In Depression What To Do

Does Bipolar Illness Impact Religious Beliefs As Well As Spirituality

Nonetheless, some people are most likely uninformed that there are various sorts of depression. Many individuals are aware of depression as a psychological health condition. Study shows that 1 in 6 Americans will certainly experience depression eventually in their lives. Depression, especially when unattended, can create long-term wellness difficulties in people. For example what to write in a diary for depression, there is a relationship between individuals with depression as well as elevated danger aspects for heart disease and also dementia. During manic periods, a person with bipolar disorder might show an unrealistically high level of self-esteem frequently accompanied by risky behavior, overspending, and extreme physical activity.

Monitor Your Own Moods And Thinking

Enduring barrages of negative comments, holding the household and family together, and losing the sweetest, most supportive aspects of your marriage isnt easy. Over months and years, the non-depressed spouse may give in to confusion, self-blame, demoralization, and resentment, notes Anne Sheffield, author of Depression Fallout: The Impact of Depression on Couples and What You Can Do to Preserve the Bond. You may conclude that you must leave to save yourself. If this sounds familiar, get help for yourselfand insist that your mate do the same. Depression separates couples with surgical skill and is a major home-breaker, Sheffield wrote in her book.

Common Causes And Risk Factors

Depression can be caused by a number of factors. Though a single cause cannot always be found, experts recognize the following as possible causes:

• Genetics: Depression and other mood disorders can run in families, though family history alone does not mean a person will get depression.
• Life events: Major life changes and stressful events may trigger depression. These events include divorce, the death of a loved one, job loss, or financial problems.
• Hormonal changes: Depression and low mood are often

• cultural expectations
• differences in experience

One study of twin brothers and sisters published in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that personality and relationships with others were more likely to play a role in the onset of depression.

In particular, the study stated that marital problems, the relationship with parents, and lack of social support were more likely to cause depression in women than in men.

Neuroticism, or being in a negative emotional state, was also a primary cause of depression in the women studied.

A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders also found that womens symptoms of depression were different. The women studied were more likely to have panic and anxiety disorders in addition to their depression.

Other studies have indicated that women may be more likely to gain weight and have excessive sleepiness than men.

Womens hormone changes may also play a role in how and when depression affects them.

Research on this hormonal link has found:

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Regions That Affect Mood

Increasingly sophisticated forms of brain imaging such as positron emission tomography , single-photon emission computed tomography , and functional magnetic resonance imaging permit a much closer look at the working brain than was possible in the past. An fMRI scan, for example, can track changes that take place when a region of the brain responds during various tasks. A PET or SPECT scan can map the brain by measuring the distribution and density of neurotransmitter receptors in certain areas.

Use of this technology has led to a better understanding of which brain regions regulate mood and how other functions, such as memory, may be affected by depression. Areas that play a significant role in depression are the amygdala, the thalamus, and the hippocampus .

Research shows that the hippocampus is smaller in some depressed people. For example, in one fMRI study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, investigators studied 24 women who had a history of depression. On average, the hippocampus was 9% to 13% smaller in depressed women compared with those who were not depressed. The more bouts of depression a woman had, the smaller the hippocampus. Stress, which plays a role in depression, may be a key factor here, since experts believe stress can suppress the production of new neurons in the hippocampus.

What Are The Symptoms Of Depression

Depression can affect your emotions, mind and body. Depression symptoms include:

• Feeling very sad, hopeless or worried.
• Not enjoying things that used to give you joy.
• Being easily irritated or frustrated.
• Eating too much or too little.
• Changes in how much you sleep.
• Having a difficult time concentrating or remembering things.
• Experiencing physical problems like headache, stomachache or sexual dysfunction.
• Thinking about hurting or killing yourself.

If you or someone you know has thoughts of hurting themselves, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.8255. This national network of local crisis centers provides free, private emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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How To Know If Youre Depressed

If you identify with several of the following, you may be suffering from depression.

If youre feeling suicidal

Problems dont seem temporarythey seem overwhelming and permanent. But if you reach out for help, you will feel better.

Read HelpGuides Suicide Prevention articles or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the U.S. at 1-800-273-8255. For help outside the U.S., visit Befrienders Worldwide.

