Effects of Depression – Suicidal Thoughts
Depression is essentially a state of mind. In a depressed mental disposition, the person remains in a state of low mood and develops repugnance towards practically everything surrounding him. It can adversely affect a person’s physical state, mental behavior and his emotions. A person under depression has a tendency to become irritable, sad, restless, bothersome, hopeless, melancholic and worthless and have a feeling of anxiety. A despondent mood is a natural reaction towards certain events in life that are considered to be a symptom of several clinical conditions and a characteristic of psychological syndromes. A person suffering from depression develops a tendency of losing total interest in activities that at one time provided happiness and pleasure. There is a loss of appetite and encountering problems in concentrating or even resulting in partial lapse in memory. Further, there is an element of indecision in the person and one of the most dangerous symptoms is when he contemplates on committing suicide.
A depressed state of mind is closely associated with a large number of psychological problems emanating from exhaustion, depletion of energy, over-sleep, lack of sleep or insomnia and perhaps even digestive problems. These problems are considered to counteract any type of treatment administered to the patient. A large number of disorders that are primary disturbances of mood are in fact mood disorders, within which a major depressive disorder is also known as a major case of depression or clinical depression. This condition comes up when a person has been suffering from bouts of depression for at least two weeks or has experienced a total loss of interest in activities that evoked maximum pleasure. Acute depression may also result in a total nervous breakdown. This is one of the most serious psychological conditions where it is necessary for a patient to consult a psychiatrist. A person suffering from depression may not be aware of the psychological problem that he is suffering from. The symptoms that may be appearing may not be visible, yet they are easily discernible to a psychiatrist. The behavioral patterns of the person suffering from a depression would be visible to any other person. The effects of a depressed mind may be reflected on his behavior with his family members, his colleagues at his work place and his strange and odd moods. A person in a depressed mood becomes like a ship without a rudder and moves around aimlessly without any objective in mind.
It would be pertinent to mention here that a large number of mental disorders emanate from conditions of the person both at his work place or at home. A nagging wife or a sadistic manager could make life miserable for the person concerned. A husband, who is continually nagged by an overbearing wife or neglected by other members of his family, develops a very strong tendency to suffer from severe mental problems. Mental stress takes its toll on the human brain. On the other hand at the work place, a male or female manager who is badgering constantly the person with unrestrained insults and demeaning him before his colleagues is considerably a very strong reason in itself for depression to set in. There are certain cases where a person feels a misfit amongst his colleagues and friends and this feeling of desolation tends to make a recluse of him and he refrains from sharing his feelings with anyone. The basic reason of a person not sharing his problems with even a close person such as one’s wife or a friend is his fear of being ridiculed. When this emotion becomes strong, a person loses interest in life and contemplates on committing suicide, a situation which becomes disastrous. There is no pre-defined age for suffering from depression as it strikes without any warning.
Depression is a not an incurable disease. It is a malady that requires a lot of patience both in the person undergoing treatment as well as the person who is treating the patient. It may take a long time to transform the mental state of a despondent person. The treatment is long and may even take years. The treatment may include medicinal treatment including psychotropic drugs and medicines. There is a possibility that the drugs may bring about effects which remain for a very short period and with the prolonged use of the drug, some of these effects would wear off. However, some patients suffering from insomnia are administered sleeping drugs to induce sleep so that their mind could get some rest. A patient also has to undergo psychological treatment in the form of psychiatric consultation. It is extremely important for the psycho-analyst to analyze thoroughly the mental condition of the patient before starting the treatment. A full patient medical history, physical assessment and a thorough assessment of the symptoms assist in determining the exact cause of the depression. A complete medical history of the patient medical history, physical assessment and a thorough evaluation of the symptoms help determine the precise cause of the depression. It is the prerogative of the psychiatrist to decide on the method of treatment since he is the best person to decide on the type of treatment provided to the patient that would stand to benefit him in the long run.
In conclusion, it is strongly recommended that any symptoms arising from depressive moods should not be ignored and should be referred to a psychiatrist immediately without any delay. There is an old adage which goes like this, ‘a nail lost is a shoe lost, a shoe lost is a horseman lost, a horseman lost means a war is lost.’ Therefore, timely action could avert a severe mental disorder. Regular and effectual treatment result in a positive cure from this problem.
