Everyone feels “blue” at times. Life is full of highs and lows. But people with depression feel sad all of the time. Depression is a real medical illness. Left untreated, it can lead to other mental illnesses or even suicide. Real clinical depression is not something you can just shake off. You can’t talk yourself into feeling better. It can interfere with your daily activities and can hurt the ones close to you. The first step in getting better is to recognize the symptoms and admit that you might have depression. Some people may have only a few of the following symptoms while some may have many.

Persistent sad mood or feeling empty.
Feelings of hopelessness.
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
Loss of interest in favorite hobbies or things you once enjoyed
Loss of interest in sex.
Decreased energy.
Sleep disturbances, either sleeping too much or too little.
Inability to concentrate.
Overeating or not being able to eat.
Restlessness or irritability.
Thoughts of suicide.

Depression may also cause a wide variety of physical symptoms. People with depression often experience digestive disorders such as constipation, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Depressed people may also get frequent headaches and experience back pain. Anxiety attacks may also coincide with depression.

Women experience depression twice as often as men. Hormones can play a huge role in depression. Menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, post-partum period, miscarriage and menopause all can be contributing factors to depression. Women have additional responsibilities at work and at home and are usually the care giver for the children and sometimes aging parents. These stressors can lead to depression.

Men that are depressed often try to mask it with alcohol or drugs. They rarely admit to being depressed. Often times they will work excessively long hours to hide it. The rate of suicide in depressed men is four times that of women. Men often become angry, irritable and discouraged. They are less likely to seek help and are often harder to diagnose.

There are three major types of depression:

Major Depression.
This is a disabling depression that has a combination of the symptoms listed above. It interferes with one’s ability to eat, sleep, work or enjoy pleasurable activities.

Dysthymia.
This is a less severe type of depression. It is not disabling, but generally keeps one from functioning well or feeling good. People with dysthymia will probably have a least one major depressive episode in their lives.

Bi-Polar Disorder.
It is sometimes referred to as manic-depressive disorder. It is characterized by severe high and severe lows. The cycles may happen rapidly or come on gradually. Left untreated it can worsen to a psychotic state.

If you experience any of the above symptoms and they last for longer than a couple of weeks you should seek medical treatment. There is no shame in admitting that you may have depression. It doesn’t mean you are crazy or weak. People of all ages, race and gender can suffer from depression. With the right interventions, you can enjoy your life once again.

Jean Morgan
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/11-symptoms-of-depression-and-how-to-recognize-them-103103.html

Technorati Tags: Aging Parents, Anxiety Attacks, Care Giver, Clinical Depression, Depressed Men, Depression Women, Digestive Disorders, Experience Depression, Feelings Of Guilt, Feelings Of Hopelessness, Frequent Headaches, Highs And Lows, Loss Of Interest, Medical Illness, Mental Illnesses, Sad Mood, Sleep Disturbances, Symptoms Of Depression, Thoughts Of Suicide, Worthlessness

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by a pervasive sense of sadness and hopelessness, and inability to enjoy life. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: fatigue, irritability, crying spells, sleep disorders, forgetfulness, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts. People dealing with depression need to know that recovery is possible and that it is more than a case of the “blues” that they can shake with willpower, as well-meaning friends or relatives may suggest. Depression is a real disease.

Anyone can suffer from depression, though women tend to get it more than men. In children, the rates are similar between the sexes. Those with a family history of depression are more likely to have it. Severity can range from situational depression, which is caused by a stressful life event; to dysthymia, a mild but long-lasting form of depression; to major or clinical depression. There is also seasonal depression that occurs when exposure to natural light is limited, postpartum and premenstrual depression that occurs due to hormonal changes, and other less common forms.

The cause of moderate to severe depression is now widely agreed to be biochemical imbalances in the brain. While very mild or situational periods of depression may resolve on their own, most cases require some kind of intervention. Traditionally, modern psychiatry offered only talk therapy and medications with severe side effects for sufferers. Since the discovery of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) like fluoxetine (Prozac) in the 1980’s, many people have found relief from the symptoms of depression.

