Journal “Sober Word”, May 2009, pp. 16-18.
Constantly discussing the topic of crisis creates, first of all, a situation of psychological crisis, when a person finds himself in a state of fear and panic.
People seem to find themselves in a “vice”, and it seems to them that there is no way out of this. Evidence has emerged that the number of suicides and mental illnesses in Russia has increased. We present to your attention an excerpt from a book by psychotherapist Dmitry Avdeev. Depression from the Latin word depressio , which means “to press down, to oppress”) is a depressed, depressed mood, accompanied by lethargy, fatigue, and a sad-pessimistic assessment of what is happening. This suffering has been known to mankind since time immemorial. Since the fall of man. Hippocrates also described a similar mental state, which was called “melancholy.” In the Holy Scriptures, attacks of depression are repeatedly described in the pages of the Old Testament. Suffice it to recall, for example, King Saul, to whom David’s psalms brought relief from his melancholy.
The modern understanding of depression as an illness begins in the mid-19th century. About 75% of people suffering from depression have thought about suicide at least once, and 10-15% of people from this number have committed it. Therefore, it is difficult to overestimate the importance and complexity of the topic being raised.
Depression has an adverse effect on physical (physical) health. In case of depression, the immune system suffers and the body's resistance decreases. Depression affects the body, mind and soul at the same time.
Neurosis is a personality crisis
Psychogenic depression includes neurotic depression, reactive depression that occurs after severe stress and shock. Neurosis is a personal crisis. This is a clash between the desired and the actual. And often this is a spiritual problem.
At all times there have been wars, various natural disasters, floods, droughts and tornadoes. And it is difficult to compare, say, to what extent the current time is more alarming and restless, for example, the era of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Why has the problem of neuroses become so acute only recently? I think there is only one reason - in unbelief, in a person’s loss of a spiritual foundation, and with it the true meaning of life.
It turns out that the main thing in the origin of neurosis is not stress and troubles, but the person’s personality. Moreover, a person who is internally upset. Sin, as the root of all evil, entails neurotic disorders. Taking place in the depths of the human spirit, it arouses passions, disorganizes the will, and removes emotions and imagination from the control of consciousness. According to Saint Theophan, “the inner world of a sinner is full of arbitrariness, disorder and destruction.” Deep neurosis is an indicator of moral ill health, spiritual and emotional discord.
Saint Theophan the Recluse also points out that “the natural relationship of the constituent parts of a person should be according to the law of subordination of the smaller to the larger, the weaker to the stronger, the body should be subordinate to the soul, the soul to the spirit, and the spirit, by its nature, should be immersed in God. Man must dwell in God with all his being and consciousness. Moreover, the power of the spirit over the soul depends on the Divinity inherent in it, the power of the soul over the body depends on the spirit possessing it. After falling away from God, there occurred, and was bound to occur, confusion in the entire composition of man: the spirit, having separated from God, lost its strength and submitted to the soul, the soul, not elevated by the spirit, submitted to the body.”
Professor D.E. Melekhov believes that the basis of many mental disorders is lack of humility. Neurosis in this sense is no exception. It is generally accepted that this disease develops due to a conflict of the individual with himself (intrapsychic conflict) or with other people (interpsychic). Let us repeat that neurosis is a clash between the desired and the actual. The more powerful this collision, the more acute the disease. “Faith is humility,” says Saint Barsanuphius the Great.
A significant part of depressive states is a consequence of a sinful lifestyle, a consequence of the destructive effect of sin on the human soul. First of all, these words refer to neurotic depression, which is akin to the sinful passions of sadness and despondency. Depression is a kind of signal about her troubles and distress. But this is not a cry for sins, but the torment of an unrepentant soul, to which demons whisper: “Everything is bad, there is nothing to hope for...”
