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Silent Silence 001 Depression

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transcript
00:00 - 0:00:23 [Music]
0:00:23 – 0:00:28 Hello and welcome to the first episode of
0:00:28 – 0:00:36 A podcast about mental illness.
0:00:36 – 0:00:41 Today's topic is depression.
0:00:41 – 0:00:45 The issue affects a lot of people.
0:00:45 – 0:00:51 I know a lot of people who suffer from depression.
0:00:51 – 0:00:53 Sometimes more, sometimes less.
0:00:53 – 0:01:01 I even met someone who, as she said, with her latent depressive
0:01:01 – 0:01:08 Phase lives in her little turret. Maybe you've already felt yourself,
0:01:08 – 0:01:17 how life can turn gray or you can no longer enjoy small things,
0:01:17 – 0:01:26 like a beautiful sunrise, I know it's pretty clichéd, a good cup of coffee,
0:01:26 – 0:01:38 Enjoy a delicious piece of cake, watch your favorite movie on the streaming service or on LinearTV. You
0:01:38 – 0:01:45 notice how you withdraw more and more from the environment and manage less and less, somehow
0:01:45 – 0:01:47 How to manage your everyday life.
0:01:47 – 0:01:51 And that's what it's all about today.
0:01:51 – 0:01:55 Depressiveness, depression,
0:01:55 – 0:01:59 or a depressive phase,
0:01:59 – 0:02:04 As they call it in technical jargon.
0:02:04 – 0:02:08 But a little disclaimer at the very beginning.
0:02:08 – 0:02:10 This is not therapy.
0:02:10 – 0:02:12 This should not replace therapy.
0:02:12 – 0:02:22 If you feel that your depression is too severe to cope on your own,
0:02:22 – 0:02:28 Then seek professionally qualified help. A good contact point is in the first place
0:02:28 – 0:02:36 Your family doctor. Talk to him about how you feel, that you have a guess,
0:02:36 – 0:02:42 That it could be depression and see together how it goes on.
0:02:42 – 0:02:52 But now at the very beginning. What is depression? Depression is longer and
0:02:52 – 0:03:01 more difficult. It just takes longer. A phase in life where you are more than in a bad mood or
0:03:01 – 0:03:12 such a hanger now in quotation marks. It's something that really depends on the severity.
0:03:12 – 0:03:18 It prevents you from living your day-to-day life. I met people who were so
0:03:18 – 0:03:24 Depressed, they couldn't get up. They just stood up to stop it.
0:03:24 – 0:03:31 The most important thing to do was to go to the toilet. They had all the joy
0:03:31 – 0:03:41 lost in eating, caring, or talking to other people. There was nothing left,
0:03:41 – 0:03:47 except to lie in bed and sleep. So we see, such a depression can really
0:03:47 – 0:03:53 It is a serious, serious illness. It's not as obvious as a broken
0:03:53 – 0:04:02 Leg or as clearly perceptible as pneumonia. It is a hidden disease,
0:04:02 – 0:04:10 But it can be just as difficult and even in individual cases just as deadly. But what are so
0:04:10 – 0:04:18 The typical symptoms? One speaks of a deep exhaustion, so that one even sleeps a lot.
0:04:18 – 0:04:28 There is a loss of interest, nothing is more fun. Some also have serious feelings of guilt,
0:04:28 – 0:04:33 a self-doubt or even a deep hopelessness that nothing is left in the
0:04:33 – 0:04:41 Life gets better or makes sense. Concentration problems are also often present.
0:04:41 – 0:04:48 Because there's so much going on in my head. Some also have a great deal of decision-making difficulty.
0:04:48 – 0:04:56 What is called ambivalence in technical jargon. You just can't decide anymore,
0:04:56 – 0:05:01 And even if it's just between two things, now I'm eating a donut or eating
0:05:01 – 0:05:10 I've got the doughnuts next to me. Just as a small example. Insomnia or extreme sleep needs
0:05:10 – 0:05:17 It is also a common symptom. I can tell from my own experience that I was a real
0:05:17 – 0:05:23 Night Owl and have here once two hours, maybe there once an hour or there sometimes three hours
0:05:23 – 0:05:32 slept. I was awake and did nothing. loss of appetite or the opposite,
0:05:32 – 0:05:42 Excessive eating is also a symptom. A lot of people have a withdrawal from
0:05:42 – 0:05:50 the social life. And I observe this very often and I have had this myself, while
0:05:50 – 0:06:01 Many of my depressive phases. And in some serious cases, suicidality, i.e. a kind of
0:06:01 – 0:06:07 death longing, thoughts about death, which now does not necessarily lead to a suicide attempt,