Know the Cause and Treatment for Depression
Do you often suffer from anxiety and panic attacks? Have you every wondered the cause for such anxieties? Have you ever thought that you require a treatment through which you can cure anxiety? Yes, anxiety, depression and panics are different psychological symptoms that can be treated medically. Therefore, if you or anyone in your family is suffering from anxiety, you must try to find out the reason and consequently, you must ensure that you seek proper medical advice at the right time. These are often scary and if not treated at the right time, it can lead to severe consequences.
Well, there are different types of depression and the causes are many. The treatment for depression might vary from one cause to another. Therefore, it is essential to know the cause of depression by means of which the treatment can be done. The medical professionals have seen that there are different responses to different kinds of treatment and the side effects from these causes are also different. When a physician is consulted, he might give the antidepressant medications. There are some antidepressant medicines that help in increasing the amount of neurochemical serotonin in the brain. As the name implies, the block occurs at the synapse.
Excessive worrying and taking tensions without reasons can lead to anxiety attacks. The fear of getting another anxiety attack leads to panic attacks. Therefore, it is very essential to cure anxiety. When the problem of anxiety is cured, you would be able to get relief from many other consequent problems, because it is the anxiety that leads to several other problems. As the symptoms and causes vary, the treatment options would also be varied. With the progression of medical science, there are several treatment options available and this in turn, can completely cure you. Therefore, you must never neglect this problem.
Apart from the progression in medical science, there are several other techniques and treatment for depression. Regular exercises like yoga or meditation can be helpful in the treatment of anxiety and depression because these can largely bring down the stress level which is often the cause of anxiety. You can also bring about a change in your life style apart from taking regular medicines. Your work schedule, your food habits and your thoughts in turn can definitely be changed so that you are completely cured and consequently you get rid of these symptoms.
Depression Fighters is believed to work by increasing the levels of all four of the brain’s natural “feel good” neurotransmitters. By providing all natural boosts to serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA, the ingredients of Depression Fighters can help you feel a sense of joy, calm and happiness.
Fighting Depression Through Setting Goals
Two of the most devastating aspects of depression are the loss of motivation and the despair. It takes energy and drive even to think of identifying goals and setting targets to achieve them when you are feeling depressed. However, as soon as you feel able, this step is a necessary part of recovery and an essential element of living with the hazard of recurrent depression.
Buy a diary or an exercise book and note your ambitions in the three areas of your life. No matter how far fetch something seems, write it down. You can consider later whether your choices are realistic. Each time you add something to the book, date it.
All ambitions and achievements are made up of small but significant steps. To take the first step, you need to identify your ambitions. Then you need to identify the steps required to bring you closer to your ambitions. Let’s say you want to learn to play the piano. You will need a piano, music books and a teacher. The cheapest way to go about this is to contact your local adult education institute and enroll for a suitable course. Another way would be to find a private teacher. You can find one through local advertisements, the Yellow Pages or by word of mouth. You can use the same sorts of methods for finding out about any activity.
As another example, let’s say that you wish to lose weight. There are two rules: eat smaller amounts of less fattening foods and exercise more.
Being Realistic
It is important that your ambitions are realistic. A 40-year-old woman is unlikely to become a supermodel and a 40-year-old man even less likely to become a football star. It is also important to remember that depression is a normal response to a sad life event. What is crucial is the severity, duration, degree of disablement and to what extent your behavior ia affected; it is when depression is severe, lengthy and prevents you from fully functioning that you need treatment.
Setting Achievable Goals
When you have decided on a realistic goal, break it down into a series of smaller goals to be achieved in stages.
• Whether you want to paint a room or write a novel, start with a plan.
• Divide the task into smaller steps – doors, ceiling, walls and windows or pages and chapters.
• Reward yourself as each step is accomplished.
Looking Back at Your Goals
• Do you feel that you have a good balance of work and pleasure in your life? What do you wish to achieve in your work life? Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
• What do you wish to achieve emotionally, spiritually and materially for your family and home?
• What are the activities on which you would like to spend time? For example, reading, singing, going to the cinema, picture framing, dance your favourite sport or walking.
