Warning signs of depression
Warning signs of depression depends on the age and various other factors. The warning signs of depression for children, teenagers, and adults are different.
Low self esteem:A depressed person always feels that he/she is worthless and is obsessed with a guilt feeling. They mostly have an unclear outlook towards reality. They often criticize themselves and also think about committing suicide and ending this worthless life
Alterations in energy levels: They also face alterations in energy levels such as sometimes they become inactive or frustrated and angry. They experience difficulty in making decisions, have faulty memory, and less concentration
Psychotic symptoms:People with serious depression may sometimes have hallucinations or delusions. Such people should be hospitalized.
Changes in food habits and sleep: There are many changes in the food habits. They may lack appetite or sometimes have an increased feeling of hunger. There may be disturbances in the sleep patterns of such person as well. They may either tend to oversleep or sleep for a shorter duration.
Apart from these other warning signs include:
How to deal with Depression
Posts Tagged ‘Depression’
How to Help Someone with Depression
August 9th, 2010 
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How To Be Depressed And Have A Nice Day Anyway!
August 5th, 2010 admin If you are depressed, and are like most people, you have probably been trying to understand the cause in the hope of finding a cure. After following the same approach for many years, I stumbled upon another way which is so simple and profound I was astonished! Why hadn't I seen it before?Through seeing and understanding one simple thing, my depression literally vanished in a moment. More accurately, the feeling of depression didn't disappear but it didn't affect my peace any more. This understanding, if grasped, will cure anyone immediately, provided you are genuinely ready to be free of it.The conventional approach to dealing with depression, anxiety, fear etc. is to attempt to change or fix it. This combative approach is reflected in the language we commonly use. We talk about "fighting depression" or "battling depression." Inherent in this approach is the underlying belief that there is something wrong.... that there is an enemy that first has to be slayed before peace can be experienced.Therapy focuses on getting to the bottom of the problem and fixing it.... attempting to change an unhappy me into a happy me. Although this can undoubtedly offer relief, a permanent solution remains out of reach, somewhere in the future, but not accessible NOW, which is the only moment we have.Have you ever considered that it may be possible to feel depressed AND experience peace and contentment at the same time? That fixing the depression may not be necessary. In fact, that trying to fix depression creates more depression. The amazing thing is that you can have a million negative thoughts and feelings but still feel peaceful! This is my experience.What you resist persists. Fighting depression creates more depression.My Teacher loved to play table football and had a table in his room. On occasion, I would come to him feeling down. After patiently listening to my woes, he would cheerfully say "Lets play football!" It used to infuriate me that he never seemed to take my depression seriously. If I could only explain myself better, he would surely see that my problem was real, right? Wrong! He simply wouldn't give it ANY attention. What you focus on grows. If you wish to experience peace, focus on peace.Dealing with depression through AwarenessIf you closely observe any "negative" condition, that is... step out of yourself and observe it objectively, you will see that there are three distinct things going on:an uncomfortable emotional sensationfollowed by a labeling of the experiencefollowed by a mental commentary about the experienceFor example "I am sad again" followed by " My God, will this never end. I need help. I'm going to phone my therapist. I can't live like this. This is awful." and a million other thoughts commentating ON the experience. In actual fact, the suffering comes from the habitual and unconscious commentary ABOUT the experience and NOT from the experience itself. Left alone, it is simply an uncomfortable sensation, but not a problem. The mental commentary makes it into a problem. This was a revelation for me!So, if the commentary is the problem, how do we stop it?
We don't. We just watch it. Trying to stop it gives it more power. The desire to change the experience perpetuates it. In the simple act of being aware of the mental commentary... simply seeing it, not judging it, not analyzing it, just watching, something quite amazing happens. Distance is created between "me" and the commentary and just for a moment there is a gap... there is peace. If you are watching it, you are not identifying with it. Suffering occurs when you are lost in the story. Shining the light of consciousness on it is ALL that is required.There is no need to change of fix anything. The feeling may, or may not stay, but either way, you don't need to wait until it is gone to experience peace. Meditation is an invaluable tool for dealing with depression. It is the fast track to inner peace. Trying to change the mind is difficult and requires time and effort. Changing our relationship with the mind is effortless and immediate. All suffering comes from identification with thought. It is simply a habit which can be broken through Awareness. Without trying to change anything, everything changes!