0:06:07 – 0:06:14 But it can lead to it. At least the desire is for it, because when I'm dead,
0:06:14 – 0:06:21 All my problems are gone or my suffering is over. What I learned from many conversations with
0:06:21 – 0:06:29 Affected or even with fellow patients is remembered, so sentences,
0:06:29 – 0:06:35 They were like, "I didn't feel like I was sad. I had rather this
0:06:35 – 0:06:46 Feeling like I'm nothing." And that's kind of a good thing. You are so deep in your
0:06:46 – 0:06:55 Depression trapped that you don't feel anything in and of yourself anymore because this sadness is so
0:06:55 – 0:07:05 is overwhelming, so huge that you taste like sweet honey, which at some point tastes bitter,
0:07:05 – 0:07:13 Because it's just so sweet. Maybe that's how it can be compared. So how does it feel
0:07:13 – 0:07:21 To have a depression? This is very different and very individual. Some
0:07:21 – 0:07:31 People say it feels like I'm packed in cotton because everything is very dull and nothing
0:07:31 – 0:07:38 It really gets closer to me. You don't feel much anymore. Others describe it as if
0:07:38 – 0:07:46 There is a black cloud in her head or even around her or around her. Others say,
0:07:46 – 0:07:49 It feels like living under water.
0:07:49 – 0:08:00 You see everything out there as life is, but even you can't get it or you're no longer a part of it.
0:08:00 – 0:08:08 These feelings, these impressions cannot simply be thought away or talked away.
0:08:08 – 0:08:12 It's just there.
0:08:12 – 0:08:18 It's permanent, perma- sorry, I can't pronounce it right now.
0:08:18 – 0:08:21 It's just always there.
0:08:21 – 0:08:28 And no matter how good the talk is, pull yourself together, just go out,
0:08:28 – 0:08:30 You have to go among people again.
0:08:30 – 0:08:35 It doesn't matter because you just don't see it that way at the moment.
0:08:35 – 0:08:40 Or if you understand that you actually have to do it, you can't,
0:08:40 – 0:08:47 Because you are paralyzed by this impotence, which you also feel yourself.
0:08:47 – 0:08:52 The big question is, where does depression come from?
0:08:52 – 0:08:57 It must be said that there is a single cause.
0:08:57 – 0:09:01 It is usually a combination of several factors.
0:09:01 – 0:09:07 On the one hand, there is a biological component,
0:09:07 – 0:09:18 In other words, there is an imbalance of messenger substances in the brain, such as serotonin or norepinephrine.
0:09:18 – 0:09:23 Sometimes it's a shortage, sometimes it's a surplus.
0:09:23 – 0:09:30 You have to understand, our metabolism in the brain works almost with players
0:09:30 – 0:09:31 and opponents.
0:09:31 – 0:09:39 One performs a task and the other ensures that the messenger substance,
0:09:39 – 0:09:44 who has performed this task will be withdrawn. We are also talking about
0:09:44 – 0:09:52 Players and opponents. And this is in the case of the seretondomine and the noradralin,
0:09:52 – 0:09:59 What then is the opponent. To explain it in a very simple way.
0:09:59 – 0:10:06 I know, people who know that this is much more complex, the mechanisms,
0:10:06 – 0:10:12 and that many other good fabrics play a big role, but that's all
0:10:12 – 0:10:17 Stay here quite simply and comprehensibly. Then, of course, there is the psychological
0:10:17 – 0:10:32 component. trauma, loss of a person, a serious accident, witness or even victim
0:10:32 – 0:10:38 an act of violence, childhood experiences that can also be traumatizing, loss of a
0:10:38 – 0:10:48 Parent, divorces of parents, personality traits such as a very high self-criticism
0:10:48 – 0:10:56 It can also lead to depression like this. 'Cause when I'm all super
0:10:56 – 0:11:03 You have to make perfect and you can't make anything perfect because the perfect doesn't exist.
0:11:03 – 0:11:09 You will never reach that level, that level of ambition. And some people will stop at it,
0:11:09 – 0:11:17 Because they never reach it, depressed. Then, of course, there are environmental factors such as social,
0:11:17 – 0:11:25 social factors such as long-term stress. The one who gets burned at work
0:11:25 – 0:11:33 Or at home in care work. The housewife who, in addition to her, her half-day job,
0:11:33 – 0:11:46 Household has to throw, then the family planner is, the manager, then still wife of the man and
0:11:46 – 0:11:52 many other things. This can lead to an overload and then you can also get into depression.
