Depression is a serious mental illness that seriously endangers human physical and mental health. It is a common syndrome of emotional disorders, with a predominant feature of low mood. With the acceleration of modern life pace and increased social pressure, the incidence of depression has been on the rise in recent years. It severely troubles the lives and work of patients, bringing a heavy burden to patients’ families and society. Approximately 15% of depression patients die from suicide.
Three common characteristics of depression patients:
1. Over-self-focus: Depression patients tend to focus more on themselves than non-depressed individuals. Studies have shown that depressed patients tend to estimate their future more pessimistically.
2. Tendency to self-blame: Self-blaming thoughts are common in psychological disorders. The self-blaming tendency of depression patients is not a single-dimensional, but should include 1) high standards for oneself; 2) inability to tolerate not meeting standards; 3) forming a generalized sense of self-concept of failure, encompassing these three dimensions.
3. Overgeneralization: Research shows that depression patients lack specific details when recalling the past or imagining future events. Overgeneralization is a basic ability for more efficiently encoding and memorizing information in humans. However, the overgeneralization thinking of depression patients often leads them to ignore many information, resulting in conclusions with cognitive biases. The lack of details also leads to losing interest in many things, generating negative emotions of emptiness and boredom.
Can depression patients self-regulate?
Most depression patients feel hopeless about life, have low treatment compliance and self-acceptance. Some patients may even engage in extreme behaviors like suicide or self-harm. Therefore, in the process of treating patients, we need to strengthen psychological care to enhance treatment compliance and self-acceptance.
Regulation methods:
1. Stick to normal activities: Some patients are capable of working normally or doing household chores, but they avoid doing so. This is harmful as it makes them feel more useless. In fact, they are capable of completing tasks, and as long as they persist in doing what they should, their mood will not continue to decline.
2. Plan with flexibility: Many people think about what to do the next day before going to bed at night. Depression patients should not set their plans too high or too low, leaving room for flexibility. This way, they can successfully complete their plans every day, as people often say, “a small jump can bring down the fruit.”
3. Acknowledge yourself promptly: Before going to bed each night, fully acknowledge the achievements and progress of the day that is about to pass, avoiding negative thoughts. It’s best to keep a diary, writing down positive experiences, progress, and achievements. Doing this daily will make life more interesting.
4. Do not discuss negative things with relatives and friends, nor listen to negative talk from patients. This is not to show lack of empathy, but mainly because listening to negative things from patients can reinforce their tendency to talk negatively.
How else can depression be relieved?
In addition to paying attention to daily life, patients can also seek professional psychological treatment and follow medical advice to take antidepressant medication.
Commonly used in clinical practice, Levofolinate Hydrochloride Anfeitone tablets, minimal risk of weight gain, sexual dysfunction, manic episodes, and cardiac side effects; particularly suitable for patients with bipolar disorders, seasonal affective disorder prevention and treatment, depression with anxiety, obese concerns in depression patients, postpartum depression patients, diabetes patients, etc.
References:
Xu C, The influence of psychological care intervention on treatment compliance and self-acceptance of depression patients[J]. Journal of Chinese Health and Nutrition, 2017, 27(10): 29. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-7484.2017.10.031.
Ma X, Advances in depression research[J]. Frontiers of Social Sciences, 2020, 9(2): 140-146.
