How to know if I have endogenous depression

Are you feeling depressed for no apparent reason? Are you sad and dejected even though things are going well? Generally, people with depression have begun to suffer from it due to external causes such as, for example, that they are going through difficult situations in your life (death of a loved one, loss of job, serious illness, breakdown of a relationship, personal crisis, among other). However, there is another type of depression that does not have an apparent cause, because the true origin is internal. But, How do i know if i have endogenous depression? In this Psychology-Online article, we are going to let you know in greater depth what are the causes of a endogenous depression, the symptoms of the people who suffer from it, the consequences and what treatment is appropriate for remove it.

Index

1. Endogenous depression: symptoms
2. Causes of endogenous depression
3. Endogenous depression: drug treatment
4. Guidelines for knowing if I have endogenous depression

The symptoms of endogenous depression are very similar to those of any other type of depression, however, these are generally more focused on physical symptoms, which result in the cognitive and attitudinal symptoms present in all kinds of depression. Some of the more frequent physical symptoms in this type of depression are the following:

• Sleep disorders, such as insomnia. This may explain why people with this disorder tend to feel worse in the morning.
• Excessive tiredness. The person may experience being tired all or most of the day, feels fatigued, slow, which explains the high degree of passivity of her.
• Hypoactive sexual desire. There is a disinterest in performing any type of sexual activity, normally. the sexual desire that these people experience is very low or null.
• Lack of memory and concentration.
• They have constant feelings of emotional emptiness.
• Depressed mood most of the day.
• Appetite disorders may appear.
• They tend to have high levels of guilt and anguish.
• They experience sudden mood swings.
• Body aches may appear.
• Recurring thoughts of death.

As we have already seen at the beginning of this article, endogenous depression has no external causeSince it does not originate from going through some negative event, it simply appears and remains there even if the experiences are positive.

Endogenous depression is caused by biological factors in the brain directly affecting certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, among others responsible for regulating emotions and reducing stress.

Another biological cause that has been found is that there are structural changes in the central nervous system, such as the decrease in the volume of some structures in the hippocampus that among other things is related to the mental processes that have to do with the regulation of emotions.

It has also been found that there is a genetic component which makes some people more prone to endogenous depression. Children of parents who suffer from it are more likely to also suffer from it.

In the case of endogenous depression, due to its internal origin, it has been shown that the administration of drugs has given good results and is essential for this type of case. The purpose of using drugs is to achieve a brain chemical balance and to regulate the neurotransmitters that are causing this imbalance. Regarding the drugs used to treat endogenous depression, the following are essential. tricyclic antidepressants or the serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

It is also necessary that in combination with the administration of drugs, the person undergoes a psychological treatment, which will help you to reduce your emotional discomfort. During the sessions, they will learn new ways to regulate their emotions, solve problems, activation exercises are also carried out so that the person can continue with their normal life without their depressive states intervening and, likewise, prevent relapses, change their irrational thoughts for more positive and functional ones, among others things. Psychological therapy, like pharmacological treatment, has to be adapted to the specific situation of each person.

In response to the question "how to overcome endogenous depression?" and after having known in more detail what this type of depression consists of, its symptoms, causes and the treatment that must be followed to overcome it, we are going to give you a series of guidelines that you can pay attention to, since it could be a sign that you are suffering from this type of depression. However, you have to take into account that it is very easy for it to be confused with another type of depression and that the diagnosis must be made strictly by a professional. Some alarm signals they can be the following:

• Experience 5 or more of the symptoms mentioned above during a period of 2 weeks in a row.
• Having parents diagnosed with endogenous depression (it is not a trigger but increases the chances that you will suffer from it too)
• Your depression is not due to some external factor (difficult life situations).
• The symptoms experienced cause you significant discomfort in important areas of your life (work, social, family).
• The symptoms you experience are not due to side effects of some drugs (drugs, medications) or a medical condition.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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