You have the idea of a depressed person as someone who is lying helplessly in a bed, and that is just a stereotype that does not match reality. The person with depression can sleep for hours as they have insomnia, they can have anorexia or eat too much, they can be sad or often exaggeratedly happy. Many confuse depression with sadness, when in reality in depression there are no such emotions, but rather a lack of emotion, there is a general apathy; that is, lack of emotions, lack of desire to do.
Depressions are characterized by low mood, decreased ability to experience pleasure and self-esteem. This can often be observed in their behavior, in how they express themselves, in their way of acting and moving, and it is something that has serious repercussions on the person’s quality of life and social, family, and work performance.
It often produces an inability to face the daily chores of life, which is why the World Health Organization (WHO), presents it as one of the first causes of loss in the quality of life of a person, since it is very difficult to talk about depression because not all of them manifest themselves in the same way; for this reason, we generally speak of depressions, since its manifestations can be very different.
Within the different types of depressions, there are two major divisions, those that are related to organic factors, related to deficiencies in the organism of some neurotransmitter and that they have no relation to external (endogenous) factors, and those that are a consequence of the context (exogenous).
In some more severe types, the disease itself can cause thoughts about suicide, being the psychiatric disease with the highest risk of death. These people, unable to feel emotions or pleasure, led by this lack of motivation, think about taking their own life, since they do not find meaning in it. It is very important for this, before any doubt or symptom, to consult a professional, since timely treatment is essential.
Most of those who think about suicide do not really want to die, what they want is to be free of this intolerable context in their life. and the emotional, mental, and physical anguish he experiences. That is why they live in a continuous ambivalence between reasons for living and for dyingand suicidal behavior is the only alternative that they often see.
There are certain signs or behaviors that it is good to keep in mind in these situations. In the first place, it is a very widespread myth that says that the suicide bomber does not warn. “If he says it, it’s because he’s not going to do it” “he’s just threatening.” This is a lie, the possible suicide expresses it, gives signs. It is important to hear what he says, both in phrases such as: “I’m going to kill myself! “I want to kill myself” “it is no longer worth living” “Why continue?” etc. These phrases are talking about what the person lives and feels, many times they are not just a simple expression.
It is also important to remove the taboo that exists when talking about the subject. The person may be asked if they really want or plan to do it, and seek the corresponding psychiatric help. Many times there is fear of asking directly, for fear that this will increase the desire to do so, when in reality it’s good to ask, to know how to act and that the issue does not remain silent without being able to work on it with a professional. Nor should suicide or its attempt be associated with being cowardly or brave, nor with romantic or heroic issues, this raises moral issues in a situation that the person who commits it cannot fully control.
What is depression, the silent disease that attacks the brain and harms mental health
It is prevented by observing, there are certain signs that are an alert: isolation, lack of appetite or voracious appetite, having many negative ideas, difficulty sleeping and working, lack of emotions, apathy, inconsolable crying, sudden changes in behavior. The best prevention is, before any symptom or behavior that is seen in the person, consult a professional quickly (psychiatrist, psychologist), since they have the tools to detect it and be able to work on it, often a late diagnosis can have negative consequences.
Suicide is neither good nor bad, in a situation of suffering, often internal, over which the person has no control and which often responds to organic issues. Do not give positive advice like “let’s go, life is beautiful”, the person, no matter how much they want to, cannot see it and that frustrates them even more. It is good to express interest and support and to be able to show the person that you are present.
*(MN: 66869) – Dr. In psychology, teacher and author @calvoflavio.
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