Depression due to the death of a loved one: what is it, symptoms and treatment?

Bereavement is one of the most frequent causes of the appearance of depressive symptoms. What to do?

Depression is one of the most complex concepts in the field of mental health.. Not only does it appear in a wide variety of forms and symptoms, but also, as with virtually all mental disorders, there is no single cause that triggers it.

However, of all the possible experiences capable of favoring the onset of depressive symptoms, it is known that the death of a loved one is one of the most frequent. This is a relative frequency, since most people who have to cope with grief due to a loss of this type do not develop depression; however, in some cases psychological help is necessary.

In this article we will see what is basic information about bereavement depression, and what can be done to cope with it in the best way possible from the treatment of mental health professionals.and what can be done to cope with it in the best possible way with treatment from mental health professionals.

What is bereavement depression?

Let's start with the basics: is this a different type of depression? It should be noted that the very idea that there are several types of depression is somewhat controversial. In practice, these classifications are used to better describe each of the cases we are working with, but that does not mean that there are different mental disorders that beyond some common characteristics have little to do with each other.

In the case we are dealing with, depression due to the death of a loved one, it cannot be considered as its own entity as a mental disorder, but rather as a specification of what has been one of the main triggers that explains how it has arisen.

Thus, bereavement depression can be experienced in as many different ways as there are different ways of experiencing depression in general. Despite this, there are a number of general aspects that are usually met. Let's see what they are.

Symptoms

One of the great myths about depression is that it essentially consists of a sadness so intense that it causes a great deal of psychological pain, enough to cause significant damage to the body.enough to significantly damage life or even favor the appearance of suicidal ideas.

Although there are cases in which people with depression feel that way, there are many others who experience it in a totally different way and who do not exactly feel sad. The most characteristic feature of depression, whether it is due to the death of a loved family member or friend or other causes, is the inability to feel joy, excitement or, in some cases, the inability to feel joy, excitement or in some cases even pleasure, and a lack of initiative and motivation to do the most basic activities. to do the most basic activities.

The inability to feel pleasure, or anhedonia, appears automatically, and has nothing to do with our way of thinking about life or existence itself: it is not necessary to be extremely cynical or critical of society and the world to feel it, since its nature is irrational, beyond the limits of reason and language..

Abulia, or lack of initiative, also arises in a similar way. It does not appear because intellectually we do not find reasons to feel motivated by something, but it is expressed as a symptom without further ado, without the need for us to have had to reach any conclusion.

Treatment

The treatment of depression due to the death of a loved one should always be carried out by mental health professionals, who in turn should also make a personalized diagnosis. The fact that we feel very bad after the death of a friend or relative does not mean that we can take for granted that we have depression; it is necessary to wait to what the specialists who take our case say to us.. That said, it is also good to know that in some cases it will be recommended to combine psychotherapy with pharmacological treatment, and in others not.

The drugs alleviate the symptoms, but a few doses do not make the discomfort go away. Psychological therapy is that which can best help us to accept the death of that person and to want to reintegrate ourselves into a world in which we will no longer be able to see or interact with him or her. Thus, the main goal of therapy is acceptance..

How can this be achieved? This is not a battle that we can do alone, nor is it something that depends only on the therapist. It is necessary to be guided by the professional who carries out the psychotherapy, and to work together. For example, part of these tasks have to do with cognitive restructuring: the review of our deepest beliefs to discard those that do not adapt to reality and harm us, to replace them with others.

Other tasks will also be indicated, whose main objective is not to let us fall into passivity and a lifestyle far from any activity. This is what behavioral activation work consists of.The role of the family and the patient's close environment is also fundamental.

On the other hand, the role of the family and the patient's close environment is also fundamental. Grieving the death of a loved one is much more bearable if one has the support of other people with whom there is a personal and intimate bond.

Bibliographical references:

• Gómez Sancho, M. (2004). The loss of a loved one. Grief and mourning. Madrid: Aran ediciones
• McCullough, J. P. Jr (2003). Treatment for Chronic Depression: Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP). New York: Guilford Press.