'I want to die': what to do when you feel hopeless

Do not confuse the fact of suffering from depression with the experience of "being depressed". We all feel sad sometimes, or go through difficult life moments where we have trouble falling asleep, have dark thoughts, or come down. They are normal human experiences. People go through a range of feelings throughout life that go from the saddest to the most happy, within this long spectrum are sadness, frustration, despair and irritability.

However, if these feelings are persistent and are affecting the normal functioning of daily life, both in the labor plane as in the development of other habitual activities, it could mean that more than being "depressed" the person suffers a depression.

It is essential if you recognize any of the symptoms of depression in yourself or someone close to you, or if you think you may be suffering a depression, consult as soon as possible with a doctor who can diagnose the disease and indicate the way forward for your treatment. In this article we will present a series of strategies and routines that have been shown to be effective for

combat the experience of "I want to die" understanding it as linked to depression, but it must be borne in mind that it is always the medical criterion that prevails over any of this advice.

• Related article: "The 6 Types of Mood Disorders"

I want to die: How do I know if I suffer from depression?

Depression is a mood disorder and the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) includes the following symptoms: loss of interest or pleasure (anhedonia), depressed mood, weight loss, agitation or retardation psychomotor, fatigue or lack of energy, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, lack of concentration or decreased ability intellectual. To be able to talk about disease, a series of criteria are used.:

• that the modifications that the state of mind presents are several and well determined.
• that the symptoms (sadness, despair, lack of motivation, etc.) appear permanently or almost permanently for more than 15 days.
• that affect the normal development of daily life; Difficulty or inability to get out of bed, go to work, perform leisure activities, etc.

However, sometimes some of the typical symptoms of depression may not appear or manifest differently, for example, the depressed person may not have a feeling that he identifies or associates with sadness, but having lost all interest in leisure and having stopped enjoying the things that he usually liked and used to do with enthusiasm and taste.

• You may be interested: "The 8 types of sadness: characteristics, possible causes and symptoms"

I could be depressed... What I do?

As we have already said, the best thing to do if you think you may have depression is to see a health professional; GP, psychiatrist or psychologist. Depression is a mood disorder, and only a licensed professional can officially determine if you suffer from depression. Both the psychiatrist and the psychologist have the ability to diagnose and treat any mental health problem. As for medical prescriptions, in the event that antidepressants are needed in the treatment, they can be made by both a psychiatrist and a family doctor. In the case of the psychologist, he can refer the patient in the case of needing pharmacological treatment.

However, although only professionals can confirm depression, there are some tools or criteria that can help us decide if we should see a professional.

The first thing is to understand that if someone feels sad all the time, they are probably depressed. Sometimes, if the state of sadness corresponds to a fact, that is, for example, the person has been fired from their job, or has suffered a breakup, we can think that it is not really a depression, but that it is a natural response to the situation, but if the depressive state lasts more than 15 days and the sadness is accompanied by other symptoms, it is important to take charge.

However, if the depressive state lasts very few days, it is probably not depression, since it is an illness that usually lasts between weeks and months. Although the reaction or the symptoms presented have been very exaggerated, anxiety attacks, self-harm, these could be at the origin of another disorder and it is also necessary to receive help professional.

Bipolarity and depression must be differentiated. Bipolarity is a manic-depressive disorder, this means that bipolar people go through periods in which they are depressed, and these can be confused with depression. But bipolarity is another disorder, and therefore needs a different treatment. If, in addition to these depressive episodes, there are periods where the energy level is very high, there is little sleep, there is a lot of agitation, high self-esteem, exaggerated purchases, or unusual actions, it is probably bipolar disorder and not depression. The professional must be informed of the existence of these episodes in order to make the diagnosis and receive the appropriate medical attention.

• Related article: "Major depression: symptoms, causes and treatment"

Actions to combat depression

Apart from medical treatment, it is important, as in any illness, to take care of yourself and learn about depression in order to combat it. Next, we will list a series of strategies that can help you cope.

1. Establish a good dialogue with the doctor

There are many different medications to treat depression. A doctor's goal is to always offer the best possible treatment. In the case of depression, as in other illnesses, It is usual to start with the safest or most effective pharmacological treatment. But what works for some sometimes doesn't work for others, that's why it's important that in the case of depression a dialogue of trust with the doctor, to find out how the treatment is working and adjust the doses, or change the medication if necessary necessary.

• You may be interested: "The 8 types of Psychiatry (and what mental illnesses they treat)"

2. Give time to treatment

Patience is important, whether you have opted for psychotherapy, antidepressants or a combination of both as treatment; depression is a disease that takes time to heal.

In the case of antidepressants, these take a while to work, they are also introduced little by little until the prescribed dose is reached. Although this period has been shortened in recent years, the efficacy of an antidepressant cannot be known with certainty until after one month of treatment. If after this time it does not seem to work, it is advisable to review the dose or change the medication.

• Related article: "Psychopharmaceuticals: drugs that act on the brain"

3. Find a good mental health professional

Psychotherapy is a treatment that is based on the patient and therapist relationship through dialogue. Many people go through several mental health professionals to find the one that is right for them. That does not mean that the previous ones were bad, simply that for that person they did not work. When choosing a psychiatrist, it is important to see if a relationship of trust is generated on the first dates and one feels comfortable to explain things or to ask openly about your treatment, if this is not the case, it is better to change professional.

4. Sleep well

If we think about it, we intuit that mood has to do with sleep. If one night we sleep less than we should, the next day we are irritable and in a bad mood, we perform less at work and we control impulses less, for example, it is more difficult for us to avoid chocolate or other types of food that we normally eat with moderation.

Depression is related to the natural sleep cycle, which makes us fall asleep when it starts to get dark and wake up with the light of day. If this is altered, the depressive state can worsen, but depression also affects the sleep cycle, makes sleep more or less hours or sleep at hours other than night, depressive patients typically suffer from insomnia.

As we can see, the relationship between depression and sleep hygiene becomes a kind of vicious circle that is difficult to get out of. A recent study showed that cognitive behavioral therapy applied to insomnia significantly increased recovery rates for people with depression. Treating sleep problems is an avenue that is being explored in the treatment of depression and is proving effective.

• Related article: "10 basic principles for good sleep hygiene"

5. Do exercise

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) belongs to the family of neurotriphins; These proteins help the survival of neurons. Stress decreases the concentration of neurotriphins and causes depressed people not to have this substance in sufficient quantity. Exercise has been revealed as a good method to counteract the effects of stress; brisk walking for half an hour, five days a week, appears to be enough to help release BNDF and increase levels.

6. do things that make you happy

People with depression or who have suffered from depression cite eating and sleeping well as key factors in improving mood and helping to cope with depression. But on this list he includes other things that go beyond medical recommendations: listening music, cooking, riding a bike, watching fun TV shows, or spending time with a pet. They are small or big things, depending on how you look at it, that could work to combat depression.