But with society leaning much more toward “greener” lifestyles, holistic methods of health are more popular than ever. There are several tried-and-true herbal remedies for depression. St. John’s wort, for example, has been used extensively in Europe for decades, prescribed by doctors and psychiatrists for their patients suffering from depression. Study after study – over twenty – have proven its effectiveness. Gingko biloba also helps with depression by increasing blood flow to the brain, which increases mood and memory.

Other herbal remedies for depression can be used to alleviate some of the symptoms of depression that can greatly affect one’s quality of life. Valerian root, for example, can help promote the high-quality sleep that is so often elusive when depression hits.

The importance of a healthy diet and the benefits of exercise in maintaining and improving health can never be overemphasized. In addition to promoting overall fitness and endurance, exercise increases production of the body’s “feel good” hormones, which elevate mood. A balanced diet containing omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and other essential vitamins and minerals can improve mood and alleviate depression.

Untreated depression can be devastating to individuals and their loved ones. But there is help available that can lift the veil of depression and allow the sun to shine in again.

Shannon Pollock
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/herbal-remedies-for-depression-did-you-know-there-are-alternatives-to-prescriptions-521079.html

Technorati Tags: Biochemical Imbalances, Case Of The Blues, Clinical Depression, Dealing With Depression, Fluoxetine Prozac, Forgetfulness, Herbal Remedies For Depression, History Of Depression, Holistic Methods, Mood Disorder, Pervasive Sense, Premenstrual Depression, Seasonal Depression, Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Severe Depression, Sleep Disorders, St John S Wort, Stressful Life Event, Suicide Attempts, Symptoms Of Depression

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive disorder. It is a mental illness that presents itself as mood swings or mood cycling. Many people do not realize that there are actually two types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I disorder is typically defined as raging mood cycling with episodes of extreme mania and depression, as well as the occasional mixed episode. Bipolar I patients may also experience psychotic or hallucinating symptoms.

Bipolar II disorder is typically defined as rapid mood cycling with episodes of hypomania and depression. Bipolar II disorder does not occur with psychotic or hallucinating symptoms. Additionally, hypomania is defined as a milder form of mania, in which the patient has a period of hightened happiness or elation. Depression with bipolar II patients is often more severe than in patients with bipolar I disorder. Suicide, suicide threats, suicide attempts, and thoughts of suicide are much more common in bipolar II patients than bipolar I patients.

A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder is typically made when the patient has had one or more major depressive episodes, at least one hypomania episode, no manic episodes, and when no other reason for symptoms can be found.

Symptoms of depression with bipolar II disorder include decreased energy, unexplained weight changes, feelings of despair, increased irritability, and uncontrollable crying. Symptoms of hypomania include sleeplessness, racing thoughts, distractibility, excess energy, and rash judgements. These symptoms are similar to mania, but are less severe.

Treatment of bipolar II disorder typically involves a combination of medication and therapy or counseling. Medications typically prescribed for treatment of bipolar II disorder include anti-depressants such as Celexa, as well as mood stabilizers such as Topomax. Mood stabilizers are vitally important in treatment of bipolar disorders, because antidepressants alone can cause the patient to enter into a manic or hypomania episode.

Bipolar II disorder is actually often misdiagnosed as clinical depression. This is due to the fact that depression is most often present, and hypomania episodes rarely come to light in therapy sessions due to their upbeat nature. It is typically through treatment by antidepressants that the correct diagnosis is made, because the patient will spin into a hypomania episode almost immediately if the diagnosis should be bipolar II disorder rather than clinical depression.

Counseling or therapy treatment options for bipolar II disorder may include traditional counseling methods, discussion of triggers and life style changes that can lessen the severity of episodes, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Patients with a mild case of bipolar II disorder may benefit from counseling or therapy alone without medication. However, this is less common with bipolar II disorder than with bipolar I disorder, due to the nature of the severity of the depressive states.

