ENDOGENOUS DEPRESSION: SYMPTOMS, TYPES, CAUSES, TREATMENTS - ARTE - 2024

The endogenous depression is a disorder of mood characterized by a depressed mood without this occurs due to any external cause. On the contrary, the stressor that causes the problem has its origin in the individual himself; and it can be either cognitive or biological.

It is a relatively rare type of depression. People who suffer from it usually have problems in their serotonin circuit or with other types of neurotransmitters; although sometimes the causes are more related to the presence of a large number of irrational beliefs or other psychological problems.

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Because the causes of endogenous depression are not apparent, it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose and treat. Often times, people with this disorder will begin to experience their symptoms without any apparent cause. This is in contrast to reactive depression, which is triggered by a specific event.

The latest diagnostic manuals used by psychologists around the world have stopped differentiating between exogenous and endogenous depression, diagnosing them all as "major depression."

However, it can be useful to understand what the characteristics of this disorder are, as well as its consequences and possible solutions to it.

Symptoms

The symptoms of endogenous depression are very similar to those of other types of mood disorders. The main difference from the others is that this problem appears without an apparent external cause, rather than due to a specific stressful event.

Persistently depressed mood

People with endogenous depression feel extremely sad and hopeless consistently, for most of the day and for a long period of time. This sadness goes beyond a simple everyday emotion, and is much more disabling.

For example, individuals with this problem often have irrational beliefs; For example, they think that their situation will never improve, that they will always feel miserable, and that they cannot do anything to improve. Crying, constant complaints, anguish and despair are also frequent.

In the most extreme cases, recurrent thoughts about suicide or even suicidal ideations may appear; that is, the person thinks about how they would like to take their own life and details about how they would carry out this action.

Lack of interest in enjoyable activities

One of the most important changes in depressed mood is that the person feels unable to enjoy everything that previously gave him pleasure.

For example, they often give up their hobbies and hobbies, lose interest in sex, and significantly reduce their activity level.

Thus, the most common is that people with endogenous depression dedicate themselves only to tasks that do not require great effort, and that provide an immediate reward. Some examples would be watching television, surfing the Internet, drinking alcohol, or eating unhealthy food.

In general, this symptom also causes the person to stop being interested in their social relationships. In general, those with endogenous depression are at great risk of ending up isolated and without a support group.

Lack of motivation and energy

In addition to the loss of interest in enjoyable activities, people with endogenous depression also often do not feel like trying to achieve their goals.

Often they feel adrift, as if they are moving nowhere; and they find it very difficult to work on their goals or even set them.

On the other hand, these individuals typically feel extremely fatigued and lacking in energy, making it even more difficult for them to focus on their daily tasks. Your attention and ability to concentrate are also negatively affected by this disorder.

Changes in appetite and sleep patterns

Vital functions are also affected when endogenous depression appears. In terms of food intake, people with this disorder can either exaggerately increase the amount they eat, or lose their appetite almost completely.

Something similar happens with the dream. Some people with this type of depression have severe problems sleeping and hardly get any rest at night. Others, on the other hand, sleep much more than usual, but are still fatigued.

Physical discomfort

Finally, it is also common for people who suffer from endogenous depression to have all kinds of body pain. Some of the most common are headaches, back pain, stomach discomfort or muscle aches.

Types

Some experts distinguish between endogenous depression caused by purely biological causes (such as a deficiency of some type of neurotransmitter) and that which has more to do with an altered thought pattern.

However, the most common is that people with this disorder present alterations in both their thinking and their brain chemistry. In fact, both factors seem to be directly related.

Because of this, nowadays no differentiation is usually made between different types of endogenous depressions. Rather, they are all diagnosed equally, and the only real difference between different patients is the treatment that is believed to be most helpful.

Causes

As with most mental disorders, it is not known exactly what causes endogenous depression to develop. Normally, it is considered that there is no single factor that causes it, but that it is a combination of different circumstances.

The causes of endogenous depression can be genetic, biological, psychological, or environmental; although usually all of them will be present to a greater or lesser extent when this disorder occurs.

Genetic factors

Several investigations with families indicate that all types of depression have a strong genetic component; but this is especially true in the case of those that are not caused by external factors.

Thus, from birth, some people seem to be more predisposed to developing this mood disorder.

For example, it is known that the simple fact of having a close relative who has suffered some type of depression throughout his life greatly increases the chances of suffering from this problem as well.

Biological factors

Today, we know that substances produced in our brain known as neurotransmitters have a huge influence on the way we feel.

