Role of the family in the diagnosis of depression | Diseases and conditions.

How to care for a person with depression?

The family plays an important role both in the early detection of symptoms which can lead to depression as in how to deal with and follow their treatment. Discover all the keys and tips on how to care for a person diagnosed with major depression.
All have had a day of slump, in which we feel tired, as if we had been without force, a situation that can last us a few days before returning to our daily activity. Even if it has been caused by an important external reason such as a loss of a loved one or a stressful situation intense, it is considered as part of the natural process of adaptation. But when there is no cause that justifies it, or an excessive time has passed since the appearance of this trigger, unless the person is restored and return to normal activity, then we may be facing a case of major depression, which will require a proper diagnosis to determine the specific treatment necessary to overcome it.
The family will play a role in depression diagnosis and treatment, the patient will not have the desire or enough motivation to take responsibility for their situation and do their part to overcome it.

Symptoms that alert to the family of a possible depression

Knowledge of the family member who lives with the person having depressive symptoms is essential, because it is who can inform of makes how much was initiated, as well as the crippling of the same. It is therefore collect information that otherwise may not be get, because in these cases the patient does not normally print is too inclined to cooperate, minimizing the importance of their symptoms.
A fundamental fact to a clear diagnosis is to determine if it is an isolated case, or is a situation that comes occurring throughout his life, i.e., that the person shows a State of poor motivation, as well as other symptoms such as unwillingness and slowing engine, among others. Thus discarding dysthymia, more related to a characteristic of the personality of the patient.
Also the duration of symptoms and in which they occur is essential, to rule out that they may be due to other outsiders, as for example by the change of seasons, as is the case with seasonal depression; or to be the result of a duel, for a loss of a loved one or a stressful situation recently still not overcome.

How to care for a person with depression?

Once you have the diagnosis of major depression, treatment, which are often combined with psychological therapy psychopharmacology will be designed. Remember that the depressive patient is a person with little initiative and almost zero motivation, so the family has to be done responsible for compliance of taking medications in the moments that have been indicated, also be responsible for bringing the patient to therapy.
Sometimes it can be a bit disconcerting and tiring to take care of a person who until recently it could assert itself, and now it seems that it almost completely dependent on others. But you have to take into account that part of his illness is not wanting to get out of his situation in which you feel comfortable and safe.
Therefore, that patience and perseverance will be necessary tools of the family members who will be in charge of your care and comply with treatment, so will see how gradually will be producing an improvement in the patient, and will recovering its initiative by the activities of everyday life, so downloading tasks to the family.

Do coping with the emotional implications of the family member with depression?

It is easy that feelings of guilt in the family, by not realizing that the patient was entering a spiral of depressive episodes that would trigger in one major depression, especially if a person in charge, as one minor child or a parent is already higher.
Also have to take care of the feelings of worthlessness that can arise above all before the diagnosis, in which the family is unknown is what happens to the patient and how to help you. Then emerge feelings of frustration and exhaustion, even given that it's a slow process and that it may take to see positive results.
All these feelings must be taken into account by the family so that they do not hinder the treatment of the patient, since they can create tensions within the House; is for this reason that apart from receiving good information of how to help the patient, should receive advice how to overcome each of the difficulties which will arise, and if it is necessary to go to a support group.

Caregiver syndrome: tips to prevent it

One of the most common phenomena that occur among caregivers of sick people with depression, especially when these are familiar, is what is known as syndrome of the caregiver, which consists of a deep exhaustion, showing multiple symptoms affecting their abilities, physical, psychological and social relationship.
This depletion is produced by the task of care almost in exclusive of the patient, in which turns the familiar neglecting both her social life as personal, moved mainly by feelings of guilt or responsibility that lead you to feel evil which not is tending to the patient, that can lead to the appearance of fatigue, irritability, headaches joint and among others social isolation.
Everything described is important to prevent the onset of this syndrome, as that will go to the detriment of the quality of care and care provided to the patient; to part of the family compromised his health being able to become in turn a patient who requires care and attention as that so far they provided.

Tips for the caregiver of a patient with depression

To prevent the occurrence of caregiver syndrome have to follow a series of recommendations that will make the family easier the task of caring for a patient with major depression:
• Takes your social life as normal as possible, keeping your trips to buy or staying with friends, that will help you to get rid of much emotional tension.
• Performs some exercise although it is mild and outdoors, such and like walking a little faster, which will help your circulation and keep your mind uncluttered.
• Learn to delegate to others, part of the task of caring for the patient with depression, what will make the process easier for both.
• Inform you of what disease and how are the steps to overcome it, in such a way that you can check how is recovering little by little the patient according to the expected.
• Requested professional help if you need it to overcome negative feelings that may be emerging, as well as to receive the necessary support to cope.

Published for educational purposes
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