How Fasting May Alleviate Depression
August 1st, 2010 admin Who doesn't go through problems in life? From the worry of bills to be paid, traffic, work, taking care of our families. Gosh…the demands of modern-day life seem so overwhelming. It's no wonder several people are left dealing with depression in a quest to cope with these burdens.
Sometimes, these demands of life may aggravate strong emotions within us such as worry, fear, rage, hopelessness. Coincidentally, these are all symptoms of depression and as a consequence, dealing with depression remains a task that most of us have to undertake on a daily basis.
However, one very overlooked method of depression help and coping with its symptoms is quite simply a fast. It's as old as the mountains and perhaps nothing comes close to restoring one's emotional balance when dealing with depression as this powerful tool.
An observance of nature will show us that when animals are frightened or angered, they abstain from eating until after the passage of some time. Moreover, it is true that under stressful circumstances many civilized people refrain from eating and find in truth that they lack the desire for food, but it is also too often that most of us will eat large meals under these circumstances, which will be mostly disease forming foods to start with, that as a consequence, complicates or altogether halts an already retarded ongoing digestion.
This considered, perhaps the last thing you may want to do while dealing with depression-be it its causes or symptoms is to eat excessively, I may go as far as to say to even eat at all.
Worry, fear, anxiety, excitement, hurry, heated arguments at meals: all prevent the secretion of the digestive enzymes of the body and hinder not only digestion, but the whole nutrition process.
Perhaps, this is why according to the Bible, when most people were in grief or needed to be atoned with the Creator, they fasted. When used as a tool for dealing with depression, if combined with a powerful and faith driven prayer, fasting, my friends really unleashes the mental powers within us to solve our problems. It makes us come closer to our potential as true images of the Most High, and we can as a result see and think clearer as a step for a powerful and effective depression control method.
Fasting as a means of dealing with depression also greatly benefits one's overall health as during its use, the digestive organs are given a rest. Moreover, the mind clears allowing for a disappearance of all moroseness. We re-discover peace of mind and tranquility and life's difficulties are not as overwhelming.
So when problems seem to weigh in on us, when dealing with depression becomes an almost daily struggle for us, perhaps from all the indications above, the best thing to do will be to undertake a fast. It definitely won't hurt and can help immensely.
Some Causes of Depression
July 28th, 2010 admin Relationships and Work Problems: Stress in general can contribute to depression. There are stresses involving work, maintaining a home, caring for children, financial, and sexual problems. As people get older there is the stress of dealing with elderly parents. With jobs being shipped overseas, no one has a great sense of job security. Depression will tend to hit you the hardest if you are separated or divorced. This makes sense because there is always a sense of loss, of failure, even if you both agree that you will do better apart. You are dealing with change, and change always causes stress. Even positive changes cause stress. Staying married to a person who is toxic for you is never any good and can cause real depression problems. If you are married to someone and feel hurt, unloved, criticized, and not valued, you are bound to have a problem with self esteem. After all, if you are a good person, why should you be treated in such a bad way? Anger at your spouse can have a way of turning around and coming back into you, making you feel guilty, like there is something unlovable about you. If you are an unhappily married woman, you are very likely to suffer from depression. Having Children Women do have a lot of hormonal changes when they become pregnant. Hormonal changes affect the brain messengers so there is a possibility of depression involved. There is a real mix up of brain chemicals right after a baby is born and some women are more likely to have a very upsetting depression. It is called Postpartum Depression or many people call it the 'baby blues'. Frequently if you have had a problem with depression prior to having a baby, you may be more likely to suffer from more depression after your baby is born. It is so scary to have depressive feelings when you are supposed to be totally joyful over a birth. Sometimes if you experience