Depression - Depression Treatment

Frequently Asked Questions About Depression

2008-10-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

I think I'm depressed, where can I get help?

Talk to your primary or family physician. He or she will be able to review the signs and symptoms of depression with you, as well as rule out a possible physical cause for your symptoms. Following diagnosis, your physician can then initiate antidepressant therapy or refer you to a psychiatrist and/or threrapist or an EAP (employee assistance program) if you have one, for appropriate evaluation and treatment. Another route is to consult with your clergy, local hospital, community mental health center or telephone hotlines in your area for a referral for an appropriate evaluation.

It seems that more people are depressed nowadays than in the past. Is the rate of depression increasing?

Depression is common. That having been said, it is also important to point out that this is a seemingly simple question that requires a very complicated answer. While research documents an increase in the number of cases of depression reported and the number prescriptions for antidepressants, it is unclear whether this results from either a true increase in depression due to the stresses of modern life or from increased awareness and recognition of depression as a treatable medical illness. In any event, it is clear that major depression is common.

What is the difference between grief and depression?

Grief is a natural reaction to the loss of an important relationship. As human beings, our bonds to each other develop early (virtually at birth), are strong and often influence major decisions in our life. When we lose a significant relationship in our lives, it is natural for us to feel sadness or other depressive symptoms, such as loss of appetite and disturbed sleep. In fact, about 30 percent of people who have lost a significant other will continue to have these symptoms two months after the loss. These symptoms, however, usually lessen within six months.

Although both conditions may have depressed mood, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance and decreased energy, people with depression usually experience a sense of worthlessness, guilt and/or low self-esteem that is not common in normal grief reactions. For some, a grief reaction can develop into a major depression. For example, about 15 percent of grieving individuals will develop major depression after one year of a loss.

When is being depressed a normal reaction and when is it truly major depression?

All of us have days when we feel "depressed." Usually, these feelings are temporary, and we can have a great day tomorrow. Even when we have a bad day, we can still find enjoyment in things. These occasional bad days are part of life and not depression. Remember, a diagnosis of depression requires that you have these symptoms every day, or nearly every day, for a period of two weeks.

Sometimes, these feelings may persist for several days or even a week. This is common following the break-up of a relationship or other unpleasant event. Still, while you may have some of the symptoms of depression, it is unlikely that you have major depression unless a number of the symptoms are present and impair daily functioning. Even if you do not have major depression, you may have an adjustment disorder that would benefit from professional help. A trained professional can differentiate between a period of the blues and clinical depression.

How do most people react when they are diagnosed with depression?

For some people, a definitive diagnosis is a relief: "At last I know what I have," is their reaction, even if it comes months or years after the onset of symptoms. For others, however, the diagnosis comes as a terrible shock. Many people are ashamed of having a mental illness. Both reactions are quite normal.

Even when a definitive diagnosis is made and accepted, there may be additional concerns about the unknowns of the disorder: its course and outcome, worries about work, effects on family and frustrations about physical and emotional limitations. It is not unusual for these concerns to be expressed as anger, which may further deepen the depression. What is important is to know that depression is treatable and carries a good prognosis. Whatever your reaction, you are not alone, as depression is a common and very treatable problem.

What can I expect regarding other people's reaction?

A person suffering from fatigue and weakness, two symptoms of depression that can occur without obvious signs of physical disability, may look fine. Family members and friends may unsuspectingly expect more from the depressed person than he/she is capable of doing. Those symptoms may, then, be seen as character defects. Fatigue, for example, is frequently interpreted as laziness, or lack of initiative; depressed mood is sometimes seen as self-pity. These reactions may lead patients to begin to doubt their own self-worth. It is important to discuss this issue with your therapist and identify ways of handling this. It is important to remember that millions of people are disabled from a chronic injury or disorder and are living life to the fullest if they get proper treatment.

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Change Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

2008-10-28T00:29:00.001-07:00

The beginning or end of a relationship is always a time of tension and turmoil. Likewise, any change in your life can cause stress: a new job, starting college, even a vacation. Although change puts spice in our lives, all change demands some adjustment. But, did you realize that too much change of any sort can jeopardize your health? Even events that we welcome may require major changes in our routines and adaptation to new requirements.

Studies reveal that one of the most desired changes in a married couple’s life, the birth of their first child, is also a source of major stress, contributing to reduced marital satisfaction for many couples. On the other hand, stress may result more from anticipating events than from living with them. For example, a review of research on the psychological responses to abortion reveals that distress is generally greatest before the abortion. Severe distress is low for most women following the abortion of an unwanted pregnancy, especially if they have had social support for their decision.

In general, significant levels of stress can result from any important life change, but people vary considerably in the ways they respond to change in their lives. Sometimes people can absorb stress and keep on functioning. Their reactions depend on their resources and the contexts in which stress occurs. If you have the money, time, and friends to help you pick up and go on after a disruption, you will certainly fare better than someone for whom more bad news is the last straw in a series of setbacks they have faced alone.

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Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

2008-10-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

Interpersonal therapists focus on the patient's disturbed personal relationships that both cause and exacerbate (or increase) the depression.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is one of the short term therapies that have been proven to be effective for the treatment of depression. Short term psychotherapy usually involves up to 20 sessions (usually weekly meetings, 1 hour per session) and maintains a focus on 1-2 key issues that seem to be most closely related to the depression.

Interpersonal psychotherapy

The treatment is highly structured. The number and content of treatment sessions are planned carefully. The initial assessment period lasts 1 to 2 sessions. Interpersonal problems are considered under 4 heading:

* bereavement and other loss
* role disputes
* role transitions
* interpersonal deficits such as loneliness

Problems are considered by reference to specific situations and alternative ways of coping are evaluated. Clear goals are set and progress towards them is monitored. New coping strategies are tried out in homework assignments.

Fairburn (1997) described IPT like this: "Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a short term focal psychotherapy in which the goal is to help patients identify and modify current interpersonal problems. It was developed in the late 1960s as a treatment for clinical depression, the premise being that since interpersonal difficulties contribute to the onset and maintenance of depression, their resolution is likely to hasten recovery".

It's based on the idea that depression is often linked to things like a fight with your partner or a problem with a workmate. Sometimes the event triggers your depression. But sometimes the depression comes first, and your mood makes fights or work problems more likely. Either way, during interpersonal therapy, your therapist encourages you to learn new and better ways of relating to people.

In trials at Oxford University IPT has been found to be an effective short term alternative to CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) in Bulimia. IPT for Bulimia such as that practised in the Oxford trials is similar to IPT for depression: it is a non interpretative, non prescriptive therapy, and works through a number of phases.

In the first phase of IPT, the therapist and client identify which problems in the clients interpersonal relationships need exploration. This phase is led by the therapist, who builds a "history" of the client in order to help the client identify interpersonal problems. The next phase is driven by the client; the therapist helps maintain focus and encourages change. Finally, in the last phase, both the therapist and client explore what has been achieved and what has not, and focus on the future and what changes the client can make to promote continuing improvement.

Although IPT is a programmed treatment, it is flexible enough to address patients' individual problems and situations. Treatment begins by taking a history of the problem. The therapist then suggests which of the four problem areas is most relevant and then asks the patient what he or she wishes to accomplish. Since IPT is time-limited (usually only 16 session long), Ms. Clougherty emphasized working on no more than two problems.

The IPT therapist begins each session by asking, "how have you been since our last visit?" Patients usually answer by describing recent dysphoric moods or recent upsetting events. The therapist attempts to link moods to recent events in the problem area.

One very interesting point about IPT is that this model works from the assumption that patients suffer from chronic (mental) illness. At the beginning of treatment, the therapist may tell a patient he or she is too "sick" to accomplish certain tasks, although later the therapist will strongly encourage the patient to take on the same or other tasks.

Since depression is a recurrent illness, it is recommended that successful short term treatment be combined with ongoing, maintenance therapy. Maintenance IPT (IPT-M) can be administered once per month following termination of the short term phase. Preliminary results from ongoing studies suggest that IPT-M may prolong time to recurrence of depression.

