It is difficult to find at least one person in modern society who is not familiar with what depression is. Regardless of whether it is a man or a woman, the state of hopelessness that necessarily accompanies depression is inherent equally in representatives of both sexes. Now many people believe that sex will help with depression and it is one of the most effective methods. If we take into account that this method of “treatment” is absolutely harmless and, moreover, also pleasant, then the advantages are obvious.
We completely agree that sex life is one of the most effective methods for “repaying” the negative consequences of various stressful situations. A group of British scientists published in the scientific research journal New Scientist the results of their research on the impact of sexual behavior on people's ability to cope with stressful situations of various origins. By the way, one factor is very important here - we are talking about the traditional form of genital sex between opposite-sex partners.
The two-week study involved 46 people (men and women). They were required to keep diaries of a sexual nature. After two weeks, the subjects were tested for stress resistance. During the tests, they had to solve quite complex arithmetic problems, while voicing out loud all their actions.
Having compared the results obtained, the scientists came to the conclusion that those subjects who had the greatest number of heterosexual sexual contacts during the experiment performed the tasks best. Their blood pressure measurements were much better (than those who liked to masturbate and experiment with unconventional types of sex). Against the background of all of the above, it is worth noting that the least resistance to stressful situations was among those people who did not have a single sexual contact during the experiment.
It is worth noting that during the experiment, its curator, Stuart Brody, took into account both the general health of the project participants and their individual psychological characteristics. Dr. Brody associates the data obtained during the experiment with the stimulation of numerous nerve endings in the genital area during heterosexual intercourse. No less important for maintaining calm is the hormone oxytocin, which is actively produced during sex.
Taking this into account, British scientists confidently declare that passionate sex is the best antidepressant. They even identified a separate brain structure responsible for love and passion. It contributes to the fact that sex really saves you from depression. It is here that a certain pattern is hidden that is responsible for the dependence of depression and sex - if this part of the brain becomes less active (that is, the number of sensations such as love and sex decreases), then the likelihood of depression increases significantly.
Physiologically, sex is simply necessary for a person, especially with depression; hormones obtained during intimate activities can significantly improve mood and overall well-being. This occurs due to the activation of the “love” zones of the brain and the normalization of cardiac activity.
But, as always, even the most optimistic statement of some scientists will have a radically opposite point of view from their colleagues. In the theory of whether sex helps with depression, opponents of British scientists - doctors from Canada - openly state that the more sex, the worse it is not only for mood, but also for the general condition of the body. In their opinion, sex is permissible no more than once a week.
Causes of depression in women
Depression is a multifaceted disease; it manifests itself in multiple disorders both at the cellular level and in the functioning of organs and systems. Today it is included by the World Health Organization in the international classification of diseases. Psychiatrists around the world deal with its manifestations every day, and in their work they use generally accepted standards of treatment. But the causes of depression have not yet been fully established. Why it haunts some people throughout their lives, while others never manifest it, is not known for sure.
However, it is clear that hormones play an important role in its development. When the production of biologically active substances responsible for mood, emotions, and performance is disrupted, depression can occur. Hormones are of particular importance in this process:
- serotonin;
- dopamine;
- norepinephrine.
They are called neurotransmitters, that is, substances that affect the functioning of the nervous system. In recent years, research has established the influence on a person’s mental state of other biologically active substances: melatonin, glucocorticoid hormones, even factors of the immune system. Science has yet to figure out which of this list comes first.
But today we can say for sure that depression occurs more often in women than in men. And the reason for this is the strong subordination of the female body to hormones. At certain points in life, hormonal fluctuations occur in the body, and then the risk of developing depression in women increases. Doctors identify three most dangerous periods:
- adolescence;
- postpartum period;
- menopause.
“The debut of a depressive disorder can take place after childbirth,” comments psychiatrist Christina Wirth. — The reason for this is a hormonal shock in the body. Depression often develops in women after 50 years of age due to hormonal changes. During these periods, you need to be especially attentive to your condition and well-being.”
How to help a girl get out of depression How to get a girl out of depression: reasons and recommendations
Depression is a mental disorder, the main symptoms of which are apathy, depressed mood, loss of the ability to experience joy, sleep disturbances, and problems with appetite.
Women are almost 2 times more likely than men to suffer from this disease. You can get a girl out of depression on your own if it is a mild form.
