How to Deal With Depression | How to Beat Depression

Clinical depression has over the years been a menace to many people around the world. This type of depression is a serious medical illness that affects how you feel, how you think and the way you act, negatively. The condition can not be wished away by the patient since it is not a personal weakness. For this reason, clinically depressed  people lack the ability to pull themselves together so as to come out of this situation hence making the patients finding it hard to ask for help.

Unlike the other types of depressions, clinical depression has the ability to come in different forms. At times, it may begin suddenly while at other times, it may begin by slowly building up over a period of weeks, months or even years. Both these forms depend on the actual cause of the depression. These causes may include biological factors such as a chemical imbalance that you were born with or a combination of environmental, genetic and psychological factors that may be in place.

Symptoms of clinical depression are usually categorized into three different groups namely; the physical group, behavioral/attitude group and the emotional group. The physical group comprises of insomnia (sleep disturbances), headaches, stomachaches, decreased energy, digestive problems and fatigue. On the part of behavior, we have symptoms such as the patient having a difficult time in concentrating, remembering things or making decisions. The patient may also start neglecting his responsibilities and even stop caring about his personal appearance. When we come to the emotional group,the patient may not only feel sad or withdrawn like in the other types of depressions but he or she may start having suicidal thoughts, feel very agitated, hopeless, helpless, worthless or sometimes guilty of outcomes that were not necessarily there fault. Having mentioned the symptoms of clinical depression, it should be understood that they vary in their number, severity and the duration they may take to stay with the patient again depending on the type of clinical depression the patient may be having at that moment.

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The most commonly known types of clinical depression are, the major depression, Dysthymia depression and the manic depression. In the major clinical depression, a combination of several clinical depression symptoms occur and interfere with your ability to work, sleep properly, eat well and enjoy activities that you used to enjoy. However, these episodes may only take place once, twice, thrice or just a few more times in a lifetime.

Dysthymia clinical depression unlike the other two clinical depressions, is considered to be a less intense type that involves long-term, chronic symptoms that appear to be less harmful to the patient but at the same time prevent one from functioning properly. For this reason, the patient is prevented from feeling good and at the same time, he or she cannot enjoy living.

When we come to manic clinical depression (also known as bipolar disorder),we see that episodes of depression alternate with episodes of increased activities and relations :-referred to as manic. During the depressive episodes, the patient feels worthless, helpless and extremely sad that he or she may always be seen to cry with no major reason in place. On the other hand, when manic episodes occur, the patient is usually seen to be overly excited regarding small matters, have an increased spending urge and sometimes sleeps for less hours. On rare occasions though, the patent may experience both manic and depressive episodes concurrently. When this occurs, the patient may be seen to be having symptoms from both sides and a good example of this situation is,the patient may be having a hopeless mood while at the same time have an aggressive behavior.With a proper diagnosis, clinical depression can be treated and the patient therefore be allowed to enjoy life.

Wangeci Kinyanjui is an expert on research and reporting on Health Matters for years.To get more information on clinical depression visit her site at CLINICAL DEPRESSION
Wangeci Kinyanjui is an expert on research and reporting on Health Matters for years.To get more information visit her site at www.goshriek.com
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In terms of depression, treating it can vary from a lengthy and complex series of psychotherapy sessions to something as easy and obvious as improving your diet and daily lifestyle. To obtain a better understanding of clinical depression and what treatment methods are used, keep reading.

Diagnosing Depression

Feeling down in the dumps or a little blue is very normal. However, if these feelings of sadness or desperation continue for a period longer than two weeks or start to interfere with your day-to-day life, then it may be time to seek professional help.

This can actually become a life-threatening condition and cause people to lose the will to live, which will either adversely affect their lifestyle and health or, in extreme cases, could lead to suicide.

To identify clinical depression, doctors look for signs of sadness, melancholy, impatience, trouble concentrating, a withdrawal from life and regular activities, weight loss or weight gain, excessive drinking or drug abuse, decreased sex drive, poor self-esteem, self-deprecating thoughts or behavior, thoughts of suicide, hopelessness, a feeling of overbearing built and problems sleeping.

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Causes of Depression

Unfortunately, depression doesn’t have one simple cause that can just be rooted out and done away with. This disease will vary with each individual, but can often be triggered by a stressful event like the death of a family member, a family tragedy or a financial or career crisis. Depression is also linked to certain health issues, both physical and mental.

How Depression is Treated

First, the doctor needs to diagnose clinical depression. Once a diagnosis is reached, he or she must then establish the extent of the depression and its root causes. With some cases of depression, your doctor may simply recommend a better diet and increased exercise. With other more severe forms of depression, a patient is often referred to a therapist and prescribed certain antidepressants and other drugs.

Typically, traditional treatment starts by making sure the patient isn’t planning to harm himself or herself. Then, it focuses on the symptoms of depression and finally on preventing the depression from recurring. Usually, the most effective treatment programs are those that involve therapy and lifestyle modifications.

How Lifestyle Changes Can Help With Depression

Doing just 30 minutes of exercise every day can be wondrous as a form of treating depression. Also, eating a diet high in protein and low in processed food can be beneficial. Exercise has been shown to boost mood levels while processed foods can often lower them. By leading a healthy lifestyle, you can help keep depression at bay.

Medication

Common medications used in depression treating are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). There are a wide variety of SSRIs used to treat depression. Common side effects typically affect the gastrointestinal system, the libido and the nervous system. Drugs like Venlafaxine may also cause anxiety, insomnia and the inability to achieve orgasm.

