurring thoughts about death
Existing research has already linked depression to an increased risk cardiovascular disease and sudden death, especially in women.
The study was conducted by scientists from several institutions in the United States and Canada, including the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the School of Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa. Ottawa in Ontario).
“At present, the stigmatization of disorders associated with depression is gradually decreasing, best practices its treatment, but the association of depression with the risk of premature death still persists. At first, this correlation was limited to men, but recently it has been established for women as well,” said co-author of the study, Dr. Steven Gilman.
60 years of observations
A group of scientists analyzed the data obtained during the testing of 3410 adults. The researchers set out to find out how much depression is associated with an increased risk of mortality, and whether this risk differs for men and women.
In addition, scientists have found that the most serious risk of death occurs immediately after a depressive episode, but this risk can be prevented by improving a person's mental health. “Our results indicate that a depressive episode confers an increased risk of death, which decreases over time if there is no relapse of depression. In the event of a relapse, the risk remains elevated,” the study authors conclude.
Increased risk of death among young people
Scientists have also noticed how the life expectancy of patients suffering from depression has been reduced from generation to generation.
“The life expectancy of young people with depression at age 25 was significantly shorter. Young patients with depression lost an average of 10 to 12 years of life in the first group, 4 to 7 years in the second group, and 7 to 18 years in the third,” said study co-author Dr. Ian Kolman.
Increased risk of death among women
In addition, the researchers found a dramatic increase in the risk of death among women with depression in the third study group. "Most alarming is the 50% increase in risk of death for women with depression between 1992 and 2011," Dr. Colman explained.
The researchers suggested that for women, the increased risk of death associated with depression may be due to the increase in their duties and responsibilities in recent decades. “Over the past 20 years, the social and economic roles of women, both in the home environment and at work, have undergone dramatic changes. Most women have taken on increased workloads and are suffering under the pressure of societal expectations,” the study authors conclude.
Especially for: - http: // siteMen in modern world often experience depression. It has to do with asking questions about reality, with some disappointment that things are not as we previously thought.
Some subjects, while in a depressed state, feel so depressed that it seriously begins to seem: death is close. Is it true?
The phenomenon itself is not fatal, but there are symptoms that entail serious consequences - this is apathy, reduced activity of the physical plane, weight loss, insomnia.
If you do not engage in treatment, all the signs contribute to a general deterioration in the well-being of a person, with the result that the results are deplorable. In especially difficult situations, a person begins to constantly think about death, suicide.
So the answer to the question posed earlier is not unambiguous. Depression itself does not lead to death, but the thoughts that appear during this state can lead to anything.
Characteristics
Within disorders that are predominantly psychological in nature, depression has several important characteristics.
The development of the disease occurs gradually, somatic health is absolutely normal. This state has no connection with the occurrence of stressful situations and conflict relations. On the contrary, depression occurs against the background of the fact that the victim is doing well and calmly.
Usually the condition comes into the life of people who have reached the age of 20 years. The disease progresses and in this case can lead to disability. As a result, the subject's social ties are disrupted.
The degree to which the state of depression is expressed does not depend on external circumstances. Even the bright sun cannot dispel the melancholy and depression of a person, without providing an opportunity to enjoy the environment.
The disease also manifests itself within the framework of the state of psychosis, when the victim becomes partially or completely indifferent to the life of relatives and friends. Patients think a lot, they do not understand the meaning of their life. This condition is most pronounced in the morning.
There is a loss of appetite, complete exhaustion, constipation, fatigue, all these factors, one way or another, complement the picture of the disease.
Even a comprehensive examination will not help to detect the process, it will be necessary to involve a competent psychiatrist who can prescribe a comprehensive treatment.
Is it possible to get rid of depression
Representatives of the countries of the post-Soviet space are embarrassed to turn to psychiatrists, because they believe that specialists treat demented people. A stereotype has taken root in the mind that a healthy person is able to solve his problems on his own.
In fact, this is nothing more than a myth, since the doctor will carefully listen to the person’s complaints and help find the proper solution, gradually placing him in trust.
If the diagnosis is in doubt, the specialist may refer the patient for an additional conversation with a psychologist. Also, the patient should go to a neurologist to avoid deterioration. Depression is a delicate issue in which one cannot rely on the opinion of friends and one's own strength.
What doctors offer
Treatment of depression with medication does not lead to the desired result, only suppressing the lesion, not eradicating it. In fact, in a depressive state, there is no organ on which a tumor or disease would appear, there is only a mental disorder that requires prompt medical intervention.
