Recurrence Of Depression: Risks And Prevention

Recurrence of depression can be a frustrating and even frightening experience. As if the situation isn’t already bad enough, recurrence of depression can often be accompanied by feelings of guilt and guilt. According to statistics, recurrence of depression is actually quite common; about 80 percent of patients with depression experience some degree of setback within ten years of the initial diagnosis.

One of the conditions that causes the most setbacks is long-term depression, or dysthymia. It is typically a very long-term illness, but milder than the actual depression. The symptoms of this disorder are usually those that increase and decrease over several years.

You can certainly imagine that living with dysthymia can be very exhausting and complicated. Despite the fact that the symptoms are milder than in the actual depression, the disease in any case impairs the patient’s ability to function and overall quality of life. During their lifetime, dysthymia affects about 6% of the adult population and is significantly more common among women.

All this shows that we still do not have enough tools to treat various mental disorders. The huge lack of concrete and useful information prevents us from really understanding how complex and challenging the daily lives of many people can be.

For example, many people still think that people with depression are somehow weaker than others. Despite all the advances in psychology and the information available online, there is still a strong stigma associated with cognitive impairment. And not only is this a problem, but we still have a long way to go in developing effective methods for effective treatment of depression.

What can cause the recurrence of depression

Depression is a disorder of the kind that requires both short-term and long-term approaches to treat the disease. If your therapist declares you “healed” after a course of medication or therapy-based treatment, it really doesn’t mean you can leave this thing behind for the rest of your life. Depression always stays close and can lurk right around the corner. It does not usually disappear without guided intervention, a person’s steadfast desire to change, or the unwavering support of those around him. While medications can be helpful, they do not cure the disease themselves, but this requires hard work anyway.

It often happens that a patient whose condition looks significantly better may still experience what professionals call “symptom remnants”. These symptoms can easily lead to a setback in the healing process and can even be difficult to notice at first. In 2011, a study was conducted at the University of Dublin in Ireland on the prevalence of depression in the population and the typical signs of the disease. The study reached the following conclusions:

• Cognitive symptom remnants are the most common. These can include thoughts, attitudes, and a negative perspective on life. All of these make complete healing very challenging. In addition, nervousness, difficulty finding the right words, difficulty making a decision, and general slowness are also fairly common signs.
• Patients may also suffer from physical symptoms.  Low energy levels and various sleep difficulties are the most common and visible signs of these.

Let’s dive a little deeper into this matter.

Recurrence of depression may be due to a pattern of thoughts

When depression recurs, you already know what to keep coming. Among other things, you should start your previous treatment again and discuss with your doctor the best methods for your treatment.

A study by Dr. Norman A. Farb, published at the University of Toronto in Canada, suggests that the schematic nature of human thoughts is a major cause of recurrence of depression. So we are used to thinking a certain way and our thoughts largely follow this same formula. If you constantly want to make a sacrifice, listen to your overly critical inner voice, and be negative about everything, then the risk of recurrence of depression is also very high.

It’s important to keep in mind that these ideas we’re used to are comparable to rowing at sea in a boat with a hole in the bottom. Negative thinking will overwhelm you. It’s exhausting and prevents creative and usable ideas from coming up that could really help you survive the waves of life. This kind of internal dialogue can even convince you that you can no longer swim. If you let the situation go this far, it can be very difficult to get back on the surface of the water.

Cognitive symptoms of this kind also often manifest as physical symptoms. You will feel sluggish and tired. You may have difficulty sleeping or you may suffer from a variety of muscle aches.

Cognitive therapy based on conscious presence

When depression recurs, you should seek help from an expert in the field. Don’t pretend that everything is fine. If you are internally broken, don’t smile and continue as if nothing is wrong. Maybe you go to bed in the evenings and hope you feel better in the morning. While this little spark of hope can provide some relief, you will not be healed by it alone, you will need to seek professional help.

Many people try to cope with depression on their own. Others start psychological therapy but give up at some point during the first six months of treatment. That time is simply not enough. If you genuinely want to face your depression and avoid setbacks, cognitive therapy based on conscious presence is one of the most effective treatments for many patients.

The benefits of this type of therapy have been demonstrated in several studies, one of which is a publication written by Dr. John D. Teasdale at the University of Oxford (and later the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge).

Even patients who have suffered multiple setbacks can experience significant improvement through consciousness-based therapy. In addition, patients learn valuable strategies to reduce their internal negative dialogue, master the pattern of their thoughts, and practice positive habits and behaviors that can help them prevent depression from recurring in the future. Keep in mind that it is possible to cope with these mental challenges and this roller coaster of emotions caused by depression. While it requires guts, hard work, and determination, it’s definitely worth it. You deserve to be well.