How long will I be depressed?

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Many people who suffer from depression think that they will never be able to overcome that situation. But this is not entirely true. The time it takes for this psychological disorder to subside depends on four factors. We analyze them.

How long will I be depressed? Many people ask this question with some despair. At what point will I be able to regain control, enthusiasm and the desire to take on new challenges? Mood disorders are often experienced as if we were trapped in a darkened room. Glimpsing some light is like a hope that never comes.

Something that We must understand that not all depressions are the same.. There are, for example, those mild depressions that define seasonal affective disorders. We have bipolar depression, a more severe condition defined by extreme changes in mood. And there are those more complex and persistent realities such as major depression.

Not everyone experiences depression in the same way or handles it in the same way. There are those who never seek professional help and end up in a state of progressive and highly dangerous wear and tear.. We find, in turn, resistant patients. People who have residual symptoms and who never feel completely free of this mental condition.

Does this mean that depression rarely goes away? Absolutely. These disorders have effective treatment, they can be cured and many people actually manage to recover their quality of life. However, there are nuances and aspects that should be known. The time it takes for a person to overcome depression is relative and depends on multiple factors.. We analyze them.

How long will I be depressed? Four keys to know

It is very common for a patient with depression to be anxious about when they will recover.. This, in fact, is something common in many realities of our lives. Knowing how long it takes for a cold to heal, how long it takes for a fractured bone to unite, or how many weeks of convalescence we will need after a surgical procedure is something common for all of us.

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Knowing this offers us not only hope but also a certain sense of control. However, there is one detail that we must understand about psychological conditions in general. Depression is not a common illness, it is a mental disorder. What does this mean? That we are not facing an alteration that can be diagnosed with a blood test. The same goes for anxiety, phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Each person is a world and each world has its conditions. We are facing a complex multifactorial dimension, whose healing depends on various aspects.. They are the following.

Early detection and correct treatment: between 3 and 8 months

Let’s say we have a patient who is diagnosed with depression after losing a loved one. These situations are very common; However, with early diagnosis and reliable, correct and well-applied therapeutic assistance, improvements can be seen after three months.

It is important to point out here the relevance of receiving good therapy in all cases. Sometimes falling into the hands of bad professionals or receiving unreliable therapeutic approaches results in just the opposite: depression worsens.

Likewise, a detail should be noted: although psychotropic drugs can be prescribed, it is essential in all cases to receive psychological assistance. Otherwise, the symptoms will persist.

The type of depression determines the recovery time

Seasonal affective disorder can improve in just over a month. The same goes for a mild depressive episode. However, depression associated with bipolar disorder will require chronic treatment, although improvement will be evident and the person will be able to lead a good quality of life.

However, where the greatest challenges arise is in major depression or persistent depressive disorder. In these cases, we may have patients who need therapy for 8 months, 2 years or more. Likewise, it is very common for relapses to appear.

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On the other hand, there are even more complicated situations such as resistant depression. Studies such as those by Dr. James Paul Pandarak from the University of London indicate that in these cases it is necessary to continue offering the patient new treatments.

What’s more, it has been seen that in this last type of depression there are clear improvements with the neuromodulation technique. By this we mean the following. If we ask ourselves how long I will be with depression, the answer always depends on what type we suffer from. There are those that are overcome much sooner and others that require more time. and to find the treatment that best suits us.

How long will I be depressed? The problem of not asking for help or abandoning treatment

A good part of people with major depression who go to therapy find it difficult to see their own improvement. This happens especially in the early phases. It doesn’t matter that one week you will be able to get dressed and go shopping. Nor do they begin to recover social contact. A person with depression interprets the world through negativity and helplessness. This makes dropouts frequent.

Likewise, there is also another fact: not everyone asks for help. Not everyone understands what is happening to them. They can go to primary care asking for something to help them sleep, something for muscle pain… However, The pain of life caused by this condition can only be treated in therapy. and if it is not done, this reality can last for years or have a fatal outcome.

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In conclusion. We are facing a clinical entity that is increasing and for which we are not yet fully aware. Mental health is as important as any other, addressing it should be another pillar of our well-being society. Asking for help when we need it will ensure a faster recovery.