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Inspirational thought and depressive illness

2008-10-09T23:11:00.000-07:00

Our Thought is the most important and influential factor in depressive illness. It is one's way of thinking about what is happening to one. Since the people with depressive personality, may have the habit of thinking negative and looking on the black side, they may find it difficult to overcome depression.

Another factor which causes depression to take roots is low self esteem - people with low esteem are more prone and susceptible to depression. A person with low esteem tends to think that their wishes and feelings are less important than those of the people around them. They have lost the ability to put themselves first due to various reasons, if they ever had it. They have no idea of how they would feel or act if left to their own devices, because their lives are almost totally laid out for the needs of others.

In brief it is the feeling that one does not deserve anything, that one is not as important as others. It is felt by people who have always been made or expected to put others first.

Mothers of young children and careers of the elderly or disabled are often victims of low esteem. Problem only arises when they find themselves confronted by a choice between what they suddenly discover they really want and their 'duty'. They feel guilty at discovering that they have wants that can only be fulfilled at some cost to those for whom they are caring.

There is definitely a relation between our mind and our body. The relationship between the way one thinks effects the way a person and his body reacts. This is perhaps the most important aspect of all psychological, and possibly physical, illness, yet most people ignore it completely.

We should now begin to acknowledge that the way we think, the expressions we have on our faces, and perhaps even the ways in which we move, may, in their turn, actually change the chemicals that are released inside us, and especially in our brains where our emotions are controlled.

The sufferer is in an emotional prison. It is the hardest of all to break out of - but is not impossible. Try developing the habit of positive affirmation. You can know about these techniques in our section - power of positive thinking. And also try out some self help techniques to develop your self-esteem. Finally and the most important is that ' Believe in yourself'.

Remember the bottomline remains same:

Always believe in yourself.

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Bright Light Therapy

2008-10-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Phototherapy or bright light therapy has been shown to suppress the brain's secretion of melatonin. Treatment consists of sitting in front of a full-spectrum light for about four hours per day, preferably in the mornings. This is a substitute for bright natural sunlight, the lack of which seems to cause a particular form of depression.

Dr. Normal E. Rosenthal's seminal 1985 paper defining Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was the first to describe application of bright artificial light in the treatment of winter depression. Rosenthal's hypothesis was that lengthening the daily photoperiod (in effect mimicking summer day length in the northern latitudes) would effect a remission of winter depressive symptoms.

Treatment sessions can last from 15 minutes to three hours, once or twice a day, depending on individual needs and equipment used. The average length of a session for a system delivering 10,000 lux illumination is, for example, much shorter than for 2,500 lux (30 minutes vs. two hours). In clinical trials at our institute, with over 100 SAD patients who used a 10,000 lux system with UV-filtered light diffusion and angular tilt, for 30 minutes each day, about 3/4 showed major improvement of depressive symptoms. In another experiment, we found that 30 minutes was an unnecessarily long exposure for some patients (who responded fully at 15 minutes), while several required 1-hour exposures to show the effect.

Light Therapy using light box

Light treatment should be used daily in Winter (and dull periods in summer) starting in early Autumn when the first symptoms appear. It consists of sitting two to three feet away from a specially designed light box, usually on a table, allowing the light to shine directly through the eyes.

The user can carry out normal activity such as reading, working, eating and knitting while stationary in front of the box. It is not necessary to stare at the light although it has been proved safe.

Treatment is usually effective within three or four days and the effect continues provided it is used every day. Tinted lenses, or any device that blocks the light to the retina of the eye, should not be worn.

Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Light Therapy found to be effective in cases of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Dramatic improvement can be seen within a week or two.

Spending an hour outside each day can often produce beneficial results in some individuals. However, one cannot get early morning outside light in the winter. Not everyone's job will allow for an hour-long outside walk. Only highly motivated people will continue their daily walk when it the rains or snows.

This is not a treatment that is widely available on the National Health services in the UK, but it is possible to buy your own lamp to use at home. However, it is best to be sure that the depression from which you suffer is SAD. It is also possible that if you become a member of the SAD Association they may allow you to hire a light for a trial period to see if it might help you.

Other Benefits of Bright Light Therapy

Increasingly, light therapy is being used to reset our body clocks - sometimes along with melatonin and sometimes on its own-no matter how or why they've been put off track. Scientists are discovering that light therapy may have potential for treatment of several other disorders in addition to that of SAD. Another area where bright light therapy has proven itself beneficial is in the area of sleep disorders. Advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS) is characterized by premature sleep onset and early morning awakening. Future applications of bright light therapy may well include any area where a disease or syndrome recurs seasonally, shows winter exacerbation, or plausibly is related to insufficient or ill-timed outdoor light exposure regardless of the season.

* Early Morning Insomnia
* Night-owl insomnia
* Jet Lag
* Productivity Enhancement
* Bulimia
* Late-shift drowsiness
* Nonseasonal depression
* Prolonged menstrual cycles

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Electroconvulsive Therapy

2008-09-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

Electroconvulsive therapy, or ETC

When rapid lifting of the depression is deemed necessary to prevent suicide, electroconvulsive therapy may be a treatment of choice.

When a depressed patient is incapadtated, suiddal, or psychotically depressed or when antidepressants are contraindicated or ineffective, ECT commonly is the treatment of choice for depression. Usually, 6 to 12 treatments are needed, although in many cases improvement is evident after only a few treatments. Even so, ECT has been associated with later short term memory loss, arrhythmias, and seizure activity. Researchers hypothesize that ECT affects the same receptor sites as antidepressants.

There are some people who because of severe physical illness are unable to tolerate the side-effects of the medications used to treat mood disorders.

In studies of people treated with electroconvulsive therapy it has been found that 80% of such people report that they were helped by the treatments. About 75% say that ECT is no more frightening than going to the dentist.

How Electroconvulsive Therapy Works?

ECT works by sending an electrical charge to the brain that causes a brief and controlled seizure. Although it may sound frightening, patients receive it while under general anesthesia, and awaken with no memory of the procedure.

A series of ECTs usually consists of six to twelve treatments over several weeks. Many complain of memory loss following ECT.

Headaches, muscle soreness, nausea, and confusion are possible side effects immediately following an ECT procedure. Memory loss, typically transient, has also been reported in ECT patients. ECT causes severe memory problems for months or years in one out of every 200 patients treated.

Information on Electroconvulsive therapy, or ETC

Although the use of ECT is declining in the UK, it is still the treatment of choice in severe life-threatening depressive illness, particularly when psychotic symptoms are present. It is sometimes essential treatment when the patient is dangerously suicidal or refusing to eat and drink. The treatment involves the passage of an electric current across two electrodes applied to the anterior temporal areas of the scalp, in order to induce an epileptic fit. The fit is the essential part of the treatment. Before the treatment is given, the patient is given a general anaesthetic and receives a muscle relaxant to prevent injury during the fit. Treatments are normally given twice a week for 3-6 weeks.

Other important points on Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

ECT is a controversial treatment, yet it is remarkably safe and free of serious side-effects. Postictal confusion and headache are not uncommon, but transient. Short-term retrograde amnesia and a temporary defect in new learning can occur during the weeks of treatment, but these are short-lived effects.

Generally speaking ECT is used as a 'last resort', especially on children and adolescents, and only after all other first-line therapies and treatments have failed to help.

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Alternative Treatments for Depression

2008-09-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

A health treatment that is not classified as standard western medical practice is referred to as "alternative" or "complementary." Alternative treatment for depression refers to health-care practices considered outside the scope of conventional Western medicine. Many are being integrated into traditional-medicine settings as their safety, effectiveness, and scientific validity are recognized.

Alternative treatments for depression rely on the fact that depression, at crux, is a biochemical illness. Whether the main triggers are physical or emotional, these triggers then induce a broad range of neurochemical changes that, in turn, leads to the feelings of depression and to the physical and psychological disruptions that being depressed then causes.
Once one thinks about the biochemistry it should not be surprising that alternative treatments for depression often play an important role.

There are many alternative treatments available for depression. Each of these alternative treatment of depression addresses human suffering in different ways, but generally they seek to re-establish a balance or harmony within the body and in the lifestyle of the person being treated.