Depressive neurosis most often begins due to life difficulties. At the same time, a person’s mood decreases, nothing makes him happy, everything irritates him, he falls into despondency, melancholy, sadness, and the surrounding appears in a gloomy light. Very often, such states arise due to the fact that “life did not turn out the way we would like,” the desired did not come true, some kind of conflict occurred, or this or that offense was inflicted.
But not all sadness is sinful. In days of grief and sadness, a person becomes indifferent to many passionate movements of his soul. Ambition, money, sensual pleasures - all this is relegated to the background during such periods of life. Just as in happiness a person is soon forgotten, so in misfortune he willy-nilly turns his thoughts to himself, and becomes more deeply and better aware of his sinfulness.
But if this is not the case, if sadness is for sadness’s sake, and repentance is replaced by neurotic “self-criticism”, which, apart from destruction, gives nothing to the soul, then it is obvious that a substitution has occurred. Such sadness is a sinful passion.
Of course, lies, slander, and insults do not bring joy to the soul. But if a person, and especially an Orthodox Christian, is completely broken by them and remains for a long time in a sad mood or, moreover, in a state of despair, complete loss of self-control, hope in God’s mercy and faith in the holiness of God’s Providence for man, then this is by no means Christian attitude is already a sin. In this case, the evil one is waiting for the person to stumble and plunge into the abyss of difficult experiences and melancholy.
Sadness is always regret about what was lost and unfulfilled. Dejection is often preceded by laziness, excessive love of comfort, and narcissism.
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) defines the sinful passions of despondency and sadness as follows: SADNESS - grief, melancholy, cutting off hope in God, doubt in the promises of God, ingratitude to God for everything that happened, cowardice, impatience, lack of self-reproach, sorrow for one's neighbor, grumbling, renunciation cross. Despondency is laziness towards any good deed, especially prayer. Neglect. Irreverence. Idleness. Excessive sedation with sleep. Moving from place to place. Celebration. Jokes. Blasphemy. Forgetting your sins. Forgetting the commandments of Christ. Negligence. Deprivation of the fear of God. Bitterness. Insensibility. Despair.
Sadness comes when any passion has not found satisfaction. For example, a person did not receive the amount of money he wanted, or his feelings were rejected by his chosen one, and the like.
Sinful passions are interconnected and mutually influence each other. Thus, pride and vanity are “supported” by gluttony and fornication. Dejection and sadness await those who have not gained strong faith in God.
How dangerous are antidepressants for the human body?
Are antidepressants dangerous to your health? People are as afraid of these drugs as they are of antibiotics. There are many myths around these medications. How dangerous are antidepressants really? First of all, you should understand that no doctor will prescribe you a potent drug without indications for it.
Modern medicines have a rather gentle effect on the human body, bringing great benefits to patients and bringing them closer to recovery much faster. The drugs affect the production of necessary neurotransmitters and compensate for the lack of serotonin and endorphins. As a result, within a couple of weeks the patient begins to feel many times better than before the start of therapy.
However, the positive effect of the tablets does not occur immediately; over the course of several weeks, the human body adapts, which is why some side effects occur. They often cause patients to stop taking medications because they feel like their condition is only getting worse. However, you should be prepared for the fact that these are not magic pills that will help you get rid of a serious illness overnight. Most medications have a cumulative effect.
A competent specialist knows in what dosages a particular drug should be taken. Most often, the dose is increased gradually, as the body gets used to it, which is why at the beginning of taking it the expected effect will be absent. It is important for patients to stay in touch with their doctor to inform him of any changes. If your health condition worsens, tell your doctor. If you follow the recommendations, the medications will only bring benefits and a significant improvement in your well-being.
Treatment of depression
If we talk about the treatment of depression, it is clear that psychogenic depression is a personal problem, and this type of depression is treated mainly by spiritual and psychological means. For an Orthodox person, this is a struggle with passions, a path of patience, humility, kindness and love. Along with this, of course, the following are important: rest, physical activity, fresh air, and adequate sleep.