Long-term use may be suggested by pharmacists medicinal plants and herbs, as well as alternative medicine.
A particular danger is fraught with depression, which takes place in a particularly severe form and carries thoughts of suicide. A person may refuse to eat and in this case needs serious hospital treatment, he is treated with high dosages of antidepressants.
Does depression go away on its own?
It is problematic to get an unambiguous answer to this question, since a depressive disorder does not always end with a way out of the disease. In fact, if you conduct psychotherapy sessions and take care of yourself - improving your appearance and inner world, then you will very soon see a simply wonderful result.
If you continue to do nothing and at the same time do not seek qualified help and support, then the result will have to be expected for a long time.
Does Glycine Help Depression?
Not a single medication is able to fully relieve a person from a depressive state, so all that remains to be done is, one way or another, to seek support from a doctor.
be healthy
Can you die from depression? What types of disorders are the most dangerous? The WHO organization claims that 10% of the adult male and 20% of the female population are well aware of the problem of a depressive nature.
Hello, dear readers of the blog site!
Depression is a direct cause of suicide, according to WHO, among young people of the most flourishing and working age. “Sadness will not kill you, but it will knock you down”, “It is not years that age us, but grief” - these proverbs aptly describe a condition from which one can die young and physically healthy.
Varieties of depression
According to the WHO, in 2017 there was an increase in the incidence of depressive disorders by almost 20%. More than 300 million people live with a mental disorder that causes disability, disability and death.
The problem is so widespread that, my dear readers, I am sure that there are those suffering from depression among you. How do you know if you have depression? Try, friends, to answer questions, only honestly:
* you began to be burdened by the former environment, loneliness is pleasant for you;
* wake up without mood;
* it became easy to unbalance you, everything around became annoying;
* tormented by unconscious anxiety;
* Thoughts of death arise, symptoms of serious illnesses appear with every suspicious sneeze;
* you can sit still for a long time in place, not reacting to others;
* Constantly no appetite, even your favorite food does not cause a desire to try it.
If most of the questions can be answered yes, then it is very possible that you are not just in a bad mood. And in order to get out of depression, you need to at least know that such a condition develops in the body.
What are the causes of depression?
Depression is caused by:
* internal changes in the central nervous system;
* external influences of an emotional or physical nature.
Varieties of depression caused by disruption of the central nervous system are called endogenous.
If depression develops under the influence of external factors, then such a violation is called exogenous or psychogenic.
A feature of a depressive disorder, as a disease, is that it can be caused by:
* Violations in the very "chemistry" of the brain;
* emotional experiences, external stressful incidents that lead to hormonal imbalance and provoke illness.
Is it possible to die from melancholy or a panic attack, why does neurosis and VVD worsen with depression?
Exogenous depressions
Depending on the causes, exogenous depressive disorders are distinguished:
* seasonal - the condition corresponds to the "autumn blues", a dreary mood with a feeling of constant fatigue, drowsiness, increased appetite;
* atypical depression is caused by overeating, accompanied by tearfulness, disorder of sexual life;
* postpartum - manifested by mood swings, insomnia, observed in 10% of women after childbirth;
* anxious - caused by psycho-emotional overstrain due to tragic events with loved ones;
* neurotic or dysthymia - the symptoms of the disease are mild, and the patient often considers them as character traits, the disease worsens with nervous tension, manifested by guilt, constant fatigue, and loss of appetite.
The factors causing the disorder are very diverse. Exogenous disorders include alcoholic depression, provoked by the rejection of a favorite drink. Symptoms of alcoholic depression are well known to relatives of a former alcoholic, they include:
* irritability;
* negative reaction to loved ones, pickiness;
* change in character - the patient often becomes stingy, cruel.
Exaggerated fear for one's health, fear of death may be 
symptom of hypochondriacal depression. And tearfulness, loss of strength are manifestations of asthenic depressive disorder. It will not work to die from it, but it is extremely difficult to live in such a state.
There is even depression caused by taking medicines. Drugs that can provoke pathology include Anaprilin, Verapamil, Clonidine, Reserpine, Novocainamide, Cholestyramine, Interfeorn, Ranitidine, etc.
But the most dangerous and severe depressions, from which one can die, develop with the endogenous nature of this disease.
Endogenous depressions
With endogenous depressions caused by a violation of the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, a person enters a state of deep apathy and melancholy. Endogenous depressions are caused by metabolic disorders in the brain and are the stage of:
* psychosis;
* schizophrenia.
