Why Do I Get Depressed At The Same Time Everyday

Where Do I Go From Here

In addition to talking to your family doctor, check out the resources below for more information on mood disorders:

Mood Disorders Association of BCVisit www.mdabc.net or call 604-873-0103 or 1-855-282-7979 for resources and information on mood disorders. Youll also find more information on support groups around the province.

BC Partners for Mental Health and Substance Use InformationVisit www.heretohelp.bc.ca for info sheets and personal stories about . Youll also find more information, tips and self-tests to help you understand many different mental health problems.

Canadian Mental Health Associations BC DivisionVisit www.cmha.bc.ca or call 1-800-555-8222 or 604-688-3234 for information and community resources on mental health or any mental illness.

1-800-SUICIDEIf you are in distress or are worried about someone in distress who may hurt themselves, call 1-800-SUICIDE 24 hours a day to connect to a BC crisis line, without a wait or busy signal. Thats 1-800-784-2433.

Resources available in many languages:*For the service below, if English is not your first language, say the name of your preferred language in English to be connected to an interpreter. More than 100 languages are available.

About the author

The Canadian Mental Health Association promotes the mental health of all and supports the resilience and recovery of people experiencing a mental illness through public education, community-based research, advocacy, and direct services. Visit www.cmha.bc.ca.

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.

What Are The Symptoms Of Sad

Symptoms usually start out mild and get worse as the season progresses. When the season changes, people normally become completely well again.

Symptoms of SAD in winter include:

• finding it hard to wake up in the morning
• feeling very tired all the time
• overeating and craving carbohydrates
• losing interest in normal activities

Symptoms of SAD in summer include:

• feeling agitated and anxious

People with a mental health disorder might find their symptoms change at different times of the year. For example, some people with bipolar disorder find they are more likely to experience mania in spring and summer and depression in winter.

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Other Causes Of Depression

There are a number of things that can lead to developing depression.

• Stressful events big changes in your life, like bereavement, the end of a relationship or the loss of a job, can be difficult to deal with. When these things happen, it’s important to keep seeing friends and family instead of trying to deal with problems alone this increases your risk of developing depression.
• Giving birth pregnancy and birth can make some people vulnerable to depression. Postnatal depression can happen as the result of physical changes, hormonal changes, and the responsibility of taking care of a new baby.
• Loneliness your risk of depression gets higher if you aren’t in contact or spending time with family and friends.
• Personality some personality traits can put you at a higher risk of developing depression. These include low-self esteem or a habit of criticising yourself too much. These personality traits can come from your genes, which you get from your parents, or they can be as a result of experiences in your early life.
• Family history it’s more likely for someone to develop depression if a family member, like a sibling or parent, has experienced it before.

How Is Sad Treated

One treatment that works well for SAD is bright light therapy, also known as phototherapy. Being exposed to a bright light coming from a special light box for 30 minutes a day can help you to feel much better after a few days.

Other depression treatments can also work, including medicines, vitamin D supplements, or counselling.

Its a good idea to make your house as light as possible during autumn and winter, and to sit close to windows as often as you can.

Getting outside as much as possible and exercising regularly can also help to lift your mood and reduce any symptoms of SAD.

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What Risks And Complications Can Depression Cause

Having depression can cause other problems. It can affect your mental health as well as your physical health, and it may affect other areas of your life too. For example, depression may cause:

• disturbed sleep,
• difficulties with work and your hobbies,
• difficulties keeping contact with friends and families, or
• suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harming.

Some people might also drink more alcohol to try and relieve depression. However, as we said in the previous section above, this can actually make depression worse.

If you have any of these problems, speak to your GP.

Can Situational Depression Be Treated

The good news is that situational depression is an adjustment disorder, which usually makes it somewhat short-lived. Many times, the event or stressor that is triggering your depression will end or enough time will pass that it will resolve on its own.

Some people can manage situational depression themselves. Often times learning to cope with the situation involves making a deliberate plan and lifestyle changes.

Ehrman recommends these actions:

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What Treatment Should I Be Offered

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence writes guidance on what treatment doctors should offer you. But your doctor does not have to give you these treatments. And the treatments may not be available in your area.

Different treatments may be available in your area. Your doctor might think these suit your symptoms more than the recommended treatments.

NICE recommend that depression is treated in different steps depending on how severe the condition is for you. The steps are as follows.

