DEPRESSION REMEDIES

Health And Depression In The Elderly

2008-06-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Having lived a happy life full of meaning and purpose, why would an elderly person become chronically depressed? Besides learning the causes of the depression, are there things we can learn about that will remedy this type of depression in senior citizens? The answer is an emphatic Yes!

The medical community deals with people in the throws of depression every day. Many of these people are those who have graduated from college and enjoyed success in their careers for many years until retirement. Many of them have been married and raised children. Everything about their lives suggests that they should be happy as they begin their retirement years.

Senior citizens typically have dealt with many losses as they have gotten older. Many of them have had to bury their spouses, their parents, and their siblings. As they grow older, many of their friends have also passed on. Some have even experienced the devastating deaths of children.

Those who have grown children find that their relatives are often too busy with their own families and careers to visit them or notice how they are doing. Whether these older people realize it or not, their support network has basically disappeared.

All of the deaths of their loved ones cause not only a sense of deep sadness, but also makes the senior citizens realize that their deaths are near. As this awareness settles in, many elderly people begin to take inventory of their lives and their successes or failures.
Regrets for missed opportunities can cloud their thinking and steal away feelings of happiness.

During this time of life, it is typical for senior citizens to have increasing medical problems. Loss of mobility and physical independence creates an atmosphere for the growth of more depressive feelings. Because of poor health, many of these people also become more socially isolated which increases the depression.

Two other things that often feed depression especially in the elderly are poor nutrition and insomnia. These things begin a spiraling vicious cycle. At this point, hopefully there is someone involved with the senior who can help to turn the situation around. Without outside intervention, the elderly person will probably not improve.

If you are involved with someone in this situation, it would be wise to have a physician evaluate the physical and mental condition of that person to encourage improvement. There may be medications that would be helpful with the physical health problems as well as the depression.

Another thing that would be helpful is to encourage this person to become involved in some type of group activities on a regular basis. Most communities have senior citizen centers that offer a variety of things for the elderly to do together. Some of them even offer transportation for seniors to become more socially active. Lunches are quite often available for a minimal cost to the elderly at the senior centers.

Depending on the person's health, it might be good for the senior to volunteer a few hours a week at some organization. This will improve the feeling of being of value in the community.
One thing that has been suggested quite often is for the older person to have a pet. It has been proven to improve blood pressure and heart rate in many people. Loving and feeling loved and needed by a pet is known to cheer people up, especially those who aren't able to get out of the house often.

Encourage your loved one to get involved in a hobby. Perhaps this person used to enjoy a hobby but has recently lost interest in that hobby because of depression. There may be a group in the community that would be thrilled to see what the senior has made in the past. There might even be a group that would like this person to teach others how to do this particular craft.

Most important is to encourage the senior citizen to become involved with other people. If that person is not physically able to leave home, perhaps there are ways to help begin a connection with the outside world through telephone or even the internet. Many seniors have gotten involved with online senior groups with common interests.

Some of these are groups that discuss medical problems, family situations, crafts or hobbies, diet and exercise, and even groups that discuss grief. It might even be easier for the older person to open up to someone they are chatting with online rather than in person. Obviously, it is better to get them out of the house and active socially with others including joining in physical exercise of some type.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/125373/health_and_depression_in_the_elderly.php

Postpartum Depression Linked to Increased Risk of Injury to

2008-06-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Depression occurs commonly after childbirth. Baby Blues is a very common complaint after the birth of a child but postpartum depression can be a serious issue and must be addressed. Many mothers will experience mood swings, slight depression, and may have trouble concentrating.

Additionally the mother may also have difficulty sleeping even when the baby is sleeping. Loss of appetite is not uncommon. These symptoms usually start about 3 to 4 days after delivery and they may last several days. The new mother may be happy one minute and crying the next. This is known as Baby Blues.

The symptoms are normal and are usually gone after about ten days. Postpartum depression can last much longer. This depression can begin weeks or months after childbirth. Postpartum depression is an illness that requires treatment.

Symptoms can include the following:

# Sadness that is unexplained
# Frequent crying or tearfulness
# Restlessness
# Irritability
# Anxiousness
# Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
# Loss of appetite
# Decreased energy
# Lack of motivation
# Difficulty sleeping
# Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness
# Weight gain or loss
# Feeling that life is not worth living
# Little interest in the baby

Just as a side note, in addition to those symptoms some women have thoughts of hurting themselves and or the baby. This is postpartum psychosis and obviously is very serious.