In more severe stages, drug therapy will be required, but moral support is still important.
Causes of depression in girls
The reasons for such a frequent prevalence of this disease among females have not been precisely established. Doctors make the following assumptions: features of emotional development, hormonal levels, upbringing, social status.
From early childhood, girls are more impressionable and receptive than boys. Psychologists make a figurative comparison with a color palette.
If a boy’s emotional experiences are a rainbow spectrum of seven tones, then a girl’s are dozens of shades of each color.
Due to their emotionality, women experience stress more severely and are more susceptible to nervous breakdowns - and prolonged exposure to negative emotions on the psyche can lead to depression.
The menstrual cycle is another possible cause. Before critical days and during bleeding, the production of endorphins, the hormones of happiness, decreases. A deficiency of these compounds occurs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A person cannot experience joy on a physical level. This is what causes postpartum depression.
During periods of hormonal changes, the female body is especially vulnerable. In adolescence and during menopause, mood swings often occur, anxiety arises, and excessive tearfulness appears.
The prevalence of depression is influenced by climate. Residents of northern latitudes are more prone to the blues than those living in the south. This is due to a lack of sun, vitamins and exposure to cold. Ultraviolet light also stimulates the production of joy hormones.
Due to the cold, the burning of energy reserves increases, which over time leads to a loss of strength. Women living in the north experience double the burden due to monthly blood loss.
If on top of that there is poor nutrition and smoking, then this gives a greater chance that the girl will often be depressed.
Girls are raised as future mothers and housewives, and taught to take care of themselves. Complexes due to appearance in adolescence can cause constant worries.
Relationships with the opposite sex are more important for girls than for boys. Breakup traumatizes the psyche. The woman tends to blame herself for what happened.
Breaking up with a guy, especially if this is your first love, can be a strong blow for a young girl.
Main causes of depression
An unstable financial situation and constant denial of purchases and pleasures are one of the most common causes of depression. Most women earn less than men.
Symptoms of depression
There are mental and physical symptoms. Signs of psychological deviation:
- insomnia or sleeping too much;
- lack of appetite or gluttony;
- excessive vulnerability, tearfulness, touchiness;
- sudden mood swings;
- decreased physical activity, lethargy, constant fatigue;
- irritability, aggression in response to harmless remarks;
- inability to concentrate attention for a long time; schoolgirls and students experience a drop in academic performance;
- dissatisfaction with oneself, the desire for self-destruction and self-flagellation;
- loss of interest in those things and activities that previously brought pleasure;
- unsociability, severance of social ties, desire to retire;
- anxiety, fears, panic attacks.
Physiological signs are less common. Their list:
- swelling of the face, upper and lower extremities;
- itching on the skin;
- pain in muscles and joints;
- tachycardia, discomfort in the heart area;
- pressure surges;
- pain in the breast area
- excessive sweating;
- frequent headaches.
In severe conditions, suicidal tendencies appear.
This can be manifested by a passion for music, films, literature with relevant content, and posting thematic photos (a knife near the veins, blood). There may be threats to commit suicide.
This behavior is common among teenagers. This should not be regarded as stupidity or bad character, but rather treat your daughter’s behavior with due attention.
How to help a girl get out of depression?
To help a friend get out of depression, you must first find out the reason. It is possible that the problem can be solved. To do this, you need to delicately and unobtrusively invite the girl to talk. You cannot judge or give advice. This will cause irritation and resentment.
You need to patiently listen to your interlocutor, support her with kind words, give her a compliment and tell her that she will succeed. And then develop an action plan on how to cope with the problem, and take charge of solving it yourself, gradually involving your friend in the matter. In such a state, a person is unable to start doing something on his own.
Care and attention will help bring your wife out of depression after childbirth. There is no need to react aggressively in response to comments and irritations. It is better to listen to the words - perhaps something in behavior needs to be corrected.
Caring should be expressed in helping with housework and child care. Small but constant gifts will lift your spirits. It is not necessary to give expensive things - a bouquet of flowers, a cute trinket, or a toy will do. It is important to remind a woman that she is beautiful.
On weekends or in the evening after work, you need to spend time with your spouse - invite her to the cinema, theater, cafe, exhibition, or just invite her for a walk (if you have someone to leave the child with). The same rules apply if the wife feels sad after several years of marriage.