Step 1: Everyone who may have depression

Your doctor should offer you:

• an assessment of your symptoms,
• support, such as regular appointments in person or by telephone,
• information on how to deal with your symptoms,
• monitoring of your symptoms and follow-up, and
• referral for further assessment and treatment if needed.

Step 2: Mild to moderate depression

Your doctor may offer you:

• low-intensity interventions, such as self-help guided by the doctor or computerised cognitive behavioural therapy ,
• physical activity programmes,
• group cognitive behavioural therapy ,
• medication if you have a history of moderate or severe depression, or you have had symptoms for a long time, and
• referral for further assessment and treatment if needed.

Step 3: Moderate to severe depression, or mild to moderate depression when other treatments havent worked

Your doctor may suggest:

Step 4: Severe and complex depression or if your life is at risk Your doctor may suggest:

Why Your Anxiety Happens At The Same Time Every Day

Anxiety has been a constant, if unwelcome, companion for as long as I can remember.

Therapists, meditation and self-help books have given me tools to cope with my racing thoughts and mental spirals for the most part. But lately, Ive noticed a sudden increase in anxiety at the same time every afternoon no matter what Im doing. This recurring anxiety spike happens when Im working, spending time with my kids or relaxing on the weekends. Usually, its around 4-6 p.m.

It feels like my mood plummets. Sometimes its accompanied by a racing heartbeat and an intense fight-or-flight feeling. Other times it feels like a slow sense of dread, where I just want to curl up on the couch and disappear. Because its been happening so frequently, I have begun to feel anxious thinking about this part of my day, trying not to schedule anything important during these hours, and just hoping to get through it.

If you have an anxiety disorder which is the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults every year then you know what its like to feel debilitated by anxiety. In fact, the Mayo Clinic says people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. And the American Psychological Association notes that those with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts.

So why does this recurring anxiety happen at the same time every day, and more importantly, what can we do to stop it?

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When To Get Help For Nighttime Depression

If youre experiencing depression at night, and lifestyle changes arent helping, dont wait it out and hope it gets better on its own. If nighttime depression is occurring frequently, spreading into your daytime hours, and impacting your sleep quality and daily functioning, its essential to reach out for help today.

At Newport Institute, our Admissions counselors can help assess your depression at night, and recommend the right level of care. Young adults in our program address the underlying causes of depression, such as trauma and attachment wounds, while gaining self-knowledge, self-care practices, and life skills. Our treatment helps young people to overcome isolation and find a sense of belonging and hope.

What If My Symptoms Dont Improve

If youre not responding to treatment, you may live with treatment resistant depression. This is when your symptoms have not improved after at least 2 standard treatments. This can also be known as treatment-refractory depression.

There is currently no official criteria used to diagnose treatment resistant depression.

What treatment is available for treatment-resistant depression?There are treatment options for treatment resistant depression. Even if antidepressants have not worked already for you, your doctor may suggest a different antidepressant from a different class.

The new antidepressant you are offered will depend on the first antidepressant you were given.

Sometimes your doctor can prescribe a second type of medication to go with your antidepressant. This can sometimes help the antidepressant work better than it does by itself.

Where antidepressants have not worked, your doctor may suggest talking therapies, ECT or brain stimulation treatments. See the previous section for more information on these.

What is an implanted vagus nerve stimulator, and how is it used in treatment resistant depression?If you live with treatment resistant depression, and youve not responded to other treatments, you may be able ask for an implanted vagus nerve stimulator.

Please speak to your doctor if youre interested in this treatment and for more information. You may be able to get this treatment funded through an Individual Funding Request.

• NHS – Your Rights by clicking here.

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Your Thoughts And Feelings Affect Everything You Do

Not feeling right can cause you to think and act differently and this can affect all aspects of your life, sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

When somethings not right you could experience it in different ways. You might get sick or just feel generally run-down. You may feel like youre not your usual self – you dont want to be around anyone when usually you love company. You may cry a lot for no apparent reason or easily lose your temper, or even wonder what your life is all about.

Getting an overall picture of yourself helps to make sense of whats happening in your life, and what can help you feel better. One way to do that is to think about whats happening in different aspects of your life your body , your spirit , your social circle and your mind .