0:11:52 – 0:11:59 fall. Isolation. We humans are social beings. We need to interact with
0:11:59 – 0:12:05 with other people. And if it's just over the internet. Enough social interaction
0:12:05 – 0:12:11 over the Internet. I really limit my real contacts to a minimum because I
0:12:11 – 0:12:17 find it very exhausting. People are really exhausting for me. This is also very
0:12:17 – 0:12:23 interesting. Maybe I should talk about it. Bullying. Anyone who has ever
0:12:23 – 0:12:30 has had bullying experiences, whether they are perpetrators or victims who know
0:12:30 – 0:12:37 What a great experience it is for the victim. I also have my bullying experience.
0:12:37 – 0:12:48 Experienced in school. There were two phases. It's like a fifth grader, and then it's like that.
0:12:48 – 0:13:02 in the 8th/9th with people from a parallel class. That was really awkward. Really. But
0:13:02 – 0:13:10 I think many people have this experience. But we just know from research,
0:13:10 – 0:13:18 Bullying can actually lead to severe depression. Poverty, for example, is also
0:13:18 – 0:13:25 The trigger. Who would have thought? I mean, who has such problems with the money,
0:13:25 – 0:13:28 At the end of the month, I still have enough to buy myself something to eat.
0:13:28 – 0:13:34 I have enough money to buy food for my children or my pets. This
0:13:34 – 0:13:39 It can also lead to depression. Last but not least, unemployment.
0:13:39 – 0:13:45 Long-term unemployed people are more at risk of falling into depression,
0:13:45 – 0:13:51 like people who have a job or a meaningful job.
0:13:51 – 0:13:58 After my stroke, I started the hobby of podcasting and social media.
0:13:58 – 0:14:08 I wanted to blog in order to find a job. I've stopped
0:14:08 – 0:14:16 realized in music, painting and other creative hobbies. You have to hold your place
0:14:16 – 0:14:24 find. Yeah, so how can you not imagine that in the picture? The best thing is that you
0:14:24 – 0:14:32 Imagine a barrel where slowly a drop by drop falls on it. This barrel has a certain
0:14:32 – 0:14:40 by volume of volume. And when the barrel is full at some point, it overflows. Now the barrel is
0:14:40 – 0:14:48 But don't always have the same size. In the case of one person, the barrel has a large
0:14:48 – 0:14:54 Capacity, there can come many worries and griefs in until it overflows. And with the other
0:14:54 – 0:14:59 People, for whatever reason, this capacity is much smaller and then that happens.
0:14:59 – 0:15:06 much faster. But how will now
0:15:06 – 0:15:09 Really diagnosed with depression?
0:15:09 – 0:15:14 Many people are affected only after months or
0:15:14 – 0:15:18 years to go to the doctor and then a
0:15:18 – 0:15:20 Begin therapy from a wide variety of
0:15:20 – 0:15:23 reasons. This can be for safety,
0:15:23 – 0:15:23 shame,
0:15:24 – 0:15:32 Unexperience or the belief that mental illness is not really something,
0:15:32 – 0:15:41 As far as I'm concerned. People don't go to the doctor and get help. As I said,
0:15:41 – 0:15:45 I can only give you the tip if you think there's something wrong with you in life.
0:15:45 – 0:15:52 run, go to your family doctor, talk to him about it and encourage him to take you to a
0:15:52 – 0:16:04 The specialist sends. Now we have asked the question, how is this diagnosed? And there
0:16:04 – 0:16:16 There is a fixed set of criteria, as with all other diseases. And when you
0:16:16 – 0:16:24 has at least two weeks several main and additional symptoms, i.e.
0:16:24 – 0:16:31 Depression. They are available in different forms. A light one, a medium one
0:16:31 – 0:16:40 and severe depression. The main symptoms would be depressed mood, loss of interest,
0:16:40 – 0:16:54 Lack of drive. Now the question is, what helps? And there they are, yes, there are the spirits crying out.
0:16:54 – 0:17:03 Some say pills helped me, others say psychotherapy helped me. me
0:17:03 – 0:17:10 Say it helped me both. First of all, thank God, depression is
0:17:10 – 0:17:18 curable. It takes time, because it doesn't come from now on like a broken one.
0:17:18 – 0:17:25 Poor, but it also develops for a longer time and just as or even longer needs
0:17:25 – 0:17:34 It's also a depression until it's over. There are different ways. The psychotherapy,
0:17:34 – 0:17:42 First and foremost, cognitive behavioral therapy is recommended. It stops,
