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“What for some is a reason for depression, for others is an impulse towards change”
Psychology
The psychologist Olga Albaladejo assures that before the pandemic it was estimated that in 2050 depression would be the first health problem, and at the moment these data seem to be demonstrated
Depression is not always obvious. In fact, some people do everything possible to hide the symptoms of this disease from the people around them, hiding the problem so well that they hardly recognize it themselves, and in many cases it is difficult to identify signs that help us differentiate between sadness. momentary or a longer feeling: depression. There are various factors by which this disorder is suffered, and one third corresponds to genetic inheritance while the other two are developed by the environment.
We spoke with Top Doctors psychologist Olga Albaladejo about how to know if we suffer from depression and if it is female, it has more episodes of this disease than men.
Have you noticed that inquiries for depression have skyrocketed since the Covid began?
Yes. Pandemic and confinement have suddenly destroyed two of the great illusions that human beings live with, that they are invulnerable and that they control what happens to them. As a society we have long relegated death to something that happens outside of our day to day, hidden in hospitals.
Accustomed to looking the other way, we have been overwhelmed by the incessant news about the number of infections and deaths; We have feared for the possibility of suffering the Covid or that our loved ones had it; And what is even worse psychologically speaking, we have felt completely vulnerable, deadly and without any control over what happened.
Being at home for so long is what has made the situation worse …
Hiding in our homes and away from our social environment has made us physically, mentally and emotionally position ourselves in survival mode. We have become accustomed to equal days, minimal physical activity, little brain stimulation and expressions of affection permissible only through the screens of computers and tablets.
But everything has a price. To survive we have entered a loop in which depression and anxiety are common derivatives. More and more people come for consultation because they do not know how to get out of that loop, because they are still afraid to go out on the street, they have no illusions about anything, they do not know how to stop suffering from the death of a loved one from whom they could not lay off, have an anxiety crisis or vital anguish, symptoms of ‘burn out’ or lost their job …
Even before the pandemic, it was estimated that in 2050, depression would be the first health problem. Worldwide it affects at least 10% of the population. In Spain, in fact, in 2017 alone, approximately three million people were diagnosed with depression. Considering that around 50% of the people who suffer from it do not ask for help, we can do our own calculations.
How would you define the depressive state to someone who has not experienced it in their own skin?
Actually, the depressive state is more of a colloquial way of speaking in which we include everything from sadness to major depression. However, a natural and adaptive feeling of sadness as a result of having lost someone (or something) whom you loved very much has nothing to do with major depression as a disease properly diagnosed by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Feelings or emotions arise as a consequence of specific events and allow us to adapt to the new reality; they move us to action. When its duration and intensity are proportional to what happened, we speak of a healthy response.
On the other hand, if it is prolonged in time, one speaks of depression, right?
Yes. When it lasts too long and interferes with the normal development of our daily activity, we begin to speak of a depressed mood. Now is when the person begins to show symptoms that are part of the spectrum of depression: they have insomnia, or they sleep too much; You have trouble concentrating and / or are constantly thinking about the same ideas or events; your mood swings a lot throughout the day, or you are permanently sad; it has no energy, it isolates itself, etc. Surely you know what I am talking about because it is also normal that we have all lived in a similar state at different times in our lives.
However, when this state is maintained in time and in the severity of the symptoms, we already enter a disease itself: depression. Depression is a mental disorder characterized by low mood and feelings of sadness associated with behavioral disturbances.
And can it be hereditary?
Although advances in the field of genetics can help us develop targeted and personalized therapies, the truth is that depression, like all diseases, is the result of the combination of multiple factors such as physical, mental, emotional and environmental / social that predispose us to suffer according to what diseases.
Genetics would be among the physical factors, as well as the presence or not of certain neurotransmitters and hormones, of other diseases and of a certain microbiota. Numerous studies speak of the involvement of multiple genes in depression, but they also agree that genetic predisposition does not lead to the development of the disease.
Is it true that women are more likely to suffer from depression than men?
Yes, practically double. In fact, in the white paper on ‘Depression and Suicide’ published in 2020, it was indicated that 14% of Spanish women would have suffered an episode of major depression throughout their lives compared to 6% of men.