If all these tips don’t work, then you should reconsider your diet. We need fruits, vitamin and soothing teas. Medications that will help include glycine and tenoten. If there is no improvement, you need to go to a psychotherapist or neurologist. You can come on your own, saying that my girlfriend is depressed, describe the situation and her condition in detail.
Signs of depression in women
Doctors distinguish between major and minor symptoms of depression. The first group includes decreased energy, worsening mood, and the inability to enjoy things that always brought joy before.
Against this background, other signs may appear. A woman may notice that she is unable to concentrate on a conversation or remember important information. Self-esteem decreases, thoughts of personal or professional failure arise. Ideas of guilt may arise in relation to someone close to you, and life seems lost and hopeless.
Relatives may also notice changes in the behavior of the mother and spouse. A symptom of depression is loss of appetite when a woman refuses to eat or, conversely, begins to eat too much. Sleep and its quality are disturbed: insomnia causes difficulty waking up in the morning, and lethargy and apathy plague you throughout the day. There is a strong decline in relationships with a partner: sexual desire is lost, and in moments of intimacy the woman does not experience pleasure.
“The symptoms of depression in women after 30, 40, 50 years are the same,” says psychiatrist Christina Wirth. “Only the thoughts that come during depression change.”
How to get your girlfriend out of depression
Depression sooner or later overtakes any person, but girls are most susceptible to such conditions.
This is due, first of all, to the instability of the emotional background. You can get a girl out of depression by knowing not only the reasons for this condition, but also the characteristics of the female psyche.
It is no secret that depression in women is many times more common than in men. There are several reasons for this:
- hormonal changes: premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, postpartum state, menopause;
- physical and intellectual stress: exams, sports competitions, work reports create a tense atmosphere, against the background of which the female body can malfunction in the form of apathy and depression;
- unexpected changes in life: betrayal of a partner, death of a loved one, moving to an unfamiliar place;
- a long wait for any event (dangerous or quite serious, changing the course of life events);
- disagreements and conflicts with other people;
- presence of alcohol or drug addiction;
- severe diseases that are chronic and irreversible.
You can notice an apathetic, depressive state in a girl due to a number of factors:
- she is in a sad, depressed mood;
- she stops enjoying things that used to make her so happy;
- the girl feels helpless;
- phrases about death are mentioned in the conversation, suicidal statements are possible;
- she has insomnia or, conversely, a constant desire to sleep;
- changes in appetite leading to changes in weight;
- she feels tired and complains of loss of strength.
Supporting your girlfriend in depression means, first of all, noticing changes in her mood in time.
Of course, virtual communication will not replace real one. However, you should not neglect modern technologies, because help can be provided from a distance:
- correspondence with a depressed girl should have an abstract topic (about the weather, about the latest movie, etc.);
- It is better to build short phrases, without using complex figures of speech;
- instead of punctuation marks, you can use “smileys” - this will lift your spirits and enliven your online conversation;
- correspondence on social networks can be accompanied by the exchange of photographs, gifts and pictures.
How does divorce occur if there are minor children? Find out from the article.
Today, young people spend a large amount of time on the Internet. Here they communicate, look for answers to a variety of questions, so getting out of depression through correspondence can become a very real event.
Meetings and partings fall to the lot of every person. Few people can boast of “love from kindergarten until death.” But when a guy leaves a girl he recently loved, she may fall into a depressed state, considering herself not attractive enough and afraid of being alone forever.
Time, as a rule, allows you to look at the situation from a different angle and remember the breakup less painfully, but at first, help may include the following:
- Become a “vest” for a while. The girl needs to cry. Let him cry as much as necessary. Let her feel unhappy. This is a normal reaction, especially if the relationship was long-term and based on serious feelings. Along with tears, negative emotions will also go away.
- Carry out a “spring cleaning of memories” . It is important to convince the girl to remove everything that may remind her of her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, and it is better to begin specific actions: collect his photos together, souvenirs and gifts given to him. Place everything in a large box and put it away.
- It is worth protecting the girl from drastic measures, for example, setting fire to her ex-boyfriend’s car is madness, dangerous in all respects. The main forces should be aimed at eliminating negativity and gaining mental balance.
