A Solution To The Problem
This insightful and inspirational book provides a spiritual solution to the problem of suicide among the natives in Alaska, and anywhere for that matter! This very personal story is a must read to anyone thinking of taking their own life. Read it the life you save may be your own.
~Reverend William H. Nicholson
Sr. Pastor, Anchorage Moravian Church & President of United Alaska Moravian Ministry group Anchorage, Alaska
Information For Family Carers And Friends
You can get support if you are a carer, friend or family member of someone living with depression.
Being a carer might mean you can claim certain benefits that might help you and the person you care for. For more information, please see the Mental Health and Money Advice services website:www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/what-benefits-are-available-for-mental-health-carers/
You could also get in touch with carer support groups or sibling support groups. You can search for local groups in your area online or ask your GP.
You can ask your local authority for a carers assessment if you need more practical support to help care for someone.
As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning. There are rules about information sharing and confidentiality which may make it difficult for you to get all the information you need in some circumstances.
You can find out more information about:
How can I support the person that I care for?
You might find it easier to support someone with depression if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills. You can use this to support them to get help and stay well.
Below are some initial suggestions for providing practical day to day support to someone with depression.
You can find out more information about:
You can find more information about:
Website: www.web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/
Top Signs Your Dog Is Feeling Depressed
We like to think of dogs as happy-go-lucky creatures that are quick to show joy, but sometimes we notice an expression of sadness or a change in their normal dog behavior that has us wondering: Do dogs cry? Do they develop dog anxiety? Do they develop dog depression? While your pup does experience a range of emotions, including sadness, it doesnt experience depression the same way humans do, says Linda Simon, DVM, a licensed veterinarian and veterinary consultant for The Pets.
Your dog isnt staying up at night worrying about the economy or climate change. Still, the things that make your dog sad are often the same types of things that make you sad, like physical pain, loneliness, loss of a loved one, abuse, and neglect, Dr. Simon says. While most canine sadness is brief, sometimes dogs can experience very deep and long-lasting sadness that may turn into dog depression. There are plenty of dog stories that highlight such deep doggy emotions, like the one about the loyal pup who guarded his deceased owners grave for three years.
Your dog may also seem depressed if you are depressed, Dr. Simon adds. Dogs are very perceptive of their humans feelings, and when youre sad, your pup may express sadness as well, even if it doesnt understand why you are upset. Dogs have unique ways of expressing their sadness, so to help you understand your fur buddy better, we asked experts to share the top dog depression symptoms.
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Live By Faith And Not By Sight:
Living our life by faith is easier said than done. When the situation is not positive and the odds are totally against us how can we put our faith in the unseen God? Friend, start with small things. The Bible says, Taste and see that the Lord is Good. We need to start somewhere. As you learn to trust Him and taste His goodness, you will never go away to another source. You can start your journey right now. Right at the place where you are. Do not look at your situation, but look at the God who is bigger than the situation. God can surely hold your hands and take you through the difficult situation you face right now. Do not get discouraged by looking at the storm.
Youre Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little
Sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand.
If you have mental health problems, it might be harder to get good sleep. And if you dont get good sleep, youre more likely to experience mental health problems. Ugh, whyyyy.
Sleep problems are especially common in people experiencing anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. Therapy can help you better manage symptoms of mental health conditions that are interfering with your sleep.
But again, you dont need to have a diagnosed mental health condition for poor sleep to have a negative effect on your mental health. One 2018 research review showed that sleep deprivation can lead to mood swings and leave you more emotionally vulnerable.
Some types of therapy can help you improve your sleep hygiene, give you tools to sleep better in general, and help you manage the effects of not getting enough Zzzs.
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Is Therapy Really Necessary
Sometimes its necessary for court-ordered purposes other times, its up to you to decide whether its a necessary step in your life. Its worth noting that in a 2016 research review, scientists concluded that those who did a self-guided CBT program benefitted just as much as those who saw a therapist for CBT.
Ultimately, what works best for you might depend on your unique needs. Other things like mindfulness, meditation, and healthy lifestyle changes might also help you out. But if you think youre more likely to commit to a therapist than self-help, go with the pro.
How To Get Help
About 2.6% of the U.S. population have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. It usually comes on at about age 25, but it can happen earlier. There are different types, too. Symptoms can happen — or not happen — along a wide spectrum.