this you feel too guilty bring it up. You need to understand that this is a hormonal imbalance and it is OK to get some help and possibly some medication to help you through this time. Don't feel awful. You love your baby but you need a little chemical adjustment. It is also true that you become exhausted taking care of a baby, not getting enough sleep. This is worse for single parents who have to handle all this alone. With people moving all over the country to get jobs, more couples are bringing up children without the support of relatives. Most couples really are not prepared for the big difference a baby will make in their lives. Men can feel very jealous about all the attention given to the new baby and be less supportive with the mother. There is more stress if both parents have to work and arrange for child care. The more that is demanded of you when you have the stress of nurturing a new family member, the more pressured, worried, and depressed you can feel. Sexual desire and romantic moments tend to fly the coop when a baby has colic and demands constant attention. Having children starts a total change in your life. You have the children to take care of for at least 18 years. Plus these days with children returning home after they experience life problems, they can be with you well into your 60's. The financial and economic costs of raising a child have risen unbelievably, let alone the emotional demands. Children are so pressured by what their peers have and make unrealistic demands on parents who can not afford to give them what they desire. Often you feel like you are giving everything you can to a child who then thumbs his nose at you and tells you that you aren't making the grade. This can cause a great deal of depression. Family ties are so special and important but we all know they can be the source of great distress and problems
How To Deal With Anxiety Depression
July 28th, 2010 admin From a religious stand-point, Jesus once asked his 12 disciples: "Which of you by worrying can add a single strand of hair to your head?" Now, you may be of a religious background or maybe not, but, think about that statement and you'd see why worrying, a main symptom of anxiety depression is quite unnecessary.
Reduced to its simplest form, what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit that- believe it or not folks-you were not born with but simply acquired out of practice. The good news is, with aggressive actions, as with any habit and acquired attitude; we can be worry free and eliminate it from our lives successfully.
In the words of Dr. Smiley Blanton, a noted Psychiatrist: "Anxiety depression is the great modern plague." Other psychologists go on to say ‘worry' a noted symptom of any form of depression, is the most subtle and destructive of all human diseases. When we worry excessively, we disintegrate our inner workings as humans and really put a lot of things out of order. Needless to say avoiding worry as a step of treating depression and anxiety will be the first step for our own benefit.
Anxiety Depression: Steps to take to be Worry Free:
The following steps should be used to deal with anxiety depression and its main symptom, worry. When used wisely and effectively, you will inevitably be successful at these natural depression help techniques.
1. Practice Mind-drainage: Empty your mind of pessimistic and negative thoughts, especially before going to and after waking up from sleep. This involves some degree of imagination friends. (the same imagination-mind you-that you are actually using to aggravate your present situations…didn't realize that eh?). This mind-draining strategy cannot be overemphasized as I will let you know, if you fear something for a long period of time, it may actually come to pass. "For the thing which I feared has come upon me…" (Job 3:25)
2. Fill up the mind with powerful thoughts of faith and success to fill up the vacuum now left in the mind. You become a worrier by practicing it, you can be worry-free by practicing the opposite.
3. Say positive things about those things you previously spoke negatively of.
4. Never participate in a worry conversation. Induce your conversation with faith and worry-free statements.
5. Make friends with optimistic people, practice prayer and meditation.
6. Exercise and eat right. You'll be making yourself look and feel better and consequently stronger through the process for overcoming depression, anxiety and becoming worry free.
No one is saying things will be automatically changed overnight. No, it takes work. However with direct and equally aggressive actions as the destructive worry habits one may be indulging in, anxiety depression can be overcome and you too can be worry free if you believe in your mind you can.