For the first 24 hours after the death of a loved one, a person is in a state of shock; he does not believe what happened, even if the tragedy was expected (a long-term illness or the age of the deceased relative).
Girls are more emotional in this regard; due to their fragile psyche, serious depressive states are possible, in which family and friends can help:
- First stage support . Give the girl the opportunity to express her emotions, let her cry and scream. This is a natural reaction of denial. She may refuse to believe that a loved one is dead. It's important to just be there.
- Support during the stage of emotional fluctuations. Gradually, the state of shock will turn into cyclical processes, when the mood will change sharply from prosperous and spiritual to sharply aggressive. During this period, the girl needs a lot of positive emotions and events: new places, visiting exhibitions, playing an unusual sport. Anything that can distract you from negativity and give you a boost of energy.
- Support during memorable dates . Death anniversaries and birthdays of a deceased person will haunt the girl’s memory for a long time. These days it is worth remembering the good moments associated with the departed, but connecting them specifically with the past, without using phrases like “if he were around, then...”
Source: https://fobii.org/depressiya/kak-vytaschit-svoyu-devushku-iz-depressii/
Diagnostics
The first sign of mental health problems should be a decrease in mood and a constant loss of strength. Other symptoms, more or less pronounced, may also be observed.
In this case, you should consult a specialist or check for signs of depression using a test. For diagnosis, doctors use scales, the most famous of which is the Aaron Beck scale. It can also be used for self-diagnosis.
“Today, scales for determining depression are available on the Internet,” comments Christina Wirth. “You can take a test online and determine if you have depression.”
Treatment of depression in women
To treat depressive disorders, doctors use the following methods:
- pharmacological - with the use of drugs;
- psychotherapeutic - establishing deep personal contact between the doctor and the patient, correction of thoughts and behavior.
For mild cases of the disorder, psychotherapy may be sufficient. For moderate and severe cases, you cannot do without medications, which are prescribed by a doctor taking into account the severity of the condition. Some drugs can be used for outpatient treatment, when a woman undergoes a course at home. Others require hospital treatment, and their use in medical practice is strictly controlled.
“First of all, psychotherapy is used to treat depression,” says psychiatrist Christina Wirth. — Today, the best results are shown by cognitive behavioral therapy, its different types and their combinations. Medicines have side effects, so doctors prescribe them only if they cannot be avoided.”
Medicines to treat depression
The choice of medications is determined by the degree of depressive disorder. For treatment on an outpatient basis and for mild cases of the disorder, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or two neurotransmitters at once are used: serotonin and norepinephrine.
To understand the principle of their action, you need to delve a little deeper into the anatomy. From school years we remember that nerve cells, called neurons, have processes. Along these processes, nerve impulses are transmitted from one neuron to another, and along with them, neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin or norepinephrine, are transferred.
When everything is in order with the production of neurotransmitters, the nervous system has enough of these substances to trigger bioelectric reactions. And they, in turn, are needed for healthy emotions, energy and well-being. When there are not enough substances, one of the processes natural to a healthy body begins to harm. The fact is that neurons do not use neurotransmitters to their full potential. Often, serotonin, which “settles” on a neighboring cell, does not have time to be used and, with the help of a special protein, is returned back to the parent cell and destroyed.
Drugs used in psychiatry to treat depression from the group of selective serotonin or norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors block the very protein that sends neurotransmitters “for disposal.” Thanks to this, the concentration of neurotransmitters in the intercellular space increases, they become more or less sufficient for the functioning of the nervous system, which improves the patient’s well-being.
“More complex antidepressant drugs block an enzyme that destroys neurotransmitters,” says psychiatrist Christina Wirth. “But they also have more side effects, so they are not used for mild depression. Drugs from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are recognized as the gold standard of modern treatment of mental disorders.”
But it happens that these medications do not help. Then the doctor may decide to prescribe other drugs. For example, mood stabilizers, which are called “mood stabilizers,” or antipsychotic drugs in small doses, which are used in the treatment of schizophrenic disorders and hallucinations. It is important to understand that the choice of medication depends on the patient’s condition, and if it is possible not to use “heavy artillery,” the doctor will not prescribe such drugs.
“Antidepressants have side effects,” continues Christina Wirth. - They affect the body as a whole. Drowsiness or, conversely, agitation may develop. The patient may be bothered by nausea, dry mouth, menstrual irregularities, even allergic reactions. But drugs from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the safest and best tolerated.”