Check your diary or notebook every few days to make sure that you are on target for realizing your ambitions. You can realize many of your ambitions. Take the first steps now. Achieving any step towards realizing your ambitions, however small, is another step towards recovery.
Basic Natural Remedies to Help Ease Depression
This is a very broad topic that cannot be dealt with in any real depth in a brief article. However, if you or someone you know suffers from depression I hope there are some ideas here that will inspire you to investigate further and look for positive, life-changing therapies.
Depression from Loss
Certainly there is situational depression which happens in direct response to a life-changing event, the loss of a loved one or loss of a job, for example. In this case, the support of friends and family, along with maintaining a daily routine, are often helpful. It can take two years to work through the bulk of the emotion from a significant loss, and certainly, by the end of that time one should begin to see relatively steady improvement, eventually experiencing more good days than bad. One of the best remedies I have ever found for loss/grief induced depression is Bulgarian Rose Essential Oil.
A few years ago I exchanged emails with a fellow-practitioner from Australia. We met at a practitioner chat room on the internet and had been exchanging essential oil experiences when she emailed me privately and told me of a very tragic 2 years wherein she had lost five family members including her husband. She was deeply depressed and having a hard time functioning. I suggested she should use Bulgarian rose oil, just one drop under her nose, first thing in the morning. Her reply was that it was too expensive and she was on the verge of going bankrupt and losing her home. I encouraged her to get the rose oil in spite of her finances.
She emailed me the next day and said that she had opened the rose oil she had brought in for a client and put one drop under her nose before she got out of bed. She had gotten up, then showered and dressed – two activities that had not happened on the same day since her husband’s passing six months earlier.
The next day she used one more drop of Bulgarian rose oil, got up, showered, dressed, and sorted through her husbands’ closet. On day three, using one more drop of that very precious rose oil she contacted her lawyer and he was able to ascertain that the house could be saved and that filing for bankruptcy would not be needed.
Indeed the rose oil had changed this fine lady’s brain chemistry and enabled her get back into the game of life.
Depression from Seasonal Affective Disorder
For some people depression is a cyclical thing happening in the winter only. It can start as early as October or as late as February, and last until March or April. January and February are usually the worst months. This is seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD.
Clinical research has shown that some people are very much affected by the reduced sunlight in the winter. This is complicated by the fact that in the winter we rise in the dark, go to work in the dark, come home in the dark, and go to bed in the dark. Our work and life schedules seem to keep us from ever seeing the sun. This is definitely a problem for some people.
Some key symptoms that differentiate SAD from other types of depression include: the depression only happens in the winter months; and the depression always resolves itself when daylight hours get longer.
We all have a small gland in the middle of our heads called a pineal gland. This gland is our ‘light receptor’. It produces melatonin in response to darkness. Melatonin makes us sleepy and lethargic, and makes us crave carbohydrates. Because SAD is a form of depression we may also see some of the other common symptoms of depression including crying, lack of interest, lower energy, feeling blue or sad, irritability, and appetite and/or sleep pattern changes.
One of the best forms of treatment for SAD is phototherapy. This easy therapy involves sitting beside a special light for twenty minutes within the first two hours of waking up, and at the same time each day. This light stimulates the pineal in the same way the sun does. People who are affected by SAD see the best results using the light year-round.
The therapeutic lights that are recommended by the SAD clinic at the Foothills hospital are available through Northern Lights Technologies.
Liver and Adrenal Gland Connection
Many authors that I have read link depression to the liver and/or adrenal glands. I will admit that since so many people are concerned about ‘detoxing’ the liver I often prefer to focus on the adrenal glands.
Just to make sure we cover all the bases, however, I will start with the liver. The liver ultimately processes everything you eat, breathe, or absorb. It breaks things down that are harmful, prepares things for other organs to use, and then collects all of the metabolic garbage and breaks it down into things the kidneys can extract.
The Chinese consider the liver to be the center of ‘feeling’, and when not working right, this is where they say anger, resentment, and bitterness originate and are stored. If you tend to ‘keep score’ or ‘hold a grudge’ it is likely your liver needs ongoing support.
Chinese Herbal formulas that are ‘wood reducing’ are often used for supporting the liver, especially when there is anger, resentment, or depression involved.
