When it comes to depression, you must be familiar with it. Facing such a dangerous disease, I know you must have a lot of worries.
I think you must first worry about whether you will be hit by depression.
I don’t know if you feel this way, but around us, in the news, and on social networks, we see and hear more and more people with depression.
Indeed it is. According to statistics, 350 million people around the world have been plagued by depression, and the proportion of each person suffering from depression once in their lifetime is more than 10%, and these figures are still rising rapidly. Depression is really not far from us, it can even be said to be around us.
Then we naturally worry, will I be hit by depression? I often feel depressed and unhappy, is this depression? Should I seek help now? Or, what should I do to keep this nasty disease at bay?
These worries are not only for you, but also for me.
Then, I think you still worry about not knowing how to help those relatives and friends who are already suffering from depression.
Depression has long been a widely ignored, repressed, misunderstood, and even stigmatized illness, with many people lacking a basic understanding of it. Patients with depression often have to endure not only their own physical and emotional torture, but also criticism from others such as “fragile personality”. At this time, his pain may multiply.
Of course we also hope that we can understand them and help them. But in many cases, because we do not understand the nature of this disease, it is difficult for us to understand the feelings of the depressed patients around us; and because we do not understand, it is difficult for us to help them effectively.
When faced with them, we often don’t know what to do. Will my care and comfort hurt them? Should I take the initiative to care or bless silently in the distance? Should I send them some disease-related information? Should I encourage them to see a doctor?
All these problems are our constant worries.
Finally, I know you may have another layer of worry, and that is – do humans really understand this disease?
Are we completely helpless to do anything about it and have to sit back and wait for it to die? Are there proven solutions available? Is the disease hopeless and will only get worse? There is so much information, so much discussion, so much experience around this disease, how much of it can I trust?
All of these worries of yours are normal. I understand all your worries as well.
But what I want to tell you is that – right now – depression is already, by and large, a disease that we can conquer and eliminate.
First of all, there are ways to recognize depression.
About the workings of the human brain, about the origin of emotions, about the onset of depression, humans have gained a very deep understanding at all cognitive levels.
The psychological framework of cognitive schema and the framework of social relations can provide a good explanation of depression; neuroscience has also gained a rather essential understanding of depression using three strategies: brain structure, neural signals and neural loops, respectively; even at the most fundamental level of biological evolution, humans have discovered the value of negative emotions and the reasons for the increasing prevalence of depression.
In conclusion, the latest knowledge in different fields, from psychology to neuroscience, from brain structure and neural signals to neural circuits, from clinical medicine to evolutionary theory, has helped us to sketch the real face of this disease.
At the same time, there are ways to treat depression.
Based on these different levels of understanding, humans have also developed treatment options including psychotherapy, medication, brain stimulation, positive meditation, and many others. Together, these programs have formed a heavenly net to deal with depression.
Here, I can make a simple estimation –
1/3 of patients with milder symptoms, whether receiving psychotherapy or antidepressants, the disease can be significantly improved.
Another 1/3 of patients have more severe symptoms and may not do well with psychotherapy alone, but may do well with medication or medication combined with psychotherapy.
The remaining 1/3 of patients, which we call “refractory depression”, often have more severe symptoms, and psychotherapy and traditional antidepressants are often ineffective. For these patients, the new generation of antidepressants that have recently emerged are likely to help them as well. According to current clinical results, 2/3 of patients with refractory depression will respond well to these medications.
And finally, the remaining 10% of patients with major depression will be able to rely on brain stimulation to get great relief.
So you see, there are treatment options.
Not only treatment, but as far as we healthy people are concerned, we have found ways to keep ourselves away from depression, such as positive meditation.
This mysterious-sounding thing really does cause changes in the structure of the human brain that can not only reduce the suffering of depressed people but can also play a role in preventing depression.
So whether it’s you or someone you care about and love if you experience symptoms of depression, don’t worry, don’t panic; we have a solution.
In this depression-themed article, I will first tell you what the true nature of depression is.
From different levels of clinical medicine, psychology, neuroscience, and evolution, the nature of depression will be thoroughly explained.
Then, I will also take you along to understand the different options for fighting depression.
Whether it’s psychotherapy, medication, or brain stimulation, we’ll talk about all of them. Together, we’ll see how humans have managed to put depression in a cage a little bit.
And of course, I’ll tell you about these understandings and treatment options, what are their limitations and flaws, and what kind of explorations humans are making that might help us further understand it and fight it.
So by reading this article, you will not only have a fundamental and comprehensive understanding of depression; you will also know what viable treatment options are available to us in case we are unfortunately hit by depression. Not only will you know how to protect yourself from depression, but you will also know how to better understand and care for your loved ones and friends around you who are suffering from depression.
Of course, if you have friends or family members around you who need care, you are welcome to share this article on the topic with them as well. They can definitely see your concern.
I’m Jessica, and I’ll see you in the next article!