Alternative treatments for depression are as follows:

* Acupuncture - The World Health Organization lists depression among the conditions for which acupuncture is effective. Some studies have shown it markedly lessens symptoms. Acupuncture can be a valuable alternative if you are unable to take antidepressants or have not found them helpful.
* Biofeedback
* Homeopathy
* Ayurveda
* Dietary factors - Because depressive symptoms can be exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies, good nutrition is important. Pay attention to eating a well-balanced diet. Quitting smoking is also advised.
* Aromatherapy - an alternative treatment for depression - Aromas can lower stress levels, affect mood, and even change perceptions of pain. The simple scents of fruits and flowers may lighten mild depression; try inhaling the aromas of jasmine, rose, or clary sage to ease your symptoms. Frankincense and sweet marjoram, inhaled or used topically, may be helpful in reducing stress, while lavender and German chamomile oils can bring on a relaxed state.
* Vitamins and Depression: like Vitamin-B(folic acid) and other supplements
* Colour Therapy
* Diet and Depression - it affects physical health and many aspects of mental health. A vitamin or herbal supplement might promote recovery of physical or mental health and/or help manage symptoms.

Colour Therapy, for example - Warm colors of yellow, orange, and red stimulate mood in color baths, lighting, room decor and clothing. People with hypertension should avoid too much red. These same colors in food provide anti-oxidants that reduce the effects mood swings brought on by allergies. Other research has found that using a negative air ionizer to lessen indoor allergies helps reduce mood swings.

Faith and spirituality have always been important in mental and physical healing. Today many spiritual leaders incorporate psychotherapy, offering professional counseling tailored to a belief system.

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Herbal Remedy for curing Depression - Herbs for depression

2008-09-21T23:29:00.001-07:00

For some people herbal remedies are useful in relieving the symptoms of depression. Many depression sufferers are able to significantly reduce or eliminate their depression symptoms through herbal and more cost effective means. Herbal and natural remedies offer more options for physiological treatment of depression symptoms.

There is a common perception that herbal remedies are safe because they do not require a prescription. Many of these substances, such as teas and dietary supplements, are sold as food. Because they are not sold as drugs, they are not subject to the stringent quality and standardization control of medications.

In addition, herbal remedies do not require the warnings of side effects or assurance of research proven therapeutic effect.

Herbs for depression

The herbs for depression include a wide variety of species for the treatment the same that there are varying degrees of depression, from mild to moderate or severe. The first step to prescribe either a natural remedy or a medicament is to determine if such depression is short terms or chronic studying carefully how often people are depressed and the circumstances around this situation.

St. John's Wort - Natural, wholesome, inexpensive and available over the counter, Hypericum perforatum seemed to be the dream remedy for depression. The herbal remedy had fewer side effects and as the researchers concluded, it showed promise for the long-term treatment of moderate depression.

SAMe - S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-E) is an amino acid that is used in the treatment of depression. SAMe is an essential amino acid required to maintain healthy neurotransmitter processes in the brain. People suffering from depression often have deficient quantities of certain brain chemicals. SAMe works fast to increase these levels and improve these deficient factors with little or no side effects.

5HTP - 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin, a strong neurotransmitter in the brain. It specifically targets symptoms caused by low seratonin levels such as feeling down, changes in sleep patterns, etc. 5HTP has also been successful as a weight loss aid by suppressing the appetite.

Ginkgo Biloba - Ginkgo is found to be useful in relieving depression, especially in the elderly who suffer reduced blood flow to the brain, according to results form clinical trials. It is a powerful antidepressant and antioxidant that increases blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body. This improved blood circulation increases memory, promotes cardiovascular health and alleviates symptoms of Alzheimer's patients.

Siberian Ginseng -Siberian ginseng improves the balance of important neurotransmitters (including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) in the brain. Its various varieties are referred to as an adaptogen, a substance that assists body in adapting to external physical stresses. Ginseng is believed to stimulate the immune system, enhance abstract thinking and improve aerobic capacity. Ginseng may also benefit people with diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels.

When nutritional or hormonal imbalances are present with symptoms of anger, anxiety, frustration and/or guilt, the herbs for depression must be used with oils of Rosemay, Lemon, Bergamot or Clary Sage, good for fatigue, lack of concentration, despair and grief or Rose, Lavender and Sandalwood when the patient experiences mental hyperactivity and restlessness.

Along with herbs for depression, if you have any symptoms; walk, exercise, go to the movies or participate in activities that make you feel better but don't forget to consult a professional to get appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

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Ways to Relieve Stress

2008-09-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

Stress is defined by the dictionary as, "mental or physical tension or strain.

Find Ways to Relieve Stress:

There are dozens of opportunity everyday to make a dent in your stress level. Here are a few good tips to relieve stress:

- Schedule stress session:

You schedule everything else-why not manage anxiety this way too? Set aside a specific time everyday when you will give yourself permission to worry.

- Relieve Stress by Breathe:

If your are stressful, stop, close your eyes and focus your breathing. Inhale slowly through your nose, directing the air deep into your belly. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this 5-10 times and u will see how this technique works.

- Relieve Stress through Use scents:

If you connect a certain fragrance with an emotionally uplifting situation, you can use it to trigger a relaxation response. Stress, pollution, unhealthy diet, hectic but sedentary life styles - all these factors have adverse effects on our bodies and spirits. The potent pure essences of aromatic plants, flowers and resins, can be used to work on the most powerful of senses - smell and touch - to restore the harmony of body and mind. Learn on how Essential Oils can effect the way you deal with stress and how they can help to combat it.

- Relieve Stress through Meditation:

The tension of modern working practices often mean that people are so bound up in meeting all the vigorous demands placed upon them that they maintain a high level of mental and physical activity right through the day. This frequently means that they are not only cutting off their extremely important emotional responses and their enjoyment of the simple things in life, but they are also pushing their physical and mental health right to the very limit. Much has now been written about the management of stress and the significant need for period of mental and physical relaxation during the working day.

If you are under stress, you may find that meditating twice daily will be effective in restoring composure. Make a time and space you can call your own and use breathing and relaxation exercises to ease yourself into the meditative state. Learn more on Meditation and its uses in stress relief.

- Flex:

You can achieve deep relaxation by tensing and releasing individual muscle groups. Practice by clenching your fists. Feel the strain in your hand and forearm and hold it for 7 seconds, then release. Let the feeling of relaxation deepen for 30 Seconds. Repeat 3 times. Then move on to another muscle group.

- Get moving:

If there is a magical cure for general anxiety and the moodiness it can cause, then most experts agree that moderate exercise is it. So skip rope with your children, walk the dog, bound up the stairs and simply get going. Exercise routine helps to improve over-all mood and fitness and should take you roughly 30mins to complete.

It is widely acknowledged that if you can discipline yourself to do some form of exercise regularly, you will almost definitely feel better for it. Even a brisk walk once a day is a good start. Learn more on Exercise.

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Creativity and Depression

2008-09-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

That excerpt from one of her sonnets expresses how much poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) probably knew of depression.

Marie Osmond has described her experiences suffering from postpartum depression in her book Behind the Smile: "I'm collapsed in a pile of shoes on my closet floor. I have no memory of what it feels like to be happy. I sit with my knees pulled up to my chest. It's not that I want to be still. I am numb."

That kind of numbness, that sense of endless hopelessness and erosion of spiritual vitality are some of the reasons depression can have such a devastating impact on creative inspiration and expression.

There are reports that as many as a quarter of American women have a history of depression. According to an article on the Allhealth.com website, "The risk of depression among teen girls is high, and this risk lasts into early adulthood." A study of young women living in Los Angeles found that almost half had at least one episode of major depression within five years after high school graduation.

Psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison, herself a person with bipolar disorder or manic depression, notes in her book Touched with Fire that the majority of people suffering from mood disorder "do not possess extraordinary imagination, and most accomplished artists do not suffer from recurring mood swings."

She writes, "To assume, then, that such diseases usually promote artistic talent wrongly reinforces simplistic notions of the 'mad genius.' But, it seems that these diseases can sometimes enhance or otherwise contribute to creativity in some people. Biographical studies of earlier generations of artists and writers also show consistently high rates of suicide, depression and manic-depression."