A âlife chartâ is a good way to track your moods and help your doctor diagnose whether you have bipolar disorder. Youâll record details about your moods, sleep patterns, and events in your life. If youâre on a manic swing, you might feel âupâ and capable, but a look at the big picture will show you how a âdownâ will follow. The info also will give your doctor a window into your day-to-day — even hour-to-hour — life to decide how best to proceed with treatment if needed.
Special phone apps can help you keep up, too. There are quite a few available to help you track your moods, medications, sleep patterns, and more. One even analyzes how you type on your phone: your rhythm and speed, mistakes, corrections, and other dynamics, but not your content. It then uses this data to gauge your mood and predict bipolar episodes. Just remember that these apps donât take the place of following a treatment plan under your doctorâs care.
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The Different Types Of Depression
Depression is classified in a number of ways. The types of depression that this test looks for are: major depression, bipolar disorder, cyclothymia , dysthymia , postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Each one presents different symptoms and represents a distinct diagnosis. You can learn more about each of these types of depression after you take the test and get your results. Please note that other variants of depression exist which are not tested for on this web site.
Pick Between Online And In
These days, theres no right way to do therapy. Deciding whether online or in-person therapy works best for you will help narrow down your options. Are there therapists within walking, driving, or transiting distance from where you live? Are you comfortable video chatting?
Keep in mind that some therapists might offer a combo of both if that sounds like your thing.
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The Most Common Depressive Disorders Include:
- Major depressive disorder This is a depressed mood that lasts for a two-week period. This could occur as a single or recurrent episode.
- Persistent depressive disorder This is a depressed mood that occurs almost every day for at least two years
It’s common for those struggling with anxiety disorders to also struggle with depression or vice versa. Close to 10% of the world’s population suffers from anxiety and depression. However, while anxiety and depressive disorders are highly treatable, only a small percentage of affected people receive treatment.
Familial Social And Environmental Factors
Depression can be familial. Thus, a thorough family history is quite important. Familial, social, and environmental factors appear to play significant roles in the course of depressive illness in children and youths, even in preschool children. René Spitz described anaclitic depression in infants being raised in an orphanage and in hospitalized children whose parents were not allowed to visit.
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Inflammation And Immune Activation Across Major Psychiatric Disorders
There is also evidence that many other major psychiatric disorders are accompanied by activation of inflammatory and cell-mediated immune pathways, for example, mania, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder . The first papers showing inflammation (increased levels of pronflammtory cytokines, such as IL-6 and acute phase proteins and immune activation (increased levels of sIL-2Rs levels in acute and euthymic manic patients were published in the 1990s. A recent meta-analysis confirmed that mania and bipolar disorder are accompanied by activation of inflammatory, cell-mediated and negative immunoregulatory cytokines . Based on the first results obtained in schizophrenia, Smith and Maes in 1995 launched the monocyte-T lymphocyte theory of schizophrenia, which considered that activation of immuno-inflammatory processes may explain the neurodevelopmental pathology related to gestational infections. Results of recent meta-analyses showed that schizophrenia is accompanied by activation of inflammatory and cell mediated pathways . PTSD patients also show higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 , IL-6 and TNF .
Immune Response And Depression And Fatigue
Previous meta-analyses have shown an increase in proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF and IL-6 , in people suffering from depression . In a more recent, larger scale meta-analysis a greater range of changes have been described in people with depression, including higher levels of TNF, IL-6, IL-13, IL-18, IL-12, IL-1RA, and sTNFR2, along with a decrease in the proinflammatory cytokine IFN . A wide variety of chemokine levels have also been demonstrated to be significantly affected, including increased CCL2 , CXCL4, and CXCL7, with CCL4 having significantly lower levels in serum . Studies found increased levels of serum IL-1RA, IL-6, TNF, and IP-10 in cancer patients with fatigue . There is also evidence that these changes may be predictive of future depression. A longitudinal study showed that people with higher IL-6 at age nine are more likely to have depression at age 18 in a dose dependent manner, even adjusting for a variety of factors . Gimeno et al. conducted a study in adults that showed similar results, with CRP and IL-6 levels at baseline predicting cognitive symptoms of depression 12 years later.
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How Is Depression Treated
The first step to getting treatment is to see your GP. If your GP thinks you have depression, they will talk to you about the treatments they can offer.
What are talking therapies?
Talking therapy is a general term to describe any psychological therapy that involves talking. You may also hear the terms counselling or psychotherapy used to describe talking therapy.
Therapy should offer you a safe, confidential place to talk about your life and anything confusing, painful or uncomfortable. It allows you to talk with someone who is trained to listen attentively and to help you improve things.