Frequently depression is not taken seriously until the person suffering with it is either in a very bad state of mind or has done something drastic. If a few of the symptoms described above characterize your life or that of a loved one, you should seek medical attention.
For great information on the treatment of various diseases and conditions, please visit diseasetreatmenttips.com, a popular site about tackling ailments, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis pain relief, natural sleeping aids, and many more!
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Depression is a normal response as part of our daily lives such as the loss of s job, the death of a love one, and illness. Over 30 million Americans suffer from depression and the amount is increasing in an alarming rate. Depression may be a mental health disorder that can affect the way you eat, sleep, and the way you feel about yourself. The mild case of depression can be defeated by a variety of self-care techniques. Others require the treatment of medication, such as antidepressant medications and psychotherapy that help to reduce and sometimes eliminate the symptoms of depression.

There are 3 types of depressions:

1. Reactive depression
Reactive depression is the reaction caused by emotional swings affecting anyone at one time at his and her life, such as death of a love one, loss of financial stability or chronic diseases. People suffering from reactive depression may lose interest of doing things that provide pleasure. These people generally still function in daily activity normally. Most people suffering from reactive depression may see the symptoms disappear gradually over time, some may require the support from others or take antidepressant medications.

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2. Physical depression
This type of depression is caused by chemical imbalance in the brain as resulting of chronic illness such as hormone imbalance, immune disorder or nutritional deficiency. People suffering from physical depression may lose interest or pleasure in almost everything and generally have a negative impact on every function in daily life.

3. Manic depression
This is a severe type of physical depression. In medical terms, manic depression is characterized by wide mood swings with periods of both depression, mania and a variety of other significant symptoms not present in other types of depression such as the fluctuation between periods of extreme energy and vivacity with those of complete hopeless.

I hope this information will help. If you want to more information of the above subject, you can follow my series of articles and visit my home page at:

http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com
or http://depressioni.blogspot.com
http://depressioniiblogspot.com

I have been studying natural remedies for disease prevention for over 20 years and working as a financial consultant since 1990
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My apprehensions come in crowds;
I dread the rustling of the grass;
The very shadows of the clouds have power to shake me as they pass;
I question things and do not find one that will answer to my mind;
And all the world appears unkind.

William Wordsworth, The Affliction of Margaret, 1804.

There is nothing so depressing than depression.  This awful illness has a devastating effect on both the sufferer and those around them, be it their families, friends or colleagues.  And according the World Health Organisation (WHO) one in five of us will suffer from its debilitating attributes at some point in our lives.  Put simply it means that a large number of people reading this post will be suffering from depression, will suffer from it in the future, or have will suffered from it in the past.  And make no mistake when considering this: from scientific research WHO has concluded that depression is the second most serious cause of disability and shortened life in industrialised countries.  WHO states that it is a more disabling condition than angina, arthritis, asthma and diabetes, and infact only heart disease is more damaging to one’s overall health and productivity.

The seriousness and overall occurrence of the illness in recent years has propelled it to being one of the top health concerns in industrial societies.  And rightly so: in the UK alone there are 31 million prescriptions for antidepressant drugs issued every year.  In addition to being a huge cost to the NHS, this figure reveals the true enormity of suffering as a result of this chronic illness.

From being a taboo subject right up until the 1990s, its sufferers often being incarcerated in remote and isolated mental hospitals and asylums, mental illness including depression has become one of the top issues in national health policies in countries around the world.  Such change has been brought about by the many brave and well-known celebrities who have ‘come out’ as sufferers.  These of course include the actors Stephen Fry, Owen Wilson, John Cleese, Nicola Padgett, Brooke Shields and Harrison Ford, author J K Rowling, and singers Billy Joel and Robbie Williams.  It appears that individuals in any walk of life are not immune… even NASA’s second man on the Moon… Apollo 11′s Buzz Aldrin has been a sufferer.  The list is seemingly endless, but in revealing their suffering these highly talented individuals have brought depression out of its 1970s closet.  In the words of the amazing Stephen Fry they have been highly successful in removing the stigma surrounding the illness and bumping it up the health agenda.

Infact only this morning I discovered another well-known and much liked national media figure is a sufferer.  This time it is broadcaster Melvyn Bragg who, as revealed in today’s BBC Breakfast programme, is retiring from his role as chairman of mental health charity MIND, a post that he has held for 15 years.  He has suffered from depression for much of his life.

Listening to the frankness, openness and honesty of Lord Bragg’s television interview today I have been inspired as just ‘an ordinary member of the public’ to post about my own experiences of this dreadful condition… to what Winston Churchill referred to as his ‘Black Dog’.  In the process, I hope to be able to offer some reassurance, advice and support if you’re a sufferer, especially if you’re experiencing all of those strange, frightening and desperate feelings for the first time.  I will show you that there is indeed a way out of what appears to be your maze of a prison, and that you can once again lead a normal, although perhaps changed life.

Depression: An Anatomy of My Illness

My own story begins in the summer of 1978 and a difficult period in any adolescent’s life: cramming for high school, college or in the UK GCE A level examinations.  Up until this point when I turned eighteen years of age, I had experienced few problems with my school or college work and had gained a great health clutch of secondary school exams (GCE O levels as they were called in the UK back then).  However, expectations and aspirations for me were high and in the highly competitive world of undergraduate academia I needed three good A level grades to enter my chosen degree course: BSc Horticulture at the University of Canterbury.

The cramming didn’t work, and the result was physical and mental exhaustion, a total lack of, and inability to be able to sleep.  What’s more my exhaustion had brought with it severe anxiety that prevented me from functioning properly in the examination room, indeed I experienced what amounted to a general severe phobia about exams and school work.  And that’s another awful facet of depression: anxiety, the flip side of excitement so often goes hand in hand with it.

