Teach you how to distinguish between depression and mental illness!

Because patients with depression sometimes behave a little strangely and have slow thinking, their symptoms are similar to those of mental patients to a certain extent, which leads many people to confuse the two. But in fact, there are big differences between mental illness and depression.

1. Active and Passive

Actively seeking medical treatment is a sign that distinguishes depression from mental illness. The way patients with depression actively seek medical treatment is different from that of other patients with physical illnesses. Because they are not clear about their own illness or they intentionally or unintentionally avoid psychological problems, they are intimidated by psychological (psychiatric) specialists and most of them choose general internal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, etc., and frequently change departments. In front of doctors, although they speak less, stammer and have difficulty expressing themselves, they want to say it all and get it out of their mouths, but they are afraid of not being able to express themselves clearly and being misunderstood. Therefore, many patients are silent. This does not mean that they are not willing to cooperate actively, but that they are waiting for the doctor to open their hearts to them. Some patients write down what they have thought in advance on paper and tell their doctors in written form. This is also an extraordinary way for patients with depression to actively seek medical treatment.

2. Validity and Invalidity

Antidepressants and antipsychotics are two types of psychiatric drugs with different effects. When a patient is given one of these drugs, the efficacy of the drug can also be used to observe and reflect on whether the diagnosis is incorrect. Antipsychotic drugs are ineffective for treating depression patients, and the common complaints from them and their families are side effects of the drugs and worsening of their condition. This was also confirmed after physical and psychological examinations of these patients.

3. Thoughts and Delusions

In terms of thought content, there are important differences between depression and psychosis, which is also the most confusing focus in clinical practice. The main clinical manifestation of depression patients is negative and pessimistic thoughts, such as difficulties, setbacks, failure, illness, self-blame, self-guilt, suicide and other bad thoughts. These thoughts can reach a level close to delusions in severe patients, but are still different from the delusional symptoms of mental illness. There are two main differences: First, the patient's thoughts do not come out of thin air, but are related to the environment and events in which they live, such as learning pressure, communication barriers, and sexual confusion in young people; family and career problems in middle-aged people; and multiple illnesses and loneliness in the elderly.

4. Pain and Indifference

The emotional expressions of depression and mental illness are different. When patients with depression seek medical treatment, the first impression they give is that they are in pain, sad, listless, and worried. Many patients burst into tears before they even open their mouths to speak. After understanding and examining the patient's condition, the doctor will clearly feel that the patient's pain level is inconsistent with the symptoms and signs, and has obvious exaggeration and emotional coloring, which will lead the doctor to judge the patient as "mental abnormality." In fact, the patient's extraordinary state of pain is a reflection of the basic symptoms of depression, such as low mood and inferiority complex.