Psychological palliative care in the face of a terminal illness
Being depressed is more than feeling sad or wanting to cry. We often say that we are depressed because something stressful, or a delicate situation, has happened in our lives, but after a normal period of adaptive sadness, we have finally managed to overcome and lead our lives normally.
“You created your depression, no one gave it to you. So destroy your depression?
? Albert Ellis?
If, on the contrary, we are not capable, we do not know how to do it or we do not have the resources to overcome a certain situation, however relevant it may be, we can fall into the clutches of depression.
Depression is characterized by a very low mood and a visible loss of interest in the things that the person once loved and loved to do, loses the ability to enjoy and there is no desire to do anything, not even behavioral inhibition. , we may feel very tired, with insomnia or hypersomnia and without any sexual desire.
But why aren’t we all depressed?
It is clear that our minds play an important role in these differences.
Let’s face it, there are very difficult situations in life, in which anyone would be significantly affected, but again, it is our thoughts and beliefs that will ultimately determine whether we will be depressed or repressed.
That’s good news. The situation may not have a solution, but it does not happen with thoughts, in that sense we have a margin of action and a lot of control.
A few years ago depression was considered a physical disease in which the lack of a number of neurotransmitters in our brain determined our emotional state, it is true that chemicals, such as Serotonin, have some influence, but are not the only factor involved As a result, drug therapy has repeatedly failed.
For a person to become depressed, vital changes in their environment must be perceived as unpleasant, we are talking about the loss of boosters, that is, the person loses something that he perceived as very valuable and appreciated, as a couple, a job. , a city change or a change of self-esteem.
When the person is not coping, they begin to feel overwhelmed and extremely sad and harbor negative thoughts about themselves, the world, and the future. Logically, if you feel so bad, the least thing you would like to do is go out. , get closer to people or do things to have fun or forget? you will choose to stay closed, do nothing or lie in your bed.
This is where depression traps us and closes us in its spiral, from which it is very difficult to get out if we are not aware of the importance of our thoughts, emotions and actions.
The vicious circle could be summed up as follows: the person has thoughts about himself: “I am of no use”; about the world: “People are bad and no one can trust you”; and about the future: “I will never find a decent job or feel realized as a person. ” These thoughts make us feel very bad, desperate and sad, which leads us to lose interest in almost everything.
By not doing any activity, not going out, not looking for work, knowing or in contact with anyone, I confirm my negative thoughts. “I don’t do anything, ” and I confirm it myself because I’m lying in bed. and not wanting to do anything. In addition, this attitude implies more booster losses in addition to the initial loss.
For example, a person who loses his partner loses one of his main boosters. And, not only does he lose his partner, but he also dines with him, kisses, hugs, etc. , which, in turn, are also boosters. Is sadness so great that the last thing a person wants to do is nice things, go out, meet new people, take some time for an activity?
There’s the mistake, because in addition to losing your partner, do you miss the opportunity to meet new people, to have fun doing new things, to find work?, which means more and more losses.
This vicious circle has to be cut down one of its points to get out of the depressive state, and the way to cut it is for the person to start activating by doing things that don’t require much effort and are pleasant. That’s where. ” I don’t want to, “I can’t do it. ” You may not have the will, but to get things done, you don’t have to have the will, but force yourself to have it.
Motivation does not have to precede action; after the action, the motivation will come alone and the desire will appear more and more strongly.
Cognitive work is also very important, but will develop at a later stage of behavioral activation. Depressed people see the world in a dark way, interpreting reality in a dysfunctional way.
Cognitive restructuring will be the chosen technique that will allow people with depression to learn to identify their negative automatic thoughts, evaluate their usefulness and truthfulness, and replace them with more realistic and adaptable thoughts, this technique is done through questions that arise in order to ask whether what the person thinks is realistic or mediated by subjective interpretations.
The solution is in our hands. Do not accept that your happiness depends on the outside, in any situation, however horrible, you have the option to move on, if you want, even if you think you have hit rock bottom and can no longer do so, you can!Get to work and prove that life awaits you with open arms.