As I discovered in August 1978 I wasn’t going to university… I’d bombed out in my A levels, and to make matters worse, much worse I’d been badly injured and traumatised broadside car collision with my racing bicycle.  Indeed, I was lucky to be alive.  In that dismal summer I’d nearly become a road traffic accident fatality, I’d failed my A levels (which didn’t surprise me), and all of my friends had departed for university.  My only consolation was the use of a world radio bought for me by my mother as a gift for my eight O level passes.  My only friends were local radio presenters.

Even my mother, a single parent and junior school teacher was being driven to distraction by my seemingly erratic and often bizarre behaviour, and my increasingly frequent emotional outbursts.  Friendless, my world appeared black and full of anxiety and with no energy to combat whatever was causing my despair; I just wished I was dead.  And in one phrase I’ve revealed the true serious threat to life this disease raises: suicide.  I’ve contemplated it many times in the past, even made an attempt with an overdose of prescribed drugs once or twice, but happily I’m a survivor, unlike the many thousands of others who weren’t and aren’t so lucky.

For seven years between 1978 and 1985 I was diagnosed and re-diagnosed, treated and re-treated, medicated and re-medicated and hospitalised and re-hospitalised.  I had consultations with a plethora of different psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and general practitioners, and was prescribed virtually every major and minor tranquilliser in the MIMS prescription drug catalogue.  From chlorpromazine and Thorazine to Valium, from the tri-cyclic antidepressant Imipramine to the Mono Amine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI), Parnate and from psychodrama to plain talking psychotherapy and counselling, nothing worked.   Being a fully confirmed depressive, a period as an in-patient in the Adolescent Unit at the once Victorian asylum of St Luke’s Hospital in Middlesbrough, an austere looking and now thankfully demolished mental hospital, had no beneficial effect whatsoever.  The stigma of being admitted, of being a “mental patient” and of entering the state psychiatric system, on top of my depression was just too much to bear.

There are many forms of depression, probably as many types as there are sufferers.  And from my own experience, I don’t think that psychiatric labelling is particularly useful when it comes to treating illnesses of the mind.  I consider each and every one of us to inhabit a slightly place on a grand psychological continuum.  This continuum encompasses all states of mind from schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder (once entitled manic depression) through anxiety and depression, past ‘normal’ (whatever that is) psychological wellbeing through to borderline personal disorder and psychopathology at the other extreme.

It’s true that anyone at a particularly stressful point in their lives may experience raised levels of anxiety, paranoia and sadness, the latter often being confused with and mislabelled as depression.  However, sadness in itself is a normal healthy emotion which does not cause dysfunction.  When someone dies and when we grieve and mourn for them we experience sadness but we express it, have done with it, and then move on.  Depression is dysfunctional and is an unhealthy emotion because it is caused by the unhealthy subversion and internalisation of a variety of other emotions including anger, grief and also sadness.

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My depression was overwhelmingly uni-polar with very few, but some mildly manic episodes.  In retrospect it was triggered I’m sure by a propensity to suffer from stress, probably partly genetic, and partly due to the unresolved trauma and grief of losing my father to coronary heart disease at the young age of just ten.  I’ve never in my case considered trawling through years of personal memories in psychotherapy particularly useful.  Sure, it can resolve contradictions and tensions and I’ve used it for such purposes, but the overwhelming need is to me able to use simple mechanisms to deal with stress, the trigger for depression in the here and now.  Producing anxiety hierarchies may be interesting but is not particularly beneficial when such anxiety is masking and is a manifestation of more serious underlying depression.

As in the case of many people, my illness manifested itself in a cyclical, perhaps even slightly bi-polar form and in-between depressive setbacks I was able to function fairly normally out of hospital, despite consuming quite large amounts of tranquillisers and anti-depressants.  Quite unbelievably through sheer determination and willpower alone I held down a responsible position for four years in the Quality Control Laboratories at ICI Billingham, a stone’s throw from where I lived in Stockton-on-Tees.

Willpower counts for a lot in recovering from depression, but in itself it is of course no treatment for a serious chronic illness, and it was only a matter of time before I succumbed to a second major depressive breakdown in 1983 that required intense in-patient treatment at our local NHS psychiatric unit in Stockton-on-Tees.  During my second period of hospitalisation, it became clear that physical forms of treatment such as drug therapy alone were not going to offer a cure on their own in my case.

What I really needed was a method, a pathway if you like out of my illness.  Put simply I needed a simple and non-confusing form of psychotherapy that offered a relatively straightforward way of changing my confused and contaminated thinking that would eventually change my feelings.  And just in time I found one, and it was initially available experimentally on the NHS.

The psychotherapy was something called Transactional Analysis (TA), a derivative of Freud’s work in the early twentieth century and which also developed from Jung’s existential and experiential Gestalt psychotherapy.  TA as it simply became known was particularly propounded by Dr Eric Berne whose book Games People Play became a set text in the study of psychology.  TA was further popularised by Thomas A Harris in his best-selling psychology popularising book I’m OK, You’re OK.  Such is the potency of this method of psychotherapy that I fully intend to submit a post solely describing its methods at some future point, but its over-riding theory is that the human personality at its most basic can be sub-divided into three distinct parts: the Parent, the Adult and the Child (P-A-C).

These labels have subtly different definitions in TA nomenclature as opposed to those used in very day life.  Together they are the personality’s top level ego states, the Adult being the part of the mind and brain that deals with data crunching and problem solving, your own internal computer if you will.  The Parent ego state contains your beliefs and the nurturing and empathetic portion of your personality, while the Child ego state is the receptacle for your feelings, both spontaneous and adapted, both good and bad.  Different mental health problems can thus be easily identified within the context of TA as the malfunctioning, contamination or decommission of these ego states.  Their relative sizes and the energy contained within them may also be scrutinised as a possible cause of psychopathology.