It is vitally important for people with symptoms of bipolar II disorder to seek the help of mental health professionals as soon as symptoms become evident. Bipolar II disorder patients account for at least half of the suicides each year. To prevent suicidal behavior, it is important for bipolar II patients to be properly diagnosed at an early stage, so that ongoing treatment of the illness can begin and be continued in order to avoid suicidal behavior.

Li Ming Wong
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/about-bipolar-ii-disorder-211790.html

Technorati Tags: Anti Depressants, Bipolar, Bipolar Disorders, Bipolar Ii Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Depressive Episodes, Excess Energy, Hypomania, Major Depressive, Manic Depressive Disorder, Manic Episodes, Mood Stabilizers, Mood Swings, Rash Judgements, Suicide Attempts, Suicide Threats, Symptoms Of Depression, Thoughts Of Suicide, Types Of Bipolar Disorder, Weight Changes

Some people call it the ‘pits’ and some people call it the ‘blues’ and some just call it ‘feeling down in the dumps’. But whatever you may call it, being depressed is a terrible feeling.

The most common types of depression are:

Major Depression, which is characterized by a sad mood, sleep disorders, and a decreased or absent appetite. Often when a person is in a major depression, the person feels a complete lack of drive and motivation and the sufferer lacks the desire to do anything in life. Some people are completely disabled by depression, and some even consider suicide.

Dysthymia: This is a less severe type of long term depression that typically does not completely disable the individual. But it prevents the person from feeling motivated and functioning at optimum levels. Sometimes people who are suffering with Dysthymia also suffer from Major Depression, and when this occurs it is called double-depression.

Manic Depression is also called Bipolar Disorder. This type of depression is not as common as Dysthymia or major depression. It involves cycles of a manic state, alternated with a depressed state. This is often a long term recurring disorder. Sometimes the mood swings occur suddenly. But generally speaking, they tend to be gradual.

There are many variations of depression; the types described here are only three of the most common.

Some of the symptoms of depression include:

Sadness; anxiety; pessimism; insomnia and other sleep disorders; feelings of worthlessness; guilt; restlessness; pain; fatigue; weight loss; headaches; and thoughts of suicide.

Sources of Depression:

As previously stated, there are several types of depression: Major Depression; Manic Depression; and Dysthymia being three of the more common forms.

Many types of depression are hereditary. Living in a stressful environment can lead to depression. A traumatic experience such as a serious loss, relationship problems, or financial trouble can also lead to depression.

Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men are, but scientists do not know why.

If you suffer from depression, you will want to seek the advice of your physician. He may prescribe medication for you. But keep in mind that every medication has side effects.

Wouldn’t it be phenomenal if you could regulate and eliminate your depression just by having certain thoughts? I know that this sounds too good to be true, but very often, various types of depression are caused by thinking negative thoughts.

Don’t believe me? Then try it out! It’s really quite basic and simple. Just imagine something that you feel is very troubling or sad. Go ahead, think about it right now! Then come back to this article.

Okay, so what happened? If you really focused and visualized the sad situation, you began to feel sad and a little depressed. And the longer you allow yourself to remain in that thought pattern, the sadder you will feel. As you stay in sad thoughts and keep feeling sadder, you lead yourself into a gradually intensifying depression.

The good news is that if you focus on a happy thought, then you will displace that sadness and depression and have happy feelings instead.

Listen closely now, because here are the keys to eliminating your depression: Our persistent thoughts spring forth from the unconscious mind. These are the thoughts that we find ourselves automatically thinking about during the day.

If the persistent thoughts that keep recurring in your mind are about your problems or sad experiences, then you raise your levels of anxiety, stress, and depression.

But here is the ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’: Since hypnosis can be used to alter our unconscious thoughts, NLP and self hypnosis stress management CDs will rapidly alter the way that you think, feel, and behave. The interesting thing is that the exact same techniques that work for stress management also work just as well for eliminating depression!

Now I’m going to tell you exactly how and why it is going to happen. Hypnosis is a natural state of mind. Specifically, it is the Alpha state of consciousness. We go through the Alpha state as we are falling asleep at night. And we go through it again as we wake up in the morning. We also enter the Alpha state when we are daydreaming and imagining.