Endogenous depression, as a rule, cannot be cured without prescribing the necessary medications. They are prescribed by a psychiatrist. There are many types of endogenous depression: anxious depression, depression with loss of emotional reactions to the environment, depression with irritability or anger, and obsessive fears. In some cases, hospitalization and intensive care in a hospital setting are required.
One of the effective psychological techniques is rationalization . First of all, you need to calm down, pray, then take a blank sheet of paper, a fountain pen and carefully, soberly analyze the current difficult or conflict situation, write down the main causes of the conflict, possible ways to resolve this conflict, weigh the pros and cons, identify needs and concerns all participants in the current misunderstanding, find the right arguments in favor of restraint, self-control, and humility. Along the way, you can see some previously unnoticed circumstances. The final stage of rationalization should be the adoption of a definite decision, since the longer an uncertain, ambivalent attitude towards the conflict persists, the more difficult it is to resolve it, and therefore, to restore mental balance. The enemy of our salvation is always trying to deprive us of spiritual peace, confuse us, and incline us to despondency. Let us remember this and be sober.
Forethought . Despite all the variety of life events, many of them are repeated many times and represent a kind of “cliché”. We know from experience that you can “stumble,” lose peace of mind, or fall into sin regularly, in the same situations. Therefore, you need to prepare yourself in advance for difficulties, important conversations, meetings, and important steps. Moreover, one should prepare not only by reflection, but also by prayer, conversation with the confessor, his advice and blessing.
Switching is a simple and effective technique. Some people enjoy working at the dacha, while others enjoy spending time with their family in the evening. The ability to relax for the benefit of the soul is wisdom that is worth mastering.
Solitude and silence . It is absolutely necessary for each of us to retire from time to time, be silent, put our thoughts in order, pray in silence, and disconnect from everyday worries.
Patience of sorrows . As St. Seraphim said, “no sorrows - no salvation.” And the Venerable Simeon the New Theologian instructs us this way: “Just as clothing, soiled with dirt and completely defiled by some kind of uncleanness, cannot be cleaned unless washed in water and washed for a long time, so the robe of the soul, defiled by the mud and pus of sinful passions, is washed off otherwise.” It’s impossible except through many tears and enduring temptations and sorrows.”
According to the words of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), “temptations and sorrows are sent down to man for his benefit: the soul formed by them becomes strong and honest before its Lord. If she endures everything to the end in trust in God, then it is impossible for her to deprive her of the benefits promised by the Holy Spirit and complete liberation from passions.
Souls, being betrayed to various sorrows, obvious, inflicted by people, or secret, from the uprising of obscene thoughts in the mind, or bodily illnesses, if they endure all this to the end, then they are awarded the same crowns with the martyrs and the same boldness with them.”
Causes and symptoms
The reasons for the development of this disease can be regular stress, psychological trauma, various unpleasant situations and events, problems in relationships with loved ones, the opposite sex, psychological violence in childhood or adulthood. However, such a deviation in the psycho-emotional state is not only a consequence of injuries, it is also various changes at the physical level. In particular, patients have a lack of vitamin D, iron and some other microelements and biologically active substances.
In addition, the development of the disease is largely influenced by hormonal disorders and diseases of the endocrine system. Quite rarely, the disorder occurs as a side effect of taking medications, but this is usually prescribed in the instructions. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a lack of sun; in the fall and spring, many people experience exacerbation of mental disorders.
Spiritual Council of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)
“I am sending you a spiritual recipe and I advise you to use the proposed medicine several times a day, especially in moments of intense suffering, both mental and physical... When you are alone, say slowly, out loud to yourself, enclosing your mind in words, the following:
“Glory to Thee, my God, for the sorrow sent, I accept what is worthy of my deeds: remember me in Thy Kingdom!”
The prayer should be said extremely slowly. After saying your prayer, rest. Then say it again and rest again. Continue praying like this for five or ten minutes until you feel your soul calmed and comforted. The reason for this is clear: the grace and power of God lies in praising God, and not in eloquence and verbosity.