The adrenals, the unsung heroes, take a beating day in and day out. Our normal daily patterns often involve unrelenting, if not insidious, stress. Whether your adrenals are functioning well or not is easy to determine by how your nights are. Your adrenals should be putting out hormones that ‘bring you down’ after a stressful day, however, if you sleep for 2 -4 hours, then spend the rest of the night waking up frequently and sleeping lightly you are probably suffering from adrenal exhaustion. At night your adrenals should produce anti-diuretic hormone which slows the kidneys down for the night to reduce the amount of urine produced while you sleep so If you waken more than once each night to urinate (and are not a male with prostate problems) you probably have very tired adrenal glands.
Supplements that contain vitamins and minerals along with bovine adrenal extract to support and nourish the adrenal glands are often very good for building the adrenals up again.
A Chinese herbal blend duo that works well is ‘generate chi’ and ‘regulate chi’. These two supplements, used as per bottle instructions, can also create dramatic results with the adrenals.
Stress formulas that a combine B Vitamins, Vitamin C, and herbs for the nervous system are excellent choices for supporting the nervous system and creating resiliency in the face of stress. Interestingly, the B Vitamins are essential for healthy liver, adrenal, and nervous system function
Now, bringing this back to depression…if we get the liver and adrenals on track we can often have a positive impact on depression.
Exercise
One of the most valuable, yet underrated, therapies for depression is exercise. It’s not that everyone who is depressed should aspire to be an Olympic athlete. Far from it. More reasonably everyone, and most especially those who suffer with depression need to make the effort (and it will be an effort at first) to get 30 – 45 minutes of cardio exercise daily. I’m going to qualify this further in saying that cardio exercise as a part of the treatment program for depression needs to happen during daylight hours, and preferably outside, if possible.
Cardio exercise is anything that uses large muscles and increases the heart rate significantly. Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, stairstepping, and treadmilling are just a few of the more common cardio exercises. Sadly, gardening doesn’t usually get the heart rate high enough for long enough to count as cardio, however, shovelling snow might, depending on how long your sidewalk is.
We used to believe that endorphins were responsible for the feelings of enhanced well-being experienced by people who engaged in regular physical activity. We now know that endorphins can’t do it for us. They are too large to cross the barrier into the brain. However, all is not lost. Science has shown that we all have THC receptors in our brains. THCs are the active ingredient in marijuana. Now I’m not saying we should all take up smoking pot. No need to do that when vigorous physical activity allows our bodies to make natural chemicals that cross the barrier into the brain and work on the THC receptors resulting in a dose of ‘feel good’ that is totally legal and very addictive! So, when you are feeling low one of the best things to do is go for a brisk walk or a fast-paced hike on a nearby trail.
Sometimes, as in usually, depression is also rooted in learned behavioral patterns. The patterns of how to relate to people, what and how to think of ourselves and how to establish and honor boundaries will also affect how we feel, often without our knowing it. A book that I have found most useful, and that came highly recommended to me, is called Changes that Heal by Dr. Henry Cloud. (As a word of caution – this book is written by a Christian psychologist, so if that is not your bend you probably won’t like the book.) This book is a not a ‘light read’. I found it to be a ‘read a few pages and think about it for a few days’ type of book.
Depression is a complex issue and it demands a complex solution. Often a multi-faceted approach of nutrition, supplements, exercise, and mental/emotion homework produces the best results.
Depression in Men Over 50
It is unusual for me to feel depressed but for much of yesterday that was my experience. Symptoms included irritability, tiredness and a feeling of a kind of nothingness. When a friend asked me how I felt I said, “I feel hormonal.” I realise that this experience is part of the process that I am going through for a man of my age. It is called the andropause of male menopause. Jed Diamond writing in “Surviving Male Menopause – A guide for Women and Men,” writes,
In many ways, the male menopause passage is a “dark night of the soul.” It is a time to do down and feel our emotions, to feel the pain from the past, and to deal with unfinished business so it can be healed. It can also be a time of rebirth, a time of letting go of old dramas so that we can feel the love that awaits us into he second half of life.