A decommissioned Adult ego state results in the loss of an individual’s data gathering and data crunching capacity, for example.  Such serious decommissioning means that in an extreme case the person may lose touch with the here and now… with reality.  Their mind becomes a continual archaic conversation between their Parent ego state beliefs and their Child trying to adapt to them.  Such a situation is apparent in psychoses such as schizophrenia, for example.

Second order analysis of the Parent and Child ego states reveals a Nurturing Parent (for genuine caring of oneself and others), a Critical Parent (containing one’s unquestioned morals, standards and beliefs many of which are passed down from one’s significant others).  The Child ego state can further be subdivided under TA second order analysis to Free Child (one’s spontaneous natural feelings and ingenuity) and the Adapted Child (one’s injunctions, drivers and possible maladapted behaviour).  The contamination of the Adult ego state by the Adapted Child is a feature of both neurotic and depressive illness and leads to negative feelings colouring one’s self perception and self esteem and interfering with the individual’s appreciation of the outside world.

By analysing one’s own ego states and then working on strengthening the energy and size of the Adult, one can start to change one’s thoughts and eventually feelings in the Child too.  Much second order TA psychotherapy concerns the analysis of the Adapted Child and dealing with negative emotions that are contaminating the Adult ego state.  Permissions to ignore long-obsolete and damaging behavioural drivers are a potent tool in TA, as are Adult contracts to close escape hatches such as suicide, and contracts for the person undergoing therapy to change behaviour and perhaps achieve something by the next session, such as renting a flat (something that I found very useful as at the age of twenty four I was still living at home with my mother).

The concept of injunctions in TA is very important in the therapy of depressed people.  They may have been integrated into the personality of the individual at a relatively young age and may even have resulted from the misinterpretation of what a significant other may have said.  They can include such injunctions as, for the alcoholic, Don’t think – Drink, and for the suicidal, Don’t Exist.  Psychological game playing also needs to be unravelled and of particular significance are games that Eric Berne named such as Don’t be Well and Poor Me.

TA is a form of group therapy.  There may be five or more persons present including the practitioner, all of whom undergo psychotherapy, and its basic premise is that everyone, despite their problems is “O.K”.  They may not act as though they’re OK, but infact they are.  Unfortunately, many forms of group therapy are unfairly criticised as pop culture psychotherapy on the cheap.  Private patient TA group therapy sessions usually cost a tenth of the price of an individual consultation with a therapist.

My therapist was a Probation Officer who had been seconded to the NHS to provide free TA support to applicable patients of my consultant psychiatrist.  Eventually the NHS treatment was withdrawn due to government spending cuts in the recession of the early 1980s, and this forced the continuation of this highly effective therapy in the private healthcare sector.

All TA practitioners have to undergo years of intense training with the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA) and my accomplished therapist had used TA to great effect in the Probation Service in north east England.  Indeed, TA is not only used in a therapeutic setting but also has an important wider use within the context of in the world of organisations and business.  Here it is effectively used to promote better and more effective organisational communications and in ensuring the needs of individual employees are not discounted.

My TA therapy lasted for more than six years, and by 1990 I was a thoroughly changed person.  I’d commenced a new career in Youth and Community Work, undertaken a related Diploma, gained a First Class BSc degree in Social Administration, got married to my lovely wife Gill and even bought a house.  Towards the end of the nineties we started a family and now have a 15 year old son David, who is a credit us.  Employment-wise I took a good position within newspaper marketing, and life was good, really good.

However, recovering from depression and being treated as an equal by one’s peers both vocationally and domestically necessitates that you too are not immune from life’s stresses and strains.  Redundancy, bereavement and the chronic ill-health of my spouse have led to testing times for me in the new millennium.  Yes, I still have setbacks, and yes from time to time, I have found the new SSRI anti-depressants such as Seroxat both highly useful (and I must add non-addictive in my case).  Above all, in every situation both at work and domestically I endeavour to minimise stress, the trigger for much of my depression in the past.  I know that I have a propensity to bend, and at times quite badly at that, but I also know that with my psychological training and therapy I’ll never break again.

I’ve openly and frankly portrayed my story in the hope that it will inspire those of you who are reading this and suffering from this appalling and dangerous condition into thinking that you will get better, and you will lead a normal life once again.  Likewise, I hope that those of you who in the future may suffer from the despair depression brings will remember this article and your memories of it will bring some understanding and solace.  Like so many others I’m living proof that a normal life is possible after depression, you will be changed (for the better I hasten to add), and of that you can be sure and so may some of your aspirations.

You may re-assess what the important things in your life really are, and the answers may be different to those you reached before you were ill.  You  may find for example that you aspirations may have changed… a high flying stressful career may longer so appealing, and you may wish to try your hand at something less demanding.  You may become much more interested in family, friends and people rather than material goods, and you may realise that there are more important aspects to life than consumerism, money and status.

Advice for Sufferers and Carers in coping with the onset of Depression

If you start to feel unwell, and suffer symptoms similar to those I’ve outlined above and which aren’t everyday feelings of ‘being down’, ‘the blues’ or sadness, then the first and most important action you will ever undertake is to talk to someone and share your feelings.  This could be an empathetic family member, friend, colleague, or medical practitioner such as your family doctor.  Individuals who are religious (which I’m not) may also find talking to a priest of benefit, and I myself have found the Samaritans a wonderful help in the early days.

Depression is a very serious illness and I would suggest that no matter with whom you share your problem, and the old cliché that a problem shared is a problem halved is correct, you will still need to see your family doctor.  Do not be afraid to do this, if there one thing that this post should have illustrated extremely well is that you’re in very good company as a sufferer of depression… remember that WHO estimated that twenty per cent of the population of the industrialised world will suffer or have suffered from this illness including some very well known personalities and celebrities.