Talking therapy often takes place face to face. But you may also be able to have therapy over the phone, by video call or online. There are different types of talking therapy that you might be offered. These include:
- cognitive-behavioural therapy,
- mindfulness based therapy, and
The type of therapy you are offered will depend on the cause of your symptoms and their severity. Therapies may also have different levels based on how long or intense the treatment is.
Ask your GP about therapy if you think it might help. Some of these therapies will be available in your area. Some areas offer a self-referral option for NHS talking therapies. Please refer to your local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service to find out about this option.
You may also be able to access therapy privately or through your employer in an Employee Assistance Programme.
How can antidepressants help?
Youre Having Problems At Work
Having a hard time at work can cause mental health problems or make existing mental health problems worse. In fact, a 2010 research review found that mental health problems are often a reason employees take sick leave, drop out of work, or leave a job.
If you notice that its harder to concentrate on your work, receive unusual feedback about your performance, or feel burnt out, therapy might be a solid step to take. It can help you address work stress, anxiety, depression, and other factors impacting your mental health and make heading to the office much less miserable.
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Signs To Notice When Feeling Depressed
When you feel depressed, you may experience one or multiple symptoms of depression. Such feelings are persistent, and its not easy to shake them off. Since symptoms affect people differently, they should be a red flag to see your doctor or mental health professional.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, signs of depression may include the following:
How Do You Know If You Have Depression
You feel like you cant get out from under a heavy blanket weighing you down. Nothing brings you joy anymore. Your loved ones say you havent laughed in months. Youve lost the motivation to do simple things like combing your hair or cleaning the kitchen. These are all signs that you could be suffering from depression.
Depression is a serious mental health condition that can impact your physical health, work, school, and social life. Its important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression so you can get help if you need it.
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Immunomodulatory Effects Of Antidepressant And Anti
Changes in the levels of immune markers have also been associated with the response to antidepressant therapies and found helpful in predicting treatment efficacy . In mice treated with LPS, serotonin reuptake inhibitor and serotoninnorepinephrine reuptake inhibitor administration lead to decreased serum levels of TNF and increased levels of IL-10 . In the repeated social stress model, treatment with tricyclic antidepressant decreased microglial expression of IL-6 mRNA both in vivo and following ex vivo stimulation, where TNF and IL-1 mRNA levels were also reduced . In vitro studies using animal macrophages have also confirmed similar immunosuppressive effects where the decrease in IL-6 and increase in IL-10 that follows treatment with amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and mianserin, suggests that such effects may be mediated by an inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells pathway . On the other hand, Munzer et al. found that treatment in vitro of whole blood cultures with SSRIs and mirtazapine, a tetracyclic antidepressant , had the opposite effect on the stimulated production of cytokines, with an increase in inflammatory markers including IL-1, IL-6, and TNF.
What Is Samhsas National Helpline
SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.
Also visit the online treatment locator.
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What Are The Signs You Need Therapy
Since therapy is truly for everyone, if you think you might benefit from it its probably for you. But in general, some signs to look for include:
- feeling overwhelmed
- sleeping a lot or a little
- avoiding social sitches
- feeling hopeless, anxious, or out of control
- having problems at work or school
- eating more or less than usual
- grieving or have experienced trauma
- using substances to cope
- ready for a big change or transition
Sure Signs You Need To See A Therapist
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We all experience stress, anxiety, mood swings and other forms of emotional distress at one point or another in our lives. Whether it’s because of a professional setback, rejection, financial issues, relationships, personal loss or some other reason. Most of the time, we’re able to bounce back eventually. But sometimes we might need a little extra help to do so.
Maybe you’re feeling low or empty and are unable to “snap out of it”. Or, maybe you’re noticing certain negative patterns in your lifestyle that you can’t seem to break. Sometimes the signs of mental or emotional distress are obvious. But at other times, they are harder to pinpoint.
“Our emotions, thoughts and things we do have a direct effect on our energy, productivity and overall health,” says Dr Lindsey Giller, a clinical psychologist in the Mood Disorders Center at Child Mind Institute, New York. “Taking care of your mental health strengthens your ability to cope with everyday stressors and handle challenges more effectively,” she tells. This is why it’s crucial to pay attention to your mental well-being and ask for help if you feel like things are getting out of hand.
What is psychotherapy?
Often, people freak out when they hear the word “therapy”. But contrary to common misconception, psychotherapy isn’t just for those who are struggling with mental illness. It can be beneficial for anyone who is experiencing stress, intense emotions or life transitions and wants to improve their life.
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