Depression is a serious mental illness that not only affects a person’s mood, thinking, behavior and body, but can also be life-threatening! According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300 million people worldwide will suffer from depression in 2020, making it the leading cause of human disability. Nearly 2 million people in Taiwan also suffer from depressive symptoms, accounting for 8.9% of the total population. However, many people do not know whether they have depression, are afraid to face their own problems, and are unwilling to seek professional help. If you want to know whether you have depression, or you want to help relatives and friends around you, you can do a simple self-test first. It only takes 3 minutes to get a preliminary understanding of your physical and mental condition and whether you need further treatment. Before that, let’s take a look at the common symptoms and precursors of depression, and what it feels like.
##The symptoms and precursors of depression vary from person to person, but generally It can be divided into the following four categories: 1. Emotional symptoms - persistent or repeated negative emotions such as sadness, crying, anxiety, self-blame, helplessness for no reason - loss of interest or fun in things that you liked before - feeling like you are a burden to others, Or feel hopeless and hopeless about life - great mood swings, easy to get angry or excited 2. Thinking symptoms - strong negative, pessimistic, negative thoughts - lack of self-confidence, feeling that you can do nothing, or can’t do anything well - Decreased thinking ability, slow reaction, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating - Strong feelings of guilt or regret about one’s past - Thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or feeling that life is tiring and painful 3. Behavioral symptoms - sleep Decreased quality, or sleeping too much or too little - Change in appetite, or eating too much or too little - Fatigue, lack of energy, lack of motivation - Slowing down of speech and movement, or becoming restless - Not wanting to communicate with others, Or don’t want to go out, or stay in bed all day 4. Physical symptoms - weight changes, or increase or decrease - chest tightness, palpitations, difficulty breathing - digestive system discomfort, such as stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, etc. - soreness, numbness, weakness in limbs - yes Decreased sexual interest and ability. If you have the above symptoms and precursors, don’t neglect your physical and mental health. You can first take an online depression test to see if you are prone to depression and what your depression level is. > Click my test: This test is designed based on the medical professional depression scale PHQ-9. It can help you evaluate how many days you have been depressed in the past two weeks. symptoms, and how much they affect your daily life. The results of the test can let you know whether you have mild, moderate, severe or very severe depression and whether you need to seek professional treatment. However, please note that this test is only a reference and cannot replace professional diagnosis. If you have symptoms of suspected depression, you should seek medical advice promptly and seek advice from a physician. ##How to self-regulate and treat depression If your test results show that you have mild depression, you can try some self-regulation methods to relieve your symptoms and improve your mood, such as: 1. Maintain a regular routine Work and rest: Get up, eat, and sleep on time, ensure adequate sleep, avoid staying up late and being overworked, and arrange some entertainment activities appropriately to relax yourself. 2. Insist on moderate exercise: Exercise can promote blood circulation and increase the secretion of serotonin, making you feel happier and more energetic. You can choose some sports you like, such as walking, running, swimming, yoga, etc., and exercise at least 30 minutes a day and at least 3 times a week. 3. Cultivate personal interests: Find something you are interested in, such as reading, writing, painting, music, handicrafts, etc., so that you can have some sense of accomplishment and divert your attention. Don’t always be immersed in depression. . 4. Maintain good interpersonal relationships: keep in touch with your family, friends, and colleagues, share your moods and thoughts, and seek their support and help. Don’t isolate yourself or feel like you are a burden to others. You should believe in yourself. To be loved and needed. 5. Learn mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques: Mindfulness is a method that allows you to focus on your current feelings and experiences. It can help you reduce worries and fears about the past and future, awaken your inner peace and tranquility, and improve your ability to cope with stress. Ability to press. You can take some mindfulness classes or use some mindfulness apps to guide you in your mindfulness practice. If your test results show that you have moderate or above depression, you should seek professional treatment as soon as possible, and do not endure the pain yourself or take drugs at will. Professional treatment can include the following: 1. Medication: Antidepressant medications can regulate your neurotransmitters, improve your mood and sleep, and reduce your symptoms. However, antidepressant drugs are not a panacea. They also have some side effects, such as dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, weight changes, etc., and the drugs cannot be stopped at will, otherwise it will cause withdrawal reactions. Therefore, you should take the medicine on time and in the right amount under the guidance of a doctor, have regular follow-up visits, observe the effects and side effects of the medicine, and adjust the type and dosage of the medicine. 2. Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy can help you find out the causes of your depression, change your negative thinking and behavior patterns, enhance your self-awareness and self-control, and improve your coping ability and life satisfaction. There are many methods of psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dynamic psychotherapy, humanistic psychotherapy, family therapy, etc. You can choose the appropriate psychotherapist and psychotherapy method according to your needs and preferences to build trust and Collaborative relationship and active participation in the therapeutic process. 3. Invasive treatment: Invasive treatment refers to methods that treat depression by stimulating or changing your brain function, such as electroconvulsive therapy, powerful brain magnetic field therapy, etc. These treatments are usually targeted at patients with depression who are unresponsive to medications and psychotherapy, or who are at serious risk of suicide. They are very effective, but they also have some side effects, such as memory loss, headaches, nausea, etc., and these treatments are still in use. In the experimental phase of research, not all hospitals provide it, and not all patients are suitable. Therefore, you should carefully consider whether to accept these treatments under the advice of your doctor, understand their pros and cons, and make an informed decision. 4. Regulate the autonomic nervous system: The autonomic nervous system is the bridge connecting your body and mind. It can regulate your heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, digestion and other physical functions, and it can also affect your mood, stress, sleep and other psychological states. When you have depression, your autonomic nervous system is likely to be out of balance, causing you to feel uncomfortable both physically and mentally. You can use some methods to regulate your autonomic nervous system and restore it to balance, such as deep breathing, meditation, massage, aromatherapy, etc. These methods can relax your body and mind and reduce your symptoms and discomfort. Depression is not an incurable disease. As long as you have the will, confidence, patience, and methods, you can definitely get out of depression and embrace a happy life again! > Free Online Psychological Test > > Depression Test Scale PHQ-9 Free Online Test > > Test address:
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