Pregnancy: Dealing with Depression
July 26th, 2010 admin Pregnancy is often regarded as one of the most exciting times in a woman's life. But the stress and fear of bringing a child into the world safely, providing for and raising that child can often cause mild to severe depression in pregnant women.It is believed that up to 20 percent of women experience some form of depression during their pregnancy, with half of these cases being considered severe depression. Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects nearly one in four women at some point in their lifetime. Depression experienced during pregnancy is often overlooked by medical personnel and even family.The hormones produced during pregnancy can affect chemicals in the brain, resulting in the same chemical imbalance that causes clinical depression. Just as untreated clinical depression can be harmful, depression during pregnancy can be harmful to both the mother and the unborn baby if not diagnosed, treated and monitored.Women are at increased risk of depression during their pregnancy if they have a history of depression, a history of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), live alone or have little to no support. Studies also indicate that the younger a woman is or the more children she has, the more likely she is to develop some form of depression during her pregnancy.
Signs of depression include changes in sleeping patterns, unjustified or unexplained feelings of guilt, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite and suicidal thoughts or actions. If left untreated, depression during pregnancy puts the mother at increased risk of pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure), use of drugs or alcohol and suicide.Women who are experiencing signs of depression are encouraged to reach out to loved ones as well as their health care provider. Often times, pregnancy related depression can be managed with group therapy, private therapy or light therapy, though more severe cases may require medication. Many antidepressants on the market today have been determined to have no negative effect on the developing baby, though long-term effects of these medications have not yet been determined.The challenge of treating depression during pregnancy is that while one patient (the mother) is experiencing an illness and requires treatment, the other patient (the baby) is not and could be harmed by either treating or not treating the depression. Currently, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), such as Elavil, are the most commonly prescribed medications available to pregnant women.Symptoms of depression during pregnancy should not be written off as "simply hormones;" it is a medical condition that needs to be treated with the utmost delicacy.
How Alcohol and Drug Affect Depression
July 24th, 2010 admin If you are depressed you don't feel good. You may tend to self medicate using drugs or alcohol or both. Alcohol can be a strong anti depressant at first but then when the use continues, alcohol becomes a depressant. Alcohol is like many other drugs that act on the brain. If you drink it regularly, you find that it has less effect on you. You need to drink more and more to get the effect you want. This is called 'tolerance' and is a powerful part of the problem you can develop using alcohol to deal with depression. It is so easy to get alcohol- you don't need to talk to a doctor or get a prescription- that it is the drug of choice to deal with depression more often then not. The problem is, alcohol can really make the depression worse. It definitely interferes with your ability to deal with the problems which caused your depression in the first place. Many people who have trouble sleeping start using alcohol as a sleeping pill and it causes no end of problems. In the end, alcohol abuse will really interfere with sleep. In low doses, alcohol makes you feel relaxed and more able to talk to and be around people if you are shy or lack confidence. Taking small amounts of alcohol, especially red wine seem to be good for our hearts. But there is a big difference between drinking a glass of wine and downing a six pack to back off the pressure. Even a few drinks can be a depressant for you. Some of the effects are: -Impaired judgment and decision making -Vision disturbance, especially peripheral vision -Less coordination -Problems with depth perception -Slower reaction time -Sleepiness -At moderate-to-high doses, alcohol also causes: -Feelings of sadness and despair -Impaired coordination -Impaired perception -Slower reaction time -Sleepiness to the point of dropping off And here are health problems you stir up with over alcohol use: -It can lead to obesity -It can cause kidney and liver problems -It is involved in one half of suicides -It plays a role in many auto accidents -It is often a part of domestic violence -It is often a part of assaults and homicides -It can allow unacceptable behavior -It can become an addiction -It can ruin relationships and families -It can cost your job As you can see, I am really suggesting to you that alcohol is not the way to deal with your depression. Alcohol is cheap and easy to get and you don't have to talk over your problems with someone to get it. But it can and will cause you to become more depressed if you are using it to treat yourself. The same can be said for abuse of street drugs. If you use cocaine or heroin or amphetamines to solve your emotional pain, your pain will only get worse and then you will have not only problems with depression but also problems with addiction.
NEED HELP DEALING WITH DEPRESSION?
July 23rd, 2010 admin How do we deal with everything life throws at us in this day and age?