I feel withdrawn and I project my feeling of being withdrawn unto my partner. I do what depressed men do. They project their depression outward and seek to find someone to blame. In many ways I am not the man I was and it frightens me. I used to be affectionate but now I am not. Many who read this blog will know how I pay attention to lines from songs. The song lines I hear and pay attention too are frightening me as well. I hear them and I know they are talking to me and I hope that they will go away but they don’t The song that I hear now is one I haven’t heard in decades. I hear it in cafes and I hear it in shops. It is a song written by Neill Diamond. This song has the following lines in it.
You don’t bring me flowers You don’t sing me love songs You hardly talk to me anymore When you come through the door At the end of the day
This is what it feels like on some days and I want to run away from it all. All of this is a kind of internal combustion that in many men becomes a silent killer. They turn to some form of addiction or to another relationship in order to avoid feeling the pain and thus avoid crossing the threshold into the second half of life.
Yet I know the process. It usually, if not inevitably, involves the experience getting more intense instead of lessening. One does go into a dark night or into a dark forest. In relation to male menopause there isn’t much light available. It is for this reason I share this kind of non-event through this writing. If I can assist men, and thereby assist their partners, to recognise the process then in some way I am shedding some light into the darkness. I have no idea what such sharing will mean. I fear ridicule. I fear that no one will ever return to reading what I write because of what they will think of me. Yet I will continue to write about this personal dark night of the soul because I can and because it is what I want to bring light and healing too. This healing is not only for myself but for others who are not as able to share their experience.
I lived in a family where the word depression was taboo. I live in a culture where the word depression is taboo. My mother lived much of her life feeling depressed and feeling guilty about feeling depressed. She had every reason to feel that way but would not share it. It made getting close to her almost impossible. I learned to get close to her by becoming sick and manipulating her in some way. As a child I had what where thought to be heart problems. I never did have physical heart problems but the symptoms all pointed that way.
It is my intention to make the experience of depression and its association with the male cycle called andropause not the taboo subject it is. I have huge resistance against doing this but this is no reason not to do it. Even when writing about this subject I want not too. I want to write about all the beauty, the power and the grace available beyond the experience of duality. Yet I see so many spiritual seekers who talk about, and aspire too, the attainment of personal salvation and transcendence who are emotionally depressed to a large extent. What they want to do as many spiritual seekers wish to do is avoid painful feelings.
Male menopause can drive a huge wedge between a couple who have been happily married for many years. The man is literally taken into the dark and changed by a process that he will resist and that in many instances can destroy him. Women who witness this process say they want the man back who they once knew. They don’t want the monster that he has become. If it does not destroy him it will in many instances destroy the relationship. At this point I can see how easily that could happen in my own life. I am to some extent more fortunate. I have not let the issue drag on and drag on although it has dragged on. I have asked for help from someone outside the relationship trained in such matters.
It has got worse since that time I began talking to the councillor. Yet I know from experience that you very often take two steps forward and one step back. People sometimes feel that they are taking more steps backward because the process opens up more painful experiences. This is not necessarily a step backward although it feels that way. Sometimes you go deeper into the darkness before you get insight into the coming dawn. I have of yesterday taken one step back.
In the past I would have had another drink and then another couple of drinks which would have lead to some more drinking. This way of avoidance is in the past. Today I will take an extended walk to a holy well and circumnavigate it. Exercise is one key way of alleviating the symptoms experienced with male menopause and the experience of depression. I will try, as best as I am able, not to be rejecting. This isolates me and makes my partner defensive. Simple expressions of kindness help. Patience helps tremendously for both parties but is not an excuse for continued denial or avoidance of the real issue.
I will look at what is positive. While I might be in a dark wood my dream life is more than alive. It seems to be a preview of coming attractions. I had for a long time stopped remembering my dreams. I think that this was a response to the denial that I was going through at the time. Now I am through (I hope) this phase of denial the dreams have returned. This is polarity. What is avoided in the conscious mind plays havoc in the unconscious. Now that denial has opened up other options the unconscious has again become alive. I am able to do this because the length of time I have spent in honouring my dreams as a spiritual practice.
The 10th September, 2011 was World Depression Awareness Day. It was a day in which we where invited to try and make depression an experience we refuse to deny. It is in our interest not to continue to deny it because it is one of the highest growing medical issues in the Western world. One day won’t do it. Awareness of the symptoms and how they differ in women and men and the process involved will help. It is in educating an awareness of how the process begins and how it can develop is a beginning to the end, not of depression, but of the cycle what can become chronic depression.
