The most depressed cities in Russia

Every now and then sociological studies at different levels reveal which city in Russia is the most depressed. This is not an attempt to make a pessimistic rating, but the need for some harsh reflection and search for solutions to the problem. It seems to many that Peter must be in the lead in this list. However, the gloomy-mystical appearance of the city-museum only closes the top 10 of the most depressed cities in the country. And in some social studies and questions, he is not included in this list at all.

Typically, such studies cover only large cities where at least half a million people live. That is, 30-40 cities of the country are being studied. Analyze the urban environment according to the following indicators:

• safety of the population;
• ecological situation;
• the state of the health care system;
• material well-being of residents;
• the development of the social environment (schools, culture, etc.);
• work of housing and communal services and road structures;
• general improvement;
• migration processes.

In addition to these indicators, city dwellers are tested by asking them questions: "How often do you feel sad?", "Do you know depression?" and etc. The list of the most depressed cities in Russia includes the following.

1. Volgograd... He appears in the ratings of different cities, moving through positions. And the first (in this case hardly honorable) position went to this region. It has low indicators for the road sector, for the state of housing and communal services and for ensuring safety.
2. Mound... The city took the last place on its list in terms of the quality of medical care, and the roads in this city are far from simply good.
3. Cherepovets... Ecology, parking, the work of housing and communal services cause constant discontent among residents.There is also great concern about the health care system, where serious problems have been identified.
4. Omsk... A large city, which should not be included in such a top, but the millionaire, according to the state of the road infrastructure, is only 27 out of 37, and other positions also do not inspire optimism.
5. Permian... The famous art object of the city "Happiness is not far off" causes the opposite state - depression and loss.
6. Chelyabinsk... There is no need to talk about environmental problems in this territory, and the city is "stuck in traffic jams" and needs total repair of a huge number of buildings.
7. Saratov... Most of all, according to studies, the road facilities and housing stock suffer here.
8. Ufa... Environmental problems of the region, difficulties with work, bureaucracy and some other depressing issues did not allow Ufa to pass the list.
9. Lipetsk... And here they criticize the education system, road facilities and security.
10. St. Petersburg. A gray city with changeable weather, expensive housing and questions about the quality of repairs.

A metropolis is a priori a settlement that creates all the conditions for the development of depressive conditions. Depression, it is worth recalling, is an affective state with a negative emotional background. It is expressed by depressed mood, thinking disorders (in the form of pessimistic and negative judgments), and motor retardation. What contributes to depression in a metropolis?

• Noise and light. In a huge city, they are almost round the clock. Noise collides the processes of excitation and inhibition, and the bright blinking light of advertising makes a person nervous.
• Rhythm... There is a lot of competition here, the winners are those who manage to live at high speeds. But the pay off is stress. In a big city, a person is intuitively tuned in to high personal efficiency, and if he does not achieve it, depressive prerequisites arise.
• Time and roads... The inhabitants of the metropolis spend a lot of time on the road to work. And not everyone succeeds in adapting to this, optimizing the hours spent. Fatigue accumulates, sleep is postponed, coming home, a person does not feel strength for anything else.
• Chronic stress... It is caused by a combination of factors - uncertainty about the future, fears about the financial situation and social guarantees, dissatisfaction with the roads, ecology, bureaucracy. And even the rest, when a person just wants to change the situation, is spent in a noisy shopping center, water park or on noisy streets. Simply because of the lack (or not seeing) an alternative.

Or the accumulation of these disadvantages is realized with age, change in marital status, etc. Not everyone is suited to a big city, where you can spend a couple of hours just transporting children to schools and clubs - and people choose either suburban life or a smaller city.

There is also such a dependence as the inability to fall asleep in peace and quiet. A person accustomed to a metropolis merges so much with its sounds, light, speed that, getting into a quiet place, he suffers from insomnia and is tormented by anxiety. He seems to be left alone with himself and is tormented by this unusual closeness.

Of course, you don't just need to endure depressive states. Correction methods exist and they are quite successful. How does depression manifest itself in a big city?

• Neurasthenia... Sleep disorder, weakness and headaches, fatigue, life according to the algorithm.
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)... Inability to fully rest, new energy does not come, increased sleepiness during the day, sleeplessness at night, unreasonable bad mood, incomprehensible muscle pain, memory loss.
• Anxiety disorder... Fear of illness, constant excitement, misgivings, dramatization, fear of crowded places.

How can I help myself?

1. Move a lot... Travel on the subway and movement around the office are not considered as such. You need to walk, study urban architecture, arrange jogging and walks with delicious tea in a thermos and homemade cookies. We must try to see the "gray city" through a different prism.
2. Turn off the TV. TV background work is a direct path to anxiety disorders. The background noise is very tiring for the brain, leading to aggression and fatigue. Either silence, or your favorite music on the radio or on records (retro is a great option).
3. To plan... In order not to become a victim of time pressure, you need to plan - reasonably, objectively, realistic. You can combine cleaning with listening to a lecture or exercise on a stationary bike with watching a professional meaningful video. And if you don't have time for everything, you want to take a walk and raise a little, you can arrange yourself a corner of creativity on the balcony - it saves you.
4. Go out into nature more often. Optional for barbecue, fishing, mushroom picking. Just for a regular walk or the opportunity to sit by the river on a folding chair, take a nap, chat with loved ones. Nature is a very powerful resource, it fills with energy and at the same time prevents burnout, overwork.
5. Create your own comfortable attributes. Someone is helped by a bath by candlelight, someone is helped by a quiet evening reading a book and a delicious dinner. Someone finds salvation in the morning walks with the dog through the still relatively quiet city. Art therapy works great, drawing, in principle, is one of the strongest non-drug sedatives.
6. Seek urban silence. She is in small museums, quiet streets far from the center, small cafes. Even limiting grocery shopping to once a week is already a remedy. And bread can often be bought at a convenience store around the corner.
7. For a while, stop going to crowded places... If possible, even a temporary detox is life-saving. Friends can be invited over for spaghetti, and a movie show can be arranged at home. Food will be delivered by delivery, and with children you can also have a good time at home playing board games, a puppet theater and making a cake with pleasant music.
8. Fall asleep in silence... The TV must be turned off at least a couple of hours before bedtime. Ideally, it is better not to touch all other gadgets after 8. Before going to bed, it would be good to take a walk or at least stand with a cup of sugar-free tea on the balcony. Then take a quick shower and go to bed in a ventilated room. And so - every day, if possible.
9. Stick to the regime. The body loves order, cyclicality, he likes to live by the rules, and not stand under the onslaught of stress.
10. Choose your favorite routes. Those that are visually pleasing and give rise to a sense of unity with the city.