Nadia Rodríguez: "Hopelessness is not exclusive to depression".

Psychologist Nadia Rodríguez Ortiz talks to us about what depression is and what it is not.

Clinical depression is a psychological disorder that practically everyone has heard of, but it is also true that part of the population has a view of it based on myths.

Erroneous beliefs such as that it is sadness taken to the extreme or that it is just an excuse for "mentally weak" people continue to generate confusion in the best of cases, and harm in the worst. For this reason, on this occasion interviewed psychologist Nadia Rodríguez Ortiz, who has a lot of experience helping people with depression in her work. in her work.

Interview with Nadia Rodriguez: the characteristics of depression

Nadia Rodríguez Ortiz is a psychologist expert in adult care and specialized in cognitive-behavioral therapy and Third Generation Therapies. In this interview we discuss with her the topic of clinical depression.

In popular culture, depression is still undervalued, assuming that those who develop this disorder are simply "weak" or complain too much?

It's still around, it seems unbelievable, doesn't it? After many years of scientific studies and outreach by health professionals, a person with depressive behavior is still not taken seriously. From phrases like "give it your best shot", "if you want to, then you can", or "Are we men or clowns?".

I have found that it is more common in teenagers or young adults who still live with their parents. The generation that today chose to be mothers and fathers grew up hearing this from their parents and thus learned to deal with emotions, ignoring or minimizing them.

It is somewhat understandable to think so. There is no single way of being depressed, nor does this disorder have the same causes for everyone. Add to this the fact that there is no consensus as to whether it is a disease or not, and whether it can be reduced or not with medication...

But it is also true that there have been important advances in the acceptance of psychological problems. Celebrities, influencers and health professionals on social networks talking and openly acknowledging that they have been treated for depression with professionals helps other people get help in time.

What elements of clinical depression do you think can lead to the most suffering?

This is something that varies from case to case, although there is one that worries psychotherapists the most: hopelessness. And this is not exclusive to depression.

Any other person with a clinical diagnosis that presents this characteristic is of concern, because there are studies that place it as a predictor of suicidal behavior.

The likelihood of someone taking their own life is higher when they have no way to escape their agony.

A time of high suicide risk in depression is when the person begins to improve. People with severe depression begin to regain some of their energy, perhaps enough to make a suicide attempt. This is why leaving treatment in the middle is worrisome.

How do you explain to a person who is not trained in mental health how depression is distinct from sadness?

This is related to the previous question. I would say that there are important differences in being sad and being depressed. Feeling sad, a person can go to work and be functional. He or she can cry and carry on. You can go from sadness to anger if the situation warrants it. But someone who is depressed may not get out of bed.

It even happens that someone who is depressed doesn't look depressed to the naked eye. He may go to work and not talk to anyone. You don't see him crying, but there are other signs. They stop being interested in things they used to enjoy.

A depressed person may seem tired all the time because doing things he dislikes (even though they used to be his hobbies) is a huge effort. He has stopped thinking about long-term goals because he sees no point in any of them, nor in striving to achieve them.

Therefore, living with depression is exhausting and may seem like sadness, but it is not always so. There are other elements that are more important.

At a sign of constant sadness one should ask, but it is also dangerous to wrongly assume that a person without severe depressive symptoms is "safe" and therefore does not require immediate psychological attention.

What habits and routines help prevent the onset of depression?

It is not so much the habit and routine itself, but the purpose it serves. Having a routine with healthy but unpleasant habits can have the same effect as doing nothing. A personalized plan is needed.

I've heard generic remedies like "tend your bed" or "play sports" to get out of depressive states. It's not as simple as that. You need to create habits that make sense in the long run. I prefer to take the time to create a flexible but valuable and motivating routine. And that's different for each of us. And at first it may not be pleasant at all, that's why you need to consider a number of elements before deciding.

If I had to answer I would say variety and diversity of meaningful activities.

And as a psychologist, what techniques do you find most useful to treat depression?

Fortunately, there are a variety of ways that psychologists have studied to modify depression with evidence. And best of all, without medication. Nothing against medication, it is only necessary to contemplate that sometimes people feel that they have advanced only to the drug and do not want to stop even though it is no longer necessary.

There are cognitive, behavioral and contextual therapy techniques. All involve changing the conditions so that the mood changes accordingly. However, so far what works best has to do with what is called behavioral activation.

What can be done if we know someone with depression, beyond encouraging them to go to therapy?

Give value to what they are feeling, beyond providing solutions, although they are also good if they are requested.

Being depressed is not necessarily the fault of the person who is suffering from it, but it is their responsibility to do something to change it.

And you don't get through it alone. Sure there are people who have experienced it, but getting through it with help doesn't make the accomplishment any less important.

For someone with depression, you are encouraged to do activities even if they are small compared to what you did before you were depressed.

And help from the people around you is super important. It is the fact of telling them that what they feel will always be valid and that they will never be blamed for not feeling encouraged; sometimes that makes all the difference. Meeting people who understand your situation without judging it lessens the burden of, in addition to feeling bad, having to meet the expectations of other people who don't understand them.

Finally, encourage them to do little things even if they have no initial desire and highlight the positive aspects of doing things unwillingly, again, without recrimination.

Do not make comments like "You see! If only you would try, what you could achieve!". Because it is again transmitting to the person that "if you have desires then you can do anything", when this is one of the beliefs that makes it more difficult for people to get out of the state in which they find themselves.