Remember too that psychiatry has progressed markedly since I had my treatment.  Certainly in the UK, mental health has at least commenced its long road of departing from its twentieth century status of being a Cinderella service within the NHS.  New anti-depressants such as the ground-breaking Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) have transformed treatment in terms of prescription drugs, as have psychotherapies such asCognitive Behavioural Therapy (or CBT).  For bi-polar sufferers, Lithium is still used as an effective mood stabilising drug.

But remember, it’s important to determine the right combination of treatment for you… with me TA helped, with you another form of psychotherapy may be beneficial, and just like antidepressants; you may have to try out several.  Don’t be fearful either is you’re referred to a psychiatrist, psychologist, community psychiatric nurse or counsellor.  These people are all employed to assist you in getting better, and if you consult a good one, recovery will be all the more speedy.

Psychiatric admissions have become greatly reduced over the years as a result of much improved psychotherapy and drug treatments.  There is, of course a use for in-patient treatment when an individual suffers an acute episode of depression and is threatening suicide, or in the case of bi-polar depression, mania too, and short stay mental health facilities in the community usually offer superb care.  Long gone are most of the threatening Victorian asylums with their locked wards and inmates shuffling around endless corridors.

For severe cases of depression, Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT) or Shock Treatment can be used, often to great effect and is often administered on a day patient basis.  It is not entirely clear why such treatment works and even after fifty years it remains controversial, although in acutely suicidal patients it can be life-saving and effectively re-boots brain activity.

I do hope that this post has been of great use to you if you are suffering from depression and I positively welcome your comments below.  Also below are some useful contacts and further reading which I have found very useful indeed over the past three decades.  Remember you’re not alone, and there is a plethora of extremely helpful people and agencies out there that can help you in your recovery… and recover one day you surely will.  One day, you will be so much better that you will know every recess of your mind, you will be an expert in psychology; in effect your own psychiatrist.

Along the way to being well again, I’ve met many amazing people who’ve been of great help and with whom I’ve shared my innermost private thoughts and feelings.  These include health professionals, colleagues, friends and of course fellow patients.  Most sufferers of depression I have found under the surface to be remarkably talented, caring and empathetic individuals with fine sensibilities.  Their minds have misled them, duped them.

My experience suggests that if you are currently stricken with this awful illness, then given correct treatment, your present suffering will be your staff in the years to come.

Further Reading

Berne, E., Games People Play: Psychology of Human Relationships, Penguin Books Ltd, 1966.  ISBN 10: 0140027688 / 0-14-002768-8, ISBN 13: 9780140027686.

Harris, T.A., I’m OK, You’re OK, Cornerstone, 1969.  ISBN 10: 0060724277 / 0-06-072427-7, ISBN 13: 9780060724276.Publisher:

Rowe, D., Depression: The Way Out of Your Prison, London, Hove, Routledge, 1983.   ISBN-10: 0415144825, ISBN-13: 978-0415144827.

Weekes, C., Self Help for Your Nerves: Learn to Relax and Enjoy Life Again by Overcoming Stress and Fear, Thorsons, 1995.  ISBN 13: 9780722531556, ISBN 10: 0722531559.

Links to Information, Help, Support and Advice

The Samaritans – Confidential Emotional Support.

MIND – For Better Mental Health.

NHS Direct – For Health Advice and Reassurance, 24 Hours A Day, 365 Days a Year.  Telephone: 0845 46 47.

Andy Fleming is the author of the Andromeda Child blog which features an eclectic mix of topics that include news and current affairs, astronomy, science in general, music, movies, the media, cookery, transport, psychology, philosophy, history, education and cricket. Infact something for virtually every reader!I look forward to your visit at Andromeda Child!
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INTRODUCTION

Whatever the comments trying to lead the public astray be coming, the entrance of world depression 2008 can not be overlooked since it stands well entered in the Indian economy. The decision regarding closure of Tata’s Jamshedpur motors plant for three days, decision of Ashok Leyland to run only for three days a week for coming two months, decreasing interest rates, decrease in CRR, lowered REPO rate, cut in SLR, index of stock market in reverse gear, Rs 275000/= crores released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to help industries and investors etc. are the events which indicate that RBI and the Government accept the entrance of depression 2008 in the Indian economy. Among all these events or the actions the Rs 275000/= crores bailout drew my attention most. The concern and worry of RBI and the Government over the depression are easily understandable to me. But, I could not understand whether RBI and the Government are worried for the economy or for the investors and industries of the economy. To my opinion both are the separate things and the economy should be given priority against industry and investors.

THE DEPRESSION 2008

A depression (economic depression) is caused either by the excess of supply or by the lack of demand. In both the conditions depression should be fought against by increasing demand instead of by decreasing supply in market because decrease in supply will always bring national income and employment down while any cut in national income and employment is never acceptable. The present world wide depression has been resulted by both the excess in supply and the deficiency in demand. The excess in supply has been generated by over production on account of heavy productive investment in developed economies and it came about in developing economies due to the dumping through ‘globalization’. The deficiency in demand came about due to deficiency in purchasing power in the hands of the dominant middle income mass which resulted by high level inequality in national income distribution in both the economies. I have explained in detail in my article ‘Story behind the World Depression 2008’ how the depression was generated in developed countries and how the developing economies have come in its grip. My said article (http://www.articlesbase.com/economics-articles/story-behind-the-world-depression-2008-626225.html) concluded that the problem of depression is the problem of increasing the (effective) demand by increasing the purchasing capacity of the dominant middle income group.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BAILOUT

