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Warning Signs Of Depressive Episode

Recognize The Importance Of Self

Signs of Bipolar Disorder

Self-care is essential for good physical and mental health. Self-care activities are any actions that help people look after their wellbeing.

Self-care means taking time to relax, recharge, and connect with the self and others. It also means saying no to others when overwhelmed and taking space to calm and soothe oneself.

Basic self-care activities include eating a healthful diet, engaging in creative activities, and taking a soothing bath. But any action that enhances mental, emotional, and physical health can be considered a self-care activity.

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Changes In Appetite And Weight

Weight and appetite can fluctuate for people with depression. This experience may be different for each person. Some people will have an increased appetite and gain weight, while others wont be hungry and will lose weight.

One indication of whether dietary changes are related to depression is if theyre intentional or not. If theyre not, it may mean that theyre caused by depression.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

People who die by suicide usually show symptoms first. Often people will talk about it or make a first attempt before succeeding in ending their life. If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:

  • Stay with the person until help arrives.
  • Remove any guns, knives, medications, or other things that may cause harm.
  • Listen, but dont judge, argue, threaten, or yell.

If you think someone is considering suicide, get help from a crisis or suicide prevention hotline. Try the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

How Do You Separate Yourself From Depression

There is still a lot of stigmatization around the topic of depression, whether it is a depressive episode or chronic depression. The wisdom of self-care is that instead of allowing a medical condition to define who you are, you take control by separating yourself from it. You might simply repeat to yourself, I am not depressed. I have depression, and I will get better. There are other kinds of self-affirmation messages you can try. This self-care messaging approach helps you avoid letting depression weigh you down. Value your strengths, abilities, and positive qualities.

Self-care always begins with the basics, including a healthy and balanced diet, enough good sleep, and creative activities. Any action that enhances your mental and emotional health can be considered a self-care activity. The gist of self-care exercises is to make you relax and connect with yourself and others. It also means saying no to sources of stress and overwhelming emotions.

Self-care is important to both your physical and mental wellbeing. Any actions that help you regain a sense of joy should be part of your self-care strategy during a depressive episode. Maybe you find a free afternoon to watch a movie with a close friend. Maybe you learn a new hobby such as gardening. Maybe you take a warm bath while listening to music.

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How Do You Get Treated For Both Addiction And Depression

First, you should join a support group such as a 12-step group. The people in this group can offer support and accountability as well as suggest treatment options. Meanwhile, many detox treatment centers offer counseling and therapies that address depressive disorders or chronic depression. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy examines how ones thought patterns affect their moods and behaviors. It is effective for treating both addiction and depression.

Some residential treatment centers also adopt a holistic approach by integrating relaxation exercises into daily routines. These include mindfulness, art therapy, meditation, nature walks, and yoga exercises. Such practices encourage people to fully dwell on the current moment they are in, without worrying about the past or the future.

Relaxation exercises such as meditation can reshape the brains neurological pathways, reversing the impact of addiction and depression. Journaling every days progress and emotional journey is another effective technique.

Spotting The Signs Of A Depressive Episode

Depression: Don

Learning to spot your depression symptoms can help you prevent a downward spiral. Here’s how to get more in tune with yourself.

With many conditions or illnesses, you know when you’re feeling sick. You start experiencing pain or discomfort, burn with fever, or just ache all over. But when you have a mental illness like depression, the symptoms may not be as clear. They can develop gradually, even when you’re undergoing treatment. Paying attention to even subtle changes in your emotions and behavior can help you understand how depression affects you and allow you to reach out for help when depression symptoms surface.

Signs of Depression: Looking Inward

It may be difficult for you to recognize when depression is returning. “Often, the problem is that people don’t have insight into what’s happening to them,” says Adele Viguera, MD, associate director of the perinatal and reproductive psychiatry program at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “They try to explain it away they tend to minimize what they’re going through.”

Tracking your moods and symptoms can help you understand your emotions and spot signs of depression, such as slight changes in your mood, and situations or events that could trigger a depressive episode.

“Bringing in such a calendar to the doctor’s office can help with treatment, and adjustments can be made accordingly,” says Dr. Viguera.

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Thoughts Of Death Or Suicide

A person with depression may think more about death and dying. They may also think about suicide and how they could end their life. The term for this is suicidal ideation .

