Reactive depression: what it is and how it manifests itself

Reactive depression is a form of mood disorder that occurs as a result of a severe trauma or painful event, such as mourning, separation, failure, sentimental disappointment, violence or psychophysical abuse. It is therefore a depressive state that springs from a' disproportionate' reaction in the face of events that, even if traumatic, most people would elaborate in different timescales and in different ways. In any case, reactive depression differs from endogenous depression precisely because it does not arise from an inner conflict, but as a consequence of a traumatic event, or because it puts a strain on the subject's own love (a narcissistic injury) as in the case of a work failure.

The degree of intensity of reactive depression, as well as its course and the clinical picture that accompanies it, can be extremely variable. The disorder can occur mildly and may be of short duration, while in other cases it tends to be chronic. Everything depends on the basic structure of the subject's personality and on the emotional meaning that he attributes to the traumatic event in question.

In general, the symptoms of reactive depression can be summarized in the following points:

general feeling of sadness
anxiety and depressed mood
frequent crying
apathy
sudden mood swings
feeling of mistrust and low self-esteem
sleep disorders
general physical destruction (fatigue, fatigue and muscle weakness)
physical disorders such as headaches, stomach burns and amenorrhoea
allusions to death or suicide
The onset of symptomatology is generally acute and immediately after the stressful event. The general sense of sadness that characterizes reactive depression is, however, sensitive to external stimuli: it diminishes when comfort is received, while it often intensifies at the end of the day, with the arrival of darkness. It is also a disorder that can strike at any age, but is more frequent during the period of adolescence and has a higher incidence among the female population. As far as the treatment is concerned, psychotherapy is the most suitable approach, in particular cognitive-behavioural approach.

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