The above said bailout seems to be similar in nature as the Wall Street bailout practiced in America. This type of measures taken in American could not make any dent on the root causes of there’s depression. The depression is still gaining more and more depth in America day by day. Then, how can we expect that the measures as taken in America would be proved fruitful in India? The monetary help to industries and investors preserves their profit whereby the production and employment level is preserved but for the time being only. The root cause of their falling profit remains untouched. Therefore, the bailouts towards helping the investors and industries only postpone for some time the cut in production and employment without helping the demand increase. I could find no way mentioned in economic literature to treat depression without increasing demand if supply side is kept unaltered. The market is suffering from deficiency in demand not because the investors are suffering from falling profits but the investors are suffering from falling profits because the market is suffering from deficiency in demand. Therefore, deficiency in demand should be treated to save both the economy and the investors. There are four conditions when a depressive trend emerges in an economy.

(1) When either the rigidity of demand prevents prices from rising to compensate the falling profits of producers in case of increasing costs.

(2) When the demand does not keep pace with increasing supply caused by extra production.

(3) When the demand decreases on account of emergence of some factor affecting the total consumption of general mass negatively.

(4) The dumping of goods by some depression stricken foreign country.

In case of any one or all of the first three conditions the demand should be increased to treat depression. If the fourth condition is the cause of depression, check on imports would provide fruitful results. The present depression 2008 in developing countries though emerged mostly on account of the fourth condition but due to their being abided by the terms of globalization they can not adopt the way of checking their imports. Therefore, the developing economies like India have no way but to increase demand of general mass to treat the present depression. Therefore any measure not helping increase in demand like above said bailout can not be proved fruitful to treat the depression. However, a bailout, if made to divert flow of funds towards the hands of ‘demand- dominating-middle-income-group’ will increase the total demand in market by increasing purchasing capacity of this group. Therefore, bailouts should be made but to help the consumers instead of helping the investors and industries. Moreover, the investors and industries also will be helped though indirectly but ultimately if the demand is raised by raising purchasing capacity of the dominating middle income group through bailouts because the so raised demand will enable the producers to sell their product at a price that keeps their profit preserved.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

The above discussion concludes that taking measures to save the investors for time being is not the treatment of the depression but it is only the postponement of the situation. To treat the depression measures should be taken to increase the demand, determined by the purchasing capacity of the general mass, through increased liquidity in their hands as the ‘marginal propensity to consume’ of general mass in a developing country is sufficiently high. Therefore, the bailouts should be made to help the demand increase instead of helping the supply be preserved. In other words, the horse should be made to pull the cart instead of making it to push cart. Hence, the bailouts should be made but utilized to protect income of the general mass against retrenchment, to provide cheap consumer loans and to finance the subsidy schemes launched for the purchase of consumer goods. _______________________________________________________  

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Depression is diagnosed when people experience at least two of the following symptoms for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.

Low mood

Fatigue or lack of energy

Lack of interest or enjoyment in life

Other signs of depression include:

Decreased or lost appetite

Insomnia

Weight loss

Anger

Irritability

Anxiety

What causes depression in later life?

The triggers for depression in older people are similar to those for younger age groups. They can include a range of factors, such as:

Physical illness and pain

Poverty

Loneliness and isolation

Bereavement

Being a victim of crime

Older people are often faced with more of these life events and daily stresses than younger age groups and this may explain why they have a slightly increased risk of depression. People over the age of 85 are at particular risk.

It is estimated that 20% of older people living in the community show symptoms of depression with the figure rising to 40% for older people living in care homes. There is evidence to suggest that older people are less likely to recover from depression without specialist help, particularly if they are severely depressed.

Depression in later life is often not recognised or addressed by health services. The stigma associated with mental illness may prevent older people from reporting their symptoms to health professionals. When they do report these symptoms, they may be mixed up with the symptoms of other age-related illnesses such as dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s Disease.

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Many people assume that depression is a natural or inevitable part of growing older, particularly if the symptoms are linked to a medical condition or physical pain, but depression is not inevitable.

Depression is not part and parcel of old age and it is important that it is recognised and treated in the same way as it would be with younger age groups. If depression goes untreated, it can affect people’s ability to keep up with treatment for other conditions, interfere with recovery from physical illnesses, increase physical decline in older people and make it harder for them to function day to day. It is also particularly important to address depression in older people given its link to suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

Suicide in later life

The suicide rate in the UK is highest in the older population, particularly in older men. As with younger people, suicide in later life can be the end result of a complex mix of different factors, but the most important psychiatric risk factor of suicide in older people is depression. Research has found that over half of older people who take their own lives were experiencing depression at the time of death. Other risk factors of suicide in later life include:

Gender and age – men over the age of 75 have the highest suicide rate amongst all groups

Marital status – for men, being single, divorced or widowed is a risk factor

Physical pain or illness

Living alone and social isolation

Feelings of hopelessness or guilt

Alcohol or substance abuse

Previous suicide attempts

Warning signs

The signs that depression might be leading to suicidal thoughts or intentions vary, but they may include the following:

Experiencing or expecting a personal loss or bereavement

Feelings of failure, hopelessness or worthlessness

Feeling and becoming withdrawn and isolated

Lack of self-care, such as poor grooming or eating badly

Building up supplies of medication or equipment  which could be used for suicide

Suddenly making changes to wills, taking out life insurance or giving things away

Stopping medical routines, such as medications or special diets

Talking about suicide

Risk-taking behaviour

Who can help?

Research suggests that two thirds of suicidal older people will let other people know how they are feeling before they attempt suicide. If you are trying to help someone who is depressed or someone who has spoken about taking their own life or has shown some of the warning signs above, it is important that you take their remarks seriously. Have an open discussion and encourage them to talk about their feelings.