In endogenous depression, the levels of some of them are altered, which could be a fundamental factor in explaining most of the symptoms.

Of all the neurotransmitters that exist, those most related to the onset of depression are serotonin and dopamine. When either of these two substances is present in less than usual amount in the brain, it is common for the person to experience symptoms similar to those of this disorder.

We also know that low levels of certain substances in the body, such as testosterone or vitamin D, can be behind some types of endogenous depression.

However, more research is needed to understand exactly how they influence.

Psychological factors

One of the main causes of any mood disorder is the person's way of thinking. For a few decades, it has been known that self-talk has a great influence on the way we feel.

In fact, some research shows that it can even change our brain chemistry.

Thus, some ways of thinking make endogenous depression much more likely. For example, the belief that things will never get better, or constantly reflecting on your own problems can lead to this psychological disorder over time.

On the other hand, there are certain personality characteristics that also influence the appearance of this problem. Of all of them, probably the one most closely related to depression is neuroticism.

It is a trait shared by those whose emotions are more powerful and volatile than normal.

Other traits such as lack of resilience, pessimism or even introversion could contribute to the onset of endogenous depression throughout a person's life.

Environmental factors

Finally, certain lifestyles make the development of endogenous depression more likely. Some of the most important factors of this type are sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, lack of sleep, job stress or lack of adequate social support.

Often these factors are not enough to cause a mental disorder on their own. However, they can increase a person's chances of suffering one of them if any other cause is present.

Consequences

Mood disorders can have devastating effects on the quality of life of those who suffer from them. In the case of endogenous depression, these consequences can be especially serious.

Because the causes of this disorder are internal, if they are not solved, the person can suffer recurrent depressive episodes throughout their entire existence.

This usually has very negative effects on different areas, such as work, personal relationships, and even health.

When an individual suffers from endogenous depression, he is practically incapable of enjoying his surroundings. In addition, these people usually cannot solve the problem on their own, so they frequently need to resort to some type of professional help to improve their quality of life.

In the most serious cases, the consequences can include problems such as addictions of all kinds (for example, to alcohol or gambling), loss of socioeconomic status (in the case of losing your job or source of income), or even suicide.

Treatments

The causes of endogenous depression are primarily internal rather than related to events in the person's life.

Even so, all the investigations in this regard have confirmed that this mental disorder responds perfectly to the same treatments as other similar problems.

Basically, there are four approaches that can be followed to alleviate the symptoms of people with endogenous depression and improve their quality of life: lifestyle changes, medication, psychotherapies, and electroconvulsive therapy. The choice of one or the other will depend on the severity of the symptoms and the characteristics of the patient.

Changes in lifestyle

One of the best actions that a person suffering from endogenous depression can take is to change some of their habits and replace them with more empowering ones. Certain lifestyles make the development of a mood disorder much less likely than others.

Thus, activities such as frequent physical exercise, exposure to the sun to increase vitamin D levels in the blood, form a good social circle of support, eat healthy and sleep well can make the difference between a mildly depressed mood and a normal one.

Medication

Another option when treating endogenous depression is to use some type of psychotropic drug that alters brain chemistry and returns it to normal.

Medical treatments appear to be more effective against this psychological disorder than against similar ones, which supports the hypothesis that its causes are mainly internal.

The most effective medications for long-term depression are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

The way in which they work is by increasing the levels of this neurotransmitter in the brain, thus alleviating most of the symptoms of the disorder.

Psychotherapy

Some psychological therapies also appear to be very effective in fighting endogenous depression. Specifically, the most useful have proven to be cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy.

Both work by helping the person to change their way of thinking, in such a way that the symptoms gradually diminish until they disappear. This approach is often combined with the use of medication to achieve the best result.

Electroconvulsive therapy

Finally, the technique of applying small electrical shocks to the brain using electrodes appears to be especially effective in changing thought patterns and altered levels of neurotransmitters that cause endogenous depression.

This type of treatment has evolved a lot in recent years, and it does not present any danger to patients. In fact, many specialists believe that in the future it will be one of the best options when it comes to ending problems of this type.

References

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3. "Endogenous and exogenous depression" in: VeryWell Mind. Retrieved on: December 11, 2018 from VeryWell Mind: verywellmind.com.
4. "Endogenous depression: when unhappiness comes from within" in: Psychology and Mind. Retrieved on: December 11, 2018 from Psychology and Mind: psicologiaymente.com.
5. "Endogenous depression" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: December 11, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.