Typical symptoms of the state of endogenous depression:
* yearning;
* inhibited thinking;
* unexplained anxiety;
* fear, the highest manifestation of which is a panic attack;
* Violation of self-perception;
* insomnia;
* Attempts and thoughts of suicide.
How much even temporary experiences, not to mention the state of neurosis or depression, affect health is known from everyday life. Appetite disappears, the stomach shrinks, the intestines stop - this is how people suffering from depressive disorders describe their condition during an exacerbation of the disease.
For more information about how the brain and the physiological side of human life are connected, you can read in the section "Endocrine diseases".
But external changes– this is just the tip of the iceberg. The danger of depression is that internal changes in the brain provoke diseases that, in the long run, destroy a person’s life and eventually kill.
Can you die with depression?
To begin with, dear friends, when a person is depressed, his appetite worsens or increases, depression seems to disconnect the connection between the sense organs and the brain.
* With a decrease in appetite, the patient smells tasty food, but his central nervous system does not give approval, reflexes do not turn on healthy person that make you move from feeling to action.
* If the appetite is increased, then the signals from the sense organs to the brain about satiety do not work. The patient overeats, which also destroys his health.
In the case of increased appetite, the patient seems to want to kill himself with food. Despite the lack of need for food, he continues to throw more and more portions into himself, and the brain does not stop overeating.
Especially bad is the case with reduced appetite in a condition called major depression. This medical term characterizes a severe deficiency of the important CNS mediators dopamine and serotonin.
A decrease in dopamine and serotonin accompanies diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and stroke.
I will dwell in more detail on such a concomitant phenomenon, which is always found in depression, as low level dopamine.
Hormonal changes
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter without which norepinephrine and adrenaline are not formed. These substances are “wakefulness hormones” that determine the level of human activity. These hormones have a stimulating effect on all systems, forcing:
* heart - work faster;
* brain - to concentrate on solving the problem;
* muscles - to contract.
Another function of the hormone is to create a feeling of pleasure. 
The reward system was created by nature as a survival tool. Movement is here The best way increase the production of dopamine naturally.
Joy from physical activity it was necessary that the ancient hunter took up his spear and went to get dinner for the tribe. The pleasure of sex is necessary for procreation. And the pleasure of delicious food is required so that a person does not die of hunger.
With a lack of dopamine is lost essential system that encourages activity.
Another important function of dopamine is the role of an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The hormone inhibits the production of prolactin, and with depression, prolactin rises sharply.
high prolactin
Elevated prolactin is a direct consequence of a lack of dopamine. With a sharp lack of dopamine, the state of depression is so deep that calls to go in for sports alone cannot be dispensed with.
To reduce the level of prolactin will have drugs. As long as this hormone is contained in high concentration, you can be sure that a person will not have a desire not only to go in for sports, but even just to bring a spoonful of food to his mouth.
What is prolactin? This hormone is not yet well understood. It is known for sure that it is necessary for women in the period breastfeeding, but the rest of the time high prolactin:
* reduces testosterone and estrogens;
* stops ovulation by preventing new pregnancy up to infertility;
* stimulates the immune system, which increases the risk of autoimmune pathologies - arthritis, diabetes, Graves' disease;
* can cause mental disorder.
As you can see from the above list, high prolactin is a direct cause of autoimmune diseases by participating in immune responses. This ability is explained by the fact that there are receptors for prolactin on the membranes of leukocytes and lymphocytes.
In the case of an increase in the concentration of the hormone in the blood, lymphocytes are activated. The result of the activation of immunity in the absence of infection is the production of autoimmune antibodies directed against their own tissues.
Aging and depression
Depression and aging are similar. In old age, there is a decrease in the concentration of dopamine in the brain, which is why:
* the number of neurons and connections between them decreases, which leads to senile dementia - dementia;
* in general, the brain becomes smaller in volume and weight;
* reduced social activity of a person;
* the circle of interests and communication narrows.
Isn't aging very similar to depression? In addition, science has established that depression accelerates the aging process many times over.
In old age, it is especially important to identify depression in a timely manner and fight it. But, it seems to me, one should not force oneself to perform feats through force.
You should not overpower yourself and dive into an ice hole or jog daily for 5-10 km, if this is done through force.
It must be remembered that a stressful situation is one of the causes of depression. You can only hear adequate advice on whether it is worth making an effort of will only from a doctor, otherwise it’s really not long and you will die of depression if you overdo it with a healthy lifestyle.
Video material on the topic of depression will complement my today's work.
Health to everyone!
