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Wife And Children Of A Sharecropper
Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
At the beginning of the 1930s, many living in the South were tenant farmers, known as sharecroppers. These families lived in very poor conditions, working hard on the land but only receiving a meager share of the farm’s profits.
S That Nail What It Feels Like To Have Depression
Senior Wellness & Travel Editor, HuffPost
Sometimes a picture is worth more than any words could express.
After being diagnosed with depression at age 16, decided to process his experience from behind a lens. The result is a stunning photo series that captures the misunderstood nuances of mental illness. The images sum up what depression, which affects 350 million people worldwide, feels like in the daily experience of the artist.
Hopkins, now 22, says photographing how he’s feeling is a cathartic way to manage his depressive thoughts.
“I have been using photography as a means of therapy to help deal with a lot of the emotions that I had trouble understanding at the time,” he told The Huffington Post. “Whenever I felt controlled by a particular emotion, I wouldn’t be able to think or concentrate properly until I took that emotion out of my head and trapped it in a photograph.”
After shooting the photos, Hopkins discovered the images served as more than just an emotional outlet. They also doubled as an educational resource for those who may not understand what people with depression so often encounter.
“I hope they elucidate the more amorphous symptoms of depression, and by doing so, help people understand what others — possibly even people they know — are going through,” he said.
Check out the rest of Hopkins’ stunning photos below:
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What Foods Help Ease Depression
While no specific diet has been proven to relieve depression, a healthy diet can help you feel your best physically and mentally. Certain foods may be linked to brain health and support for memory, alertness, and mood. Examples include foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids , antioxidants , and nutrients like choline . Always talk with your doctor before making any major diet changes.
Depression Can Be Suffocating Sapping You Of The Joy Life Once Brought
Depression can sometimes be too much for one person to handle on their own. Before your worries become too much for you to handle, you should consult a doctor. Sometimes people need therapy, or medication. Depression is the most common mental illness. Millions go through the same thing every year. Its never too late to seek help. Youre not alone.
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Migrant Worker Walking Alone On A California Highway
Picture by Dorothea Lange, courtesy of Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
With their farms gone, some men struck out alone in the hopes that they could somehow find somewhere that would offer them a job.
While some traveled the rails, hopping from city to city, others went to California in the hopes that there was some farm work to do.
Taking with them only what they could carry, they tried their best to provide for their family — often without success.
Whats The Difference Between Normal Grief After A Loss And Mdd
When you experience a loss of someone close to you, its normal to grieve and feel down and empty for a period of several weeks or more, but it should get better, says Dr. Murrough. If youre starting to feel worse instead of better as time goes on, thats a red flag. Perhaps, more critically, a typical grief reaction isnt: My life is not worth living anymore. Consider seeking treatment if you or someone experiences this.
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Haul Out The Photo Albums
Everyone has them albums or shoe boxes full of photographs from years past. Opening up these caches and shuffling through the photos can be an effective mood-booster when you’re battling depression. Looking at old photos and appreciating things in your past could generate positive thoughts and emotions, said Marla W. Deibler, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and founder and executive director of the Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia.
Activity 2 Using The Image Library Of The New Deal Network
The “Image Library” of the New Deal Network includes documentary photographs of many WPA projects. From the “Image Library” index page, click on “Photo Series” under the “Miscellaneous” heading, then click “WPA Photoessays” to find a series of pictures recording a day in the life of “Lucille Normand, WPA Seamstress,” taken in Chicago in 1940. As preparation for analyzing these photographs, have students fold a sheet of loose-leaf paper in half lengthwise and write “Observations” at the top of one column, “Inferences” at the top of the other. Explain that as they study each photograph, they will record details they can see under “Observations” and their interpretations under “Inferences.”
