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

However, of all the possible experiences that can favour the appearance 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 face the mourning for 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 the basic information about depression from the death of a loved one , and what can be done to best cope with it from the treatment of mental health professionals.

What is depression over the death of a loved one?

Let’s start with the basics: is this a different kind of depression? Keep in mind 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 you’re working with, but that doesn’t mean that there are different mental disorders that beyond some common characteristics have little to do with each other.

In this case, the depression caused by the death of a loved one cannot be considered as a mental disorder in its own right, but rather as a specification of what one of the main triggers has been 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 . In spite of this, there are a number of general aspects that are usually fulfilled. Let’s see what they are.

Symptoms

One of the great myths about depression is that it consists essentially of a sadness so intense that it causes a lot of psychological pain , enough to significantly damage life or even encourage the emergence of ideas of suicide.

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 don’t exactly feel sad. The most characteristic feature of depression, whether it is the death of a family member or friend who has been loved very much or for other reasons, is the inability to feel joy, excitement or in some cases even pleasure, and the lack of initiative and motivation 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, given that 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 expresses itself as a symptom without the need for us to have reached 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 should also make a diagnosis in a personalized manner. The fact that we feel very bad after the death of a friend or relative does not mean that we can take it for granted that we have depression; we have to wait for what the specialists who are dealing with our case tell us .
That said, it is also good to know that in some cases a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacological treatment will be recommended, and in others not.

The drugs relieve the symptoms, but a few takes do not make the discomfort go away. Psychological therapy is the one that can best help us accept the death of that person and to want to re-integrate into a world where we can no longer see or interact with that person. Thus, the main objective of therapy is acceptance .

How to get this? This is not a battle we can do alone, and it is not something that depends only on the therapist. You have to be guided by the professional who carries out the psychotherapy, and work together. For example, part of these tasks have to do with cognitive restructuring: reviewing 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, which are mainly aimed at not letting us fall into passivity and a lifestyle away from all activity. This is what the behavioural activation tasks consist of , widely used in the treatment of depression.

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

Bibliographic references:

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