0:17:42 – 0:17:52 Thought patterns are recognized and, if necessary, changed. On very rough lines. It's a lot
0:17:52 – 0:17:59 work. There's a lot of conversation to it. You have to recognize your problems and your construction sites and
0:17:59 – 0:18:09 Then, by asking specific questions, know where to start and make changes. As I said,
0:18:09 – 0:18:21 It's really lengthy. In-depth psychological therapy, where childhood relationship patterns or even
0:18:21 – 0:18:30 Conflicts, even if they are internal conflicts, are analyzed and attempted to be resolved.
0:18:30 – 0:18:38 It's also a very lengthy thing. Yes, and then there are also online therapy programs,
0:18:38 – 0:18:45 But I can't say much about that, because that didn't exist in my time, where I was actively involved.
0:18:45 – 0:18:55 It was treatment. I just have for myself
0:18:55 – 0:18:59 a mixture of cognitive behavioral therapy and
0:18:59 – 0:19:02 Deep psychological therapy.
0:19:02 – 0:19:05 By the way, that helped me a lot. me
0:19:05 – 0:19:07 I am over a lot of things at this time.
0:19:07 – 0:19:10 I became aware, above all, of my
0:19:10 – 0:19:10 Strengths and weaknesses.
0:19:10 – 0:19:18 Then, of course, there are the medications. I said yes, there is once psychotherapy and to the
0:19:18 – 0:19:28 others the drug treatment. The technical term here is antidepressants. Basically, they are
0:19:28 – 0:19:38 Mostly serotonmin reuptake inhibitors. They help to stabilize brain metabolism.
0:19:38 – 0:19:48 Unfortunately, they need due to the iron-out of our brain and the blood-brain barrier
0:19:48 – 0:19:55 or barrier more precisely, but usually four to six weeks, until the active substance at all
0:19:55 – 0:20:01 arrives in the brain. There you can see, so pain pill works, if I'm lucky,
0:20:01 – 0:20:07 15-20 minutes later. This stuff takes an eternity to get to the brain.
0:20:07 – 0:20:15 Of course, the intake must be made regularly, of course, also have side effects.
0:20:15 – 0:20:22 I can still remember extreme dry mouth and I sweated more.
0:20:22 – 0:20:26 These are little things now.
0:20:26 – 0:20:33 So after the, I'd say after four weeks, I already have a change
0:20:33 – 0:20:41 After six weeks, I have seen a significant improvement in my situation. I was also
0:20:41 – 0:20:46 Much more able to participate in life somehow. That really helped me.
0:20:46 – 0:20:55 Then there are supportive measures. Many swear by exercise, walks at
0:20:55 – 0:21:06 Daylight. Daylight works wonders, especially when it hits the skin. Everyday life more structure
0:21:06 – 0:21:13 Introduce small routines, reward yourself again and again with small things.
0:21:13 – 0:21:21 In therapy, it is often said that they are allowed to reward themselves, but it must not cost anything and
0:21:21 – 0:21:26 For the most part, this must have nothing to do with food, which then becomes difficult again and again,
0:21:26 – 0:21:30 How to Reward Yourself When You're Not Creative
0:21:30 – 0:21:39 Develop rewards for yourself. Which has helped me a lot and also some people,
0:21:39 – 0:21:48 The one I've met is a creative expression. Writing, painting, making music and
0:21:48 – 0:21:56 Anything else that doesn't exist can be really liberating and maybe even liberating.
0:21:56 – 0:22:00 From time to time, there are signs of internal conflict.
0:22:00 – 0:22:06 What kind of crazy pictures did I paint during my therapy time in occupational therapy?
0:22:06 – 0:22:09 That helped me.
0:22:09 – 0:22:21 And last but not least, if you are not currently in a clinic, self-help programs, whether online
0:22:21 – 0:22:29 or stop where you really meet yourself, private or stop in public space, can also help,
0:22:29 – 0:22:34 because you see there, you're not alone and it's amazing how many people suffer from depression
0:22:34 – 0:22:43 suffering. Little insider, once you have dealt with yourself so intensively,
0:22:43 – 0:22:51 When you walk around outside, you will see so many people who really help and support you.
0:22:51 – 0:22:58 They could use it, but they actually know it and wonder why they are doing great things here and there in life.
0:22:58 – 0:23:04 have problems. And here we come to the next point. How do you live with depression?
0:23:04 – 0:23:15 Some people experience only one episode in their entire lives and after years of struggle,
