Every 10th Lithuanian resident suffers from this disease: the doctor named the symptoms that indicate a possible disease

Psychiatrist Edgaras Diržius, a physician at the Kaunas Clinics Psychiatry Clinic, briefed the press on the signs and treatment of depression.

– Doctor, what has been the emotional health of people lately?

– In Lithuania, we conducted a survey of psychiatrists about work during quarantine, which showed that during the pandemic, the number of people experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression increased several times. It is observed that patients arrive in more severe conditions due to long delays in contacting specialists. The pandemic affected the emotional health of children, adolescents, single parents and people with low incomes the most.

– What are the symptoms of poor emotional health in a person?

– The main characteristic: it becomes difficult to live a full life, that is, work, communicate, participate in pleasant activities. People begin to suffer from insomnia, feel in a bad mood, lack of energy, lose their appetite. In addition, some patients experience a sense of fear, various unpleasant sensations in the body, that other specialty physicians cannot explain. Quality of life deteriorates regardless of illness: anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental disorders affect a person’s condition differently.

– What to do for a person experiencing the symptoms you have listed?

– Mental disorders are treated by psychiatrists, who must be consulted first. Kaunas clinics provide consultations with level 3 medical psychiatrists, psychotherapeutic assistance is applied. Psychiatrists can distinguish mental disorders from other illnesses with similar symptoms. The psychiatrist develops an individual treatment plan to help you recover.

– When and how can the deterioration of emotional health lead to depression?

– Depression is a complex mental disorder and it is difficult to name a single cause. The disease can be affected by genetics, early childhood experiences, the environment around us, diet, other diseases, lack of physical activity. Depression often comes slowly and unnoticed.

– How to recognize depression?

– Symptoms of depression in two different people can be quite different. For one person, the appetite decreases, sleep is disturbed, and, on the contrary, for another, the appetite increases, drowsiness is constantly felt. Other typical symptoms: constant sadness, meaningless thoughts in life, suicide, lack of energy. If you feel various symptoms continuously for at least a couple of weeks, you need to be concerned and seek professional help.

– How is depression treated?

– Depression treatment takes into account the person, various risks and factors that affect their well-being. The main methods of treating depression are psychotherapy and antidepressants. Up to one-third of patients may develop treatment-resistant depression treated with transcranial magnetic stimulation, electrical impulse therapy, or the drug esketamine.

– What is special about transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment?

– We have been applying transxranial magnetic stimulation at the Center for Treatment-Resistant Mood (Affective) Disorders at the Kaunas Clinics since this year. During the procedure, the patient is conscious, with an electromagnetic coil attached to the scalp that creates an electromagnetic field that stimulates a specific region of the brain responsible for mood. By repeating this procedure, a complex form of depression can be cured. This is good news for patients who have developed a treatment-resistant form of depression.

– Doctor, what would you advise everyone to improve their emotional health?

– The principles of mental health are very similar to the general principles of health: regular physical activity, moderate and healthy diet, rest, carrying out your own hobbies and hobbies. Equally important is communication with family and friends. The most important thing is to take care of yourself and your environment, because it creates us. Giving to another returns more than giving.