Depression is a disease state which has characteristic symptoms.

By no means is depression a manifestation of the lack of character. This is a serious disease which is accompanied by violations of all psychological and even physical (sleep, appetite, body weight, etc.) functions of a person. Loss or reduction of strong-willed character – is one of the symptoms of the depression. Therefore, you should not advise the person suffering from depression, «to pull yourself together» – he will not be able to overcome the disease without medical care. Depression significantly affects the efficiency, education, social life, relationships with other people, including next of kin.

Is there a connection between depression and female sex?

It is common knowledge that women suffer from depression more often than men. This fact is confirmed by numerous epidemiological researches from different countries. The frequency of depression by women is 2-3 times higher than by men. In modern medicine female sex belongs to factors, which are predisposed to development of depression.

What is a reason of depression?

In many respects depression is connected with changes in endocrine profile, which take place in the woman organism during childbearing age. So-called genesial (genital) cycle passes a number of stages, starting with a menstruation and finishing with its completion. It includes menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, premenopausal and climacterical periods. At each of these stages there are a lot of changes in the composition and number of hormones, which are accompanied by physiological changes of all functions of the female body, including the psychological realm. Therefore, such changes of endocrine profile are connected with the increased risk of depression.

How does depression become apparent by women?

How it was stated above, the risk of depression increases at each stage of the reproductive cycle. There are different variants (syndromes) of depression in the clinical medicine, which are typical for every stage of the reproductive cycle, – premenstrual syndrome, pregnant depressive syndrome, postnatal depression during premenopausal and climacterical periods.

Manifestation of depression may be different. Depressed mood can manifest itself both by oppression and apathy, and by hyperirritability, maudlin, anxiety, a sense of internal tension. The change in mood is usually accompanied by a decreased activity, a loss of energy, an easy fatiguability and a distracted attention. Depression in women is often accompanied by a variety of somatic disorders: disturbance of sleep (insomnia or excessive sleepiness), appetite disturbance (decreased or increased appetite). There may appear unpleasant feelings of stress and pain in the mammary glands, headaches, pains in joints and muscles, pains in heart and occasional heartbeats, weakness in the body, fluctuations of blood pressure, etc.

The duration of depressions which associated with the reproductive cycle may be different. Premenstrual depressive syndrome is usually brief, about 2 weeks (1 week before and 1 week after menstruation), but it has recrudescent character with the monthly worsening. Post-natal depressions and menopause depressions may be more protracted and continue several weeks and even months.

How can you treat depression?

Depression – is a curable disease. In case of the correct choice of an appropriate remedy and its dose, the completely eliminate from the depression symptoms is quite possible.

The treatment of depression occurs only with the help of special medicines, which called antidepressants.

The treatment of depression should be ordered only by a doctor. We must remember that every person has its own characteristics of depression, which are connected both with the gravity of the disease and it clinical manifestations. The correct choice of treatment in each case requires the appreciation of multiple characteristics of the patient. Only doctor can correctly identify, evaluate and classify such features. In no case one should not resort to the help of relatives or friends or choose a means of treating independently, on the grounds that some medication helped someone who you know.

This rule must be observed, especially if change of mood is accompanied by a changes of overall health, violations of bodily functions and pains that is most characteristic for depressions which are associated with the reproductive cycle. In such cases, only doctor can properly assess the nature of symptoms, determine the actual state of internal organs and choose medicines that will be not only effective but also safe. It is strongly encouraged to take antidepressants during pregnancy and lactation.

Nowadays there are a lot of antidepressants. All modern medications of this class are effective and safe. However each of them has its own differential characteristics, which connected both with therapeutic action and its dosage.

The treatment of depression takes time. You should not wait for the recovery in the first days of taking the medication. Remember that all modern antidepressants effect the depression no earlier than in 1-2 weeks after beginning the treatment. During this period a doctor also identifies the necessary dosage.

The abolition from the antidepressant, as well as its prescription, should only be ordered by a doctor. Even after the complete disappearance of all symptoms of depression you should continue to take antidepressants for some period of time. It is connected with a risk of worsening depression, which in case of premature abolition of therapy is very high – up to 60-80%. Moreover, the worsening of depression, associated with the premature termination of treatment, usually more difficult responds to treatment. The duration of such additional period of treatment, which aim is preventive measures, determines only doctor on the basis of individual characteristics of each patient.

Remember, even if you decide to stop treatment before the period determined by a doctor, it is necessarily to consult with a specialist.