According to the website Famous (Living) People Who Have Experienced Depression, women in the arts who have declared publicly they have had some form of the mood disorder include Sheryl Crow; Ellen DeGeneres; Patty Duke; Connie Francis; Mariette Hartley; Margot Kidder; Kristy McNichol; Kate Millett; Sinead O'Connor; Marie Osmond; Dolly Parton; Bonnie Raitt; Jeannie C. Riley; Roseanne and Lili Taylor.

Development of a mood disorder may start early in life. C. Diane Ealy, Ph.D., in her book The Woman's Book of Creativity writes: "Many studies have shown us that a young girl's ideas are frequently discounted by her peers and teachers. In response, she stifles her creativity. The adult who isn't expressing her creativity is falling short of her potential.

"Repressed creativity can express itself in unhealthy relationships, overwhelming stress, severe neurotic or even psychotic behavior, and addictive behaviors such as alcoholism. But perhaps the most insidious and common manifestation of repressed creativity in women is depression."

Marie Osmond also wrote about another aspect, the impact on her esteem and sense of self: "My mother has always been my role model, and I believe my survival in the entertainment business is in large part due to my desire to be a strong woman like my mother. She is my hero.

"I can vividly recall what it felt like to be alone and in a crumpled heap on the closet floor. I remember thinking that my mother would never have fallen apart like that. I was sure no one would understand what I was going through. I could have managed the pain. It was the shame that was destroying me."

Fortunately, depression can be effectively managed for most people, through medication, cognitive behavioral therapy or other approaches. According to an issue of the Blues Buster newsletter, formerly published by Psychology Today magazine, research studies have shown significant reductions in depression through engaging in aerobic activities such as walking and jogging, and resistance exercise, such as weight training.

In a press release, Rosie O'Donnell has commented about her own experience, "the dark cloud that arrived in my childhood did not leave until I was 37 and started taking medication. My depression slowly faded away. I have been on medication for two years now. I may be on it forever. The pills did not make me a zombie, they did not change the reality of my past, they did not take away my curiosity.

"What the pills did was to allow me to deal with all of those issues when and where I wish. My life is once again manageable. The gray has gone away, I am living in bright Technicolor.''

In her book "Life After Manic Depression" actress Patty Duke also affirms that getting the right diagnosis and treatment allowed recovery of her life and spirit: "The rate of growth in my mind and my heart in the last seven years is beyond measuring."

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Treating depression naturally

2008-09-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Natural Treatment for Depression

Antidepressant medication, psychotherapy, or combinations of the two represent the most common treatment for depressive illness. However, a variety of natural treatment of depression also can be used to help alleviate depression. These include:

* Exercise or Yoga - One exercise and depression study showed that the improvement in mood begins just ten minutes after you start exercising. Mood was found to continue to get better for up to twenty minutes. Studies show that jogging for 30 minutes three times a week can be as effective as psychotherapy in treating depression. Learn more about depression and exercise.
* Massage Therapy
* Relaxation or Deep Breathing
* Meditation or Prayer - Meditation is a very effective technique for improving your creativity and problem solving capacity.meditation is an exercise, aiming to prevent thoughts in a natural way, by deeply relaxing the physical body and then trying to keep the mind completely "blank" with no thoughts whatsoever. Learn more about it.
* Clarocet NRI - Clarocet NRI uses a combination effect of many different herbs that are known to help relieve stress, anxiety and depression.

A typical explanation of effectiveness of massage therapy, guided imagery, or biofeedback is that, it might be possible to decrease stress and anxiety by learning to control involuntary functions such as heart rate and muscle tension.

Some of these natural treatment of depression may be used as an adjunct to pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments, while others are used alone. Scientific evidence supports several non pharmacological approaches for reduction of depressive symptoms, such as exercise (both aerobic and anaerobic), relaxation techniques, and at least one herbal remedy for depression treatment. It is important to consult your healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program. It is also important to inform your doctor about any nutritional supplements or herbs that you are taking so as to avoid harmful drug interactions.

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Managing Mood Disorders

2008-09-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Understanding and overcoming mood disorders.

I hate you! Linda screamed one second before the plate of spaghetti flew from her hand towards her husband's head. Paul ducked just in time, but the next missile, a wet dishtowel, hit its mark and blinded him temporarily.

In the ten years of their marriage, Linda and Paul had survived numerous such incidents. Linda would fly into uncontrollable rages, sometimes, it seemed, as a result of Paul's equally frequent depressive episodes, when he would disappear for hours, occasionally overnight. In reality the origin of both their emotional problems lay in childhood experience, which is the root cause of most mood disorders.

Paul and Linda are not alone in suffering from these kinds of problems. Recent research suggests that the incidence of depression alone is doubling every twenty years.

In our latest book, Creating Optimism: A Proven Seven-Step Program for Overcoming Depression (McGraw-Hill, 2004 ), we show how people like Linda and Paul can understand and overcome their mood disorders. In fact, almost any relationship can be made so supportive that it becomes an important part of the healing process.

Mood disorders come in many forms, some of them deeply disguised. Depression, for example, can manifest itself as a physical illness. Studies show that 80% of people who visit physicians suffer from depression. Unfortunately, less than half of all doctors are able to recognize "somatized" depression for what it is, leading to increased suffering and large bills for the wrong kind of treatment.

The cause of this depression pandemic lies in a highly dysfunctional society that puts huge stressors on families and makes it nearly impossible for children to get their developmental and personal needs met.

Linda's outbursts are a direct result of violent abuse by her father, and Paul's depression can be traced to a childhood environment so critical that several times he ran away from home to escape it. Their genetic makeup may partially explain their moods; however, most studies have shown that the genes that influence emotions lie dormant unless triggered by some outside stressor, such as abuse or childhood trauma.

Whatever the cause, the good news about all mood disorders is that they can be managed and, for the most part, controlled without drugs. (We are not against drug therapy; there are people who do well on antidepressants or medications to control manic depression or anxiety. These pharmaceuticals, however, are grossly over-prescribed and many have toxic side effects. In addition, they can be highly addictive and may only work for a limited number of people. Antidepressants, for example, help about 50% of people at best.)

Here are a few things that you can immediately begin to do to control your moods.

Realize that your moods are not your fault. You can't help being depressed or anxious (or both since the one is merely the neurochemical flip-side of the other and sometime they rotate). You did not choose to be depressed and you can't turn the mood off just because other people find it inconvenient to be around you when you're down.

Discover the root cause of the problem. (You may need some help either from a professional therapist or from a friend that you really trust.) The child within is angry, anxious or depressed about something . Almost all ongoing mood disorders have their origins in childhood stresses. Some of the most common are: parental divorce, fear of abandonment, parental alcoholism, criticism and, of course, verbal, physical and sexual abuse. The incidence of childhood abuse in the U.S. has increased 70% over the last thirty years.

Discovering the source of your problems is not a "blame game." Parents mostly do their best under difficult circumstances. Nor is it an attempt to get at "hidden" memories that can be "recovered." You can usually deduce what happened in your childhood from the pattern of your relationships in later life. If you gravitate toward people who don't praise you or who criticize you, then you can be fairly sure that criticism or lack of praise was a feature of your childhood home, even if you've forgotten the actual incidents. There's an old saying that we "only marry our mother, our father or both." There's a lot of truth to that - especially if you broaden it to include all the significant adults in your early life, bearing in mind that to a four-year-old, a five-year-old is an adult.

Identify the triggers in the present situation that are provoking the inner child to become anxious, depressed or angry. Linda's anger was provoked by Paul's depression, because when her father got down about anything he lashed out at her. Her rage was at the abuse. At these times, in her unconscious mind, Paul became her father. The trigger for Paul's depression was his feeling that whatever he did for Linda was never enough; there seemed no praise, no recognition for his efforts. Just like home.

Ask yourself (perhaps along with your friend or therapist): "What about this situation reminds me of the past?" Sometimes the trigger can be very small: a tone of voice, the clothes someone wears, an implied criticism, a raised hand, an unexpected touch or a demand for sexual intimacy when you're not ready.