The unconscious mind is the seat of our emotions, and it is like a computer; the input controls the output! Hypnosis therapy is a wonderful tool for reaching directly into the unconscious mind and reprogramming it to automatically divert you away from negative thoughts, and promote positive thinking. It’s a tool that allows you to bypass the consciousness to create positive expectations, which will in turn generate positive feelings. You can overcome depression by using hypnosis therapy.

Alan B. Densky, CH
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/mental-depression-and-how-to-talk-yourself-out-of-it-380787.html

Technorati Tags: Call It The Blues, Depressed State, Depression Anxiety, Double Depression, Financial Trouble, Major Depression, Manic Depression, Manic State, Mental Depression, Mood Swings, Optimum Levels, Relationship Problems, Sad Mood, Sleep Disorders, Stressful Environment, Symptoms Of Depression, Term Depression, Terrible Feeling, Types Of Depression, Worthlessness

Could u tell me what the symptoms of depression and/or bpd?

Bpd tends to be extremes of behavior. This may include such problems as ocd and the obvious behaviour is self harm of some kind. This is normally long term self harm, over eating, under nourishment (anorexia), not caring for yourself in some way. This may be looking after your physical health resulting in illness that is extreme of that condition. There are many ways to self harm, not just the obvious, cutting, burning or overdose’s . People with bpd tend to see things in black and white, no grey areas. Extemes. Depression is linked as that some peop;e with depression have it recurring persistantly through out their lives. When deep depression doe’s not lift or reoccurres time and time again, bpd may be diagnosed. I could go on, but it is best you look personality disorders up on line. This will give you the information you need.

Technorati Tags: anorexia, Black And White, Black White, Borderline Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Bpd, Cutting, Doe, Extremes, Grey Areas, Nourishment, Ocd, Peop E, Personality Disorders, Physical Health, Self Harm, Symptoms Of Depression, What Are The Symptoms Of Depression

For some people, college is four years of fun. Meanwhile, others suffer from severe college depression.
Learn more at http://College.HealthGuru.com?YT/

Duration : 0:2:24

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Adjustment Disorder, Bipolar, Bipolar Disorder, brain structure changes, Clinical Depression, college depression, Counseling, depression, depression on campus, Depression Symptoms, Dysthymia, Fatigue, Mental Health, Negative Thoughts, psychologist, Sadness, Symptoms Of Depression, therapy

A majority of men and women from the ages of 55-74 report they are satisfied with their lives and are currently in good health. While periods of depression may occur among seniors, it is important to remember that it is not a normal part of aging.

Depression is the most common mental health concern for older adults, affecting between 15 to 20 percent of older adults living in the community. It is not a normal part of aging. Symptoms such as decreased energy, poor sleep and preoccupation with health problems should be viewed as possible symptoms of a treatable illness and are NOT a result of the aging process.

Treatment for depression works, yet too many people remain undiagnosed and untreated because they don’t recognize the signs and symptoms of depression.

Mental health specialists generally agree on the following definition of major depression:

1. Symptoms persist for two weeks or longer
2. People either have depressed moods or seem unable to enjoy life.
3. Major depression should be considered if four of the following seven criteria are present:

• A change in sleeping habits (more or less than usual)
• A change in eating habits or weigh
• Low energy or fatigue
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling worthless or excessively guilty
• Marked restlessness or slowed-down movements
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Depression can be defined as an imbalance of brain chemicals triggered by stress and life events, including biological, psychological and social factors.

Depression is NOT a character or personality flaw.

Many of the signs of depression may also indicate other problems or medical conditions – It is important to consult with a doctor to determine if your symptoms indicate depression or another medical condition.

Depression is often difficult to recognize among the senior population and it tends to be under diagnosed. Living with depression not only prevents older adult from fully enjoying their lives but it puts a strain upon their health, which can lead to other medical concerns. It is also very difficult for their caregivers and places a strain on their health as well.