The first step, and I think it is a big first step, is to be courageous enough to admit the feeling of shame that hides the underlying depression and which allows it to begin to become chronic and more difficult to shift. In sharing this experience of depression that is a symptom of male menopause it is my hope that many men and their partners do not have to experience deeper suffering and deeper dark nights where it appears there is little or no light at the end of the dark forest. It is my hope that they can avoid the experience at the end of the song “You don’t bring me Flowers Anymore,”
And baby, I remember All the things you taught me I learned how to laugh And I learned how to cry Well I learned how to love Even learned how to lie You’d think I could learn How to tell you goodbye ‘Cause you don’t bring me flowers anymore.
Heal Depression With Zen
Depression is a disease of the mind. Zen, which is about mental state, may offer a new perspective of the disease. You may even heal depression with Zen.
Depression is a devastating mental illness affecting millions of people all over the worlds. Depression is a mental condition due to distorted thinking. In distorted thinking, the mind does not see things as what they really are. That is to say, a depressed individual tends to “see” and “hear” things with the brain, instead of with the eyes and the ears. Given that a perception is a reality, the distorted thoughts create deceptive perceptions that become “real” to that depressed individual. Over time, these distorted perceptions continue to talk to that individual in the form of internal dialogues, causing more mental confusion. As a result, that individual begins to lose his or her own identity, not knowing what to do, drifting from one thing to another, feeling incapacitated in dealing with the problems of life. The feeling of inertness and the sense of loss are some of the common characteristics of depression.
One of the reasons why modern psychiatry may not be effective in dealing with depression is that it focuses on “analyzing” the mental and behavioral problems of the patient with the explicit purpose of helping the patient to “avoid” them in the future. But, according to Zen, that is exactly where the problem originates. In Zen, there is no such a sickness as “depression” because mental illness is no more than a condition of the mind with distorted thoughts of self and reality.
To illustrate, many depressed individuals have a distorted perception of self-worth: they wish they were someone else. Zen focuses on who you are, rather than what you want to become. Zen purges the mind of any low self-esteem. Wanting to be someone you would like to become is the source of pain — just as longing for things that are not obtainable, and expecting results that are not met. Once the pain is created, the patient or the psychiatrist begins to seek “analysis” and “explanation” of the pain, hoping to find a “solution” to the problem, thereby enabling the patient to “avoid” the pain in the future. Unfortunately, that becomes the cause of more pain and more mental confusion.
According to Zen, life is never a problem to be solved. If there is no problem, why do you need a solution? Life never has a problem, and if there is a problem, that is because you have created the problem for yourself. So, if there is no problem, then why do you need to “analyze” and “explain” the problem? The problem with modern psychiatry is that once you have created a problem, you need a solution to the problem. In attempting to solve the problem, you begin to analyze the problem and examine the options available to solve the problem. In the process, you generate stress, which only aggravates the problem. You become more confused and mentally depressed.
Live a life of Zen — living in the present moment, with no problems, and no expectations. You can heal depression with Zen.
Zen is about spontaneity — the naturalness of things. In Zen living, you do not strive to analyze or explain what happens in your life. You just learn to embrace whatever that may come your way. Life is to be experienced, not just to be enjoyed. Therefore, you do not try to avoid anything in life. Neither do you try to “accept” what is pleasant and “reject” what is unpleasant; the very act of “selecting” is a sickness of the mind. To heal depression with Zen, you must learn to let go — not just of the past (especially a traumatic past experience that might have triggered the depression) but also what you are afraid to let go. Once you mind becomes uncluttered by distorted thoughts, you begin to look at everything in your life in perspective. Once you see the priorities in your life, you may learn to let go of everything, including your past, and you are well on the way to healing depression. Yes, you can heal depression with Zen.
Positive Side of Depression We Don’t Think About
There is a positive side to depression although it may be hard to believe. Since we compare life to a journey, I would say depression is sitting down and resting on a sidewalk before moving again. If you feel that your journey had many obstacles like rainstorm, snowstorm, or any kind of storm, then you will need more resting time than others.