Try to persuade them to seek help as early as possible. A GP can arrange for them to receive some professional help, such as medication or talking therapies. Some GPs may not be well equipped to recognise depression in older people so encouraging the person to be open and honest about their depressive symptoms with their GP should help.

The Samaritans offer 24 hour emotional support for people who are feeling low or suicidal on 08457 90 90 90. Calls are charged at local rate and are anonymous. You can also email jo@samaritans.org

Visit http://www.in2town.co.uk for all the latest health news and advice

I am a sub editor of a worldwide website magazine where we offer free advertising and great articles including celebrity interviews, hotel reviews and product reviews. http://www.in2town.co.uk
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Being a support system for someone with depression is not an easy task as any therapist working in the area of depression in Pittsburgh, PA will confirm.When a family member spirals into depression,it can even be difficult to accept the fact that he or she is truly depressed. It’s tempting to believe that the person will just “snap out of it”,but that seldom happens.In fact, many people in a state of depression don’t even recognize their condition.

Myths About Depression Can Stymie Help

Failing to recognize certain myths about depression can cause a lot of harm.When you buy into the myths and believe that a depressed person will get better because it’s all about attitude,the chances are you’re not being properly supportive.A supportive friend or family member will make sure the person gets help and then provides ongoing support so the person doesn’t slip back into a depressed state.

If you are getting the impression that depression is a complicated disease,you’re right. Anyone who is depressed must work with a counselor to find ways to overcome depression in Pittsburgh, PA.However, first you have to get the person to the therapist for medical help.That is where the myths about depression enter the picture.

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Following are just some of the myths about depression:

>> Most people who get depressed are just feeling sorry for themselves (False!)

>> Depression will eventually go away on its own (False!)

>> If you can’t overcome depression on your own then you have no will power (False!)

Why are all of these statements false? They are not true because people with depression cannot “cure” themselves.It is a disease that can be triggered by many causes like taking certain medications or being overwhelmed with difficulties in life, but it’s suspected that depression may be more related to a chemical imbalance in the brain.People are not able to talk themselves out of depression.

Support is Important

A person with depression who works with a therapist specializing in depression in Pittsburgh, PA can improve with counseling and possibly medication.The people who love the person will play an important supportive role too. For example,they will need to learn what the typical signs of depression are for the person and then monitor their behavior. A person dealing with depression will also need those around him or her to give positive reinforcement and to offer help whenever it is needed.

Encouraging a person to adhere to treatment is important too.When a person has depression in Pittsburgh, PA, ongoing counseling one-on-one, or in group sessions once the depression is overcome,can be instrumental in keeping depression from returning.

It’s difficult to watch someone we love suffer with depression.We often have to overcome our personal biases first in order to be truly supportive.The myths that surround depression can be damaging for those who have depression because they stop people from understanding the truth about depression.

If you suspect your friend or family member is depressed or slipping into depression, you need to encourage him or her to seek help.Depression in Pittsburgh, PA can be overcome.
If you are interested to know something more about Anxiety Pittsburgh, PA and Depression Pittsburgh, PA then please visit our website www.positive-pathways.net
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Depression is coming. Depression is coming. And it may even already be here.

Myth #1. “Depression and Suicides are higher during the winter.” You may have heard of SADD, seasonal affected depression disorder, a type of depression that is supposed to be higher during the winter months. You may have even heard that the suicide rate is highest around the winter holidays. That is a myth. That’s right. It’s a lie. The facts are suicides are highest in the spring and fall not during the holidays.

Myth #2. “There is nothing you can do about feeling depressed and need anti-depressant drugs.” “Big Pharma” wants you to believe this myth but it is not true. There are several things you can do about depression:

1) Twenty to thirty minutes of moderate exercise helps depression. A brisk 15 to 20 minute walk can do wonders for your mood.

2) Another thing you can do is the Funny Face exercise. Studies have shown that looking in a mirror while smiling and making funny faces for several minutes each day is very effective against depression and can be more effective than medication in many cases.

Still want to take a pill?

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3) Take concentrated fish oil capsules. The omega-3 in fish oil does great things for your brain chemistry including help with depression. But you have to take enough. The one or two capsules recommended on the label are not enough. Depending on the quality of the fish oil and the concentration level you will need to take anywhere from 4 capsules (when in concentrated form), to as many as 20 or more fish oil capsules a day (cheap drugstore brands). Don’t worry you can’t really over dose on fish oil (high doses can give you a loose bowel though). Fish oil has many health benefits besides helping with depression and includes improving heart health, helping diabetes, lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation and improving libido just to name a few.

Another depression beating tool you can use is 4) breathing and meditation. You don’t have to go to the top of a mountain to contemplate your navel, just find a quiet place, get comfortable and listen to your breathing. Concentrate on breathing in through your nose, holding it for as long as you comfortably can and then exhale slowly out your nose and mouth. Do this for 10 to 20 times then add visualizations and breathe normally for several minutes. Think of a time when you felt totally relaxed and happy. It could be a childhood memory of a day at the beach or park or a vacation you remember. Try and recall all of the sights, sounds and sensations you can and relive them. Vividly imagine everything in as much detail as you can. This simple mental exercise is very powerful and relaxing.

5) Have more sex. Even if you don’t feel like it “Do It” anyway. High doses of fish oil can help increase sexual desire too. When you have sex your body and brain release a multitude of feel good chemicals. This happens not just as a result of orgasm but also includes kissing, caressing and cuddling. Another thing studies show about having more sex is it makes you feel like you are making more money, as much as $50,000 a year more.

So whether you are emotionally depressed or feeling the effects of financial depression use these 5 tools to take action, fight back and beat depression.