We are not certain about the reason for these differences, but we could point to three main factors: the influence on mood of hormonal cycles; education and the diverse experiences of men and women in different socio-cultural environments and a greater predisposition of women to seek help when they feel they need it (which would lead to underdiagnosing the number of men suffering from depression).
What are the most common causes of depression?
As I mentioned before, unless depression is associated with other organic diseases such as Parkinson’s, tuberculosis or coronavirus, or is it itself, we must have the conjunction of various predisposing and triggering factors.
What for one person may be a cause of depression, for another is an impulse to change and enjoy life fully. For this reason, we should not understand depression, or any other illness, as a theoretical fact and perfectly classifiable according to a binary cause-consequence system. There are as many depressions as there are people who suffer from it.
And what do you need to know about this?
We need to know and deepen their family history, their health, their lifestyle habits, their personality and coping styles, as well as the possible stressful circumstances that may have triggered that depression.
Remember that it is not the same to be sad for having lost something, or someone you loved (family, job, pet, health …), than to be depressed. If I am allowed a crude comparison, it is not the same to have an elbow pain due to sports overexertion than to have degenerative osteoarthritis; although the accumulation of overexertion can degenerate into osteoarthritis.
How do I know if I have depression?
Going to a psychologist to make the proper diagnosis. And that is what is happening most often. We are ceasing to self-diagnose to seek the necessary help from the appropriate professional. For this reason, fortunately, we are breaking taboos and psychology consultations are multiplying.
It is also important that you make the effort not to bet on the medicine on duty. Remember that anxiolytics and antidepressants are among the most used drugs … and most useless. Unless we do have depression and it is due to endogenous causes, the only way to move forward is by learning to manage our depression, facing what triggered it and growing with it.
Various psychological therapies have more scientific evidence than the usual medications. However, it’s true, working on ourselves takes a lot more effort and commitment than taking a pill.
But before you give in to comfort, think about it. Ask yourself: “Is so much suffering worth it? How do I want to live the rest of my life now that the coronavirus has shown me that it is not infinite?
Depressed people, what do they expect from their environment?
Nothing good. Or at best, nothing. Precisely one of the symptoms of the depressed person is hopelessness. They feel sad, empty, they do not find pleasure in anything, nor the energy to get close to people and things that used to make them good. They feel worthless, guilty, or inappropriate and have trouble concentrating even to perform simple tasks or make decisions. That is why they also begin to have recurring thoughts about the uselessness of life, or death.
It is important for the people next to you not to take these symptoms as malicious behavior, to understand that it is a disease for which the patient is neither responsible nor guilty and, therefore, to help you find the professional help you need. .
What do you have to do to not get depressed?
I wish there was a magic recipe for a question so complex that it would take up an article … or an entire book. Not getting depressed is an attitude towards life. Before each thing that happens to us we have an infinite range of possibilities. We can decide to accept them and learn from them, or deny them, reject them, get angry … or get depressed.
I often ask my clients: “How do you eat an elephant?” In addition to making them smile with this children’s joke, my intention is to make them reflect on the importance of tackling one problem at a time, of walking step by step, of fragmenting what happens to us into portions that we can manage. (I don’t forget, the answer to the riddle is “bite by bite”).
It is essential to learn to live with a positive attitude, approach what happens to us in a constructive way and assume that everything is an opportunity for growth. Of course, it would not be healthy to burst out laughing in the face of adversity, or painful situations, but as the Dalai Lama said, pain is not the same as suffering. Pain is natural and irremediable, suffering is optional.
A psychologist will help us learn to live positively. Regardless of our age or origin, we are always on time to work for our well-being and begin to be happy.
About Olga Albaladejo
Olga Albaladejo Juárez is a renowned specialist in psychology. Her exhaustive training took place between Spain, Portugal and the US and she has numerous specialty degrees in various areas of psychology, such as the Coach Certification by the International Coaching Community, the expert degree in Neurolinguistic Programming by the Camilo José Cela University. de Madrid, or the Master in Psychooncology and Palliative Care from the Complutense University of Madrid, among others.