The disadvantage of these funds can be considered prolonged action. They have a cumulative effect and begin to work no earlier than after 2-6 weeks. The World Health Organization recommends taking them for six months. If the condition improves, after 6 months the doctor may decide to complete the course of medication.
How can a woman get out of depression without medication?
When the doctor does not see the need to use medications, cognitive behavioral therapy helps restore mental health. Its task is to increase a woman’s energy potential and return her to her former activity.
During treatment, the patient receives tasks from the doctor - to do a little more every day than yesterday. The “load” is increased gradually, and it often takes weeks or months to return to normal everyday skills. But under the guidance of a specialist, the therapy works and helps women cope with depression without medication.
“We need to introduce pleasure into life,” notes psychiatrist Christina Wirth, “everything that made us happy before. You should not expect a woman to take the initiative herself and remember some activities that are pleasant for her. Most likely, in a depressed state there will be no such desires. Therefore, actions must be mechanical, mandatory. If a woman previously liked to read, she should read daily. Let it be a little - just a couple of pages or 15 minutes, but every day.”
Relatives can help bring happiness back into the life of a mother or spouse. The specialist warns that it is dangerous to demand that a woman pull herself together, get out of bed, and go about her usual activities. All this will not work, and the lack of support from relatives will only worsen the condition. It is important to remember that depression is not laziness or a momentary blues, it is a disease that cannot be cured by taking a pill. It disrupts the state of the body, seriously affects well-being, and changes natural processes in the body. It takes time to restore mental health, but the help and patience of loved ones will become a necessary support for a woman on the path to recovery.
How to get your husband out of depression
Publication date December 08, 2014. Posted in Status
In any, even very strong family, one of the spouses can be constantly negative and simply unhappy. Life with such a person becomes very difficult, the well-being of the family is at risk. The name of this diagnosis is depression.
According to renowned psychiatrist John Baer, head of the outpatient psychiatric department at BWH (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston), depressive disorders affect not only a person's behavior, but also his relationships with others. The severity of such disorders varies.
The mechanism of depression is as follows: biochemical processes in the brain change that affect thinking, mood, appetite, sleep and vitality in general. All these components have a direct impact on the family and relationships within it.
To correct the situation, John Baer advises not to blame or reproach your spouse, but to use some tips.
1. Try to understand that the enemy is not the spouse himself, but his illness, that is, depression. You can't let her ruin your relationship. Surround your significant other with care and support, let him feel that you are one team. This doesn’t require much: go for a walk together, discuss a possible visit to the doctor, or suggest that he take medication.
2. Do not aggravate the patient’s condition with reproaches, claims, and especially retaliatory aggression. Remember: he’s already feeling bad, in this state a person can even forget about his everyday and social responsibilities. It’s better to read about how to get a person out of depression in detail.
3. Depression is an illness and requires diagnosis and treatment. But the person suffering from it may not realize this. Try to convince him to go to the doctor, go to the appointment with him. This requires your responsibility and initiative. And besides, you can tell the doctor valuable information about your spouse, because you live together and know him well.
4. A person with depression is characterized by an inadequate assessment of what is happening. Therefore, in this state, he can make rash decisions, for example, about divorce. After all, it seems to your spouse that everything is bad, love has passed and the marriage is falling apart. Don’t judge him, but rather try to talk about what thoughts and feelings bother him. All important decisions must be postponed until recovery.
5. If you have children, then the negative influence will not bypass them either. After all, they feel when something is wrong, so deception is of no use here. You need to explain to the children that mom or dad is sick, and all that is required of them is a little more care.
6. Overcoming depression and recovering can be difficult. Here you need patience, and then sooner or later the result will come. In the most difficult moments there are crises and relapses - but this is all temporary. Every person has black and white streaks in life, and depression is just a disease that can and should be treated.
When one of the spouses is depressed, it is possible that the rest of the family, communicating with him constantly, began to experience severe stress themselves. In this case, they also need to contact a psychologist to receive the necessary help and support.
Source: How to get your husband out of depression In any family, even a very strong one, one of the spouses may be constantly negative and simply unhappy. https://www.vitamarg.com/konsultacii/sostoynie/4825-kak-vyvesti-muzha-iz-depressii