Everyone deals with the loss of a loved one. Tears, feelings - a normal reaction to loss. They help to survive it and give strength to start a new life. Sometimes grief drags on and the person suffers for years. Prolonged experience of the loss of a loved one leads to psychosomatic diseases and severe depression.
Depression is a mood disorder, which is based on the depressive triad (sadness, lethargy of thinking, motor retardation).
Depression that occurs after the death of a mother or other close relative should be distinguished from a state of deep grief.
It is recommended to seek the advice of a specialist if the following depressive manifestations occur:
- there are no "bright" days; a feeling of emptiness, despair is permanent;
- anxiety, guilt and self-worthlessness, which last more than 2 months;
- decreased concentration; attempts to focus on something cause fatigue, physical weakness;
- sleep disorders (nightmares, insomnia);
- obsessive thoughts about a dead person; there is a feeling that he is near;
- desire for solitude, breaking social contacts;
- there are strange behaviors (ignoring hygiene procedures, vagrancy);
- suicidal thoughts often appear;
- feeling of physical pain different parts body; problems of the digestive act, excessive sweating, arrhythmia may occur.
The presence of at least a few of these symptoms for two weeks or more indicates the development of a mood disorder. If a person is depressed after the death of a loved one, how to get out and find peace of mind? You need to contact a specialist who has experience working with people in a state of loss of a loved one.
What is the treatment for bereavement depression?
During the consultation, the psychotherapist determines at what stage of the grief process the patient is. Based on his condition, selected best option further path. In some cases, such as severe cases of depressive disorder, the psychiatrist prescribes antidepressants. They improve the physical condition and remove the feeling of overwhelming despair, hopelessness.
How to get out of depression after the death of a husband with the help of communication with a psychotherapist? Required element therapy - interpersonal, cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as individual psychotherapy sessions and work in a support group.
In psychology, the process of mourning has several stages that a person goes through in different sequences. These are denial (isolation), anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance of the situation (humility). You don't have to go through all the steps to get out of grief. However, if a person enters a depressive phase, there may not be enough strength to get out of it on his own.
Here are necessary individual sessions and conversations with a specialist. It will help you find internal resources to experience this stage. For the patient at this moment, the opportunity to speak out, to throw out emotions is important. At the discretion of a specialist, elements of art therapy, sand therapy can be involved.
In order to understand how to cope with depression after the death of a husband, mother, child, it is necessary to accept the fact of death and live all the emotions, and not hide from them. Thousands of people are going through this difficult period in their lives. By contacting a specialist, you will receive effective assistance and will be able to move on, keeping in your memory only bright memories of a loved one.
Every day on Earth, for various reasons, a huge number of people die, leaving behind loved ones who sincerely mourn them. Experiencing a bereavement in the form of depression or even deep grief after the death of a loved one (for example, a mother or husband) is an absolutely normal reaction to such a loss. And especially acutely people experience the death of a child (son or daughter). However, in some people, natural manifestations of grief such as guilt, insomnia, numbness, and sobbing can lead to more serious symptoms, including mourning (deep grief) and depressive mental illness (major depression). Symptoms of natural mourning Grieving differs from natural mourning in its duration and intensity. People who experience normal grief can often explain why they are sad. They continue to function normally in society, and are usually able to overcome their intense sadness within a relatively short period of time (usually within a month or two).
Usually, after the death of a very close person (husband, mother, son or daughter, brother or sister), such intense experiences as grief or depression can intensify for several days, weeks or even months. And sometimes such depression can develop even after the death of a beloved animal.
Almost every person, faced with the death of a loved one (especially a child, mother, beloved husband), will experience such natural symptoms:
-guilt for what they did (or did not do) before the death of a loved one. So, a mother can reproach herself for not saving her son;
- like this: “I wish I had died instead of him!”
So, parents may regret that death did not take them instead of the child; imaginary feeling that they see or hear the deceased;
-sleep problems;
-habit change in food and physical activity;
-wish be in social isolation.
Stages of Loss and Grief
To understand how real clinical depression can develop from ordinary grief, you need to know what stages people go through after the death of a loved one (husband, mother, child, etc.).
In 1969 psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross presented in her book "On Death and Dying" 5 stages of grief after the death of a loved one. These stages of grief are universal and are experienced by people from all walks of life. In the case of a loss, a person spends a different amount of time at each stage. In addition, each stage may differ in its intensity. These five stages can occur in any order. We often move between these stages until we come to terms with death. All people grieve differently. Some people are outwardly very emotional, while others will experience grief in themselves, perhaps even without tears.