Work out how you can avoid these triggers. Of course, you can't ask somebody to change his or her mood. You can, however, tell others what you need them to do in order to avoid situations that provoke or trigger you. These "needs" must be very specific and describe actions rather than feelings or thoughts. Otherwise, people won't be sure what you want them to do. One of Paul's needs of Linda was, "I need you to praise me when you think I've done something right." One of hers was, "I need you to tell me what is bothering you and talk to me about it."

Relationships are all about giving and receiving needs. They go astray when we're forced to second-guess what is required of us. Mood disorders are the result of relationships gone wrong in childhood and can be corrected by relationships that go right.

Both Linda and Paul agreed to take the necessary steps to save the relationship - and help each other manage their mood disorders - by recognizing each other's triggers and devising concrete actions they could take to avoid them.

The important thing to remember is that you can't change yourself, by yourself . Despite what pop-psychology and many self-help books tell you, there's no mechanism in our brain for self- improvement. Human beings are social animals; we learn by observing and reacting to others. You learn how to form relationships by the way your parents (or other significant adults) related. You learn parenting skills in the same way.

But we can also change our moods and our behaviors by changing the basis of our relationships in all aspects of our lives. By basing our relationships on our concrete, doable and action-oriented needs, we undo the "programming" of the past and become the people we were meant to be.

We can't always control our moods, but we can teach others to help us to do so. That's the human way.

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Antidepressant

2008-09-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

Antidepressant drugs are effective in the acute treatment of depression. Antidepressant medications are often the first treatment option prescribed by health professionals.

Antidepressant medications can make psychotherapy more effective for some people. The largest effects relative to placebo are seen in patients with major depression whose symptoms are of at least moderate severity. Short term response rates in controlled trials are about 60% for patients on active treatment and about 30% for those on placebo. In terms of efficacy there is little to choose between the various antidepressants, although some are better in certain defined situations.

Antidepressants work by normalizing the activity levels of certain chemicals in the brain. They are not addictive! To maximize their effectiveness you should take them exactly as they are prescribed. Please don't stop taking the medication or changing your dosage without talking to your doctor first. Finally, remember not to give up on your medication too soon! It may take up to six weeks to work properly.

The value of antidepressant drugs in milder depressive disorders such as minor depression and mixed anxiety-depression is not established. It is generally believed that tricyclics are relatively ineffective in these disorders but whether this applies to SSRIs is not clear.

Information on Antidepressant:

There are several classes of antidepressants, all of which seem to work by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. What antidepressant medication do, is to somehow prevent us from sliding down the chute into the blackest depths of depression when something bad happens. After taking antidepressant medicines, we still can feel hurt, pain, worry but we feel these like normal people do, without depression.

Which antidepressant drug is best for me?

It is important that you consult your doctor on all antidepressant medications and let them know of any developments in treatment, including side effects. Your doctor will prescribe treatment based on the pattern of your depression, its severity, persistence of symptoms and history.

The doctor will also consider if the patient has another psychiatric conditions such as an anxiety disorder or other medical problems such as cardiac problems. The doctor will consider how likely it is that the patient will follow directions such as staying on a restricted diet when a medication may interact with food.

Is taking antidepressant a sign of weakness?

No. As with any serious illness, coping with depression takes great personal strength. Nonetheless, you may be exposed to negative attitudes about anti-depressant medications, which vary among individuals and cultures. Many students have found it helpful to take the perspective that medication is one form of treatment for depression, just as medication may be used to treat asthma, allergies, infections, or diabetes.

Is taking an antidepressant just running away from my problems?

No. Anti-depressants relieve the symptoms of depression, which makes it easier to face your problems and take appropriate action. Many people find that they can work more productively in psychotherapy when they are free of depressive symptoms. If you are coping with the loss of a loved one, using an anti-depressant will not interfere with the grieving process.

Is there any alternative to antidepressant?

Many believe that there is a better way. However, it is not easy to manage depression--with or without the help of a medication for depression. Depression is a complex disorder with different aspects which involve both the mind and body.

A medication for depression can be helpful. Nevertheless, drugs should be used cautiously. Such an approach needs to include a healthy diet, exercise, psychotherapy, life style, supportive relationships and developing stress management skills.

Care should be taken to make sure the medication for depression is not being used in too high a dose or being continued for too long a period. The medication for depression should only be used along with other ways of treating depression.

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Disorders of memory

2008-09-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

Failure of memory is called amnesia. The related term dysmnesia is occasionally used, principally in the name of the dysmnesic syndrome, more often called the amnestic syndrome. Paramnesia is distortion of memory. Several kinds of disordered memory occur in psychiatric disorders, and it is usual to describe them in terms of two stages which approximate to the scheme of memory derived from psychological research but omit many of the details.

Immediate memory concerns the retention of information over a short period measured in minutes. It is tested clinically by asking the patient to remember a name and address (which they did not know before the test) and to recall it about 5 minutes later.

Recent memory concerns events in the last few days. It is tested clinically by asking about events in the patients daily life which are known also to the interviewer directly or via an informant (for example, what they have eaten) or in the wider environment (for example, well known news items).

Long term (remote) memory concerns events over longer periods of time. It is tested by asking about events before the presumed onset of memory disorder.

In testing any state of memory, a distinction is made between spontaneous recall and recognition of information. In some conditions, patients who cannot recall information can recognize it correctly.

Memory loss caused by organic conditions usually affects recall of recent events more than recall of distant ones, and it is not a total loss. Total loss of all memory including that of personal identity strongly suggests psychogenic causes or malingering. Some organic conditions give rise to an interesting partial effect known as amnestic disorder, in which the person is unable to remember events occurring a few minutes before, but can recall remote events. Some patients with memory disorder recall more when given cues. When this happens, it suggests that the disorder is concerned at least in part with retrieval.

After a period of unconsciousness, memory is impaired for the interval between the ending of complete unconsciousness and the restoration of full consciousness (anterograde amnesia). Some causes of unconsciousness (e.g. head injury and electroconvulsive therapy) lead also to inability to recall events before the onset of unconsciousness (retrograde amnesia).

Several disorders of recognition occur occasionally in neurological and psychiatric disorders:

. jamais vu is the failure to recognize events that have been encountered before;

. deja vu is the conviction that an event repeats one that has been experienced in the past when in fact it is novel;

. confabulation is the reporting as memories of events at one time, of events that took place at another time, or never involved the person.

Recall of events can be biased by the mood at the time of recall. Importantly, in depressive disorders, memories of unhappy events are recalled more readily than other events, a process which adds to the patient's low mood.

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The Military And How It Handles Depression

2008-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Military personnel may be among the least likely people in the world to admit the fact that they have depression and need to buy Prozac. This is because of fear, oddly enough. There is a social stigma directed towards people who use medications to treat problems like depression and anxiety that makes many reluctant to seek aid. These people are often scorned and seen as weak, incapable of handling the myriad pressures of the modern environment. This stigma is often believed to be much worse when one is within the military, where the slightest signs of weakness could be enough justification for someone to be ostracized on some level from his peers. In an organization that thrives and teaches members the value of unity and camaraderie, this can be severely debilitating – if not capable of worsening the depression beyond repair.

However, this should not be the case. Most military organizations and installations have some sort of service or facility arranged to provide the personnel with counseling and aid should they develop any sort of mental problems. In some cases, particularly for soldiers who have just gone through a tour of duty in a combat zone, the government pays for all psychiatric care, to the point that they buy Prozac or any other medications that trained mental health professionals – in the military's employ – suggest would be appropriate for the soldier in question. The military understands that combat duties and the regimented lifestyle demand military service can cause someone to become depressed in short order, so they have a number of programs designed to help prevent suicide among the enlisted.

However, just because these programs exist doesn't mean that suicides are prevented as best they can within the structure of the military. The main problem is that the signs of someone with suicidal tendencies or depression may not be immediately interpreted as such by the people around the soldier in question. The detriment to this early spotting is that new recruits tend to not know each other as well as they ought to without being pressed into situations that force them to rely on one another and spend long hours together. The spirit of closeness and brotherhood that should be inherent to any given military unit can sometimes be missing nowadays. Another problem is that the military programs are inadequate to suit the problems and needs of troops, especially the ones that are returning home from combat. At least, according to the critics.

