The six stages that patients with depression should go through are: pre-depression, depressive episode, symptom relief period, rest and adjustment period, recovery period, and return to society period.

The following is a brief introduction:

1. Pre-depression
Pre-depression is the period of time before the onset of depression. Many patients with depression, before the onset of depression, is after a long time of emotional accumulation, during this period of time, may have been relatively tired, sustained stress and anxiety, or at the same time have bad habits, often have negative emotions but can not be released.

There are also a lot of people in this period of time, there have been some symptoms of depression, such as always not happy, reduced interest, easy fatigue, suddenly no confidence and so on.

If in this period of time, the family and society fully support, they can realize the seriousness of the problem, actively adjust the state of life, reduce pressure, full rest, full sleep, it is likely to be adjusted, will not form depression.

Therefore, it is very important and valuable to detect the early manifestations of depression in time at this stage, and make timely intervention and adjustment.

2. depressive episode
After a period of pre-depression, under the continuous pressure, the emotions are constantly depressed and accumulated, and the symptoms are constantly aggravated. At this time, the critical point of personal emotional control has been reached, and the state of depression has entered. The diagnosis may meet various diagnostic criteria for depression.

At this time, attention must be paid to professional and formal medical treatment, must not be hard, can not just endure, can not rely on willpower. Proper medical treatment can be effective in reducing symptoms and relieving pain.

If it is mild depression, then psychological treatment and self-adjustment are the main, if it is moderate or severe, then drug therapy assisted psychotherapy, physical therapy, can also choose hospitalization, hospitalization will be more effective and safer. This period of treatment is called acute treatment, and the goal is to reduce and eliminate symptoms of depression.

This is the sickest and most painful time for people with depression. The shortest may be one or two weeks to one or two months, longer, may last three months or even more than half a year.

There are a lot of patients, do not do formal treatment, do not understand, do not pay attention to depression, as a result, for many years continuous pain, recurrent attacks, can not be cured, must take caution, this is a big misunderstanding, big pit!

3. Symptom relief period
After the onset of depression, as long as the professional medical treatment, the symptoms will be effectively controlled, alleviated, and eventually eliminated, which is the professional treatment of depression process.

After the elimination of the main symptoms, this time node is called clinical cure, if the patient is hospitalized, at this time can be discharged, after which they enter the stage of depression recovery.

Note that the clinical cure does not mean that the treatment of depression is over! At this point the treatment is not over, if the medication, then, should not be stopped. At this time, there is also psychotherapy, self-therapy and psychological improvement. Generally speaking, systematic psychotherapy begins only after the symptoms are gone.

4. Recuperation and adjustment period
After the symptoms of depression are eliminated, patients should continue to be treated, at the same time, in this period of time, to completely relax, can not do anything, maintain full rest and sleep, with a period of time for recuperation adjustment, how long this period of time is needed, it is appropriate for people.

This period of time, not intentionally, the arrangement of the subjective this, but most of the patients in the course of treatment will be after this stage, it is also a characteristic of the depression, if not after such an adjustment, patients psychological gets be relaxationed thoroughly, not may not true cure, and always keep in “good and bad”, “disease and have no disease” between the state and, therefore, This stage may be necessary, necessary and important.

During this period of time, some patients will have repeated symptoms, but also may be very painful, therefore, at this time to continue the treatment not only can not stop treatment, may also strengthen the treatment, return visit on time, dressing change, add reduction, this should be a frequent thing. At the same time, to establish a comprehensive treatment of depression concept, depression is a psychological problem, but also a physical problem, depression and the environment, pressure, cognitive concepts, behavioral habits, coping mode and other factors related, therefore, also from a variety of angles, with a variety of ways, a variety of methods, to treat depression.

Note that during this time, if the patient is only lying down every day, make sure that the patient is lying “in the course of treatment”, not just passively lying down

In addition, it is important to establish the whole treatment concept at this time, can not use a single method to treat depression, not to treat!

5.Recovery
After a period of self-cultivation and adjustment, the patient’s physical and mental state will be further improved. The patient and his family should make appropriate evaluation and gradually switch the focus to the state of “returning to normal life”.

Such as work and rest time, living habits, are gradually adjusted to the normal range before the disease, active for re-enter the society, normal work, life, study preparation.

Note that at this stage, if the medical treatment point of view, also do consolidation treatment, if the drug treatment, then need to continue medication. From the perspective of comprehensive treatment concept, at this time, we should continue to use a variety of methods to treat patients, and also emphasize the patient’s self-treatment.

6. Return to society
After a period of recovery, patients with depression should consciously prepare to return to normal life, return to work and study.

Patients can do a full assessment with their families, and can also do appropriate stress tests to see whether patients with depression can normally adapt to the environment and pressure in the simulated work or study state, and then slowly and gradually return to normal work and study.

At this time, from the perspective of medical treatment, consolidation or maintenance treatment should be maintained. From the perspective of comprehensive treatment concept, continuous self-treatment and self-psychological improvement are necessary.

At this time, a very important thing, is to prevent recurrence! If you find symptoms of depression again, or have feelings of depression, to timely and adequate rest and self-adjustment.

Some patients with depression, always in the relapse, this is most likely because, may never have been adequate, professional, effective treatment, or, after the cure, did not pay attention to the fourth, fifth three stages, that is, the recuperation and adjustment period and recovery period, and unprepared to return to the original life.

There are four key points in depression treatment:

The first key point, between stage 2 and 3, don’t stick, don’t just endure, don’t just fight pain with willpower, do it in an effective way!

What is the effective way, such as taking medicine, is the effective way.

There are many patients and family members who are not confident about taking medication to treat depression, or feel ineffective. About the drug treatment of depression, there is a characteristic must be understood, that is, the difference of depression medication. To put it bluntly, if one drug doesn’t work for you, then another might.

Therefore, if the drug is ineffective, to return to see change, repeated several times, there will be a role, and then, the elimination of symptoms quickly. Experience has shown that medication is the shortcut for most patients!

In addition, for example, exercise, as long as the patient has the ability and physical exercise, then a certain intensity, a certain time of exercise, is almost 100% effective way to relieve depression.

Other methods, such as psychotherapy and physical therapy, are effective.

The second key point is that treatment should not be stopped after the third stage, when symptoms are relieved;

The third key point is to pay attention to the fourth and fifth stages, namely the rest adjustment and recovery period, which is the key point to prepare for returning to society. After this stage, just returning to society, depression recurrence is a high probability event. Therefore, after being ready, we must gradually and slowly return to society.

The fourth key point, on the basis of professional and formal medical treatment, should emphasize the concept of comprehensive treatment of depression and patients’ self-treatment.