But, one way or another, all people go through five stages of grief:
The first stage is denial and isolation;
The second stage is anger;
The third stage is bargaining;
The fourth stage is depression;
The fifth stage is acceptance.
While all of the emotions people experience at any of these stages are natural, not everyone who grieves goes through all of these stages - and that's okay too. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to go through all of these stages in order to move on with your life. In fact, some people are able to grieve without going through any of these stages. So don't worry about how you "should" feel or where you should be right now.
When does Grief become Depression?
All of the above symptoms and stages of grief are completely normal. They help people adapt to loss and accept new living conditions after the death of a loved one. The difference between grief and clinical depression is not always easy to spot because they share many common symptoms, but there is a difference. Remember, grief comes in waves. It includes a wide range of emotions and a combination of bad and good days. Even when you are grieving very much, you can still have moments of joy or happiness. And with depression, the feeling of emptiness and despair is constant. If a grieving person is experiencing severe symptoms of depression, then it is time to seek help.
This:
- must be done in cases where the grieving person has:
- lack of concentration and complete inability to concentrate;
- Unusually thrilling feelings of worthlessness or guilt;
- Anxiety or depression that doesn't go away but gets worse over time Sleep problems that last more than six weeks
- obsessive memories during the day and nightmares at night, which constantly keep a person in suspense;
- sudden weight gain or loss;
- unexplained physical symptoms, such as unexplained pain in a particular part of the body, palpitations, profuse sweating, digestive problems or difficulty breathing; - thoughts that the deceased continues to be nearby, visual or auditory hallucinations;
- strange or antisocial behavior;
- thoughts about suicide, which can only be stopped by very serious arguments (for example, the mother has another child);
- breaking all social contacts.
All of these symptoms may indicate the onset of clinical depression due to the death of a loved one. If any of these symptoms last more than two months after the death of a loved one, it is a signal that the person needs professional help. Symptoms of depression or post-traumatic shock will be most pronounced if a person witnesses the sudden death of loved ones, or was close at the time of the death of a loved one, such as a child.
Depression as a complication of grief
Negative feelings such as hopelessness and helplessness are part of the normal mourning process, but they can also be symptoms of depression or other mental disorders. But sometimes the grief that is normal in this situation turns into a mental disorder.
Depression is just one of a range of mental disorders that can be associated with the death of a loved one. Other disorders include generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. No wonder one of the proposed future changes in the classification of mental illness proposed by American psychiatrists is the introduction of a new category mental illness- burdened experience of grief. Aggravated grief, also sometimes referred to as traumatic or prolonged grief, has been proposed as a complex mental disorder. It will be diagnosed if the general symptoms of severe grief, such as longing after the death of a loved one (husband, child or other relatives), difficulty moving on, depression or anger after such a loss, last more than six months. The diagnosis of complicated grief disorder is expected to be based on two criteria:
First criterion. A grieving person yearns for the deceased daily and very intensely.
Second criterion. The person must have, and be prevented from functioning, at least five of the following:
the impossibility of accepting this death; feeling overwhelmed or shocked after the death of a loved one; anger or bitterness experienced after the death of relatives (for example, anger at a husband that he left his wife); numbness or stupor (especially often this happens after the loss of a child); difficulty in determining the purpose of life after loss; extreme uncertainty of one's role in life; avoiding everything that is a reminder of death; inability to trust people, because such a person believes that a loved one betrayed him with his death; the feeling that life has lost all meaning.
Preventing depression after loss
Once the grief becomes clinical depression, it can no longer be overcome by ordinary mourning, so in this case it is necessary to consult a psychotherapist. Treatment for such depression usually includes antidepressants and interpersonal or cognitive behavioral therapy. However, there are ways in which people themselves can prevent grief from turning into depression. Live in reality, accept the reality of loss and realize that even in grief, you never cease to be a part of Everyday life. Communicate more often with family and friends. Go the other way. Try to adjust to new reality by doing things differently. For example, take up a new hobby, or cut out activities that are painful reminders of a loved one. Move forward - force yourself to move, communicate and participate in pleasant events. Regular physical activity is essential: exercise for at least 30 minutes every day, learn to relieve stress through deep breathing or meditation, and get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Proper Diet: Make sure your diet is healthy. Stop destroying yourself - give up alcohol, sleeping pills and caffeine.
The death of someone you loved and cared for is always very painful. You can experience all kinds of negative emotions, including heartache and sadness. This is a perfectly normal reaction to such a significant loss. Know that there is no right or wrong way to deal with depression caused by the death of a loved one, but there is effective ways cope with pain to move on in life.