Postpartum depression affects approximately 15 to 20 percent of women and 10 percent of men. Fathers of nine month olds seem particularly likely to develop symptoms of major depression. This may be related to financial stress or changes in the spousal relationship. Some husbands feel the wife is more focused on the baby than on him and this adjustment can be difficult.

Symptoms of depression include the inability to concentrate or focus. Irritability is also common. These symptoms can result in poor or inconsistent supervision and or enforcement of safety related rules.
According to a recent study infants and toddlers (3 months to 2 years) of mothers suffering with postpartum depression are more likely to suffer accidental injuries than other children in the same age group. It is possible that this is related to the mothers not properly safeguarding the children.

Socio-economic status, parenting styles, sex of children, behavior or temperament of the children had little or no bearing on the link between the depression in the mothers and the injuries in the young children.

The study indicated that children three years old and above fared better. This may be due to the fact that children of this age group are beginning to make their own decisions related to safety.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/126833/postpartum_depression_linked_to_increased_risk_of_injury_to_babies_.php

Helpful Depression Recovery Advice

2008-06-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

People who are suffering from depression often feel helpless and utterly dejected with their life. Such people will usually need a helping hand from their family members, friends and colleagues. Depression help or support may also include helping the affected person to carry out daily tasks, encourage them to take medicines, counsel them with lots of positive talk and help to prop them up when they are down with their misery.

Depression help can be found in many areas; however this usually depends on the intensity of the symptom. If the patient has a history of chronic depression, immense care and caution is necessary while helping the patient to recover from this type of mental illness. Depression help is mandatory in such cases, as those patients would have most probably already lost control over their body and mind.

Here are some of the modern depression help measures and recovery tips to help yourself or someone recover from depression:

Note: If the person is currently undergoing low intensity depression, the following tips are recommended.

1. A happy mind is a healthy mind! Make yourself happier, there are many things and activities you can do to keep yourself hale and hearty. Develop good habits and healthy lifestyles, which will create an ambience for an active mind, which is free of bad feelings and thoughts. Looking after your body and including activites such as exercise will also help as I'm sure most of you have heard the expression, "healthy body, healthy mind".

2. Turn on your inner belief to be stronger and tough. Develop self confidence and pray to God and become wiser and stronger.

3. Be inspired and read self help books and magazine. Get good ideas and be creative.

4. Take things easy on yourself and your activities, and apply frequent breaks to rest.

5. Attend depression seminars and courses to know the nitty-gritty of depression related diseases.

6. Develop good hobbies and habits; an active mind drives away fear, anxiety and anger, and instills self confidence and will power.

Note: If the person is currently experiencing moderate to severe stages of depression, following tips are recommended:

1. This stage usually needs medical help and counseling; the first depression help
that can offered to such patients, is a helping hand to lead him to a good physician for treatment.

2. Once the patient gets the required medical treatment, the next important help is to
ensure that the prescribed drugs and medicines are taken without fail at the suggested time.

3. Periodic visits are necessary to find a lasting cure for the malady; be sure that the
patient gets access to repeated visits to physician

4. Counseling is often considered as the essential key to a faster recovery from
depression.

If youre happy, you may never get depressed and if you do it might only be temporarily, which is an age old truth and a cardinal principle. If you begin to change the way you think and act, you will lead a life full of happiness and prosperity.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/127218/helpful_depression_recovery_advice.php

Depression Treatment And Medication

2008-06-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

When a person is suffering from chronic depression, most possibly, he or she may need to be prescribed depression medication as soon as possible. If you have any of the classical symptoms of depression, persisting for more than a month, you may need to visit your physician or doctor without fail. You can assist your physician to diagnose and help you, by providing as much details as possible about your problems of depression and what brings it on etc.

But you need to remember that if your problem is severe enough to demand extra help, you will need to take a family member or friend along on your first visit, to see that you are helped in a proper way. A good depression medication consists of correct analysis of your previous clinical history, present condition of the disease and a right diagnosis.

So the first obvious step on your part, is to provide every bit of information about your problem that you can think of; the previous medical history, physical tests, and preliminary laboratory tests can assist your doctor know a lot, if a general medical problem is the real cause of your malady. Most cases of depressions are usually caused by a general medical illness or medicines associated with those illnesses. Once these conditions are identified and treated, the depression will usually disappear by itself. Depression medication is not possible without your active cooperation and help; never hide anything from your doctor because you feel scared or embarrased.