0:23:15 – 0:23:21 I don't want to say, but after years of recovery, they live a life without any
0:23:21 – 0:23:32 More incidents. Other people are always experiencing episodes. I also have
0:23:32 – 0:23:38 I've had several episodes in my life and I'm sure I'll still have some in my life.
0:23:38 – 0:23:45 That's the way it is and I can't change anything about it. The only important thing is that I recognize early enough,
0:23:45 – 0:23:52 What's the matter and what to do about it. It is important to remember that living with depression is not
0:23:52 – 0:24:04 Failure. It's a disease. She can meet anyone and it's an act of strength, every day with it.
0:24:04 – 0:24:15 It's also a process to get to know yourself when you're working on yourself.
0:24:15 – 0:24:23 There is a quote from a dear fellow patient, who at the end shortly before his
0:24:23 – 0:24:31 Dismissal said he had learned not to fight against himself, but to fight with himself.
0:24:31 – 0:24:40 He worked because he always had the fear or the feeling that he would not be able to do enough in life.
0:24:40 – 0:24:48 And that's nice when this burden is taken from one's back, which he himself
0:24:48 – 0:24:57 had worked out. Your successes like getting up, showering, shopping are big steps and they
0:24:57 – 0:25:07 They deserve recognition and no comparison. What does that mean? When I am in a depressive phase
0:25:07 – 0:25:14 I am and I find it difficult to get up alone just because I have to go to the toilet,
0:25:14 – 0:25:22 then it is even more difficult to do the profane shower. And when I pick myself up
0:25:22 – 0:25:30 I have and have showered, then I have done something and this should be acknowledged,
0:25:30 – 0:25:36 Not from anyone outside. It is also very important that I acknowledge that I am rewarding myself.
0:25:36 – 0:25:43 I'm proud of myself for being able to do that. And it really is a big step,
0:25:43 – 0:25:49 That they did that. You have overcome the inner hog and that deserves recognition.
0:25:49 – 0:25:54 Don't look, everyone else can do it. This is not a big thing,
0:25:54 – 0:26:00 That's not a gossip. No, they don't have the problem you have. They are yes
0:26:00 – 0:26:08 Not depressed. It's easy for them. They just do it. When you first have to pick yourself up
0:26:08 – 0:26:17 and then you sit on the edge of the bed for 20 minutes and need to gather enough strength that you
0:26:17 – 0:26:23 Going to the bathroom and taking a shower is a great achievement and deserves recognition.
0:26:23 – 0:26:29 And then we get to the point, which is always a bit, let's say,
0:26:29 – 0:26:37 is borderline. relatives. There are people who have the talent to always do the right thing.
0:26:37 – 0:26:43 To be empathetic and empathetic. And then there are people where it's just the opposite.
0:26:43 – 0:26:55 Sentences like "you have to be able to do that", "others can do that" are totally counterproductive
0:26:55 – 0:27:03 and bring nothing. What really helps is being there, listening, and most importantly,
0:27:03 – 0:27:11 not to be evaluated, quasi an open and affirmative communication, active listening
0:27:11 – 0:27:22 For people who know. Encourage them to do something. Also encourage professional help
0:27:22 – 0:27:34 to look for. It is also very important to be patient and accept setbacks as someone who
0:27:34 – 0:27:41 who supports someone with depression in this way and does not evaluate these things.
0:27:41 – 0:27:51 So then, I could do that. That was a crap. No, don't. I said before,
0:27:51 – 0:27:59 Sayings like "Get together" or the well-intentioned "This will come again"
0:27:59 – 0:28:09 Nothing at all and very bad is either putting pressure or blaming. I know,
0:28:09 – 0:28:18 that some people tend to put a little pressure on false love,
0:28:18 – 0:28:24 It may be the opposite, but it's the opposite that keeps people going.
0:28:24 – 0:28:31 Retirement because it's an overload. It always helped me to know,
0:28:31 – 0:28:40 that there is someone I can rely on, and if I need him, if I need him,
0:28:40 – 0:28:50 That it is tangible for me and that I do not have to go through such situations alone. This
0:28:50 – 0:28:56 It really helped me. One topic that needs to be talked about is – and for many, this can be
0:28:56 – 0:29:05 Family members are really difficult – suicidal thoughts. And yes, I have suicidal thoughts myself
