What to do about insomnia caused by mild depression?

Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
Updated on September 05, 2024
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Patients with mild depression who experience insomnia symptoms can partly manage this through self-adjustment. For example, they can improve insomnia through exercise, especially two hours before bedtime, with medium intensity exercises to expend excess energy and ultimately achieve comprehensive muscle relaxation, leading to good sleeping habits. Additionally, in the treatment of mild depression, sedative antidepressants such as paroxetine, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine, and trazodone can be used, sometimes including tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, which have been very satisfactory in their effects. Therefore, clinically, for insomnia in mild depression, both pharmacological treatment and self-adjustment methods can be adopted.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Is depression considered a mental illness?

Depression is clinically classified as a mental illness, specifically a type of mood disorder. Its main clinical manifestations include low mood, slow thought processes, reduced volitional activity, fatigue, lack of interest, lack of pleasure, often accompanied by sleep disturbances, changes in weight, changes in sexual desire, and low self-esteem. Patients often feel fatigued and dissatisfied throughout the day, and their attention may decline. They may experience feelings of guilt, worthlessness, futility, and despair. It is not uncommon for patients to have thoughts or behaviors of self-harm or suicide. Thus, depression is a mental disorder that requires systematic antidepressant treatment once diagnosed. Effective treatment outcomes can often be achieved through a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and physiotherapy.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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What medication is used for depression?

The medications commonly used for depression in clinical settings are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, primarily used to increase serotonin levels in the patient's brain to improve depressive symptoms. Representative drugs in clinical use include paroxetine, sertraline, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, citalopram, and escitalopram. There are also medications that inhibit the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine, such as venlafaxine and duloxetine. Additionally, there's a type of antidepressant that acts on norepinephrine and is specifically serotonergic, with mirtazapine being the main drug. These medications are considered modern antidepressants and have a relatively significant clinical efficacy. Of course, there are also traditional tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, which are not recommended as first-line treatments in clinical settings due to their more adverse reactions. (Please follow a doctor's guidance regarding the use of specific medications.)

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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.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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How to manage mild depression

Mild depression is primarily treated clinically through self-adjustment, psychotherapy, or physical therapy. Self-adjustment often involves exercise, which can stimulate the brain to release endorphins, playing an anti-depressive role. Additionally, exercise is an effective relaxation training that can divert attention and stimulate feelings of control and pleasure. Furthermore, psychotherapy is also used in clinical settings, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, which is crucial in helping patients identify thoughts, correct irrational cognitive patterns, and rebuild their cognitive systems. Effective training in social and other activities is also necessary to enhance social or occupational functioning. In terms of physical therapy, repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is the main treatment method.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Symptoms of depression

The symptoms of depression almost always include persistent low mood throughout most of the day, and patients generally lack interest or pleasure in all activities. Patients may exhibit psychomotor agitation or retardation, and experience fatigue, weakness, and feelings of inadequacy. They may feel that their lives are worthless and meaningless, have feelings of self-reproach or guilt, and suffer from poor concentration and indecisiveness. Recurrent thoughts or behaviors of suicide may occur, and some patients may even make specific plans for suicide. Therefore, these are the primary symptoms of depression. Some patients may present primarily with physical symptoms, such as dizziness, headaches, palpitations, frequent or urgent urination, and gastrointestinal discomfort. It is important to conduct relevant examinations to avoid misdiagnosis.