Based on the intensity of the disease condition, depression medication is classified in two main categories: Acute medication and Continuation medication. These depression medications are used to treat any one of the three types of depression symptoms, like severe depression, moderate depression and mild depression. For each type of those symptoms, there is a defined treatment or medication, which works better with a clinical efficiency.

The main aim of acute medication is to systematically take off the severe symptoms of depression until you feel well and better again to cope without medication. Continuation medication means continuing the treatment for more time even after you feel fine, and it is critical because it is intended to avoid the recurrence of depression after some time. If you have an episode of recurrent depression, a third medication, commonly called maintenance treatment is commonly used. In maintenance depression medication, the patient is maintained on the depression treatment for a longer period of time.

There are many different types of depression medication methods like antidepressant medicine psychotherapy, antidepressant medicine combined with psychotherapy. Medication for depression works slowly and gradually over a period of several months. However with correct medicine, most affected people experience good results within a month; but with psychotherapy alone, it often takes a long time. Early detection and medication is probably the most important parameter in depression treatment. Depression must be treated at any cost, as soon as it is detected and diagnosed. Otherwise, depression may relapse again, with more severity and intensity.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/127229/depression_treatment_and_medication.php

Your Depression Treatment Options

2008-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Depression can be a very serious illness, which threatens and effects the lives of millions of people around the world. There is more to conventional understanding of depression; depression is not just feeling in the dumps, rather it is a disease condition, affecting thousands of people at least once in their life time. Statistics have shown that depression affects twice as many women than men and sometimes with very serious repercussions. Though depression is a serious illness, it can easily be cured by a qualified medical professional. If you feel that you are experiencing frequent bouts of depression, you are advised to contact any of the nearest medical centers to have one of several available depression treatments.

Depression treatment can help you in many different ways: the most important benefit of depression treatment is its ability to reduce the intensity of pain and suffering. However, you may need to seek qualified treatment as early as possible to get the full benefit of depression treatment. Previous successful results have shown that people who are undergoing acute bouts of depression are cured permanently with sustained treatment. Most of the people who are treated for depression usually feel better within weeks after depression treatment. However, it is also advisable to continue depression treatment till the patient is completely cured.

There are several depression treatments available for patients like:

1. Antidepressant medicine and drugs

2. Psychotherapy and counseling

3. A combination of drugs and counseling

Some people who have a low intensity of depression may get cured just by prescription drugs, while more serious cases of depression need a sustained depression treatment regimen consisting of drugs and psychotherapy. Chronic depression may lead the patient to think about committing suicide or death. If you have these negative thoughts, inform someone you trust immediately. Request them to assist you find medical help instantly. These thoughts usually go away once the depression is treated completely.

Depression treatment method is best chosen after mutual consultation with your doctor. You must preferably compare all those positive advantages with every adverse effect of treatment. Depression must be treated immediately, as in absence of treatment, a major outbreak can last 6 to 12 months. In between these months, many people feel better or face no real symptoms at all. Treatment can prevent recurrences of depression and untreated depression may lead second or even third episodes of depression within one or two years.

Depression treatment by drugs and medicines is one of the most preferred methods and many people start feeling good effects of medicine during the first few weeks itself. Consistent ingestion of drugs for about 6 months will result in a remarkable improvement in the health of the affected patient. You may need to consult your physician every fortnight; this is just to let them know your mind and health. During further treatment, you will also visit your doctor every alternate month. If you have any serious side effects, inform your physician immediately and seek more inputs on the prescription.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/127225/your_depression_treatment_options.php

Seven Signs that You Should Find a New Counselor-From

2008-06-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick quiz: Does this sound like your relationship with your current psychologist or psychiatrist?

1) You list your symptoms; the psychiatrist prescribes a psychotropic medicine, but does not suggest or provide any counseling or psychotherapy to deal with the underlying causes.

2) Your counselor or psychologist just sits there, not saying much of anything.

3) Your therapist gives his or her opinions too freely and too quickly, without really understanding your feelings.

4) Your therapist does not return your calls, or does not do so promptly. When you have something urgent to discuss, it takes far longer than it should to get a return call.