Visualize A Happy Memory

When a patient continually revisits a painful memory , it can tip him or her into near emotional catatonia. I say, Wait, before you go down the rabbit hole and all the dark feelings overwhelm you, close your eyes and go to a happy memory. *Paul remembered, When I graduated from college, looked out at the audience and saw my family looking so proud, I felt amazing and powerful. I said, Great, go there. Lets relive that wonderful experience. As he described details from that lovely day his posture went from slumped over to peacock proud. He actually smiled. I suggested, The moment you feel yourself sliding back to an awful memory that takes you under, take a breath and instantly conjure up graduation day. Counter the gloom with an immediate dose of positivity!

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Mixed Anxiety & Depression Explained

Depression and anxiety have similar causes and some people can experience symptoms of both conditions at the same time. If youve been experiencing both low mood and persistent worry, tension, and unease, click below to learn more about the relationship between anxiety and depression.

How To Deal With Depression

There are a range of ways to deal with depression, and often they are best used in conjunction with each other. The primary medical options are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy , antidepressant medication, and in some severe cases, Electroconvulsive Therapy .

Education and coping strategies are also important when learning to manage your depression.

ECT is an effective form of treatment for depression, especially if:

• There are medical contraindications to medication.
• There is a need for rapid improvement because of suicidal intent or refusal to eat.
• The person has experienced treatment failure following CBT, several medications, or combined medication and CBT treatment trials.
• The person has had a previous positive response to ECT.
• Somatic symptoms are prominent.
• Psychotic symptoms are present.

What is CBT?

How To Really Connect With Others

Whether youre talking with a friend or loved one at a social distance, via video, or on the phone, its important to strive for more than just a surface connection. The deeper the connection you establish, the more youll both benefit.

Move beyond small talk. To really establish a connection that will ease your loneliness and depression, you need to take a risk and open up. Sticking to small talk and limiting yourself to a surface connection with others can actually make you feel even lonelier.

Open up about what youre going through, the feelings youre experiencing. It wont make you a burden to the other person. Rather, your friend or loved one will most likely be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it will only deepen the bond between you.

Nothing needs to get fixed. Depression relief comes from making a connection and being heard by someone. The person you talk to doesnt need to come up with solutions, they just listen to you without judging or criticizing. And the same is true when youre listening to them.

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Be Alert For Relapses

About 85 percent of people who suffer a bout of major depression will have a relapse within a decadeand half will have a recurrence within a year, according to a study published in International Journal of Neuropharmacology. The researchers recommended a maintenance dose of antidepressants and/or therapy to prevent a relapse. Both spouses should also stay alert for signs that the illness is returning, Walfish adds.

Caring for a depressed spouse can be lonely, overwhelming, and emotionally draining, she says. You may blame yourself, feel helpless, grow pessimistic, lose your sense of humor, and even consider leaving. Its easy for the non-depressed spouse to become angry and frustrated with an irritable, lethargic mate whos pessimistic and critical, who cant unload the dishwasher, or who cant get the kids ready for bed anymorelet alone make love, ask how youre doing, or acknowledge that youve been holding things together for weeks, months, or years.

This starts a cycle that burns you out and doesnt help your partner at all, Scott-Lowe notes. I did this with DennisI would become extremely angry with him. Then I would feel really guilty and try to make up for it by taking on more and more around the house. Then I would get angry all over again. This wasnt helping Dennis, of course, and it was wearing me out emotionally and physically.

Stay Connected To The Outside World

Socially, you might also be tempted to shut yourself away, saying no when friends or family ask if you want to meet up with them. This is reaction is completely normal, but being present at social events, and spending time with other people, will help to reduce your symptoms of depression and help keep them at bay in the future.

Social media and video calls are a convenient way to do this, but if youre able to then a face-to-face meeting will have the most positive effect. You could try taking small steps with the goal of a meeting in a public location being the end goal. Whatever you try, make sure you only commit to what feels comfortable for you.

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Helping A Friend Or Family Member

You can play a key role in helping a person who is depressed:

• Be a good listener and avoid making any judgments.
• Encourage your friend or family member to get other help as well, and assist them in finding it.
• Offer to go with them to appointments.
• Stay in regular contact let them know youre there for them.
• Make plans together to do something fun.
• Stay alert for warning signs of suicidal behaviour . If there is an immediate risk, get them to a hospital emergency department, or call 911 right away.