0:29:05 – 0:29:13 have had in my life and can say that this is not easy for a self or even for a
0:29:13 – 0:29:20 relatives. I remember that my parents were very horrified about it, as then so slowly
0:29:20 – 0:29:28 The subject came to the table. Depression, hospital, that's no longer possible. me
0:29:28 – 0:29:36 Think about taking my life. Yeah, that wasn't easy. In a depression can
0:29:36 – 0:29:44 you are so desperate that the meaning of life is no longer there and above all,
0:29:44 – 0:29:53 Death offers itself as a simple solution to end suffering. That's what I said
0:29:53 – 0:30:02 In the beginning. And this thought can be very tempting because no one wants to suffer. And then offer
0:30:02 – 0:30:11 Stop it. It's just that you need a lot of courage. Because everything
0:30:11 – 0:30:18 All in one and all in one resists it. And believe me, as a paramedic I have
0:30:18 – 0:30:26 It often shows how much the body resists it. The human body wants to live.
0:30:26 – 0:30:35 It's like that. If you find yourself in such a situation, be sure to talk to relatives about it.
0:30:35 – 0:30:44 If you, as a relative, feel that there is someone around you who has suicidal thoughts,
0:30:44 – 0:30:53 Talk to him about it. Offer him help. There are crisis phones. You can take him to the emergency room,
0:30:53 – 0:31:00 You can go to the doctor with him and he doesn't have to stay alone.
0:31:00 – 0:31:05 You don't have to stay alone. Find adequate help quickly.
0:31:05 – 0:31:15 If you can't, ask someone. As a family member, you can also ask questions.
0:31:15 – 0:31:20 Do you sometimes think about sharing and doing something to yourself?
0:31:20 – 0:31:31 It can actually save lives. And you can, if you feel like you don't know any further,
0:31:31 – 0:31:40 Also talk to your family doctor, as a relative or call the care phone. It is free of charge,
0:31:40 – 0:31:49 It's anonymous. On the Internet there are also offers such as www.depression.de. There you will find
0:31:49 – 0:32:00 Quick info and help. Last but not least, hope. This is also part of the truth.
0:32:00 – 0:32:07 Depression can affect a part of your life, but it's not your whole life.
0:32:07 – 0:32:15 Life, your whole identity. Many people learn to live with her. They discover ways,
0:32:15 – 0:32:23 Confessing yourself with more compassion. There are relapses, yes, but there is also light.
0:32:23 – 0:32:32 And that's so important to admit that you have weaknesses, that you need help. But
0:32:32 – 0:32:43 There is also a light at the end of the tunnel and you will eventually understand that you are better off.
0:32:43 – 0:32:52 Go on, you'll feel it too. And if you've worked with yourself, you'll be better off.
0:32:52 – 0:32:59 I've never met anyone who hasn't made it, unless they have their own.
0:32:59 – 0:33:05 Suicide has changed. Unfortunately, I also experienced this and it was also a great experience for me as a fellow patient.
0:33:05 – 0:33:13 And finally, I'd like to give you a quote from someone I've been waiting for.
0:33:13 – 0:33:19 I got to know a therapy. I'm not healed, but I'm alive. And that's more,
0:33:19 – 0:33:28 than I ever thought possible for myself." I thank you for this episode
0:33:28 – 0:33:34 You listened. Maybe it was a bit hard, maybe it was also in places
0:33:34 – 0:33:42 It's unbearable to listen to me, for whatever reason. It may have been a relief or
0:33:42 – 0:33:50 opened your eyes. If you are affected yourself, you are not alone. This
0:33:50 – 0:33:57 I really want to recommend you. If you know someone who is depressed,
0:33:57 – 0:34:08 Your patience and compassion can be a lifeline. Throw him, help him.
0:34:08 – 0:34:18 And I would like to thank you for sharing the first episode of Silent Silence.
0:34:18 – 0:34:32 I have listened to it and will do so on a regular basis. I don't know if I have the time
0:34:32 – 0:34:40 I have to, but there are other formats on this podcast. So thank you for
0:34:40 – 0:34:45 Your attention and until next time. Your Sasha. Bye bye.
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In this episode, we talk about depression – one of the most common but also the most invisible mental illnesses. What Exactly Is Depression? How does it feel? What really helps – and how can you support as a relative? With gentle words, many examples and respectful depth, we pursue these questions.

