There are a large number of types and types of depression, each of which has one or another additional symptoms and traits. One of the types is essential depression. What are the features of this state? What signs might indicate this form of the disorder?
For the first time, the phenomenon of essential depression began to be discussed in the 1960s of the 20th century. At the same time, a second name for this disorder was given: depression without an object. Despite the fact that the condition among its symptoms has a number of features typical of clinical depression, this disorder has some characteristics. It is often on the basis of the hallmarks of essential depression that the appropriate diagnosis is made.
What are the features of the phenomenon of essential depression
In most cases, classic depression is characterized by a feeling of total hopelessness, multiplied by a severe sense of guilt. The patient may tend to self-blame, self-depreciation, self-flagellation, self-punishment. Against the background of this, suicidal thoughts are often formed, in some cases transforming into direct attempts at suicide. All this is not at all characteristic of essential depression.
What is Essential Depression Phenomenon? This is a certain condition when a person experiences a sharp decrease in vitality. This form of the disease is not characterized by guilt, shame, auto-aggression and other negative forms of behavior. A person with this violation is in a state of constant loss of strength. For this reason, essential depression is very easy to confuse with chronic fatigue syndrome, high-functioning depression, or burnout.
The peculiarity of this form of depressive disorder also lies in the fact that, due to the constant feeling of exhaustion, the patient begins to literally hate the whole world and life itself. Suicidal thoughts usually appear under the influence of severe inadequate fatigue and complete decline, when everything seems meaningless, boring, hopeless and useless.
In most cases, essential depression is poorly diagnosed and usually remains unfulfilled (unexpressed). Because of this, the condition of a sick person may be accompanied by constant stress (internal and external, moral and physical), which is usually not characteristic of other forms of depressive disorder. In combination with a complete decline and the absence of any desires, aspirations, strong diffuse anxiety comes to the fore, which can be accompanied by a feeling of negative stress and general physical illness.
Among the features of essential depression also includes psychosomatics, which is usually very pronounced. Because of this trait, this phenomenon can be confused with the so-called masked depression, when the psychic comes out from the inside through physical ailment.
It is worth noting that the exact reasons why the phenomenon of essential depression occurs has not yet been established. There are many options. However, experts often insist that this disorder develops due to suppression of libido, due to which the amount of vital energy is sharply reduced. Also, some psychoanalysts note that essential depression can form on the basis of narcissism and early childhood psychotraumas.
Key Symptoms of Essential Depression
With unexpressed depression, the presence of internal conflicts, fears, and deep feelings is usually not noted. In general, the emotional background of a sick person is lowered, poor.
Thinking suffers in a certain way in this form of depression. It becomes as specific as possible: sick people find it difficult to understand (and explain) any figurative meanings, metaphors. Thinking, as it were, is transformed into direct, empty and “gray”.
Symptoms of essential depression include sleep problems. However, this does not mean drowsiness or insomnia. As a rule, patients with this type of depression either stop dreaming altogether, or their dreams become meager, monotonous, faded, without plots and emotions. Pictures in dreams are repeated monotonously, and in the morning a person feels himself completely "survived", broken, wakes up in a bad mood.
Signs of unexpressed depression are changes affecting the patient's speech. Usually, people with essential depression - including due to disturbed thinking - begin to express themselves sluggishly, slowly, crumpled up. They speak in simple phrases, practically do not add any emotion to their speech. Facial expressions also remain poor, gestures during a conversation may be completely absent, which complicates the process of communicating with such patients.
As the disease progresses, a person gradually loses the ability to visualize. A symptom of essential depression is an abrupt inability to imagine, fantasize, and invent. Such people refuse any creative hobbies, because I simply cannot bring myself to create. Against the background of this, a weakening of will often occurs, which is usually also characteristic of the classic type of depressive disorder. Apato-abulic syndrome (apathic-abulic syndrome) can accompany this form of depressive disorder.
It is important to note the fact that among the negative signs of essential depression in rare cases, there may be serious "disease products": hallucinations, obsessions, delusions, illusions.