5) You are certain that there are drug-free ways of reducing your anxiety or depression but your therapist never suggests any to you or dismisses them out of hand.

6) You occasionally read up about new therapeutic techniques that may help you, but you have to hound your therapist to give you any advice about them and/or he or she has never even heard of them.

7) You find yourself wondering whether you are really getting good value for your money. Why exactly are you paying all that money to your shrink? Surely, you should be able to get more expert feedback and advice than you have been receiving!

If any, or all of these sound familiar to you, then it really is time for you to consider changing the psychotherapist or mental health counselor you use.

Thankfully, there are counselors out there who will return your phone calls in a timely manner, who are proactive in giving valuable feedback and expert advice and who do - honestly -offer good value for your money.

Luckily, changing therapists is not the arduous process you might think it is. Both the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) have strict guidelines to which their members must adhere.

Among other things, these guidelines suggest how their members must behave if a client wishes to replace them.
Your current therapist must provide all the relevant documentation and your clinical history to your new counselor in a timely and efficient manner.

This means that, if you are fed up with your current counselor or therapist and he or she is a member of one of those associations, you just have to find a replacement; then contact your old therapist and ask him or her to pass on your clinical history to your new therapist.

Before contacting your old therapist, your new counselor will probably provide you with a list of details regarding his or her counseling techniques and expectations; then the process of getting your old records sent to your new therapist takes place almost automatically after you request the transfer.

Even if you are in some sort of dispute with your current counselor,this should not prevent you from making a switch. The ethical guidelines of psychologists and mental health counselors state that your current therapist should not be able to hold your records hostage.

So, do not feel that you must stick with a mental health professional who is not meeting your needs. Changing is not that difficult and you will almost certainly develop a rapport with your new therapist in just a few weeks.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/126541/seven_signs_that_you_should_find_a_new_counselor-from_elgin,_wauconda_and_cary.php

Counseling: Will It Help Me? From Mchenry, Lake in the Hills

2008-06-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Psychotherapy and counseling can effectively decrease any depression, anxiety or related symptoms you may feel, such as pain, fatigue, and nausea. In fact, emotional and physical health is so closely linked that psychotherapy and counseling may even help improve your overall health.

Scientific evidence demonstrates that most people with emotional problems who have at least several sessions of counseling are far better off than those who are left untreated. One major study showed that one-half of patients noticeably improved after only eight sessions, while 75 percent of those in therapy improved in just six months.

How Will I Know If the Therapy Is Working?

At the onset of therapy, establish clear goals with your psychologist. Perhaps you are trying to eliminate feelings of hopelessness or trying to control a fear that is interfering with your quality of life.

Some goals require more time than others. You and your psychotherapist should discuss at what point or what time frame might be necessary for you to begin to see progress.

If you begin to feel some relief and some hope, that is a good sign that you are beginning to make progress. People experience a wide variety of feelings as the counseling process takes place.

Some qualms about therapy are caused because some people have difficulty discussing painful and troubling experiences openly. However, when you begin to feel relief or hope, it suggests that you are starting to explore your thoughts and behavior honestly, and that is highly suggestive of a good outcome.

Examples of the types of problems which bring people to seek help from counselors and psychologists are provided here:

John, a man in his late 20s has been drinking heavily and getting into serious arguments with his wife. He has just been placed on probation at work because of various forms of inappropriate angry behavior towards his staff and other employees.

First, the factors that may have contributed to his increase in stress will be examined in the evaluation stage of therapy. Then he and the psychologist will design a treatment plan that targets his identified problems and isolates certain goals.

Initially, the psychologist will start by helping John assess how he coped with any earlier experiences that were similar. The goal is to glean any possible lessons from the past that might be useful in solving his current problems.

The psychologist functions as a trained, experienced and impartial professional, who attempts to help John benefit from any available resources (his own as well as others) to solve or cope with his problems. He also will help him develop any new skills or problem-solving strategies that may be necessary to resolve his problems.

Feelings of futility, crying spells, sleep problems, binge-eating and feelings of powerlessness are symptoms from which Melissa, a woman in her early 40s suffers. She has withdrawn from attending her weekly social functions and has a hard time getting out of bed and going to her job.

She feels like a black cloud looms over her every moment and perceives herself as trapped. These symptoms of depression tenaciously hover over her but the causes may not be initially apparent.