Help and Links

📞 telephone counselling: https://www.telefonseelsorge.de (free & anonymous)
🌐 Deutsche Depressionshilfe: https://www.deutsche-depressionshilfe.de

books

My black dog: How I put my depression on a leash: Johnstone, Matthew, Lindquist, Thomas: Amazon.com: books
Matthew Johnstone illustrates in this book the experience of depression through the metaphor of a ‘black dog’. With impressive illustrations and sensitive texts, he offers those affected and relatives an understandable approach to the topic and shows ways to deal with the disease.
Get rid of depression and burnout: How mental lows really arise, and what you can do about it : Bernhardt, Klaus: Amazon.com: books
In his book, Klaus Bernhardt explains how depression and burnout arise and presents methods to counteract these conditions. Based on the latest scientific findings, he offers practical exercises and strategies for self-help.

Note: The links above are affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we receive a small commission that helps us to support our work – there is no additional cost for you.

Glossary of Important Terms About Depression

Depression

A serious mental illness characterized by persistently depressed mood, severe lack of drive, and loss of pleasure and interest. It concerns thinking, feeling and acting – and often also the body.

Serotonin

A chemical messenger in the brain that controls feelings such as contentment, calmness and balance. Deficiency can promote depressive moods.

antidepressants

Drugs designed to stabilize the balance of messengers in the brain. They have a mood-enhancing effect, need time to work and should be taken accompanied by a doctor.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

A widespread form of psychotherapy. It helps to recognize, question and gradually change stressful thought patterns. Objective: More self-efficacy and emotional stability.

Depth psychological therapy

This form of therapy seeks the causes of psychological stress in unconscious conflicts, often from childhood. The aim is to better understand oneself – and to find new ways of dealing with oneself and others.

anhedonia

A common symptom of depression: the inability to feel joy or lust – even for things that used to be important or beautiful.

Remission

A term from medicine: Describes the temporary or persistent abatement of disease symptoms. Depression can be in remission – that is, it is alleviated, but not automatically ‘cured’.

suicidal thoughts

Thoughts of wanting to end life. They can be an expression of deep despair and are a serious warning sign. Talking openly about it can save lives.

Self-help group

A protected space where people with similar experiences exchange, listen and support each other – without assessment, on an equal footing.

relapse

The recurrence of a disease after a period of improvement. Relapses are not a weakness – they are part of the process of many chronic diseases. The key is to get support again.

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Contributors to this episode

Sascha

Anzahl der Downloads: 497
Playing time: 0:38:05
Date of admission: 02.06.25
This episode is from season 4, there are a total of 4 seasons.

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