Endogenous depression: what it is and how it differs from other types of depression – Online Psychologists

The taboo surrounding depression seems to be gradually becoming smaller and more and more people are encouraged to speak out about it. For example, More and more athletes are talking about their depressive disordersas was the case with Andres Iniesta It's been a few years now. Just a few days ago, An intervention by Íñigo Errejón in Congress It opened the doors of political debate to mental health, to which a significant part of the 2021 General State Budget has been allocated.

However, there is still a lot of ignorance surrounding depression and, within depressive disorders, Endogenous depression is the great unknown.

You may be wondering, what is endogenous depression? Well, as its name suggests, it is a depressive disorder that originates from internal causes. The origin of endogenous depression lies in the individual's own biology: the brain presents chemical alterations that hinder the production of noradrenaline, serotonin and endorphins, hormones that multiply when you feel pleasure. Some scientific hypotheses also suggest that endogenous depression could be caused by abnormalities in some neuronal circuits.

Furthermore, it is believed that the appearance of this disorder could respond to genetic causesThat is, if your parents have suffered from endogenous depression, you will be more likely to suffer from it.

The greatest peculiarity of endogenous depression is that does not respond to any inciting eventPeople who suffer from it are plunged into it from one day to the next, without having to experience any traumatic situation capable of causing depressive symptoms. Thus, it is sometimes difficult to identify that one is suffering from depression, since apparently nothing has happened that could cause it. Those who suffer from it may feel Guilty and also misunderstood by others, because it would give the impression that the person suffering from it is sad for no reason.

Endogenous depression is not only different from other types of depression by the causes that provoke it. Although The symptoms of endogenous depression can be very similar to those of major depressive disorder.which is characterized by having symptoms of greater intensity and longer duration, there are some characteristics that can help you distinguish endogenous depression.

First of all, it should be noted that people suffering from endogenous depression experience a greater number of physical symptoms than those who suffer from another type of depressive disorder. In addition, it could be said that it is a type of seasonal depressionwhich appears most frequently during winter.

Some of the most characteristic symptoms of endogenous depression are:

The Royal Spanish Academy defines anhedonia as the «inability to feel pleasure»That is, those who suffer from endogenous depression experience great difficulties in enjoying themselves, much greater than that which characterizes other types of depression.

Finding no pleasure in any activity, those suffering from endogenous depression often feel a great emptiness and They may become estranged from their family and friends, since their company will no longer bring them any enjoyment.

Although it is a more or less frequent symptom in all types of depression, those people who suffer from endogenous depression experience a deep demotivationas well as a pronounced physical fatigue which prevents them from finding the energy necessary to carry out even the simplest activities.

Those who suffer from it tend to give up hobbies they used to enjoy because they require an amount of energy that they do not have at all.

Endogenous depression involves large amounts of physical fatiguebut not only that, it is also common for those who suffer from it to find difficulties in reacting quickly to mental stimuliIt is also common to present concentration and memory problems.

He insomnia is the difficulty in falling asleep or sleeping the recommended hours of sleep. On the contrary, hypersomniais another sleep disorder characterized by just the opposite: those who suffer from it sleep for many hours, but do not manage to feel rested. Both disorders are common in people who suffer from endogenous depression.

Endogenous depression causes seemingly inexplicable changes in mood, from show irritability for no apparent reason until cry all the time without any justification. This is due to the neurobiological origin of this type of depression.

However, those who suffer from it, not understanding why it happens to them, and especially if their mood swings affect others, tend to feel guilty.

Fatigue, inability to enjoy and lack of energy can influence the person who suffers from this type of depression. do not feel sexual desires.

As we have already explained, those who suffer from this disorder feel large doses of guilt because they don't understand what's happening to them, which leads them to have a increased risk of suicide.

Serotonin plays a very important role in this: some scientific studies, such as the one carried out by Marie Äsberg At Karolinska Hospital, they demonstrated that Those patients who had attempted suicide had much lower serotonin levels.Additionally, those with less serotonin were also found to have had more violent suicide attempts.

If you frequently face suicidal thoughts and fear that your situation will get worse, do not hesitate to contact our psychologists.

Although in the treatment of other types of depression, medications antidepressants They work for a very low percentage of patients, in the case of endogenous depression Drugs have proven highly effective because they directly affect serotonin and norepinephrine.In patients with endogenous depression, antidepressants directly affect brain chemistry, balancing the neurotransmitters involved in this disorder.

The sooner the disorder is detected and medical treatment is started, the quicker the problem will be eradicated. It is important that if you detect several of the symptoms, you quickly go to a professional who can diagnose it.

In addition, if the medication is accompanied with psychological therapyyou will be able to enjoy a faster and more effective improvement. If you suffer from endogenous depression, remember that it is a disorder with a very high recovery rate.

If someone you love is suffering from the ravages of endogenous depression, you may think that there is nothing you can do to help them. In part, this is true. You probably cannot alleviate their sadness or help them out of the hole with your actions alone, since, having a neurobiological origin, tackling the problem will always be beyond your reach.

However, even if you don't sense any improvement, Your company is really importantsince those who are facing endogenous depression will try to isolate themselves and that can make their situation worse.

Something very important when you accompany someone who suffers from endogenous depression is Don't question your feelings. Yes, it is logical that you do not understand them, because the cause is not obvious: there has not been a breakup, a death, or any other traumatic situation that has caused the emptiness that they feel. However, their feelings are real and have a biological cause behind them that probably not even that person understands. If you focus on repeating to them that they have no reason to be sad and that they do not value what they have, You will only feed their feelings of guilt. and you will make their situation worse.

Instead, you can lend him a shoulder to cry on and offer to listen to him when he needs it. Even if they don't express their need for help, ask them from time to time how they are and try to confront their own guilt. You may feel that listening to them is not helpful at all, but perhaps seeing that you understand them can help them stop feeling guilty. It is also important to make sure that they are receiving treatment.

Don't let him put his life asideAlthough it is understandable that you may not feel like continuing to do things that you enjoyed or that were simply part of your routine, it is advisable that you do them repeatedly to get your brain used to them and for them to remain routine. In addition, activities such as doing sports outdoors or simply walking in contact with nature can help you feel a little better.

Remember that Going to psychological therapy is an important part of treatment that you should not miss. A psychologist has extensive knowledge about how the brain works and can help someone suffering from this disorder to feel better. If you do not have the energy to attend the sessions, at we have a team of psychology professionals who offer their services. services via video call.

Remember that we are Leaders in online therapy since 2012On our main page, you can read customer reviews and, if you find them satisfactory, try a free, no-obligation session.