Archive for the 'Depression' Category

When you’re feeling sad, you may wonder if you just have “the blues,” or if you are suffering from depression. How can you tell the difference?

The most basic distinction is that depression is a clinical diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening disease.

The blues is a milder state, one that is more transitory and often more of a feeling than a diagnosis.

You should be aware; however, that there is a form of depression called Dysthymia that is a type of chronic depression and sadness.

Dysthymia is sometimes called the “Eeyore disease”. Patients with Dysthymia may experience periods of sadness lasting several years, and they occasionally develop clinical depression.

If you have been feeling sad or blue for several months and you don’t seem to be able to lift yourself out of your bad mood, it is time for a visit to your health care provider.

Several physical illnesses should be ruled out. After that, it may be time for a mental health evaluation. There are many medications available today that can help lift depression, including some that have a mood brightening effect that are particularly helpful for patients with Dysthymia.

Depression seems to be a sign of the times we live in, with more people suffering from it across the globe.

There are many medicines that can be prescribed to alleviate depression, but before seeking medical intervention first try and see if you can help yourself.

Often there is no one there to ask how you are feeling, so you have no outlet and things can get bottled up inside.

By writing in a journal, it means that your feelings and thoughts are let out and will help you to understand possibly, what causes the unhappiness that you feel with your life.

Exercise in any form will be good for the mind, a brisk walk, yoga practice or a type of routine that you will enjoy could make a big difference to your mental well being. Do not force yourself to do something you do not like, this will have a very negative effect on your sense of self.

As you perform your chosen activity let your mind discharge all its worries and think things through ultimately clearing your head.Although it can be daunting at first, getting out and meeting people will be a big help.

You might feel that you are overwhelmed by the number of people who want your time.

Or maybe you feel that you just can’t find the right guy/girl/friend/client/boss.

You might be afraid of becoming a social hermit. To avoid this, you jump head first into the relationship pool without your inner lifeguard. Repeat after me.

There are plenty of fish in the sea. Life is short. Relationships take time to maintain and build. Any time that you spend on one relationship is time taken away from other relationships.

Why waste time on relationships that bring you unhappiness when you can spend time on relationships that bring you happiness? [unhealthy relationship]

You can find wonderful people who want to be with you. You can find people with the same interests and beliefs as you. If you exist, there’s a chance that there are others like you that exist as well.

Rule 1: Know thyself

This might sound obvious, but you cannot get what you want unless you know what you want. But more importantly, you should know what other people might be able to get out of you.

There are a range of depression related disorders that can make an individual feel physically drained, invoke a feeling of worthless, hopeless and helpless.

It is these ways of negative thinking and feeling that makes people want to give up.

It is essential to be aware that the negative ways of looking at things are part of depression.

These are distortions that usually are not based on actual circumstances. Negative thoughts disappear when the effects of depression management begins to take hold.

But while you wait for treatment to kick in, you can help yourself.

Ways to help yourself out of depression

1. You should never take on life’s important decisions at times of depression. Before making major changes, like changing jobs, getting married or divorced, it is better to consult with friends and family or even seek professional assistance if it is not possible to put off an important decision.

2. Try to be together with and to trust someone, it is always better than being alone and not talking to anyone.

3. Divide life into small goals, set yourself a list of these goals and prioritize them and try to achieve as much as you can without pushing yourself too hard [Organizing goals].

Most experts state that there is a close link between creativity and depression; you can take any of the many examples from history, like Van Gogh for instance.

He was a creative individual, who was prone to developing intense bouts of depression and suicidal tendencies.

In fact, it is said that a high number of artists today, several more than could be mere chance, meet the diagnostic criteria that indicate manic-depression and other mood disorders.

Some of the famous creative and artistic personalities who have declared publicly that they are either bipolar or unipolar are Sheryl Crow, Francis Ford Cuppola, Patty Duke, Connie Francis, and Dolly Parton.

It works the other way around as well; mood disorders like depression have a deep impact on a person’s creativity.

Statistics show that about one percent of the general population in America suffer from manic-depression, or what is known as bipolar disorder and other similar mood disorders, with another five percent suffering from major depression at one time or the other during their lifetimes.

Research of more creative and talented people showed greater levels of emotional excitability and intellectual capacities, and according to one expert, these heightened levels of intellect may be mistaken for symptoms of depression.

Self help is a general term for all kinds of ideas and principles that are intended to assist many different kinds of people in all types of situations.

There are many approaches aimed at helping different people who find ways to assist themselves in their day-to-day personal and business lives and is particularly useful in relation to depression.

Self help for depression involves a number of different approaches and techniques which may alleviate all types of depression or even possibly prevent mild depression.

These techniques are complementary to professional treatment, and should not be seen as an alternative to it.

It is important to be realistic when you begin trying out self-help options. Do not expect too much of yourself but do persist and you will begin to notice the difference.

Depression can often be alleviated by talking to other people in similar situations.

Depression Alliance co-ordinates a national network of self-help groups where members can meet on a regular basis to share experiences and coping strategies.

Going to a self-help group for the first time can be challenging so do not worry if you only make it as far as the door!

At any given moment, we are held hostage by something we seldom acknowledge—our thoughts.

The things we think about the breakup of a romantic relationship, a fight with a friend, or even about something as miniscule as getting a parking ticket dominates our lives without us ever really recognizing it.

As humans, we have the unique ability to reflect on events and circumstances, and while that is a good thing, it carries with it, a risk– the way we think about things has a profound affect on how we feel.

Negative thinking can adversely impact not only our mood, but our physical health, too.

Therefore, it is imperative to examine what we are thinking and treat our thoughts as mere constructs that we have the power to harness with a little effort.

Analyzing our thoughts is particularly crucial for those of us who have the tendency to be depressed. This is because those of us who suffer from depression regularly form inaccurate thoughts that we convince ourselves are true.

These irrational thoughts, which are repeated over and over again, are known to therapists who practice cognitive behavioral therapy as cognitive distortions.

At some point or other in life, every one of you might have experienced depression.

But, some of you repeatedly encounter depression, mood swings and anxiety in your routine life without any strong reason.

This will mainly happen to you, if you maintain poor diet that possibly affects your body chemistry.

Anxiety, depression, mood swings, low-energy, unexplained sadness can certainly make you to feel depressed about your life.

There is simple and effective way to beat the blues in your normal life. If you succeed in adjusting your routine diet and maintaining healthy eating habits, it can help you to stabilize your body chemicals that are responsible for depression.

Here are most effective super foods that you must essentially include in your routine diet to fight against disturbing depression in your life.

1. Carbohydrates!

Serotonin is the main chemical that stimulates calmness in your body. So, to keep your serotonin production levels, carbohydrates can help you greatly.

When your body lacks sufficient carbohydrates, you’ll experience severe mood swings and anxiety. So, try to include carbohydrate rich foods in your regular diet.