Significant crises--such as the death of a family member, job loss or a childs joining the military may contribute to the seriousness of her symptoms.
Psychologists have a proven track record of using counseling and cognitive re-structuring techniques to help their patients cope with and resolve depressive disorders such as these.

The psychologist will address the reasons why Melissa is reacting symptomatically rather than normally. For example, he will assess whether she has a history or pattern of suffering from depressive feelings, and, if so, under what circumstances?

He will evaluate what was helpful to her when she previously dealt with similar feelings, and question what she is doing now to cope. The psychologist will help her see a more positive future and reduce the negative thinking that accompanies her depression.

He or she also will assist her in problem-solving through any major life conflicts that she has to confront. If her depression resulted from a loss, the psychologist will help to facilitate the grieving process.

If medical problems contribute to her symptoms, medical and psychological interventions will be implemented to help her overcome any depression specifically related to them.

Mark, a successful lawyer, has been laid off by the firm for which he works. Instead of looking for other jobs, he has gone on numerous shopping sprees and has gotten himself into thousands of dollars of debt; however, he keeps spending with no end in sight.

Surprisingly, Mark is doing the opposite of what appears to be common sense. His friends and family are initially bewildered and confused by his behavior.

However, such behavior is not unfamiliar to psychologists who understand depression and bipolar disorders. Any psychologist would start by doing a thorough assessment in order to understand the apparently contradictory behavior that Mark exhibits.

After that is completed, the counselor might conclude that Marks behavior is actually a symptom of depression, bipolar disorder or some other psychological disorder. Typically, the best treatment for such conditions combines the use of medication and psychotherapy or counseling.

Psychologists do not provide medication themselves; however, they can refer you to a physician who is able to do so. The psychologist provides an understanding of human behavior, psychological testing and tested psychotherapeutic techniques that can be effective in helping Mark.

Richard, a teenager, has just moved with his family and has been forced to go to a new high school. He is now skipping classes and getting very poor grades, even though he was once an excellent student. He also has problems making friends there.

For most teenagers, fitting in is crucial. Richard is trying to make a major transition under difficult circumstances.

This is happening because he has been separated from his usual network of friends which allowed him to feel part of the group and he no longer has that important feeling of belonging. Since teens often respond to frustration and difficulty with noticeable changes in behavior, Richards starting to get poor grades, his becoming a loner and his loss of interest in school activities, under the circumstances, would not be so unusual.

Psychologists know that teens tend to test first and trust second, so his counseling psychologist will initially spend time focusing on developing a good personal relationship and rapport with him; then he or she will be in a better position to help Richard use better ways to adjust to his new environment.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/128554/counseling:__will_it_help_me?__from_mchenry,_lake_in_the_hills_and_barrington.php

Depression - Types, Causes and Symptoms

2008-06-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Major Depressive Disorder - commonly referred as depression - is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It is not to be confused with a passing blue mood - depression can have severe repercussions in the person's way of life. It affects a person's appetite, sleep, and work. It affects relationships and how a person feels about himself. Depression is not a sign of weakness, or a condition that can be willed or wished away. One cannot merely change things in a snap - sans treatment, symptoms can last for days, weeks, months, or even years.

Types of Depression

Depressive Disorder comes in different forms. Three of the most common types of depressive disorders are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder - it is instructive to note that within these types are variations in the number of symptoms, persistence, and how severe they are.

Major Depression is evidenced by a combination of symptoms that interfere with one's ability to live a normal, productive life. A disabling episode of major depression may occur only once, but it more commonly occurs several times in a person's lifetime.

Dysthymia is a less severe type, but nonetheless keeps one from functioning well. It involves chronic, long-term symptoms that do not disable and leaves one feeling miserable. People suffering dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes some time in their lives.

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, is not nearly as prevalent as the other forms of depression. It is characterized by cyclical mood changes - severe highs (mania) and severe lows (depression). Mood variations are sometimes rapid and dramatic, but most often are gradual. An individual in the depressed cycle can have any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder, and when in the manic cycle, the individual may be overactive and have a great deal of energy. Mania often affects judgment, social behavior, and thinking - which lead to embarrassment and serious problems. Left untreated, mania may worsen into a psychotic state.