Sometimes, a person may tell others about these thoughts. If someone is talking about death or suicide, this could be their way of asking for help, and it is vital to seek assistance right away.

Depression is a common but serious condition that can be life threatening. Not every person who thinks about suicide will attempt it. However, if someone mentions suicide, it is important either to contact a doctor or to help the person seek urgent medical care.

Mild And Moderate Depression

These are the most common types. More than simply feeling blue, the symptoms of mild depression can interfere with your daily life, robbing you of joy and motivation. Those symptoms become amplified in moderate depression and can lead to a decline in confidence and self-esteem.

Recurrent, mild depression

Dysthymia is a type of chronic low-grade depression. More days than not, you feel mildly or moderately depressed, although you may have brief periods of normal mood.

  • The symptoms of dysthymia are not as strong as the symptoms of major depression, but they last a long time .
  • Some people also experience major depressive episodes on top of dysthymia, a condition known as double depression.
  • If you suffer from dysthymia, you may feel like youve always been depressed. Or you may think that your continuous low mood is just the way you are.

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Risk Factors For Manic Symptoms

Risk factors for manic symptoms are unclear, but are likely are age, history of psychosis, head injury, substance abuse, and certain psychiatric disorders.

There are several factors that can increase the risk of developing mania symptoms including things that affect brain chemistry.

If you are experiencing manic symptoms, its important to seek medical attention. So the treatment starts as soon as possible. There are no tests that can diagnose someone with mania because there are no fast-acting screening tools that take into account mood state.

Signs Of A Depressive Episode And How To Help Manage Them

5 Early Signs of a Depressive Episode

Have you been feeling sad lately and dont have a specific reason to be feeling this way or feel that you have no control over your sadness? You may be dealing with a depressive episode. Having a depressive episode may be an identifying factor that you may be dealing with a depressive disorder. But, people experiencing a depressive episode may also just be dealing with sadness. Identifying signs of a depressive episode can help individuals dealing with this scenario to determine whether or not they may need professional assistance.

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Depression Is Different From Sadness Or Grief/bereavement

The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being depressed.

But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression. Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways:

  • In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In major depression, mood and/or interest are decreased for most of two weeks.
  • In grief, self-esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing are common.
  • In grief, thoughts of death may surface when thinking of or fantasizing about joining the deceased loved one. In major depression, thoughts are focused on ending ones life due to feeling worthless or undeserving of living or being unable to cope with the pain of depression.

Grief and depression can co-exist For some people, the death of a loved one, losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression. When grief and depression co-occur, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression.

What Causes These Episodes

Depressive episodes dont always need a trigger. Overwhelming feelings of sadness can spring up without any troublesome event or warning.

Yet, certain circumstances such as stress at work or home, financial problems, loneliness, or death of a loved one are known to set off a depressive episode.

The outbreak of such an episode could also be because of a chronic illness. Factors such as hormones, genetics, or brain chemistry might very well be responsible too.

According to research, there is no single reason behind these episodes or depression in general. The aspects of our life that we can control physical health and attitude can help manage these symptoms in the long run.

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You Feel Hopeless And Helpless

This can be something you experience almost constantly. Or if you are like many people, it is more of a sign of a major depressive episode coming on. Feeling hopeless and helpless is something a lot of depression sufferers experience. It can make it hard to be motivated to do anything. This outlook on yourself and life in general also puts you at a higher risk for self-harm. So you should definitely talk to someone when you start feeling like this.

You Have Mood And Anger Issues For No Apparent Reason

Depression &  Substance Abuse Treatment Plans, Medication, Therapy

Sometimes people who are suddenly in a bad mood or have a lot of anger and irritability confuse it with PMS, simple mood swings for other reasons, or even lack of sleep. While this can also contribute it, you might find that this is actually one of your early warning signs of a depressive episode. Especially when it isnt related to your cycle or outside influences, and seems to come on randomly.

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The Risk Of Isolation

It can sometimes be hard to explain your thoughts and feelings to others. You might find it difficult to talk about your depression and instead you might cut yourself off from other people. The more overwhelming your symptoms, the more isolated and lonely you might become.

Without treatment and support, depression can have an impact on your relationships, work, finances and overall health, so it’s important to get help as early as possible. See our pages on treatment and support for more information.

“It feels like I’m stuck under a huge grey-black cloud. It’s dark and isolating, smothering me at every opportunity.”

