Er depresjon helbredelig?
Depression is a widespread phenomenon: in Norway, up to a fifth of all people develop it during their lifetime. There are two periods where the mental illness occurs particularly often: between 30 and 45 years - here twice as often in women as in men - and from 65 years. Depression often has a difficult, long-term course, especially in old age. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the disease that causes the most cardiovascular problems.
The good news is: the situation is not hopeless, help is available. The extent to which this is possible depends on the causes and symptoms. "However, the symptoms in all people are reduced so that they can live a good life again. The most common symptoms of depression include low, sad mood, hopelessness and lack of drive." Among the many other possible symptoms, the sleep disorder is usually subjectively the most stressful for those affected, "says Aichhorn. However, this can usually be handled well, which generally leads to a more relaxed attitude towards life.
The doctor adds a big one, but to yes:
In addition to the treatment here and now, prophylaxis is at least as important. That means: preventing depression from coming back. The risk for this is relatively high. - During the first two years, it is around 50 percent, says Aichhorn.
The more often a person has a depressive phase, the greater the risk of becoming ill again - a vicious circle. If depression becomes chronic, it is difficult to get rid of it and requires special treatment methods. This is precisely why prophylaxis is important in the first depressive phase. "If we succeed in preventing a new depression, it is quite possible that the disease will never recur and the person will be considered healed," sums up Aichhorn.
Threshold case:
It is difficult to answer why the risk of recurrence increases with each additional depressive phase. In general it can be said: Depression does not come out of the blue, it has various causes and usually a relevant life event that triggers. "These stressors lead to a shift in neurotransmitters, especially serotonin, but norepinephrine and dopamine also play a role," explains Aichhorn. The more often the depression recurs, the fewer triggers are relevant and the threshold drops.
Erfaringen har vist at den første episoden av depresjon kan behandles veldig bra hos halvparten til to tredjedeler av pasientene, ifølge Aichhorn. I omtrent en tredjedel er terapi vanskeligere, men likevel nyttig. Antidepressiva brukes til å bringe nevrotransmitterne tilbake i balanse. Det tar vanligvis flere uker før medisinen virker og symptomene forsvinner. I tillegg til medikamentell behandling er psykoterapeutisk samtaleterapi vanlig. Psykososial rådgivning kan også være nødvendig, for eksempel i tilfelle arbeidsledighet eller familiekonflikter.
For å forhindre at sykdommen gjentar seg etter den første depresjonen og dermed risikoen for kronisk sykdom, er tidlig og konsekvent behandling viktig. Dette inkluderer også tilstrekkelig informasjon om de som er rammet av sykdommen, varigheten av behandlingen og bivirkningene. For selv etter at symptomene har avtatt, er det fortsatt nødvendig å ta medisinen i lengre tid som profylakse.

Comments
Post a Comment