That doesn't mean that the military isn't trying, though. The programs dedicated to spotting and treating those with problems are slowly working to improve their facilities and services, as well as make the personnel in the military know how to spot the problems better. The fact is, the best program in the world can't really do much if there is no one reporting problems that they should respond to. The more soldiers know about depression and the signs that someone needs to buy Prozac, the more reports will come in about soldiers displaying the signs.

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Depersonalization and Derealization

2008-09-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

Depersonalization is a change of self-awareness such that the person feels unreal, detached from his own experience and unable to feel emotion. Derealization is a similar change in relation to the environment, such that objects appear unreal and people appear as lifeless, two-dimensional 'cardboard' figures. Despite the complaint of inability to feel emotion, both depersonalization and derealization are described as highly unpleasant experiences.

These central features are often accompanied by other morbid experiences. There is some disagreement as to whether these other experiences are part of depersonalization and derealization or separate symptoms since they do not occur in every case. These accompanying features include changes in the experience of time, changes in the body image such as a feeling that a limb has altered in size or shape, and occasionally a feeling of being outside one's own body and observing one's own actions, often from above.

Because patients find it difficult to describe the feelings of depersonalization and derealization, they often resort to metaphor and this can lead to confusion between depersonalization and delusional ideas. For example, a patient may say that he feels 'as if part of my brain had stopped working', or 'as if the people I meet are lifeless creatures'. Such statements should be explored carefully to distinguish depersonalization and derealization from delusional beliefs that the brain is no longer working or that people have really changed. Sometimes it is difficult to make the distinction.

Depersonalization and derealization are experienced quite commonly as transient phenomena by healthy adults and children, especially when tired. The experience usually begins abruptly and in normal people seldom lasts more than a few minutes (Sedman 1970). The symptoms have been reported after sleep deprivation and sensory deprivation, and as an effect of hallucinogenic drugs.

The symptoms occur in generalized and phobic anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, and temporal lobe epilepsy, as well as in the rare depersonalization disorder. Because depersonalization and derealization occur in so many disorders, they do not help in diagnosis.

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How to Prevent Holiday Depression?

2008-09-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

Prevention of Holiday depression is something for which you need to work and plan ahead of time. It need foresight and seeing what can improve your thoughts of being depressed in holidays.

Tips on preventing holidays

1. Acknowledge your feelings. If a loved one has recently died or you aren't near your loved ones, realize that it's normal to feel sadness or grief. It's OK now and then to take time just to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it's the holiday season.
2. Seek support. If you feel isolated or down, seek out family members and friends, or community, religious or social services. They can offer support and companionship.
3. Stick to a budget. Before you go shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend on gifts and other items. Then be sure to stick to your budget. Donate to a charity in someone's name, give homemade gifts or start a family gift exchange.
4. Plan ahead - set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make one big food-shopping trip. Allow extra time for travel so that delays won't worsen your stress.
5. Limit your drinking - Do not feel obliged to feel festive. Accept your inner experience and do not force yourself to express specific feelings. If you have recently experienced a tragedy, death, or romantic break-up, tell people about your needs.
6. To relieve holiday stress, know your spending limit and stick to it. Enjoy holiday activities that are free, such as driving around to look at holiday decorations. Go window shopping without buying anything.

Holidays and depression together

1. Finances also play a role. Suggestions that one needs to buy a lot of gifts for Christmas put a financial strain on the buyer, who ends up with less money. Depression can set in if one cannot afford to buy gifts one would like.
2. Studies on the effects of the environment on people around the holiday season point to seasonal affective disorder, caused by the shorter days and fewer hours of daylight. There is a need for light stimulation to keep moods in balance.
3. Exercise. Get outdoors, get fresh air, and work out the built-up stress. Phototherapy, a treatment involving a few hours of exposure to intense light, is effective in relieving depressive symptoms.
4. Don't go overboard. Enjoy the special holiday foods that you only get at this time of year, but don't overdo it.
5. If you are lonely, try volunteering some time to help others.
6. Find holiday activities that are free, such as looking at holiday decorations; going window shopping without buying and watching thewinter weather whether it's a snowflake, or a raindrop.
7. Limit your drinking, since excessive drinking will only increase your feelings of depression.
8. Try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a new way.
9. Spend time with supportive and caring people.
10. Reach out and make new friends.
11. Make time to contact a long lost friend or relative andspread some holiday cheer.
12. Make time for yourself and let others share the responsibilities of holiday tasks.

Last few tips to get the depression go off with Holidays

Prioritize what you need to do. This time of year tends to be hectic, with extra shopping, parties, and entertaining, there is always something that needs to be done. Decide what is important to you and make sure that gets completed first. Remember that it does not reflect on you as a person if you are not able to do everything. You are not a bad person if you didn’t get everything done. Take time for yourself. Find a few minutes each day to sit and relax or meditate. Spend a few nights just staying in and watching holiday films with your family. Take the time to slow down and enjoy the season, rather than rushing through it.

Excessive drinking increases feelings of depression. Stay away from parties that you feel you will drink too much or limit the amount of alcohol that you will drink. Volunteer to be the designated driver so that you stay away from alcohol altogether.

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How to Improve Your Self-Esteem?

2008-08-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

Self esteem is more than confidence. There are number of apparently confident people who can do marvellous things but who have poor self-esteem. Many people in the public eye fall into this category. Before a person can overcome self-esteem problems and build healthy self-esteem, it helps to know what might cause those problems in the first place.
Ways to improve your self-esteem

* View mistakes as learning opportunities. Accept that you will make mistakes because everyone does. Mistakes are part of learning.
* Try new things. Experiment with different activities that will help you get in touch with your talents. Then take pride in new skills you develop.
* Recognize what you can change and what you can't. If you realize that you're unhappy with something about yourself that you can change, then start today.
* If it's something you can't change (like your height), then start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.
* Set goals. Think about what you'd like to accomplish, then make a plan for how to do it. Stick with your plan and keep track of your progress.
* Take pride in your opinions and ideas. Don't be afraid to voice them.
* Celebrate your journey, not your destination. Learn to always feel good about where you are now, and to exude self-confidence about anywhere you might find yourself tomorrow.
* Set clear goals for yourself before every interaction. Know what you want. Think about how the people you will be meeting can help you reach those goals. Then decide how to approach each person accordingly. Apply this regularly and you will notice a difference.
* Be proactive. Take the initiative. Be decisive. Let the other person know exactly how he or she can help you. Proactive people tent to be more successful in their career.

Tips to increase Self Esteem

1. The key to positive self-esteem is to remember that you have control over your situation:
2. When feeling glum about a character flaw, remind yourself that you can take action to change yourself and shape your future.
3. Try not to base judgments of yourself on others' perceptions, which can be fickle.
4. Do your research - A lof of self help books are a waste of time in the sense that the only person who can change you is you. Reading even this blog post will not change you unless you get emotionally involved with the information. Which is really hard as it’s really dry and boring. Go read biographies of people you respect, people who do positvive things and attain huge success. Learn from the master not the self help guru who is always in debt.
5. Learn to accept compliments. It’s hard to accept a compliment and not to dismiss it as being ridiculous. Someone has an opinion and it should be respected, even if you do not argree with it. If people think good about you then maybe you should too.
6. Acknowledge people. Try to give three good acknowledgments a day. It’s a whole new way of life. And it will increase your self-esteem.
7. People with poor self-esteem often fail to give themselves enough time and space. So find 10 minutes every day to be alone and to just sit and do nothing.

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How to Recover From Depression Without Drugs?

2008-08-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

Depression is a very common illness afflicting millions of people each year. It can sap your strength, put stress on relationships and make you lose your sense of self. Here are some things you can try to lift your spirits and make you enjoy life again, without drugs or therapy. depression is the world's most common psychological problem. It impacts the lives of literally millions of people, every day. It takes the joy and hope out of so many lives.

Depression often goes undiagnosed or untreated. And even when it is diagnosed, too many people are treated with drugs alone without the support and help of a qualified therapist or hypnotherapist.
Steps to recover from Depression without prescription drugs

1. Decide what you would do if you could do anything in the world you wanted, and then start to do it. No matter how impossible that goal seems, if you cut it into small enough steps, you can find a way to start. Take one minute at a time.

