At first glance the behavior of depressed people as equally crazy people withdraw from their environment. Make no mistake, depression and madness is much different. Depression can be cured although sometimes may recur, while madness is still difficult to treat.
Feeling depressed from time to time is a normal part of life. But when the emptiness and despair take over and would not disappear, it might just be depressed.
When a person withdraws from the surrounding environment, it is often said that the characteristics that indicate that someone is ‘crazy’.
What is the difference depressed and mad?
Many lay people think of depression the same as crazy. Crazy, which has a medical language of schizophrenia is not the same as depression.
Depression
As quoted from The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders a person suffering from depression have a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently at least for 2 weeks.
The symptoms that indicate depression:
- Depressed mood most of the time and almost every day, eg feeling sad or empty. In children and adolescents can be irritable mood.
- Decreased interest or pleasure significantly in all things almost every day.
- The reduced weight while not dieting or weight gain significantly.
- Insomnia or hyper insomnia almost every day
- Volatile or impaired psychomotor almost every day.
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
- Feelings of worthlessness, excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
- Decreased ability to think or concentrate, or lack of confidence arises almost every day.
- Constantly thinking about death or suicide without a detailed plan,
- Suicide attempt or specific plan for committing suicide.
Someone said to depression if they get 5 or more of these signs and have occurred during the 2 weeks together with the main symptoms at number 1 and 2.
Causes of depression include stress, shock, economic and social pressure, family factors, friend or an unhealthy environment. Alcohol and drug use can also trigger depression.
Treatment of depression can be done in various ways, can be counseling, psychotherapy or using antidepressant medications. Changes in lifestyle, such as more frequent exercise can also help overcome this depression.
If you’re having mild or moderate depression, a family physician or psychologist can help you. If you are severely depressed or if treatment is not successful, could see a psychiatrist. Some people need to be hospitalized, especially if they have a suicide plan.
Depression may relapse. Drugs and to continue some kind of therapy after feeling better, can help avoid this.
Crazy
Someone said to crazy or having schizophrenia when the examination of the following 3 criteria:
1. Characteristic symptoms
Two or more of the following criteria each emerged during the period of 1 month ie:
- Delusion
- Hallucinations
- Discussion that is not organized, which indicates the general thought disorder.
- Behavior of a significantly visible disorganized. (Like do not fit in the dress, often crying) or catatonic behavior.
2. Negative symptoms: Blunted effect (or decreased less emotional reaction), alogia (lack or decline in conversation), or avolition (lack or decline in motivation).
3. Social / occupational dysfunction
For a significant portion of time from the appearance of interference, one or more parts functions such as work, interpersonal relationships, self care is below standard apparent since the emergence of the beginning.
4. Duration
Continuing signs of abnormality on an ongoing basis at least for 6 months. Period of 6 months should include at least 1 month of the appearance of symptoms (or less, if symptoms appear closed by the treatment).
Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness, and there was no one main cause is found. Here are some theories about the cause:
1. Offspring
2. Chemicals in the brain.
3. People with schizophrenia are sensitive to chemicals in the brain or too much dopamine producing substances that cause pleasure so often looks like a chuckle.
4. Disturbances in brain
The continued development of technology, the researchers found brain structure and function in patients with schizophrenia have abnormalities in brain structure that thin. These abnormalities included a slight widening of the ventricles in the brain, and the existence of some parts of the brain are smaller.
5. Complications during pregnancy and birth
Some researchers believe that infection or malnutrition during pregnancy, ataukarena complications during birth, can increase the risk of schizophrenia in the child when he was growing up.
Schizophrenia Treatment
Due process and symptoms of schizophrenia that varies from one to another, handling must also be determined based on individual decisions.
Schizophrenia can not be cured, but can be effectively controlled in many people.
These are treatments that can be done:
- Antipsychotic Treatment
- Treatment of Atypical
- Other medication (such as the use antidepressant, anti-anxiety medication, lithium, etc.)
- Electroconvulsive (shock) Therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Family support
- Rehabilitation