Researchers At The National Institute Of Mental Health And Across The Country Are Dedicated To Womens Mental Health Research
Researchers continue to study depression to improve the way this medical condition is diagnosed and treated. For example, NIMH researchers are currently working to understand how and why changes in reproductive hormones trigger mood disorders, including postpartum depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and perimenopausal depression.
NIMH scientists are conducting a large number of research studies with patients and healthy volunteers to better understand why some women are at higher risk than others, and how they can translate these findings into new treatments or new uses of existing treatments.
How Can I Tell If I’m Having A Breakdown
A ‘breakdown’ is not a medical term. It is an everyday term to describe different states of distress. The best medical explanation for a ‘ breakdown’ is a state in which you are distressed to the extent that you are unable to function as you normally would. It may be accompanied by physical symptoms that are similar to depression but it does not necessarily mean you are depressed. The best way of telling whether you are having a breakdown is not to self-diagnose, ask a friend or go to the internet, but to seek out a professional who will carry out a proper medical assessment.
A Letter To My Children About My Depression
Dear Children,
I try to be a good mother to you. Ive memorized your favorite books, the ones we read over and over and over. I hang your artwork on the refrigerator so you can see how proud I am. I let you play with glitter. We bake cupcakes and I even let you crack the eggs, though I know Ill have to pick shell out of the batter when youre done. We play Hot Wheels. I try to always be happy for you.
But, sweet babies, I just cant.
See, there is something wrong with my brain. The best way to explain it is this: Imagine there are special potions that get poured into your brain. These potions help make you happy. The vast majority of people have these potions, and they can laugh and dance and play games. My potions dried up. I dont have enough of them anymore and that means its very hard for me to do the things happy people do. Not having those potions is called depression. When youre depressed, its hard to laugh, dance, and play games, even though I want to. I cry sometimes. I cant help it. Its because people with depression dont have the special potion.
Depression doesnt mean we cant be happy sometimes. We can make cupcakes and splash in mud puddles. We can eat watermelon for breakfast and play tag in the front yard. Ill even pitch baseballs for you. But sometimes, depression makes it hard to do anything fun. It makes me angry, and stressed, and sad. It makes me feel like nothing.
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How Can I Tell If My Child Is Depressed
If a child is depressed, parents may notice some of these signs:
- Sad or bad mood. A child may seem sad, lonely, unhappy, or grouchy. It can last weeks or months. A child may cry more easily. They may have more tantrums than before.
- Being self-critical. Kids going through depression may complain a lot. They may say self-critical things like, “I can’t do anything right.” “I don’t have any friends.” “I can’t do this.” “It’s too hard for me.”
- Lack of energy and effort. Depression can drain a child’s energy. They might put less effort into school than before. Even doing little tasks can feel like too much effort. Kids may seem tired, give up easily, or not try.
- Not enjoying things. Kids don’t have as much fun with friends or enjoy playing like before. They may not feel like doing things they used to enjoy.
- Sleep and eating changes. Kids may not sleep well or seem tired even if they get enough sleep. Some may not feel like eating. Others may overeat.
- Aches and pains. Some children may have stomach aches or other pains. Some miss school days because of not feeling well, even though they aren’t sick.
Letter From A Depressed Person
This is the third in a series of letters written by people with bipolar disorder to the people who care about them. The first, Letter from a Dysphoric Manic Person from Aaron explains the cold and calculating thinking we can have when our mania is filled with depression and anxiety. In Letter from a Euphoric Manic Person, we met Patricia for the first time. She is pretty darn happy. The letter below shows how Patricia feels when the depression hits. I suggest reading the other letters before this one!
Dearest Daddy,
I woke up crying. I know. I know! Its depression. I have my plan. When I wake up with this depression, I have my plan, right? I have to get out of bed. Beds are for sleeping. I no longer spend the day in bed when Im depressed.
I have learned this.
So I found myself sitting in a chair in the living room in my bathrobe. I went to switch on the TV and thought, oh God no! Not this! Its the same as lying in bed all day. I will NOT do this. I will not sit in this chair and watch daytime TV.
I got a bit of energy and made it to the bathroom. I will brush my teeth and I will do something with my hair. I will. I will.
Hands of cement dad. Cement. I dropped the brush. Why do we drop things and trip and cry so much when we are depressed? I mean this in a technical way. I know my symptoms and I know dropping, tripping and crying are on my list of symptoms. I KNOW what this is, but what is happening in my brain for it to happen?
