Depression is not hypocrisy. You need to know these rumors about depression.

Author: Le Dansheng Department of Clinical Psychology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital

Reviewer: Tang Yicheng, member of the Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Psychological Society, Executive Deputy Director of the Beijing China Science Popularization Mental Health Promotion Center

In recent years, with the advancement of medicine, more and more information about depression has been published, but some rumors are inevitable. Today, we are going to break these rumors. What are the common cognitive misunderstandings about depression?

1. Is depression just being too hypocritical?

The causes of depression are very complex, including genetic genes, growth environment, personality traits, life events, etc. Depressed patients are in a state of continuous low mood, and may break down and want to cry for no reason. This morbid emotion is out of their control and cannot be self-regulated. We can understand depression as an emotional cold. Depressed patients can't help but feel sad all the time, just like you can't help but cough when you have a cold. It is just a symptom of the disease. We should look at this disease objectively and rationally, and should not hurt sick people with prejudice and misunderstanding.

2. Are people who cry and try to commit suicide depression?

Analysis: In addition to depression, there are many less obvious symptoms, and sometimes even the patient himself may not realize that he has depression.

Loss of interest. I used to like playing ball but now I am not interested.

Anhedonia, I can't laugh when I see funny videos

Motivation is declining. I have things I want to do but I can’t muster the energy to do them.

Tired and sleepy, always feel weak, just want to lie down every day

Physical symptoms, back pain, dizziness, headache, chest tightness, palpitations, etc.

In addition, some patients are unwilling to expose their emotions in front of others. Instead, they will act lively and cheerful, and only endure the pain alone in the dead of night.

3. Is depression treatment expensive?

High cost of treatment: Imported original drugs are still expensive even after deducting medical insurance, and psychological treatment and some physical treatments are completely out of pocket.

However, with the rapid development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry and the continuous efforts of the China National Drug Administration, most drugs for treating depression have been included in medical insurance, and many commonly used antidepressants have domestic versions. After entering the centralized procurement, the prices are more favorable, which greatly reduces the economic burden of treating depression patients.

4. Will taking depression medicine make me fat?

Common adverse reactions of antidepressants include gastrointestinal discomfort, dizziness, constipation, etc. Only a few antidepressants and antipsychotics can cause weight gain. Some patients feel that they gain weight after antidepressant treatment, but in fact it may be because their condition has improved, leading to "a happy heart and a fat body". In clinical treatment, doctors will formulate according to the individual characteristics of the patient, giving priority to safe drugs with few adverse reactions. If you are particularly concerned about your weight, you can emphasize your demands to the doctor!

5. Will taking depression medicine make me stupider?

Some antidepressants and antipsychotics have a sedative effect, which may cause drowsiness and fatigue, so there is an illusion that the drugs make people "stupid". In fact, slow thinking is one of the typical symptoms of depression. Patients feel that their brains are rusty, their reactions become very slow, they cannot concentrate, and their memory is significantly reduced, which seriously affects their work and study. After standardized antidepressant treatment, these symptoms can be significantly improved. Therefore, antidepressants will not only not make you stupid, but will make you smarter and more flexible. If you feel drowsy after taking the medicine, you should inform your doctor in time to adjust to a treatment plan that is more suitable for you.

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Summary: When facing relatives and friends with depression around you, do not avoid discussing the topic of depression, and do not think that they are making a mountain out of a molehill, being pretentious, or complaining without illness. Care about and respect their feelings, understand their pain, and help and accompany them out of their difficulties.