What we do know is that there is no one cause for depression- every individual is unique in what may cause their depression, and what may trigger a depressive episode. Some possible causes and risk factors include genetics and family history, brain chemistry, personality, major illness, medications & alcohol, and life events. Risk factors for serious depression, particularly in older adults, may include loss and bereavement, lack of social support, isolation, living in poverty, being a caregiver, and abuse.

Having depression could also increase the risk of suicide among older adults, particularly in older males. According to the CDC, seniors account for more than 16% of all suicide deaths. Older adults who are over the age of 60 are far more likely to have a higher risk rate of suicide than younger people. If you feel that a friend or a loved one is suicidal, encourage them to seek out help either from a doctor, friend, crisis centre or, mental health agency.

Some things to keep in mind:

• Keep a positive attitude. Remember that slowing down does not mean you have to come to a complete stop. Chances are you will still be able to do almost all the things you used to; you may just need to take a little more time and learn to pace yourself.
• See your family doctor regularly. He/she can, then, deal with any changes or symptoms that require medical attention.
• Be careful about your medications. As you get older, they may begin to interact differently with other drugs and to affect you differently than before. Make sure your doctor knows about all your medications, even those prescribed by another doctor.
• Take responsibility for your own health. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor questions; some do not offer explanations unless asked.

Depression is a serious disorder that is treatable. In addition, dealing with an individual who is suffering from depression or at risk of suicide can be absolutely overwhelming for a caregiver. Although the caregiver is providing care and assistance to their loved ones they must also look after their own emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

While all of us may feel sad from time to time, sadness is not depression and it is important to remember that depression is not a normal part of aging.

About eldercaring.ca

Elder Caring Inc. http://www.eldercaring.ca is a group of experts with backgrounds in Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Gerontology. As working professionals in the field, all of our team members have many years of experience in working with the disabled, the elderly, and their families. The company has team members and representatives across Canada.

Search Tactix
http://www.articlesbase.com/elderly-care-articles/seniors-mental-health-depression-935741.html

Technorati Tags: Brain Chemicals, Common Mental Health, Depressed Moods, Depression Symptoms, Good Health, Health Concern, Health Problems, Major Depression, Majority Of Men, Mental Health Specialists, Older Adults, Personality Flaw, Restlessness, Signs And Symptoms Of Depression, Signs Of Depression, Sleeping Habits, Social Factors, Symptoms Of Depression, Treatable Illness, Treatment For Depression

Depression disproportionately affects the elderly. Unfortunately many times the signs of depression can be confused with signs of aging.  In order to properly diagnose and treat depression in the elderly, individuals, their care takers and health care providers need to be vigilant in looking for the signs and symptoms. Depression in the elderly can be debilitating and effect other areas of health. Determining if depression is involved is an important part of the health screening process.

Warning Signs of Depression

When dealing with the elderly and depression, some detective work is often needed.  It is important that the elderly and their caretakers know the signs and symptoms of depression. As the elderly tend to have a lot of confounding factors coming into play at the same time which affect their health, symptoms of depression are easily masked as signs of aging. Symptoms of depression vary from person to person.  Some common signs are:

• Tiredness and lack of energy
• Difficulty focusing, remembering and staying on task
• Irritability
• Feelings of guilt, emptiness or helplessness
• Sleeping too much or insomnia
• Eating more or less than normal
• Loss of interest in activities that were enjoyed before
• Crying for long periods of time
• Thoughts of suicide

While these are only a few of the possible symptoms, one can readily see how depression can easily be mistaken for signs of aging, precisely because these symptoms are so prevalent among the elderly. Mental and physical sickness and “old age” are often considered to be one in the same. According to the Rotterdam Scan Study, people with an early onset of depression had an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. The study also found that the depression symptoms did not have to be obvious to run this risk.[i] This study highlights the fact that early detection and treatment of depression in the older population is vital in the fight to lower the risk of Alzheimer Disease. Much more research is being done to investigate the link between the two. It is clear however, that the two are linked.

What You Can Do to Improve Quality of Life

One thing is certain:  the earlier depression is diagnosed and treated, the greater the chance a person will recover and regain a healthy lifestyle. There are many treatments available for depression. Once diagnosed a referral should be made to a geriatric psychiatrist. This is a specialist who is trained to treat depression in the older population. The treatment can vary from things as simple as talk therapy, diet changes and exercise to medication. A combination of all these methods is often used.

