Is mild depression normal?

Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
Updated on September 01, 2024
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Patients with mild depression, although also experiencing symptoms such as low mood, decreased interest, reduced motivation, slow thinking, and reduced volition, may have difficulty falling asleep and frequently wake up during sleep, among other related symptoms. However, patients often retain most of their social functions, causing some disturbance to daily life and work. Through self-adjustment, standardized psychotherapy, and medication, patients often achieve good treatment outcomes. Sometimes, the symptoms of some patients are relatively mild, and they may appear normal outwardly, but their inner experience is indeed pathological. Therefore, it is still necessary to undertake standardized, systematic, and scientific treatment to achieve clinical recovery.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Will mild depression get better?

Mild depression can achieve good therapeutic effects. Patients with mild depression may experience low mood, slow thinking, and decreased volition, but its severity is relatively mild. These patients primarily show lack of concentration, or slightly lower self-evaluation, and abnormalities in diet and sleep. Generally, the overall mental state of the patients is still relatively good. Therefore, in clinical practice, the main treatment for patients with mild depression is psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, to improve the patients' distorted and unreasonable cognition, ultimately leading to cognitive reconstruction and achieving good therapeutic effects. Antidepressant drugs can also be used for systematic treatment, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which have an effective cure rate of over 85%.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Can people with depression occasionally feel happy?

Patients with depression may occasionally feel happy, but they predominantly experience low mood throughout most of their days. Patients perceive a significant and persistent sense of low spirits, pessimism, and despair. Their mood is such that they cannot feel joy, and they often seem easy to recognize by their facial expressions – furrowed brows, frowning, and looking deeply worried. Thus, these patients feel downhearted; nothing seems to interest them, they feel as if something heavy is pressing on their heart, devoid of pleasure, often crying, pessimistic, despairing, feeling as if each day lasts a year, and life not worth living. Sometimes, patients may feel that life is meaningless, hence might engage in self-harming or suicidal behaviors, blame themselves harshly, and have trouble concentrating. However, it's not that patients never experience happiness; it's just that they are in a depressed mood most of the time each day, with only occasional moments of happiness, which are relatively rare.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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What department do you see for depression?

Depression can be treated clinically by visiting either a psychiatric or psychological department. The main clinical manifestation is a persistent low mood, characterized by an inability to feel joy, gloominess, and typically significant mood variations. Cognitive processes tend to slow down, resulting in sluggish thinking, slow reactions, reduced volitional activities, a passive and listless approach to life, and a lack of hope for the future. Additionally, cognitive impairments such as decreased attention, diminished abstract thinking, learning, and judgment abilities may occur. Some patients may also exhibit physical symptoms, including sleep disturbances, decreased appetite, weight loss, physical pain, and anxiety-related disorders.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Where is the best place to massage for depression?

The massage points for depression vary according to different diagnostic types of the condition in Chinese medicine. For example, for patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency, massage can be given at Taichong, Fenglong, Zusanli, and Tiantu. For patients with liver depression and qi stagnation, points such as Baihui, Yintang, Shenmen, Neiguan, and Taichong can be massaged. In cases of heart and spleen deficiencies, the massage points include Shenmen, Xinshu, Pishu, Sanyinjiao, Zusanli, and Zhangmen. For patients with kidney deficiency and liver depression, key points are Taichong, Qimen, Neiguan, Danzhong, and Guanyuan. As for patients with heavy damp-heat in liver and gallbladder, massage points like Xingjian, Sanyinjiao, and Zhongji can be selected during massage.

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Obstetrics
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Can you have intercourse with postpartum depression?

Women may experience a decrease in sexual desire when they suffer from postpartum depression. Therefore, if a woman wishes to engage in sexual activity after childbirth, the husband must be fully understanding and should not force intercourse, as it may worsen the symptoms of postpartum depression. When suffering from postpartum depression, a woman may experience emotional lows, decreased interest in hobbies, reduced motivation, and physical fatigue. However, with active treatment, these conditions can be improved. At the same time, the psychological care provided by family members and the husband is very important. They should offer sufficient reassurance to help the woman recover from postpartum depression.