Taking 4 concentrated High-Yielding Omega-3 fish oil capsules is a good beginning daily dosage to help with depression and boost libido. Increase dosage as needed.Women can further increase their sexual response with pelvic exercise : ‘Benefits of Orgasm Muscle Training’ video.
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Let there be no doubt that depression is a serious mental illness that requires months and sometimes years of depression help on the path to a cure.

Every year, millions of Americans feel the symptoms and causes of depression. The situation becomes worse because only one third of those who suffer depression ever get treated. Because depression is considered a mental affliction, many sufferers shy away from seeking help from a doctor. Instead of being considered mentally ill, people try to manage the problem themselves. Unlike a headache depression doesn’t eventually stop on its own, and more people suffer from depression than you might think.

Why do people get depressed, and what are the causes of depression? The answer can get very complicated because you have to take many factors into consideration. There are so many things factored into the cause of this disease. Lets examine some of the most notorious. Many medical professionals believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Why does this chemical problem in the brain happen? The causes can be genetic, mental or even come from the environment.

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Doctors sometimes don’t find the root cause, which is true for many patients. Many become depressed when they are diagnosed with a very serious medical condition. This is especially the case if the diagnosis presents the possibility of death or impairment.

Depression can also stem from the emotional pain when a close person dies. Everyone knows such losses are serious. Some depression is brought on after years of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. When people abuse drugs and/or alcohol the result is often depression. Even a perfectly healthy person, when exposed to the right combination of events and issues, can become afflicted with chronic depression.

There can also be a genetic element to for individuals who suffer from depression. People who have a strong background of depression in the family are at a high risk . There are even some prescribed medications that can bring on depression. Studies and tests show a casual relation between many high blood pressure medications and depression.

One of the causes of depression is a stressful environment. In our lives many events and elements can cause stress. Some of that stress can even be related to positive events in our lives such as promotions, graduation or moving into a new house. In these cases it’s not the good event causing stress, but fear of the unknown and/or fear of ability to deserve or maintain the positive element. In addition, many are stressed from personal conflicts with their loved ones, associates in employment or friends. Just trying to make ends meet is stressful for some people. Doctors first look for cause when seeking to give depression help. If you or someone you love suffers from depression-please seek medical assistance.

For more tips and articles about causes Of depression and depression help, please check out our website www.depressionsite4you.com.
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Many people are pre-disposed to depression because of their own biological makeup making their risk of suffering from this condition much greater then those who do not share these risk factors. There are four main biological factors that can increase a persons risk for depression and these include (1) genetic factors, (2) biochemical factors, (3) alterations in hormonal regulation and, (4) sleep abnormalities.

Genetic Factors

Studies done with twins have shown that genetic factors play a role in the development of depressive disorders. There have been a number of studies done that show that the average rate of shared mood disorders among identical twins is 45% to 60%. This means if one twin suffers from depression, or any other mood disorder, there is a 45% to 60% chance that the other twin will also be affected. Contrast this with fraternal twins where the percentage falls of drastically to only 12%.

Moods disorders are inheritable for some people. This also means that those who are genetically susceptible to mood disorders can have an earlier age of onset, a greater rate of suffering other disorders in addition to depression and an increased risk of recurrent illnesses. However, any genetic factors that are present must interact with environmental factors for depression to develop.

Biochemical Factors

The brain contains billions of neurons and is a highly complex organ. There is a lot of evidence that points to the idea that depression is a biological or chemical disorder where central nervous system neurotransmitter abnormalities are a probable cause of clinical depression. These neurotransmitter abnormalities may be the result of inherited or environmental factors, or even of other medical conditions, such as cerebral infarction, hypothyroidism, AIDS, or substance abuse.

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Specific neurotransmitters in the brain are believed to be related to mood altered states. It was initially believed that the two main neurotransmitters involved were serotonin and norepinephrine. With new research though it is now thought that depression results from the dysregulation of a number of neurotransmitter systems in addition to serotonin and norepinephrine. The dopamine, acetylcholine, and GABA systems are also believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of major depression.

Alterations in Hormonal Regulation

Although there is still inconclusive evidence that hormones can play a role in depression. The most studied neuroendocrine characteristic that relates to depression has been hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortical axis. Evidence of increased cortisol secretion is apparent in 20% to 40% of depressed outpatients and 40% to 60% of depressed inpatients. Results of a dexamethasone suppression test are abnormal in about 50% of patients with depression, which indicates hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortical axis. However, the findings of this test may also be abnormal in people with obsessive-compulsive disorders and other medical conditions. Significantly, patients with psychotic major depression are among those with the highest rates of nonsuppression of cortisol on the dexamethasone suppression test.

Sleep Abnormalities

Sleep electroencephalogram abnormalities may be evident in 40% to 60% of outpatients and up to 90% of inpatients during a major depressive episode. People prone to depression tend to have a pre-mature loss of sleep, slow delta wave sleep and altered rapid eye movement (REM) latency. The phase of REM sleep associated with dreaming occurs earlier in two thirds of people with bipolar and major depressive illnesses. This sign is referred to as reduced REM latency and is consistent with the expected manifestation of an inherited trait. Reduced REM latency and deficits in slow-wave sleep typical persist following recovery from a depressed episode. Data also suggests that depressed patients without this sign are not likely to respond to treatment with tricyclic antidepressants, which suppress early REM sleep.

There are many factors that contribute to depression, many of which are biochemical in nature. Those that are biologically induced can be treated with different prescription drugs but as with anything relating to human emotion and chemical makeup answering one question as to why brings up more questions that remain unanswered.
To learn more about the types of depression please visit the web site Depression and You by Clicking Here.
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