- Guide students through this process by analyzing the first picture in the series as a class. Encourage students to gather as much information as they can from the photograph itself, while you hide the caption. Have them make observations and inferences about the women and children, their clothing, the room they are in, what they are doing, etc. Discuss how they might confirm their inferences about the picture . Then reveal the caption and discuss the additional information it provides. How does the caption work with the image to help give full meaning to the picture? Have students suggest captions that would evoke different meanings from the picture to illustrate how captions and images relate to one another.
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Help Your Loved One Get Treatment For Depression
Somebody with depression may need help seeking care, both because of a sense of stigma or shame and because their illness makes it harder for them to manage tasks like finding a mental health provider or scheduling an appointment. Suggesting that you can do these things for them, remind them when the appointment is coming up, and accompany them to the visit can help them get treatment sooner rather than later.
If theyre hesitant to see a mental health professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, see if theyre willing to visit their primary care doctor, especially if this is someone they already know well and trust, Thienhaus says. Although its best to see someone specializing in mental health, the important part is getting connected to some form of help when needed.
You may also have to rethink the words you use to talk about depression treatment because different people may have distinct ways of viewing the condition, Thames says. Some people, for example, may not know to use the word depressed to describe how they feel, and might instead perceive their symptoms as being stressed out or not myself, for example.
Matching the language that the person can identify with is important when attempting to intervene, Thames says.
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What Causes Depression In Men
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. Current research suggests that depression is caused by a combination of risk factors including:
- Genetic factorsmen with a family history of depression may be more likely to develop it than those whose family members do not have the illness.
- Environmental Stressfinancial problems, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, major life changes, work problems, or any stressful situation may trigger depression in some men.
- Illnessdepression can occur with other serious medical illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or Parkinsons disease. Depression can make these conditions worse and vice versa. Sometimes, medications taken for these illnesses may cause side effects that trigger or worsen depression.
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How Can I Help Someone With Depression
Helping someone with depression might not look a single way. However, things that you can do to help include encouraging treatment, listening with compassion, helping the person suffering with daily tasks, be vigilant for signs of suicidal behavior, and to make sure you are caring for yourself, too.
How Is Depression Treated
Men often avoid addressing their feelings and, in many cases, friends and family members are the first to recognize that their loved one is depressed. It is important that friends and family support their loved one and encourage him to visit a doctor or mental health professional for an evaluation. A health professional can do an exam or lab tests to rule out other conditions that may have symptoms that are like those of depression. He or she also can tell if certain medications are affecting the depression.
The doctor needs to get a complete history of symptoms, such as when they started, how long they have lasted, how bad they are, whether they have occurred before, and if so, how they were treated. It is important that the man seeking help be open and honest about any efforts at self-medication with alcohol, non-prescribed drugs, gambling, or high-risk activities. A complete history should include information about a family history of depression or other mental disorders.
After a diagnosis, depression is usually treated with medications or psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. The increasingly-popular collaborative care approach combines physical and behavioral health care. Collaborative care involves a team of health care providers and managers, including a primary care doctor and specialists.
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Can Depression Go Away On Its Own Without Treatment
Surprisingly, some experts say that it can. For some people, depression is cyclical or seasonal, and they can eventually recover and remit without any specific intervention, says James Murrough, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment at Mount Sinai. “But we also know that treatments like psychotherapy and medications can severely reduce the symptoms and duration of an episode of depression. Many individuals who suffer from depression never seek treatment, and thats why from a public health perspective we want to keep reducing the stigma around it.
What Are The Different Types Of Depression
Major depression is the classic type of depression and whats diagnosed, or labeled, as MDD . People with major depression have symptoms of depression most of the day, nearly every day, for episodes of at least two weeks and can experience recurrent episodes throughout their lives. Under MDD, you can further break down depression into several specific subtypes:
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Depression And Suicide Risk
Depression usually does not lead to suicide ideation. But, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, studies have shown that about two percent of people who have been treated for depression in an outpatient setting will die by suicide. If the treatment is inpatient, the number doubles to four percent. Men are more likely to die by suicide after depression than women. Find hotlines and organizations for support in our emergency mental health resources directory.