Depression, as I call it depression, adds another layer to your being. We are constantly moving or doing something, and it becomes impossible to stop and think what is going on your life. Most of us are unwilling to slow down ourselves. Usually something disastrous has to happen for us to stop what we are doing. Unfortunately, we are very much alarmed by this transient delay and are too eager for quick fix, whether it is medication, support group, or therapy. And, they are all fine except none works unless you decide to work on your issues.
You build a prison for yourself, and you are stuck. That is OK. Perhaps medication will help you get up in the morning. Perhaps you can have human connection you need from your support group. Perhaps you found someone you can trust with your therapist. Then, do what you have to do. Vegetate. Sleep more. Cry more. Feel nothing. Think about your childhood, your relationships, your family and friends. Think about your evil enemy, the one that got away, accidents and failures. Let the pain hurt you and hurt you and hurt you.
However, allow people in your life to express their appreciation for you. Let them call you and leave a voice mail. Let them email you to see how you are doing. Let them send you a card, a letter, an invitation even if they know you won’t be there.
I am not a therapist, and I honestly do not know what to do if you are suicidal. You should ask for help from a clinician right away. It literally is a matter of life and death.
When you are able to stop your movement and sit, after a while, you can see a big picture. You notice a lot of things on the road, and you may even be able to read a sign. You are the same person but not the same as before. Second time you have to stop and pause, you will have a cool look in life. You won’t be so obsessed, hyper, or indifferent. You will take life as it comes. Remember? Life is a journey, and you just had to sit down and take a break.
Depression Treatments Are Well Worth Trying
All natural depression treatments are available for those suffering from chronic low moods, which can hamper your life and the relationships within it. It is highly recommended for anyone with suicidal thoughts to seek immediate treatment with qualified professionals. However, if you have mild depression, there are many things you can do yourself to lift your mood that do not require medication. Natural treatments can be quite effective.
Exercise is the main natural way to combat mild depression. Studies have shown that people who engage in thirty to forty-five minutes of cardiovascular exercise feel their depression improved in time. This is understandable as “runner’s high” is very real and a well-documented reaction to cardiovascular exercise. Serotonin and endorphin levels are raised after exercise naturally as opposed to taking medication to do the same. Yoga is another form of exercise that can be very beneficial. The meditative as well as the physical aspect of yoga can help put your mind at ease in order to find peace and raise your mood.
Other recommended depression treatments include eating healthy and maintaining regular sleep patterns. Aim to eat a well-balanced, mostly plant-based diet and take vitamin supplements. Avoid junk food, processed foods, and high fructose corn syrup. Highly refined sugars will result in blood sugar levels spiking then dropping off dramatically, which will negatively affect your mood. It is also important to maintain regular sleep patterns, so establish regular times to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Finally, it is essential to have a social support network to keep you busy and motivated to continue to work on your own health. Regularly see family or friends in social settings, or branch out to meet new people. Investigate your local community activities, join a book club, take a fun class on a new subject, or try volunteering to help others less fortunate. Active minds and bodies are less likely to suffer from depression. Pets may help as well, dogs are great as they are loyal companions and will need to be exercised on a daily basis. Think of your dog as a personal trainer to get the daily exercise and companionship you need.
It may be difficult to be motivated at first but well worth the effort to try these natural depression treatments. Regular exercise, good nutrition, regular sleep patterns, and social interaction will combat depression for those willing to give it a try.
Am I Depressed? Ten Common Symptoms of Depression
Depression is frequently referred to as a psychological disease. You will find various kinds of depression, varying from mild to severe. It’s tough to identify factors that create depression. However there have been many studies done to comprehend the underlying reasons for depression and to assist in preventing it. However with nearly 10% of the population suffering signs and symptoms of depression at any time, do you know the telltale signs that answer the question “Am I Depressed?”
The signs and symptoms of depression are varied and also the severity changes as time passes. And, experts say depression is definitely an inherited disorder, or triggered by life threatening ailments, or stress. Other causes are certain illnesses, medications, drugs, alcohol, or mental ailments. Women are noticed to suffer depression a lot more than males which is credited to hormonal shifts, menstrual period changes, pregnancy, miscarriage, pre-menopause, and post-menopausal changes. T better help you better answer the question “am I depressed?” continue reading.