If you are living in the world today, you are facing serious issues that may cause depression. With stress over the economy, finances, and other professional and personal problems, more people today face mental health issues than ever before.
So, how do we start to deal with depression? How do we find some solid ground on which to stand in these uncertain times?
One economical and efficient way to deal with depression is through meditation. Most people know what meditation is but fail to understand the true benefits that come from taking time to meditate. By setting aside time each day to spend a few quiet moments in self-reflection or by engaging in what Dr. Rebbie Straubing calls "affirmative contemplation" techniques each day, we can relieve stress and increase self esteem.
How do we know meditation is worthwhile? Meditation is recommended today by most mental health care professionals as a positive way to deal with stress and depression. Meditation has the power to replace negative thoughts and energy with positive thoughts and energy. Meditation will also serve to clear your head and eliminate stress over everyday problems that can weigh you down.
How does meditation work? Dr. Rebbie Straubing offers an unusual model of how the power of law of attraction is what makes meditation so effective. Law of attraction dictates that by having positive thoughts, we can bring about positive results. Simply put - think positive and good things will happen to you. Positive thoughts attract positive results. And by using the meditation process that Dr. Rebbie Straubing calls "affirmative contemplation," you can begin to feel the positive effects almost immediately.
So, how do we take time to meditate each day? And how do we keep our thoughts positive to attract positive results?
Here's how:
· You have taken the first step by reading this article.
· Find a thought that feels comforting to you.
· Spend some time each day relaxing into that thought.
· Meditation recordings can be a great help - relax as you listen.
· Start enjoying a more positive and productive life.
No one can escape the reality of stress in this day and age. However, with help we can learn to keep stress manageable and create our own positive results.
Since most of us do not have someone in our life that will tell us each day how to deal with problems. And since no one will tell us how worthy and valuable we truly are - it is up to us to remind ourselves. We must take the responsibility of reinforcing our self-worth. Most of us would forget or neglect this important duty, but we owe it to ourselves to meditate on, contemplate, and affirm our own joy. There are tools that are specifically designed to remind us each day to keep depression at bay. With this help, we can turn positive thoughts into positive reality and beat depression.
Top Tips for Dealing with Depression and Anxiety Disorder
July 20th, 2010 admin Being anxious up to certain extent is normal and part of a routine mental level but when its severity crosses to particular point and anxiety becomes uncontrollable resultantly leading to many negative consequences it is an initiative of an anxiety disorder. The sign of progress in anxiety disorder can be seen when there is extreme growth in anxiety on small matters which lead to physical and emotional restlessness. Seek immediate professional help for anxiety in such cases and conditions.
It has been general phenomenon in which an occurrence of anxiety disorders leads to panicky situations which must be treated on time. But you must remain particular about the problem and know exact category of disorder before preferring any treatment. Broadly there are six major categories of anxiety disorders which are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Having the feeling of physical and emotional instability which leads to many other complications and uncomfortable situations which are extremely distressful and can be crucial reasons. Irrational fears and baseless strange apprehensions are major reasons of such suffering which trigger anxiety. Major physical symptoms are involuntary muscular tension, twitching or trembling in hands and feet and developing feeling of dizziness and irritable temperament. In fact therapeutic and pharmacological measures are great help for anxiety for the sufferers.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Some most easily recognizable symptoms and disorders are ritualized patterns of behaviour occurring due to fear. Other common recognizable symptoms are developing feeling of emotional insecurity. At times certain past fears due to tragedy keep accompanying these symptoms.