Dont forget to look after yourself. Make sure to make time for yourself and your own wellness needs physical, emotional, social and seek extra support for yourself when you need it.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Depression In Men

Different men have different symptoms, but some common depression symptoms include:

• Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
• Feeling anxious, restless, or on the edge
• Loss of interest in work, family, or once-pleasurable activities
• Problems with sexual desire and performance
• Feeling sad, “empty,” flat, or hopeless
• Not being able to concentrate or remember details
• Feeling very tired, not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much
• Overeating or not wanting to eat at all
• Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
• Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
• Inability to meet the responsibilities of work, caring for family, or other important activities
• Engaging in high-risk activities
• A need for alcohol or drugs
• Withdrawing from family and friends or becoming isolated

Not every man who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some men experience only a few symptoms while others may experience many.

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Dealing With The Winter Blues

For some people, the reduced daylight hours of winter lead to a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder . SAD can make you feel like a completely different person to who you are in the summer: hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you normally love. No matter how hopeless you feel, though, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your mood stable throughout the year.

How To Deal With Depression

This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. She provides therapy to people who struggle with addictions, mental health, and trauma in community health settings and private practice. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011.There are 35 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 2,272,739 times.

Feeling down or sad is a natural part of life. People let us down, things go wrong, we lose people we love or the dreams we’ve valued. When feeling down stretches over weeks or months or is occurring frequently and interfering with your ability to interact with people and enjoy your life, it is likely that you’re experiencing some form of depression. Provided that you’re able to access information, medical professionals, and support networks around you, even severe depression is a highly treatable condition. XTrustworthy SourceNational Institute of Mental HealthInformational website from U.S. government focused on the understanding and treatment of mental illness.Go to source But no matter what, take matters into your own hands and take action if you are depressed.

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Professional Treatment For Depression In Men

If support from family and friends and positive lifestyle changes arent enough, seek help from a mental health professional. Be open about how youre feeling as well as your physical symptoms. Treatments for depression in men include:

Therapy. You may feel that talking to a stranger about your problems is unmanly, or that therapy carries with it a victim status. However, if therapy is available to you, it can often bring a swift sense of relief, even to the most skeptical male.

Medication.Antidepressant medication can help relieve some symptoms of depression, but it doesnt cure the underlying problem and is rarely a long-term solution. Medication also comes with side effects. Even if you decide that medication is right for you, always pursue self-help steps as well. Therapy and lifestyle changes can address the underlying causes of your depression to prevent it returning when youre able to come off antidepressants.

What Are The Different Types Of Depression

Two common forms of depression are:

• Major depression, which includes symptoms of depression most of the time for at least 2 weeks that typically interfere with ones ability to work, sleep, study, and eat.
• Persistent depressive disorder , which often includes less severe symptoms of depression that last much longer, typically for at least 2 years.

Other forms of depression include:

• Perinatal depression, which occurs when a woman experiences major depression during pregnancy or after delivery .
• Seasonal affective disorder, which comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in late fall and early winter and going away during spring and summer.
• Depression with symptoms of psychosis, which is a severe form of depression where a person experiences psychosis symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations .

Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder also experience depression.

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Avoid Judgment And Blame

If someone you love is depressed and no longer able to do the activities they used to, including working or helping around the house, you may feel like they are lazy. When you get frustrated, try to remember that someone who is depressed isn’t lazythey’re ill. Everyday activities like cleaning the house, paying bills, or feeding the dog may seem overwhelming, if not impossible, to someone who is depressed.

If your loved one’s responsibilities around the house are piling up, you may not be able to take them on yourself.

In addition to resisting the urge to blame your loved one, try not to blame yourself either. Know that it’s OK if you need to ask for help.

Counselling Or Talk Therapy

The primary treatment for depression or anxiety is psychological counseling, also called talk therapy or psychotherapy. Several types of talk therapy have been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of depression.

• Cognitive behaviour therapy can help us see how our thoughts and actions are connected to our feelings. CBT teaches us how to replace negative, depressive thoughts and behaviours with more positive, constructive thoughts and actions.
• Interpersonal psychotherapy focuses on improving relationships by helping us to resolve conflicts that are contributing to the depression.
• Solution-focused therapy focuses on personal strengths and helps us to create a positive future for ourself by finding solutions to our stresses and problems.

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