It should be understood that the elderly deal with problems that younger generations do not. They are often dealing with deaths of loved ones, illness and retirement. They may suffer financial burdens, not to mention a sense of loss of control over their lives. These may be issues they have never dealt with previously and will need to learn new methods to deal with them emotionally.

Diet is an important factor in dealing with depression in the elderly. Older people may not be eating like they should. They may be living alone or on a limited income. Their diets should be carefully analyzed. While there is no one food that will “cure” depression, as the saying goes, we are what we eat, and food does often affect how we feel. Plenty of whole fresh fruits and vegetables are essential. These will provide essential vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. Carbohydrates in small amounts can have a calming effect. Whole grains are especially important for heart and digestive issues. Good sources of protein, especially those with Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and legumes, are recommended.

Exercise is an excellent way to make anyone feel better. During exercise, the brain releases a neurotransmitter called serotonin as well as endorphins. These are the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals. They help a person sleep better, stabilize the mood and even affect appetite and cell generation.

Exercise does not have to be an intense workout at the gym. It can be something as simple as a brisk walk through the park for 10 to 15 minutes. Elderly people could be encouraged to take a dance class or a fitness class with other seniors. This will provide exercise and also give them needed social interaction.

Getting the elderly population involved socially is also an essential part of depression treatment and prevention. Many elderly people withdraw. They may have experienced the loss of a loved one or friends and feel they are alone. Getting them back out in the community and involved in activities that they find enjoyable is helpful.

As you can see, communication and education are vital in detection of depression in the elderly. If you believe an older person you care about may be suffering from depression, bring it to the attention of a health professional. Effective treatment may make a significant improvement in the elder person’s overall health.

[i] http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/70/15/1258

Lori Somekh
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/is-depression-being-mistaken-for-old-age-1202459.html

Technorati Tags: Care Takers, Depression Symptoms, Detective Work, Diseas, Elderly Individuals, Feelings Of Guilt, Health Care Providers, Health Screening, Health Symptoms, Long Periods Of Time, Loss Of Interest, Physical Sickness, Scan Study, Signs And Symptoms Of Depression, Signs Of Depression, Study Also Found That, Symptoms Of Depression, Thoughts Of Suicide, Treatment Of Depression, Warning Signs Of Depression

If you look up “clinically proven process for depression” on any search engine (be sure to include the quotes as this will eliminate the medication sites) you will find the only clinically proven process for depression just as you would have ten years ago. The majority of people who suffer from this debilitating disorder have been so programmed with the use of medication for depression that a process that actually fixes the problem at the source has been all but ignored since its introduction into psychiatric care in 1990.

Depression is the primary symptom for almost all behavior disorders. Go to a psychiatrist or psychologist with symptoms of depression and you have just signed up for a prescription for an anti depression medication, many of which are linked to suicide. Without question this is the most extreme example of attacking the body to try and change the mind. This is not to say that a prescription to an antidepressant should never be done. If there is a clinically proven process for depression does it make any sense to make this the first step.

In May 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a new warning label for all antidepressant medications. The current “black box” label includes a warning about the increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents. The FDA wants to expand this warning to include young adults from ages 18 to 24. Children and young adults should also be monitored for the emergence of agitation, irritability, and unusual changes in behavior, as these symptoms can indicate the depression is getting worse. The risk of suicide is particularly great during the first one to two months of treatment. Does medication make any sense with this type of warning especially when there is a clinically proven process for depression that gets to the very root of the problem?

Everyone can agree that your health and well-being is dependent on your doctor’s expertise, so it’s important to choose the physician, psychologist or psychiatrist who is best qualified. What does the best qualified mean in regard to your mental health? In terms of the only clinically proven process for depression it means beginning with an answer to the most fundamental question about the state of depression or any emotional state and that is: “What brings about an emotional state and or behavior?” If your physician, psychologist or psychiatrist cannot answer this question how qualified are they? The answer is simple. If they cannot answer this question they are guessing, this is why medication for depression is so widely prescribed. The reality is there is not a physician, psychologist or psychiatrist who can answer this question because none of these groups even asks the question. You simply cannot fix it if you do not know how it works and you do not know how it works if you cannot answer the question.