I can not and will not give in to this.
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The Next Step: Getting Help
If you notice any of these serious depression symptoms in yourself or someone you love, reach out and get help. In most people, even major depression is a very treatable disorder, with a wide range of medications and therapies that have been proven to work, according to the APA.
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Is Crying Good For Me
Crying often gets a bad reputation. Sometimes its mistakenly seen as a sign of weakness or immaturity. But the truth is that it can do us a whole lot of good both physically and mentally.
Here are a few reasons why:
- Crying flushes out harmful materials and debris, such as dust and smoke, from the eyes.
- Tears also lubricate the eyes, preventing infection and ensuring normal function.
- There are three types of tears: reflex, continuous and emotional. Some studies suggest that emotional tears may contain stress hormones and other toxins. Therefore, when we cry we flush them out of our system. However, more research is needed in this area.
- When were feeling weepy, it lets those around us know that we need help.
- Crying is a way to acknowledge painful or challenging emotions. Sometimes our pain can be buried so deep down, that it can be difficult to articulate. Crying allows us to express challenging emotions when we cant find the words, and it may offer a sense of relief.
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Best Love Words To Make Her Cry In A Letter
I start each day with a lot of happiness because I know how much you love me.
The most important thing about every day is that I feel you in the air that I breathe and I see you in everything I do. Youre always in my mind all day and all the time.
I cant wait to kiss you and thank you for all that you do in my life. Youre my light in the dark.
How To Cry If You Want To
Being unable to cry isn’t necessarily a problem. Some people have honed healthy ways to feel and process emotions of sadness without crying. However, if you are concerned about your inability to cry and are looking for ways to fix that, here are a couple of tips to consider:
- Find a safe space: Sometimes, you might not be crying because you don’t feel like you’ve found a safe enough space for it. You can consider crying alone, for starters, or finding a private place to cry when you feel the emotions rising.
- Consider therapy: In many cases, you might not be crying because you are not equipped with the tools to handle your emotions properly. Therapy can help with this. A therapist can provide you with guidance as you explore and learn about your feelings and emotional defenses that may inhibit your ability to more freely cry.
- Lean on your support system: Sometimes, you might not be crying because you keep all of your emotions bottled up and do not share them with your support system. Confiding in loved ones about your emotional struggles may allow you to feel less alone and better able to share your emotions and tears.
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Risk Factors That Can Make You More Vulnerable
Depression most often results from a combination of factors, rather than one single cause. For example, if you went through a divorce, were diagnosed with a serious medical condition, or lost your job, the stress could prompt you to start drinking more, which in turn could cause you to withdraw from family and friends. Those factors combined could then trigger depression.
The following are examples of risk factors that can make you more susceptible:
Loneliness and isolation. Theres a strong relationship between loneliness and depression. Not only can lack of social support heighten your risk, but having depression can cause you to withdraw from others, exacerbating feelings of isolation. Having close friends or family to talk to can help you maintain perspective on your issues and avoid having to deal with problems alone.
. While a network of strong and supportive relationships can be crucial to good mental health, troubled, unhappy, or abusive relationships can have the opposite effect and increase your risk for depression.
Recent stressful life experiences. Major life changes, such as a bereavement, divorce, unemployment, or financial problems can often bring overwhelming levels of stress and increase your risk of developing depression.
Chronic illness or pain. Unmanaged pain or being diagnosed with a serious illness, such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, can trigger feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
Symptoms And Causes Of Depression
Symptoms of depression can be very different from person to person. However, as a general rule, if you are depressed you feel hopeless, sad and lacking interest in things that used to make you feel happy.
Depression symptoms are bad enough to interfere with work, social life and family life, and can persist for weeks or months.
Doctors describe depression in one of three ways, depending on how serious it is:
- mild depression it has some impact on daily life
- moderate depression it has a significant impact on your daily life
- severe depression this makes it nearly impossible to get through your life day to day
A few people with severe depression may have symptoms of psychotic depression.
Below is a list of depression symptoms it’s unlikely that one person would have all of them.
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Why Can’t I Cry Even Though I’m Sad
Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Have you ever found yourself needing a good cry but unable to cry? Maybe when you are sad, anxious, or in pain? It can feel confusing and distressing not being able to cry when you want to or when you feel like you should.