• Physical : Thinking about your tinana means focusing on how you look after and care for your body.
• Mental : Thinking about hinengaro means focusing on emotions and how you communicate, think and feel.
• Social : Thinking about whnau means focusing on the relationships you have with people who support you. Their support might be physical, cultural or emotional.
• Spiritual : Thinking about wairua means focusing on things that give your life meaning. That might mean your religion. It could also mean thinking about your links with the environment , your heritage, and your connections to ancestors .

Know and understand those unseen things that can cause worry, anxiety and fear – Mori proverb.

Different Types Of Depression

There are different types of depression, and there are some conditions where depression is a symptom. These conditions include:

• Bipolar disorder people with bipolar disorder, which is also known as “manic depression”, experience times of depression, where the symptoms are similar to clinical depression. They also go through phases when they have excessively high moods . Bouts of mania can include harmful behaviour like unsafe sex, spending sprees and gambling.
• Seasonal affective disorder is also called “winter depression”. It’s depression that is related to weather, usually winter, so it happens seasonally.
• Postnatal depression happens to some women after they’ve had a baby. It’s treated similarly to other types of depression, with antidepressant medication and talking therapy.

Learn more about how depression is diagnosed here.

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Perceptions Can Affect Treatment And Outcomes

Looking at the causes helps people understand that being depressed is a medical condition, not a choice.

Depression can be, needs to be, and deserves to be treated. However, there are many different ways to treat the condition. What works for one person may not work for another, and some people have to try many different options before finding something effective.

Its also not unusual for people to need to try different treatments throughout their lives to manage depression, as the condition can change and evolve in response to changes in a persons life .

If you are depressed but dont understand why, you may recognize that you need help and may want it, but may also be struggling with the feeling that you dont have the right to ask for help.

Know this: Every person with depression deserves treatment.

How Can I Help A Loved One Who Is Depressed

Its important to remember that a person with depression cannot simply “snap out of it.” It is also important to know that he may not recognize his symptoms and may not want to get professional treatment.

If you think someone has depression, you can support him by helping him find a doctor or mental health professional and then helping him make an appointment. Even men who have trouble recognizing that they are depressed may agree to seek help for physical symptoms, such as feeling tired or run down. They may be willing to talk with their regular health professional about a new difficulty they are having at work or losing interest in doing things they usually enjoy. Talking with a primary care provider may be a good first step toward learning about and treating possible depression.

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How To Shake It Off In The Moment

When sadness tints every aspect of your day-to-day an unrelenting gray, you might have trouble finding relief. Feeling down can also make it more difficult to brainstorm potentially helpful changes, which is why professional support can make a big difference .

In the meantime, these strategies may offer a bit of relief.

Other Ways To Help Include:

• Offering him support, understanding, patience, and encouragement
• Listening carefully and talking with him
• Never ignoring comments about suicide, and alerting his therapist or doctor
• Helping him increase his level of physical and social activity by inviting him out for hikes, games, and other events. If he says, no, keep trying, but don’t push him to take on too much too soon.
• Encouraging him to report any concerns about medications to his health care provider
• Ensuring that he gets to his doctor’s appointments
• Reminding him that with time and treatment, the depression will lift

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Listen Without Offering Judgment Or Advice

Listen to your friend as they tell you about their experiences, emotions and difficulties. Avoid passing judgment or giving them advice about what they should do. Instead, focus on sitting with them and being there for them in the moment. Your job isn’t to fix the situation but to help your friend feel heard and understood.

What Are The Different Antidepressants And How Do They Work

• SSRI This category of drug includes fluoxetine , citalopram , and sertraline and targets serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps control mood, appetite, and sleep.
• SNRI SNRIs include drugs like duloxetine , desvenlafaxine , and venlafaxine , which block the reabsorption of both serotonin and another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine.
• NDRI This class of medications includes bupropion.
• TCA TCAs include such drugs as imipramine and nortriptyline . These drugs were among the earliest antidepressants to come on the market. These days, doctors generally only turn to them when treatment with SSRIs, SNRIs, and NDRIs has failed.
• MAOI MAOIs, including phenelzine and isocarboxazid , were the first antidepressants developed. Theyre rarely used today, in part because people who take them require careful monitoring to prevent negative interactions with certain foods and other medications.

All antidepressants can have side effects, but some may be more problematic than others. You may need to try several different medications, or a combination, guided by your doctor, before you find what works best for you.

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