The Ten common signs and symptoms of depression are:
1) Physical conditions like headaches, digestive complaints, and chronic discomfort without any underlying cause or stressful factors.
2) Suicidal ideas and brooding (showing deep disappointment of thought).
3) Extreme insomnia or consistent lack of night sleep
4) Unshakeable sadness, anxiety or lack of feelings
5) Overwhelming hopelessness supported by pessimistic feelings.
6) Extreme guilt, feelings of helplessness, with no feeling of self worth.
7) Affected by constant fatigue, lack of energy, a slower metabolism, and activity levels.
8) Irritable, short temper, unapproachable.
9) A feeling of helplessness together with an growing lack of ability to concentrate and indecisiveness.
10) Inexplicable weight reduction or gain usually triggered by appetite loss or eating binges.
If you think that you’re depressed take matters in hand and check out and eliminate negativity from your mind. Eliminate from your existence terms like exhaustion, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Improve your existence by setting a couple of simple goals on your own and go after them. Try to relax, meditate, and pay attention to songs. Start new activities that absorb your time and effort in addition to interests. Get out there and meet people and take part in group activities. Avoid associating with negative people making your very best effort to put yourself around positive, beneficial people. Make a decision to see a film, go to a ballgame, family outing, or have a picnic. Stay positive, confident, and also have belief in yourself. Belief itself is an excellent healer. Decide to modify your world for the better. However do stick to the doctor’s advice. Treatment may include: anti-depressant medications, psychiatric therapy, in addition to changes in lifestyle. Natural, drug free remedies can also be a choice to think about.
In case your depression gets worse or else you are suicidal seek the aid of your loved ones, physician or healthcare provider. Do call a nearby health department, area mental health center, or hospital or clinic. Someone will extend a hand of support and talk you through your crisis. Remember, if you need to ask yourself “am I depressed”, you most likely are and need to find immediate attention.
Depression and Anxiety – What’s Really Going On
Many people make their way into their doctor’s office with complaints of fatigue, anxiety, or lack of energy, drive and focus. In many cases, attending physicians dispense anti-depressants, (some times like candy) such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as a means to treat their symptoms of depression or anxiety.
What these patients are actually experiencing is problems with the neurotransmitters in their brains, most notably Dopamine, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, GABA and Glutamate. SSRI’s block neurotransmitter pathways and often result in a vast array of side effects, including sexual dysfunction, nausea, nervousness, weight gain and insomnia. Most often when people are placed on SSRIs they are worried about what will happen if they stop taking them, so they are stuck taking a drug with adverse side effects.
What is commonly missed in traditional drug treatment is that depression and anxiety are caused by an imbalance rather than a disease. When dopamine levels are elevated, anxiety or hyperactivity can develop. When Epinephrine and Norepinephrine levels are too low or too high, anxiousness, stress, sleeplessness, weight gain or poor concentration can occur. GABA levels regulate the activity of glutamate, which prevents over stimulation and effects memory and learning capabilities.
Symptoms of depression and anxiety can be treated nutritionally. Natural therapy minimizes particular neurotransmitter pathways instead of blocking them, reducing side effects and providing patients a natural, safe and effective way to treat their symptoms.
When a patient seeks the medical advice of a naturopathic physician for depression or anxiety, he or she is administered a very simple urine or, in the case of adrenal gland problems, a saliva test. Neurotransmitter levels and deficiencies are then measured through the products of the urine or saliva.
Once it is evaluated which neurotransmitters are off, nutritional therapy can help restore balance by modulating pathways. Compounds based from amino acids create this balance and are prescribed along with B vitamins and sometimes natural herbs.
Nutritional therapy helps restore balance to hormone levels and neurotransmitters. Every patient is different and requires different levels and combinations of amino acids and vitamins. A common herb that is prescribed to accompany these nutrients is Rhodiola rosea, a plant with adaptogen properties that has been used for centuries to treat depression and anxiety.
The average patient that seeks help for depression or anxiety does not have to suffer the effects and dependency on SSRIs. People can, through nutritional therapy, avoid taking pharmaceutical drugs and restore balance and health.