2. Spend time doing the things you enjoy, and avoid doing things you don't. Socialize with people you like, and stay away from people you don't. Live every minute like it's your last.

3. Remember you have two choices in life. You can spend the next five minutes being happy, or the next five minutes being sad. Whether happy or sad, you are using the same amount of energy in that five minutes.

4. Work at a place you enjoy and where you like most of the people. It's depressing if you don't like your job or the people there.

5. Acquaint yourself with your mood ebb and flow and embrace it. If you have more energy in the morning, utilize mornings.

6. Maintain a regular schedule - awake at the same time each morning, take your meds at the same time, go to sleep at the same time.

7. Have fun and laugh often. Rent funny movies. Laugh and smile often. It's contagious.

Tips on curing depression without using drugs

* The psychiatrist should make you feel comfortable and should not be judgmental. Get a good vibe from your psychiatrist as you will constantly be disclosing confidential information to this person and must feel comfortable while doing so.

* After you and your psychiatrist are comfortable with one another, ask if it's fine to slightly adjust your meds if necessary.

* If you don't like your psychiatrist, switch immediately. Your mental health is the most important thing you own. If your psychiatrist hasn't found the right medication, get a consultation with someone else.

* Attend a support group in your area with like-minded people. It's great to talk to people and learn how they cope with their illness.

* Set a small goal at your support group to accomplish by the next meeting. If there's no support groups near you, start your own.

* If you're feeling suicidal, take your cellphone with you and leave the house. Get away from anything lethal. Spend time with positive people when feeling suicidal.

* You must get regular lab tests if you're on certain drugs such as lithium, Depakote and Tegretol.

* Hot weather may be hazardous to people on lithium, Lamictal and antipsychotics. Drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15 or more.

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How to Beat the Winter Blues?

2008-08-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Winter means cold weather, shorter days and for many people its the time for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). This condition affects up to 6 percent of American adults and as many as 5 percent of children between 9 and 19 years old. At least another 10 to 20 percent of Americans are estimated to suffer from milder symptoms related to the changing seasons. The lack of light exposure in the winter or an imbalance in the amount of melatonin produced by the pineal gland are believed to date to be the cause of SAD.
Beating the Winter blues

Take a few minutes for yourself and ask yourself: Which color do I need? Then, imagine you are bathing and floating in that color. Remember that it’s not necessary to see the color in vivid details in your mind; just the basic outline and feeling, even using the name of it is enough. When ready, breathe the color deeply all through your body. This short exercise is guaranteed to make you feel great. If the sun is not shinning where you are, visualize in your mind a beautiful sunny scene. Again, just the basic outline, feeling, or even thought is enough. Feel the warmth of a sunny day and breathe deeply those good feelings all through your body until you feel full.

Simpler techniques that may help people beat this seasonal lethargy include sticking to a structured schedule, which includes spending part of the day out of the house. Exercise also helps treat depression by getting the blood moving and releasing endorphins.
How to beat the Winter blues?

1. Leave the house - with kids spending a greater amount of time indoors, they are more susceptible to communicable diseases. It's a myth that outdoor chills or drafts can bring on colds, so dress your children warmly and usher them out the door. The exercise will lift their mood and contribute to better health.
2. Lighten things up - for those with sad, a concentrated exposure in front of a light box can help, but everyone benefits from a bright environment. Open the curtains and sit by sunny windows to read stories.
3. Screen your visitors - if your biggest cause of winter stress is perpetually sick children, make sure playmates are healthy before allowing your kids to share air with them.
4. Alter your diet. Studies have shown that vitamins C and A and zinc can reduce a cold's intensity and duration.
5. Outsmart a virus - Use paper cups to reduce the likelihood of your kids drinking out of the same glass.
6. Talk to your doctor about the use of vitamin B12 and melatonin supplements and ask for suggestions about medications you might try. Watch your diet and get as much exercise as you can manage to keep your weight down.
7. Eat foods for high energy - foods that give the best 'miles per gallon'. These foods are - unprocessed, organic, nutrient-rich whole foods such as apples, pears and berries and all vegetables, and also whole grains.

Tips to help yourself with Winter Blues

1. Don't let the blues get you down. winter does end and spring does return.
2. Don't overtax yourself or become discouraged when you aren't able to accomplish the things you can do in the summer.
3. Best tip of all: If you can manage it, take a winter holiday every year in someplace warm and sunny.

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Advice for Coping with Chronic Depression

2008-08-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

What is it?

Chronic depression, also known as dysthymia or dysthymic disorder, is a form of low-grade depression which can last for several years. If you, or someone you are close to, are experiencing dysthymia then you may be on the look-out for more information on coping with the condition.

Briefly, dysthymia is a depression lasting at least two years without any substantial remission. It is said to affect roughly six in every hundred people. In contrast to clinical depression, dysthymia does not prevent a person from functioning normally. It does, however, prevent full enjoyment of life. People with dysthymia feel continuously disheartened and in a state of despair.

The definition of dysthymia also includes at least two of these symptoms: poor appetite or overeating; insomnia or excessive sleep; low energy or fatigue; low self-esteem; poor concentration or indecisiveness; and hopelessness. Dysthymia and major depression can occur together, and this is known as double depression.

So what can be done?

Family doctors often fail to recognize dysthymia, so most sufferers are undertreated. But once it is diagnosed, dysthymia is usually treated with psychotherapy and/or drugs. However, there are many lifestyle changes which can also help.

Is psychotherapy best?

Due to the long-term nature of dysthymia, a non-drug treatment is ideal. Many forms of psychotherapy can be considered, and while the therapist must remain patient, short-term goals should be set in order to improve daily functioning. Cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy, and solution-focused therapy can be tried, as well as family, couples and group therapy.

How about medication?

Research studies have suggested a significant reduction in dysthymia symptoms with antidepressants. But this is not a straightforward matter - other studies have found no improvement, so the pros and cons must be weighed up on an individual basis.

A review in 2003 found tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to be equally effective for dysthymia. While cheaper, TCAs such as imipramine (Tofranil) were more likely to cause side-effects than SSRIs like fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft).

What alternatives are available?

A range of alternative treatments exist which may benefit dysthymia. Extracts of St John’s wort have been found as effective as antidepressants for treating mild to moderate depression. Overall, though, the evidence is “inconsistent and confusing”, according to a 2005 review.

Some favourable results have been found for omega-3 fatty acids, either consumed as oily fish or as a supplement. It’s possible that future studies will show a definitive benefit, and in the meantime, oily fish has no known side-effects and can certainly be recommended for physical health.

Lifestyle changes

Other dietary supplements which may help include the B vitamins, potassium, and zinc. Of course, a healthy balanced diet is always a good idea, and making food look and smell appealing may encourage a suppressed appetite. Cutting down on, or avoiding, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine is a step in the right direction as they all have a bearing on physical and mental well-being. Seek professional help if necessary.

The herb valerian may be useful to combat the insomnia sometimes caused by dysthymia, and ginseng may benefit low energy levels. Aromatherapy, acupuncture, and other complementary therapies could also be tried.
Regular exercise is important for everyone, but can be particularly beneficial to people with dysthymia. Exercising releases the ‘happy’ chemicals called endorphins, and increases self-esteem. It will also help counteract overeating and promote good sleep.

Social support

For many people, the support of friends and family is invaluable in learning to cope with their dysthymia. Nevertheless, help and support from strangers can sometimes be easier to receive, and this is where support groups come in. Community-based support groups help many people to share their feelings, find friendship, and develop coping skills. Belonging to a dysthymia support group, together with psychotherapy, can substantially improve the chances of recovery.

Can dysthymia affect children?

Dysthymia is present in up to five per cent of children and eight per cent of adolescents. While the main symptom in adults is sadness, children and adolescents often display anger or irritable mood. It can have consequences on children’s social skills and education, later impacting on professional life and setting in place a vicious circle which may later trigger major depression.
As children with dysthymia often have multiple problems, treatment should involve a range of measures together with adequate support for the parents or caregivers.

Hopes for recovery

A full recovery from dysthymia is slow and not guaranteed, but around 70 per cent of patients do recover after four years. Of these, 50 per cent are likely to have a recurrence, so it may be sensible to continue with the successful measures which led to recovery.