Panic Disorder: Anxiety attacks may occur due to level of anxiety reaching up to higher levels. Such phenomenon is usually described as different stages of panic disorder which may occur extempore without giving any notice. These are common symptoms of anxiety linked with disorders. Such attacks can be of ten minutes to half an hour but whatever duration they may have they leave sufferers completely shattered in which people become victim of physical and emotional exhaustion. Panic disorders are situations when one's condition worsens completely and anxiety or panic attacks keep repeating. People feel scared emotionally in single occurrence of panic attack but when there is regular recurrence victims remain in constant fear and avoid visiting places where one feels reoccurrence may occur. Such condition is named Agoraphobia. Many genuine medications for anxiety attacks are made available these days which suppress such position.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: This condition follows after the person experiences some traumatic or life-threatening event. The reasons could be visualizing the event which makes the person gripped with fear and anxiety. Emotional insecurity and sleep problems are usually associated with this condition. One immediately needs help for anxiety of this kind to avoid further complications.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Major symptom of this category is that developing tendency to avoid social interactions. But such situations arise only when anxiety level has reached to it extreme level. A false presumption develops in a person who thinks that he/she may be caught in wrongdoing even though there is no such case. Such people avoid socializing due to inferiority complex.
Both behavioural and pharmacological therapies are mandatory in treating such anxiety disorders successfully. You can also do so and mustn't forget to have specially prepared medicines which are very much helpful in diagnosing your disorder. Such planning can help you develop proper and most successful strategy in treating these conditions. Often anxiety disorders are considered easy to treat except some panic disorder in case they are along with other stress-related problems such as depression and alcoholism or any type of drug addiction. Such conditions become severe and their treatment must be done with patience. Usually doctors prescribe medications for anxiety attacks to treat panic disorders but proper behavioural therapeutic measures are must at that juncture.
It is, however, of prime concern that the patient receives complete family support and proper emotional care to recover from severe conditions like panic disorder. Usually, experts recommend a combination of self-help strategies and other behavioral approaches to reduce the severity of the condition. If the patient has a medical history of suffering from stress or depression as well, it can indicate that it requires a more thorough course of treatment to help the person recover completely.
Benzodiazepines are some of the most qualitative medications for anxiety attacks. This is helpful in keeping human brain cool and relaxed hence tension hardly attacks the sufferer. In the chronic anxieties BuSpar is given which are effective as best quality medicine. When you are made aware of the situation and your relatives are informed that anxiety disorder has overpowered you go for immediate treatment. You can take help from anyone for easy recovery.
Ways A Person Deal With Depression
July 16th, 2010 admin Depression is something that affects most people around the world from time to time and can be very hard to deal with. I have myself struggled with this problem in the past but have lately found ways to cope with this very much unwanted depression. I will write about how I go about doing this in this article.I have been born into a family which include many members who find it hard to cope with life and are often worrying about something or other. I am one of these people and there does not seem to be a day that goes by where I do not have some issue in my mind, that is making me unhappy or stressed. I have found it very difficult to appreciate all of the things in my life which are basically good as my brain only seems to focus on all of my problems or potential problems.In the last couple of years I have tried to deal with these what I now call challenges and have attempted to focus more on the positive aspects to my life. This has been very hard for me to do as I am a born worrier by nature as I have already explained.What I now have decided to do is to try to compare my own life with that of other people who live around the world. As an example, in the last couple of days I have been watching the news programs on the television and have been hearing in horror about the current situation in Iraq. I am sure most readers of this article will be aware of what is going on in Iraq but a couple of events have really shocked me.The first was a roadblock that was set up by people who were dressed up in police uniform. These people stopped a number of vehicles and dragged out the people who were in the vehicles, onto the street. They included young and old, men and women from what I have heard. Twenty one of them were shot and killed. I can only imagine how frightening this would have been.The second event took place only the next day when fifty people were taken from their place of work and from bus stops. They were basically kidnapped and taken away in a number of vehicles. I am not sure what has happened to them since and can only hope that they are OK. This again is very disturbing and would have been a horrible ordeal for the people involved. I am no expert on the situation in Iraq or why all of these things are taking place. I also have no idea on how things can be improved, but something needs to happen to help these people.For me it shows me that I am very fortunate and if I ever start feeling a bit low, I then think of the people who live in Iraq and also people who live in other countries. I am sure that most of these people would love to swap places with me and if I tried to explain to them why I was starting to feel a little depressed, they would probably laugh at me.