Keep Working With Your Mental Health Professional
When you’re experiencing symptoms of a major depressive disorder like persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, and loss of interest in normal activities recalling good memories isn’t an adequate treatment on its own. But as you work with your psychotherapist or other mental health professional, he can help you channel these memories in a way that reinforces your therapy and depression medications to help you feel better.
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Develop A Healthy Sleep Routine
Sleep has a huge effect on our physical and emotional health. Its likely that your previous sleep routine has gotten out of whack, which may affect everything from being able to go to school or work, to having the energy to see your friends. Get some tips to help you get into a sleeping routine.
We know it can be tough to take on any of these tips when youre feeling really bad. When it comes to self-help, strategies for feeling better are very individual different things work for different people. Not everyone will want to start doing yoga, for example, so keep trying different ideas if the first thing you try doesnt help.
Remember: it takes time to get better. Doing something for five minutes every day might feel useless at the time, but you could find that a few weeks later, your mood has improved a bit. Baby steps. Youve taken the first step in coming here, now keep it up.
How Can I Help Myself If I Am Depressed
Other things that may help include:
- Spending time with other people and talking with a friend or relative about your feelings
- Increasing your level of physical activity. Regular exercise can help people with mild to moderate depression and may be one part of a treatment plan for those with severe depression. Talk with your health care professional about what kind of exercise is right for you.
- Breaking up large tasks into small ones, and tackling what you can as you can. Don’t try to do too many things at once
- Delaying important decisions until you feel better. Discuss decisions with others who know you well.
- Keeping stable daily routines. For example, eating and going to bed at the same time every day.
- Avoiding alcohol
As you continue treatment, gradually you will start to feel better. Remember that if you are taking an antidepressant, it may take several weeks for it to start working. Try to do things that you used to enjoy before you had depression. Go easy on yourself.
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Focus On What You’re Doing
Depression causes you to be absorbed in your own thoughts. To counter this as you go about your daily routine, focus your thoughts on the outside world. For example, when you wash a dish, feel the water on your hands and listen to the dishtowel rubbing the plate. “By focusing on the outer world with attention,” says Luciani, “you’re really teaching yourself to let go of that inner ‘gerbil wheel’ where you are spinning depressive thoughts.”
What Do I Do If Self
If youve tried the depression self-help strategies above but your symptoms are still overwhelming, go and see your GP or a mental health professional for additional depression help.
Your GP will have suggestions for alternative things you can try to help manage your depression from day to day, and will be able to assess what to do next. Treatments such as psychological therapy and medication, and having a good relationship with a GP, psychologist and/or psychiatrist, can be effective in treating depression and improving mood.
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What Does Depression Look Like
Well raise your question with a few Qs of our own: Are you female? Are you a teen? Depression can also affect different ages and genders in unique ways:
Women are more likely to ruminate . This can look like negative self-talk, sudden crying spells, feelings of guilt, or blaming oneself. Women are also more likely to have depression at the same time as an anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder, eating disorder, or obsessive-compulsive behavior.
Men with depression are more likely to show signs of irritability, anger, apathy, escapist behavior , or reckless behavior .
Younger people can struggle with depression and MDD . Children and teens may sometimes exhibit oversensitivity, social withdrawal, poor school performance, frequent physical complaints , or feelings of incompetence and despair .
Older adults and the elderly are often misdiagnosed or undertreated for depression because their symptoms can be mistaken for other disorders , or they may assume their feelings are just an inevitable part of aging. For many, sadness isnt the biggest indicator of depression instead, physical complaints are often the predominant symptom. Sleep trouble, low motivation, neglect of personal care or hygiene, and fixation on death are other signs of depression in older adults.
Choose Foods To Boost Your Mood
Some studies say omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 may play a role with brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Low levels may be linked to depression. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel have omega-3s. So do flaxseed, nuts, soybeans, and dark green veggies. Seafood is a good B12 source, but vegetarians can get it in fortified cereals, dairy products, and supplements.
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