A final word

Although depression can be devastating to all areas of a person’s everyday life, many people still believe that they should be able to shake off the symptoms by themselves. Because of this, people with dysthymia may not recognize that they have a treatable disorder or may avoid seeking treatment because of feeling shame or stigma. But, even if it takes several months, the majority of people can be helped to feel better.

Lastly, do call your doctor if your symptoms worsen or don’t improve despite treatment, or if you have thoughts of death or suicide.

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Dysthymia: Chronic Depression

2008-08-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Dysthymia (or dysthymic disorder) is considered a less severe but longer-lasting form of depression. Dysthymia usually begins at an earlier age than major depression with a more persistent impairment of daily function. This diagnosis is made when a moderately depressed mood persists for at least two years in adults (one year in children or adolescents) and is accompanied by at least two other depressive symptoms:

* Poor appetite or overeating
* Insomnia or hypersomnia
* Low energy or fatigue
* Low self-esteem
* Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions
* Feelings of hopelessness

Many people with dysthymic disorder also experience major depressive episodes. If they have both dysthymia and major depression, they are said to suffer from “double depression.”

People with dysthymia usually can still function but at a greatly reduced efficiency. Some people can hold down jobs and can be in relationships with this type of depression, but their ability to excel or make a positive impact in any area of their lives is greatly diminished. Dealing with a lack of energy or motivation over a long period of time often results in poor self-esteem and an expectation of failure. This type of thinking can reinforce a vicious self-reinforcing cycle —the individual expects nothing to change, and so nothing ever does.

Both antidepressant medication and psychotherapy are effective in treating dysthymia. Medications usually are used to try to help lift the person’s energy levels, while psychotherapy helps to find ways the individual can better cope with and improve his or her life. Psychotherapy can be challenging, however, as the individual often is not motivated to make changes. Enlisting the person’s support system, such as family or friends, can be beneficial in treatment.

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2008-02-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

Depression and Smoking

Depression is associated with an increased frequency of smoking. Addicted smokers are characterized by preoccupation with smoking, abnormal attachment to cigarettes and anticipation of brain reward from the drugs in cigarette smoke. Attempts to quit smoking often lead to a decreased level of pleasure and undesirable mood swings. Thus, once the brain has adapted to the daily dose of the drug, it seems abnormal to the brain if the user attempts to abstain.

Individuals with underlying or current depressive symptoms are more likely to experience mood disturbances when they attempt to quit. Furthermore, it appears that smoking may mask an underlying depression in some smokers.

New research has suggested that there may be something in cigarette smoke that has antidepressant properties, which explains why cigarette smoking is much more common among depressed patients. A survey of 3,000 individuals in the St. Louis area confirmed that lifetime frequency of major depression was more common among smokers than nonsmokers (6.6 vs. 2.9 percent) This study also demonstrated that smokers who reported at least one episode of major depression were less likely to succeed in smoking cessation programs than smokers without depression (14 vs. 28 percent). These findings have been confirmed many times over.

There are thousands of chemicals other than nicotine constituents in cigarette smoke, of which one, or several, may affect mood in much the same way as a group of antidepressant medications called monoamine oxidase inhibitors or (MAOIs). These MAOIs effectively increase levels of specific neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of mood. Smoking, therefore, may be a way for depressed individuals to self-medicate depressive symptoms. Consequently, healthcare professionals who offer smoking cessation programs should offer depression screening and be prepared to address underlying mood disorders as part of a comprehensive smoking cessation program.

There is a new medicine treatment for smoking addiction that is also an effective antidepressant. Bupropion, (Zyban�) is a safe and effective, non-nicotine treatment for smoking which lessens withdrawal symptoms, prevents weight gain and improves mood in most patients. Before Zyban™ was approved for smoking cessation, it was, and remains, an effective and commonly prescribed antidepressant sold under the trade name Wellbutrin™.

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2008-02-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

Male depression: Don't ignore the symptoms

Male depression is a serious medical condition. Many men try to tough it out on their own, but depression symptoms can make them chronicallymiserable. Effective treatment helps.

Are you irritable, isolated and withdrawn? Do you find yourself working all the ofessional, men are more likely to focus on physical complaints — headaches, digestive problems or chronic pain, for example — than on emotional issues. As a result, theconnection between such symptoms and male depression may be overlooked. And even if they're diagnosed with depression, men may resist mental health treatment. They may worry about stigma damaging their careers or about losing the respect of family and friends.

Symptoms of male depression

In both men and women, common signs and symptoms of depression include feeling down in the dumps, sleeping poorly, and feeling sad, guilty and worthless. Men with depression, however, have bouts of crying less often than do women with depression.

Other symptoms of male depression often include:

Anger and frustration
Violent behavior
Losing weight without trying
Taking risks, such as reckless driving and extramarital sex
Loss of concentration
Isolation from family and friends
Avoiding pleasurable activities
Fatigue
Loss of interest in work, hobbies and sex
Alcohol or substance abuse
Misuse of prescription medication
Thoughts of suicide

In addition, men often aren't aware that physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain, can be symptoms of male depression.

Job stress a common trigger of male depression

Whether in men or in women, the precise cause of depression isn't known. Researchers believe depression is the result of a combination of genetics, your thought processes and your social environment. Everyone, for instance, is susceptible to depression in the wake of a major life stress, such as the end of an important relationship, the death of a loved one, moving or financial problems.

Some research suggests that for men, job-related stress may also play an important role in male depression. Some job characteristics that may be associated with male depression include:

Lack of control over your responsibilities
Unreasonable demands for performance
Conflicts with supervisors or co-workers
Lack of job security
Night-shift work
Excessive overtime
More time than you'd like spent away from home
Wages that don't reflect the level of responsibility

When male depression goes untreated

Like other men, you may feel that your depression symptoms aren't severe. You may believe that you should be able to just get over them or tough them out. You may try to deny them, ignore them or blunt them by drinking too much alcohol or working longer hours. But left untreated, male depression symptoms can disrupt your life in many ways and leave you chronically unhappy and miserable.

Depression can also affect your health. For instance, it can keep your stress response continually activated, a state that can damage many organs, including the heart. Depression may even shorten your life. In a given year, men with depression are more than twice as likely as men without depression to die of any cause. Women with depression also have an increased risk of dying, compared with women without depression, but the difference is not as great as it is in men. Although the reasons for this difference are unclear, men with depression may be more likely to engage in self-destructive behavior — from excessive drinking to reckless driving to suicide — that may contribute to it.

Depression also increases your risk of divorce and your children's risk of developing depression themselves. At work, male depression makes you less productive, limits your earning potential and increases your risk of losing your job.

Suicide and male depression

Although women are twice as likely to have depression, men are four times as likely to suffer its worst consequence: suicide. Starting in adolescence, men are far more likely than women to take their own lives. Older men, particularly white men over age 85, have the highest suicide rate. Although women attempt suicide more often than men do, men are more likely to complete suicide.

Men are more likely to use more lethal means in suicide attempts, such as guns, which partly accounts for their higher rate of suicide. But other factors also are involved. One such factor may be their tendency to move from suicidal thoughts to suicidal actions faster than women. Men take an average of just 12 months to go from contemplating suicide to attempting suicide. In contrast, it takes women about 42 months. During this time, men are less likely than women to show warning signs, such as talk of suicide. Because this window of opportunity is so short, family and mental health professionals may have little chance to recognize a man's depression and intervene.

Treatment and self-care for male depression

If you or someone close to you is considering suicide, seek help immediately from your doctor, the nearest hospital emergency room or emergency services (911).

If you suspect you have depression, schedule a physical examination with your family doctor or primary health care professional. Conditions such as a viral infection, thyroid disorder and low testosterone levels can produce symptoms similar to male depression. If your doctor rules out such conditions as a cause of your symptoms, the next step may be a depression screening. Treatment for male depression may include antidepressant medications, psychotherapy or both.

Self-care strategies also may help. These include:

Setting realistic goals and prioritizing tasks
Spending time with supportive family and friends
Engaging in activities you enjoy, such as exercise, movies, ball games or fishing
Delaying important decisions, such as changing jobs or getting married or divorced, until your depression symptoms improve

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