Risk Factors For Depression

Depression can affect anyoneeven a person who appears to live in relatively ideal circumstances.

Several factors can play a role in depression:

  • Biochemistry: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute to symptoms of depression.
  • Genetics: Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness sometime in life.
  • Personality: People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to experience depression.
  • Environmental factors: Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.

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Nine Early Warning Signs Of A Depressive Episode

by Hired Power | Aug 25, 2020 | Mental health, Support |

Depression is one of the most common co-occurring mental health issues among people with substance use disorders and managing depressive symptoms is one of the keys to a strong recovery. Unfortunately, if you have had an episode of major depression, you are likely to have recurring episodes.

Research shows that about half of people who have an episode of major depression will have at least one more episode at some point in their lives and if you have had two episodes, your risk of another episode rises to 80 percent.

However, there is also research suggesting that if you catch the symptoms of an encroaching relapse early, you can limit the severity of the episode and perhaps even prevent it. The following may be early warning signs of a depressive episode.

Keep in mind that although these are common depressive symptoms, you dont want to wait for them to get severe before you act. While someone with no history of depression might dismiss some of them as a bad mood, you should definitely pay attention and take action.

Depression Treatment In Danville Martinsville And Richmond Va

Warning signs of severe depression | DOTV

If you or a loved one is suffering from depression and want to find a lasting solution, look no further than the mental health providers at Epic Health Partners. Your depression may need more than just medication. Our mental health providers can offer you comprehensive care, behavioral management, psychiatry services, and counseling to help break the cycle of depression.

Consult with our mental health providers today by calling at 835-4601 or by filling out our consultation request form.

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Treatment Options After A Depression Relapse

Treatment for a relapse of depression may be easier than the first time someone sought treatment. This might be the case because the person already has an idea of what resources they need, where to go for help, and which treatment or treatments were beneficial in the past. If the person already has a relationship established with a therapist and psychiatrist, all they will need to do is reconnect in order to get treatment.

There are some instances where depression becomes more difficult to treat over time, but relapse of depressive symptoms itself is not a predictor of treatment resistance. If one or more treatments has not been beneficial, continue to explore depression treatments, ask your doctor about different medication options, and seek out a different therapist if needed. If you dont already have a therapist or need a new one, it can be helpful to search an online therapist directory to find a therapist thats right for you.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Depression

When it comes to understanding mental illness, its important to begin at the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . Mental health professionals use the DSM to classify and diagnose mental disorders.

According to the DSM, the symptoms of major depressive disorder include:

  • Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
  • Suicidal thoughts

Having a low mood is the most obvious symptom, Dr. Sullivan explains. One of the most common symptoms I hear from people is that theyre not very motivated to do things. Work can take a hit while people are not able to keep up with the productivityfor example, when sleep is impaired. Theres also the tendency to isolate: People who normally would spend time with their family and friends suddenly withdraw and isolate. They may also eat less or be disinterested in food.

Beyond its impacts on mood and energy, depression has been known to impact physical health and comfort. One thing that can happen in depression is that the mind starts to perceive pain in places it hadnt before, says Dr. Sullivan. For example: Feeling achier, having more intense pain in areas where you previously had an injury, and worsening chronic pain are all possible. There are a lot of other symptoms that can show up in the body with depression, too, like constipation or stomach upset.

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Seeking Treatment For Depression

If you believe you may be struggling with depression, or a loved one has asked for help in pursuing mental health treatment, the best place to start is with a primary care provider .

Our primary care providers often treat more depression than psychiatrists do, says Dr. Sullivan., So you can use your own words to tell your PCP whats going on. You dont necessarily need to say you are depressed you can explain that your behavior is changing: I dont want to do these things I used to really enjoy, Im having negative thoughts about myself. Finding a psychiatrist can be very daunting, but you can talk to the care team you already have. They can really respond to these struggles.

There are many other resources available for those interested in learning more about depression:

Over the past few years, rates of depression and anxiety seem to be on the rise. But, as Dr. Sullivan explains, there is a silver lining: Rising awareness of these issues has helped destigmatize mental illness and are paving the way for more resources and support.

We still dont have enough psychiatrists and therapists available, but I think mental health being in the conversation has been a huge change, Dr. Sullivan says. Its something we havent really seen in the past where there are all these TV shows talking about it, news shows talking about itmore people are talking about depression. That has really helped drive the conversation forward.

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