Symptoms of Depression

- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- Constant feelings of emptiness, irritability, sadness, or tension
- Decreased ability to concentrate or make decisions
- Decreased energy
- Difficulty in remembering
- Fatigue
- Feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism, and worthlessness
- Insomnia, early-morning awakening
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities and hobbies that were enjoyed before, including sex
- Oversleeping
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, like chronic pain, digestive disorders, headaches
- Restlessness
- Thoughts of death or suicide, sometimes with suicide attempts

Causes of Depression

Depression has no singular cause - it is often a result of a combination of factors. Whatever the cause, depression is not a mere state of mind - it is correlated to physical changes in the brain, and connected to an imbalance of a particular chemical that transports signals in your brain and nerves. These are the neurotransmitters.

Factors Involved in Depression

Family: Genetics play a crucial role in depression. It can run in the family for generations, suggesting that a biological vulnerability can be inherited - often the case in bipolar disorder. Major depression seem to occur generation after generation in some families, but it can also occur in people who have no family history of the illness. Inherited or not, major depressive disorders are often associated with variations in brain function and brain structure.

Pessimistic personality: People with low self-esteem, those who consistently view themselves and the world with negative thoughts, or those who are readily overwhelmed by stress are at a higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by dysthymia.

Physical conditions: Researches through the years have shown that physical changes in the body can be accompanied by mental changes as well. Serious medical conditions like cancer, heart disease, and HIV can contribute to depression, in part because of the physical stress and weakness they bring. Depression can worsen medical conditions, weakening the immune system and making pain more unbearable. The patient loses desire to care for himself, which leads to more complication. In some cases, depression is a side effect of medications used to treat medical conditions.

Stress and Trauma: Major changes in life - breakup from a relationship, death of a loved one, financial problems - can bring depression. Even positive changes like graduating from school getting married, or starting a new job can cause depression.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/124502/depression_-_types,_causes_and_symptoms.php

The Symptoms Of Depression

2008-06-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Depression is a very common medical condition affecting over 100 million people around the world. It is also estmimated that about a quarter of the whole population are prone to get at least one bout of depression in their life time. Though depression has been shown to be more common in women, it also affects at least 12% of men allover the world.

The sad part of any serious case of depression is that the person is generally also heavily affected physically as well, apart from a degenerating mind. Depression is described as an acute medical disorder, which regularly affects your thoughts and behavior. Depression symptoms often vary from person to person and most often will look similar in every episode. These almost always include the following two characteristics:

1. Progressive loss of interest in your work you used to perform previously with enthusiasm.
2. Feeling constantly sad, or down in the dumps. Severe mood changes are also one of the most visible depression symptoms.

You may also display at least four of the following symptoms:

1. Restlessness and fickle minded
2. Feeling worthless or guilty. A sense of dejection
3. Increase or decrease in appetite or weight. Decreased appetite and loss in eating good food.
4. Regular thoughts of death or suicide. Instant decision to commit suicide and death is probably the most important and serious of all the depression symptom.
5. Learning and acting disability.
6. Impaired sleeping habits and irregular sleep pattern.
7. Loss of vitality and will to live.
8. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed.
9. Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.

If you are facing any one of these or a combination of the above mentioned depression symptoms, do not waste another second and instead contact your physician or family doctor immediately. Many a time, people do not try to get help for their depression symptoms, because they firstly, don't even recognize the symptoms, have ego problems asking for help, are scared and embarrassed by their situation or don't know that many encouraging treatments are currently available to help with their problem.

Many people with the more severe forms of depression can have numerous mood cycles daily or even hourly. They can display very bad "lows" (depression) and critical "highs" (also known as mania) that can last for a long period of time. In between these extreme episodes of highs and lows, they can also often feel and appear completely normal and healthy, but this is usually shortlived.

The most common depression symptoms during such outbreaks are less sleep, being easily distracted, megalomaniac tendencies and doing things that feel good but have very bad effects. Whatever you do, never take your own or anothers depression for granted, as it may turn out to be the most serious health issue in your future and a chance episode may create immense personal problems for you and your family.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/127228/the_symptoms_of_depression.php

Anxiety And Depression Are A Big Problem

2008-06-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Most of us do experience occasional outbreaks of anxiety or momentary depression, at least once or twice in our lifetime. Anxiousness, changing or swinging moods, shifting metal attitude and a short term depression are all so common to millions of people all over the world. Low intensity anxiety and depression also work as positive parameters, when we can prepare for a pending task or take precious time to reflect on our actions, and regroup our effort in order to get success in life.