Research shows that crying can help you release emotions in certain stressful or distressing situations. It can even help you physically clean your eyes out and help you communicate feelings.
However, there are some circumstances in which people can have difficulty crying. Read on to understand more about why you can’t cry even when you are sad and what you can do about it.
Best Family Depression Quotes
When you experience depression, you may find it hard to describe the way you feel. Others may not understand what youre going through and may try to cheer you up only to get confused about why youre so sad. Sadness is a natural emotion to experience, but depression is far more than just feeling depressed medically its a mood condition that lasts for more than two weeks and interferes with the everyday life of a person.
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How Do I Know If Im Sad Or Depressed
If youre sad because you lost your job, are going through a breakup, or lost someone in your life its certainly no fun, but its also pretty normal. Sadness, even extreme sadness, is a natural reaction to events like these. That said, regular sadness can also turn into depression. If the feelings dont get better over time, or if your mood starts to get in the way of your daily life, you might be developing a case of depression.
Physical changes can also affect your mood. Some examples include hormone changes due to puberty or menopause, or certain medical treatments or conditions. If you think you might be depressed, its a good idea to have a doctor review any medications youre taking and test your thyroid and other hormone levels.
If you still arent sure why youre feeling down, or if mental illness of any kind runs in your family, theres a decent chance youre experiencing depression. If you havent already done so, consider taking our free online depression test.
How To Tell If You Have Depression
Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms.
They range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.
There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and various aches and pains.
The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living.
Most people experience feelings of stress, anxiety or low mood during difficult times. A low mood may improve after a short period of time, rather than being a sign of depression.
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Is It Bad That I Dont Cry
Not necessarily.
Excessive crying isnt always a good sign. If you find yourself tearing up often, it could indicate that youre experiencing a lot of intense or challenging emotions, or that youre struggling with depression and anxiety.
Remember theres no right or wrong amount to cry. Everyone is different and some people find it easier to tear up than others. So dont waste energy on what you should be doing. Drop the shame and allow yourself to truly feel your current emotions.
Some people may cry at the drop of a hat. Other people may experience fewer emotional upheavals, have different ways to express their emotions, or are simply in more control of their tears. Thats completely fine, so long as youre not bottling your emotions up.
That being said, if your inability to cry worries you or youre struggling to connect with your feelings, its important that you take time to explore this. Because it might be a sign that theres something else going on under the surface.
Life Events And Depression
Research suggests that continuing difficulties, such as long-term unemployment, living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, long-term isolation or loneliness or prolonged exposure to stress at work can increase the risk of depression.
Significant adverse life events, such as losing a job, going through a separation or divorce, or being diagnosed with a serious illness, may also trigger depression, particularly among people who are already at risk because of genetic, developmental or other personal factors.
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Overeating Or Loss Of Appetite
Depression can often cause a lack of interest in food and weight loss. In other people, depression leads to overeating and weight gain. This is because a person may feel so frustrated or miserable that they turn to food as a means to escape their problems. However, overeating can lead to weight gain and cause you to exhibit low levels of energy. Not enough food can also cause you to also have low energy levels and feel weak.
Why Cant I Cry Anymore Mental Health Causes
Besides physical ailments, there are plenty of mental and emotional reasons why someone may struggle to cry. These include:
Depression
It might sound contradictory but many people with depression struggle to cry. Thats because depression can manifest itself in different ways.
When you think of depression, you might picture someone experiencing knock-you-off-your-feet sadness and distress. But this isnt the case for everyone.
In fact, some people say their depression feels more like overwhelming numbness or emptiness.
They may feel so unemotional or flat that even positive events dont elicit a response. Ultimately, this can result in an ability to cry.
Anhedonia
Imagine you lived and breathed crafting but, one day, it no longer brought you joy. Or, what if, the idea of reuniting with an old friend made you feel nothing.
Its not an uncommon experience and its called anhedonia. Simply put, anhedonia is when you lose interest in the social activities and physical sensations that you once enjoyed.
Its a symptom of many mental health conditions, including depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Not all people with these mental health conditions experience anhedonia. But those who do may struggle to cry.
Repressed emotions
Do you bottle up your emotions? Maybe you feel like youve got to put on a brave face and just get on with it? If so, it may explain your inability to turn on the waterworks.
Societal pressure
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