Nadia Rodríguez: "Hopelessness is not exclusive to depression"

Clinical depression is a psychological disorder that almost everyone has heard of speak, but it is also true that a part of the population has a vision of it very based on myths.

Erroneous beliefs such as that it is sadness taken to the extreme or that it is just an excuse for "Mentally weak" people continue to create confusion at best, and damage in the worse. So this time we interview the psychologist Nadia Rodríguez Ortiz, who has a lot of experience helping people with depression in her work.

• Related article: "The 6 types of mood disorders"

Interview with Nadia Rodríguez: the characteristics of depression

Nadia Rodríguez Ortiz is an expert psychologist in adult care and specialized in cognitive-behavioral therapy and Third Generation Therapies. In this interview we address the issue of clinical depression with her.

In popular culture, is depression still underestimated, assuming that those who develop this disorder are simply "weak" or complain too much?

It is still present, it seems incredible, doesn't it? After many years of scientific study and outreach by health professionals, a person with depressive behavior is still not taken seriously. From phrases such as "give it a try", "if you want, then you can", or "Are we men or clowns?"

It has happened to me that it is more common in adolescents or young adults who still live with their parents. The generation that today chose to be parents grew up hearing this from their parents and thus learned to deal with emotions, ignoring or minimizing them.

It is a bit understandable that they think that. There is no single way to be depressed, nor does this disorder have the same causes for everyone. Adding to the fact that there is no consensus on whether it is a disease or not, and whether it can be reduced or not with medications ...

But it is also true that important advances have been made in the acceptance of psychological problems. Celebrities, influencers and health professionals in social networks who speak and recognize openly who have been treated for depression with professionals helps other people receive help in time.

What elements of clinical depression do you think can lead to more suffering?

This is something that varies depending on each case, although there is one that most worries psychotherapists: hopelessness. And this is not exclusive to depression.

Any other person with a clinical diagnosis that presents this characteristic is concerned, because there are studies that put it as a predictor of suicidal behavior.

The likelihood of someone taking their own life is greater when they have no way to escape their agony.

A time of high suicide risk in depression is when the person begins to get better. People with severe depression begin to regain some energy, perhaps enough to make a suicide attempt. Therefore, stopping the treatment in the middle is worrying.

How do you explain to a person who is not trained in mental health how depression is distinguished from sadness?

This is related to the previous question. I would say that there are important differences in being sad and being depressed. Feeling sad, a person can go to work and be functional. You can cry and carry on. You can go from sadness to anger if the situation warrants it. But someone depressed may not get out of bed.

It even happens that someone depressed does not seem so at first glance. You can go to work and not talk to anyone. You don't see him crying, but there are other signs. You are no longer interested in the things you used to like.

A depressed person can always seem tired because doing things that they dislike (although they used to be their hobbies) represents a huge effort. You have stopped thinking about long-term goals because none of them make sense, or strive to achieve them.

So living with depression is wearing down and may seem sad, but it isn't always. There are other elements that are more important.

Faced with a sign of constant sadness you have to ask, but it is also dangerous to mistakenly assume that a person without severe depressive symptoms is "safe" and therefore does not require psychological attention immediate.

What habits and routines help prevent the onset of depression?

It is not so much the habit and routine by itself, but the purpose it serves. Having a routine with healthy but unpleasant habits can have the same effect as doing nothing. A custom plan is needed.

I have heard generic remedies like "make your bed" or "play sports" to get out of depressive states. It is not as simple as that. You need to create habits that make sense in the long run. I prefer to take the time to create a flexible but worthwhile and motivating routine. And that is different for each of us. And at first it may not be pleasant at all, so it is necessary to consider a series of elements before deciding.

If I had to answer I would say that variety and diversity of activities make sense.

And as a psychologist, what techniques do you find most useful for treating depression?

Fortunately, there are a variety of ways that psychologists have studied to evidently modify depression. And the best, without medication. Nothing against medication, you just have to consider that sometimes people feel that they have only advanced to the drug and do not want to stop even if it is no longer necessary.

There are cognitive, behavioral and contextual therapy techniques. They all involve changing the conditions so that the mood changes accordingly. However, so far what works best has to do with what is called behavioral activation.

What can be done if we meet someone with depression, beyond encouraging them to go to therapy?

Give value to what you are feeling, beyond providing solutions, although they are also good if they are requested.

Being depressed is not necessarily the fault of the person who is suffering from it, but it is your responsibility to do something to change it.

And it does not come out alone. Sure there are people who lived it like that, but getting ahead with help does not make the achievement less important.

For someone with depression, they are encouraged to do activities even if they are small compared to what they did before they suffered from depression.

And the help of the people around is super important. It is the fact of telling them that what they feel will always be valid and that they will never be blamed for not feeling encouraged; sometimes that totally makes a difference. Meeting people who understand your situation without judging it reduces the burden of, in addition to feeling bad, having to meet the expectations of other people who do not understand them.

Finally, encourage them to do little things even if they do not have initial wishes and highlight the positive aspects of doing things without wanting, again, without recriminating.

Don't make comments like "You see! If you just tried, what could you get! " Because it is again transmitting to the person that "if he has desires then he can do everything", when this is one of the beliefs that most complicates people to get out of the state in which they are.