Thus, anxiety and depression are a common part of our lives, often more helpful than overtly harmful. But, when anxiety and depression seem to crop up out of nowhere, persist for many months without providing much relief, or if it interferes with daily life, then youre probably suffering from a grave illness or a permanent symptom that needs to be dealt with.

Anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent and highly treatable forms of mental disease in the whole world today. People who are suffering from acute anxiety display a varied degree of symptoms, which range from trembling, muscle aches, intense sweating, dizziness, extreme fatigue, jumping heart and dry mouth.

But, anxiety disorder is much more serious than it is generally assumed to be, just because, people who are suffering from such a malady become practically disabled, both mentally and physiologically, making their life practically a living hell. Anxiety and its symptoms can be categorized into many types and one must realize that it is very common disorder, treatable by many modern treatment techniques.

Depression is possibly one of the most common mental conditions in the world today and almost 150 million people suffer from symptoms of depression. It is estimated that roughly one in four women and one in ten men can easily be diagnosed with depression, at some point in their lives, though very often it goes undiagnosed and usually disappears on it's own accord. They may not even know that what they are experiencing are symptoms of a treatable illness. Most visible signs of depression are often associated with that of daily work, when people tend to neglect even the most common of daily work like brushing their teeth.

Other visible signs include intense sadness, helplessness, irritability and uncontrolled outbursts of anger. One of the most dangerous side signs is probably the tendency to think about commiting suicide. Associated symptoms like memory lapses, slurred speech and lack of neuromuscular movement are not uncommon in the later and advanced stages of depression.

Anxiety and depression outbreaks can occur at any age and time. Most of these patients are usually very stubborn and often never believe that they are affected by the illness. Advanced stages of anxiety and depression require frequent hospitalization and intensive medical care and supervision. Unattended depression can also lead to further serious medical complications like psychosis, schizophrenia and mental disorder. However, proper medical care and regular counseling will help patients to recover from the ordeals of anxiety and depression.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/128051/anxiety_and_depression_are_a_big_problem.php

Unipolar Depression Symptoms and Treatment Checklist

2008-06-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Unipolar depression is a severe form of depression. It also goes by the terms of clinical depression and major-depressive disorder.

It is a severe illness with disabling effects. It affects 10 million Americans every year. Depression affects more women than men.

Unipolar depression should not be mistaken for the other form of depression that is more violent - manic depression. Manic depression is associated with suicidal tendencies and violence towards other people.

Unipolar depression causes a person to be disinterested in normal activities and to feel unhappy. Normal activities like sleeping and eating too are affected.

It is a chronic disease - meaning it is a long term disease or condition. Once a person has this condition it will recur at least once in their lifetime. For some others it will recur many times. Depression episodes can last from 6 to 9 months when they recur in a chronically ill person.

Such a depression occurs across all age groups and no socio-economic background is exempt. However, it occurs more commonly in those between 25 and 44 years of age.

What causes unipolar depression? In some people it is spontaneous and independent of any specific event. In other it arises from trauma or severe shock.

Some scientists also believe genetics are involved. Moreover it can be brought on by improper nutrition, hormonal imbalances and social factors and finally medications for other illnesses. There are anecdotes of patients experiencing depression after a major surgery as well like simultaneous double knee joint replacement.

How would you recognize this disease in a person? The checklist below possibly indicates someone suffering from unipolar depression.
# A lack of interest in the simple pleasures of life
# Irritable and always sad
# Drastic changes in your eating and sleeping habits
# Loss of appetite and do not like any kind of food
# Can't sleep and constantly tense
# Unable to concentrate or think clearly
# Feeling of worthlessness and hopelessness
# Guilty feelings for no reason.
# Suicidal tendencies
# Frequent fatigue

These intense feelings may result in severe headaches and other chronic pain which may not respond to any form of treatment. People suffering from this type of depression may exhibit one or a few of these symptoms.

Common myths surrounding depression are:
# That it is the elderly who are solely prone to it
# It is caused by flaws in a person's character
# It is a state of the mind and therefore treatment is not needed

Possible treatment options that a doctor may prescribe include:
1. Antidepressant drugs
2. Cognitive therapy
3. Psychotherapy
4. Electroconvulsive therapy
5. Lifestyle modification like diet, exercise and quitting smoking.

Source :http://www.contenthere.com/article/131295/unipolar_depression_symptoms_and_treatment_checklist.php