Doxology and thanksgiving are acts taught to us by God Himself—they are by no means a human invention. The Apostle commands this work on behalf of God (1 Thess. 5:18).”
According to the book YES. Avdeeva “Despondency and depression. Similarities, differences, healing.” M., 2008
Make good jokes
When a person is depressed, sarcasm and cynicism may be perceived more painfully and sensitively than usual. Even if this person is your friend with whom you have been joking like this all your life, during a period of depression it is better to slightly change the format of communication. The fact is that one of the symptoms of depression is constant self-flagellation and painful self-criticism, and sarcastic jokes can be taken seriously. But you can and even need to joke and laugh kindly. Through humor you can show that you support the person, that you are nearby. And even if it seems a little superficial to him, he will feel your sincere support and desire to help, and will perceive it with gratitude. It won't cure his depression, but it will ease his suffering.
What to do in case of a panic attack
The most important thing to do during a panic attack is to switch your attention. Any method is suitable for distraction. If an attack occurs in a public place, you can clench and unclench your fists, rub your earlobes, or shift from foot to foot. If panic takes you by surprise at home, try turning on music and starting to do household chores: washing dishes, dusting. Any activity that involves muscle work and requires attention is suitable.
Since a panic attack is accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and a feeling of stuffiness, it would be a good idea to take a couple of sips of water and concentrate on breathing. It is best to master several techniques that will quickly relieve tension. In case of an attack, start by exhaling - slow it down, and the pulse will also slow down. The ratio of the length of inhalation and exhalation should be 1:2. You can experiment and choose the technique that will help you. A smartphone can also help you take your mind off panic. Games, social networks - all this will shift attention and distract from a panic attack.
Preparation before prayer
Prayers contain enormous power. They charge and give strength to implement your plans. Every appeal to higher powers is a call for help. The man asks to show him the true path.
Prayers for despondency or depression have the following effect:
- the melancholy gradually goes away;
- negative thoughts disappear;
- apathy disappears;
- suicidal thoughts disappear;
- there is a desire to live, to change the current situation;
- After the melancholy goes away, cheerfulness is born in a person.
There is preparation for each prayer. If a surge of melancholy occurs suddenly, quick preparation is used, but you cannot start reading prayer words without it.
If possible, reading the words of appeal occurs in complete privacy. A person gathers his strength and disconnects from the outside world. He is closed in on himself and his thoughts.
After solitude, he repeats the memorized words of the prayer several times. The appeal must be sincere and honest. In addition, candles or icons are used. They help you focus on the words of the prayer. Concentration of attention is the main condition for fast-acting prayer. At the end of the appeal, the person thanks the higher powers for their help.
How to treat panic attacks and when to see a specialist
It is necessary to contact a specialist if you have recurring panic attacks. Therapy is selected individually and, as a rule, includes psychotherapeutic work and drug therapy. Psychotherapy involves various techniques aimed at recognizing and understanding the causes of problems, teaching ways to deal with the symptoms of the disease, and relaxation methods. Psychotherapy can take place in the form of individual meetings with a psychotherapist or in the form of group sessions with other patients. Drug therapy for panic disorder is carried out with various drugs that help reduce the level of anxiety and fear. Prescription, dosage adjustment and discontinuation of treatment must be carried out under the supervision of a physician.
Modern neurotechnologies can also help in the treatment of panic attacks. Methods of neurofeedback training have been developed for patients with panic disorder. During the trainings, patients learn to manage their emotional state, they form new neural connections, and their anxiety level decreases. In addition to professional help, lifestyle plays a significant role in the treatment and prevention of panic attacks. Try not to abuse alcohol and caffeine, get more rest, go in for sports, preferably yoga.
Source: https://www.wmj.ru/krasota/telo/golovokruzhenie-zhar-i-dazhe-udushe-simptomy-panicheskikh-atak-i-kak-s-nimi-borotsya-razbiraem-s-vrachom.htm
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