There is complacency if not outright resistance within the community of psychology toward this clinically proven process. The first study of this process in 1992 has had virtually no impact on how depression was treated then or now. The medical and mental health communities have all but ignored it and continue with dispersing medication with a seemingly high tolerance if not acceptance toward people who commit suicide while depressed or while on depression medication.

The most disturbing suicide statistics of late are the average of eighteen military personnel who are committing suicide every day as reported by NBC on December 13, 2007. NBC also reported that 20% of active duty soldiers are reporting serious mental health problems including depression and post traumatic stress. All the while the medical and mental health communities are content with not even posing the question that will lead to a resolution to this problem and that is: “What brings about an emotional state or what determines human behavior?”

Question 15 of the clinical study was: Do you have thoughts that life is not worth living and you would be better off dead? There was a 95.7 percent improvement in regard to this question and no one was prescreened for depression before the study.

The hope here is that people who have a friend, relative, child or know someone in the military who can be helped by the only clinically proven process for depression will now take action on their own.

Kelly Burris
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/life-coach-depression-and-the-only-proven-program-process-to-fix-it-293217.html

Technorati Tags: Adolescents, Agitation, Antidepressant Medications, Behavior Disorders, Depression Medication, Depression Symptom, Emergence, Extreme Example, Food And Drug, Food And Drug Administration, Food And Drug Administration Fda, Irritability, Life Coach, Medication, Medication For Depression, Psychiatric Care, Psychiatrist, psychologist, Symptoms Of Depression, Young Adults

It’s common to feel down from time to time, but it’s less common to suffer feelings of despair and emptiness that won’t go away, even if you change your circumstances. Depression is more than just a case of the blues. It’s a low feeling that makes it hard to enjoy life or even to function on a day to day basis. When friends and hobbies are no longer interesting, you feel exhausted on a regular basis, and it’s hard to get through your day, you may be suffering from the signs of depression. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Learning about the signs of depression and what you can do about them is the first step to overcoming your problem. Depression may make you feel extremely sad, or just listless and numb. It takes over your life, makes it hard to have fun, sleep, eat, study, or do just about anything. Intense, unrelenting feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and other negative emotions are extremely common. These are just some of the signs of depression.

When you’re depressed, your sleep will be disrupted. Some people can’t sleep, while others sleep all the time. Easy tasks become hard and concentration becomes more difficult. You may feel helpless or without hope, and unable to control your negative thoughts. Food is affected by depression, as well. Some people lose their appetites, while others distract themselves with food or feel hungry frequently. Irritability and short temperedness are common, and you may think your life’s not worth living. You could feel either keyed up and agitated or sluggish and listless.

Depression is a major risk for suicide, but just because you’re depressed doesn’t mean that you are suicidal. The two things are connected, but not the same condition. If you’ve experienced suicidal thoughts or impulses, it’s important to get help of some kind, but it can be extremely hard. Make sure that people take you seriously, even though it’s difficult to talk about openly. Remember that seeking treatment doesn’t mean you’re weak, and it doesn’t mean you have to be medicated or institutionalized. There are lots of ways to help get over the symptoms of depression that don’t require drugs.

Simple changes in your lifestyle, talking with others, getting a support group, and learning to deal with your illness are all ways that you can help with the symptoms of depression without having to get into medication and its side effects. Just taking care of yourself by getting regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and a good diet can really make a difference. Of course, it won’t fix everything, and you will still have to fight the signs of depression, but these things can help. If you feel like you may have depression, you need to do something about it as soon as possible.

Dan Micheals
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/how-you-can-overcome-symptoms-of-depression-effectively-1139856.html

Technorati Tags: Negative Emotions, Signs Of Depression, Symptoms Of Depression