Adolescences Suicide - Kalpna's Tips To Prevent Part-3

Before, I proceed further; let me convey my appreciation and sincere thanks to all Ezine esteem readers. I am very sanguine that with yours dedicated efforts; we united would be able to prevent teenagers and adolescence suicide. In my previous thought sharing assignment, I tried to share some common problems of teenagers but today, I would dwell upon various different problems of teenagers. During my study, I have observed that most of the teenagers behave more or less in similar fashion irrespective of the country or continent they belong. However, there is a vast difference in perception and social activities of teenagers originating from urban and rural areas. As teenager's suicide problem is more or less confined to urban areas, my endeavors would be to highlight maximum issues on their unstable state of mind and immature conduct. There is also a definite pattern of behavior of teenagers in United State of America, Europe and Russian states. While the Asian aborigine commits suicide quietly, the Western countries teenagers', contrary to general belief, have been found to be indulging in violence activities before ending their own lives.

I have observed during my interaction with teenagers that the developing ego state of a child and an adult is the main cause of depression, adaptability and suicidal tendency. Most of the children, who get positive support at home, behave wisely; but generally the lack of attention at home is identified as true cause of Teenagers Suicide. My endeavor is once again to analyse and bring out various other teenagers related issues in the society. A few important burning issues which cause depression and isolation amongst teenagers are discussed as under:-

o Mental Stress Supervision Response (MSSR)

o Risk Behavioral Attributes Symptoms (RBAS)

oVisual Changes Disorder (VCD)

I will touch upon a few MSSR, which generally every teenager undergoes after
crossing the age of twelve. At this stage, a child is not only admitted in next higher education standards but also grows physically to meet social obligations thus putting an extra stress on her kindhearted mind and flexible self-esteem. In fact, a teenager is crushed between the adolescence temperament and grown-up image. A girl teenager, on entering in her thirteenth year, is undergoing various biological changes in her body. When her body begins to transform and grows as a woman, she suddenly finds herself out of place thus developing various mental stresses while trying to ascertain her status as a child and adult. Diverse social checks imposed by parents also make her think differently. A few factors of state of mental stresses on girl teenagers are;

o one, why so many restriction are imposed by mother; what to do and what not;

otwo, she also finds herself confined from a liberal free growing attitude of a child to growing adult female;

othree she gets engrossed in analyzing within herself; as to why some many restriction are imposed on her and not on her brother;

ofour her own biological body changes such as commencement of menstruation cycle and development of breast etc;

ofive development of various complications like severe pain in thighs, stomach, head and lower back and;

oSix increased sense of self consciousness of exposing her legs, breast and other body parts thus becoming obsessed with possessive and defensive visual attitude.

oSeventh, she is confined to social etiquettes as a female and not as a child. If girl is closer to mother, she shares her thought or else; she confides to her best friends. If friends are sensible nothing goes wrong otherwise, the teenager might go astray. I suggest that the mothers must interact at night before going to bed to asses their children mental strengths and weaknesses during transition of body changes.

oEighth the pressure from parent, teachers and self to perform well in studies for children not involving sports.

oNinth a few teenagers who take part in extra curricular activities and sports also find added pressure of doing well.

Though most of the boys exhibit carefree attitude, but by and large, they are more under mental stress than girls. The boys have to live up to the family legacy of inherited social status. In certain cases, the mental stress is so much that the boys collapse under the credence of uncomfortable requirements. The parents begin to expect sharing of increased family responsibilities and commitments from boys. They generally undergo:

oOne, stress of sharing increased parent's expectations;

oTwo, enhanced anticipated social responsibilities in the society;

oThree, intense pressure of performing well all as round development;

oFour; pressure to perform well in other than academics;

oFive; increased expectation of parents to share daily household routine activities;

oSix; over burden to do well in studies thus forcing boys to attend numerous extra coaching and tuition classes daily;

oSeven; of course to pursue family line of business to earn livelihood;

oEight; remain always under mental pressure to live up to the expectations of over ambitious parent whose social standings are at stake for nothing and;

oNinth; the last but not the least is if a teenager has become victim of some greed and already taken a wrong step such as gambling, drug consumptions, liquor addictions or sexual misadventures at premature age both by boys and girls.

After analyzing the state of MSSR issues, I would suggest a few RBA symptoms to identify disturbed teenagers to take preventive steps and corrective measures to avert loss of life. During my studies, I have observed that most of the teenagers who had committed suicide had exhibited a set pattern of behavioral change amongst them. I have enlisted most of the obvious symptoms to identify before a teenager's commit suicide. one, child becomes irritant and tries to view every act of parent suspiciously; two becomes very violent and authoritative with younger siblings but tries to avoid facing elder brothers/sisters at home; three child follows a retired hurt syndrome; fourth he tries to remain alone thus isolating self specially when at home; five develop erratic behavior of absentmindedness and forgetfulness; sixth child expresses very fearsome timid or totally bold conduct to conceal mistakes; seventh he often remains absent from school; eighth all such children exhibit disobedient and submissive mind-set; ninth developing and reflecting an arrogance and argumentative nature; and tenth the most important and apparent reason is the mismanagement of time at home and school. The child will either not complete home work or miss classes with out parent's knowledge. In all the cases, he exhibits fear, worrisome and fretful approach.

You will agree with me that until unless you neglect your child to such extent that he has too commit suicide, than it would be wise to say "we are not fit to be good parents". I, therefore, fell that there is a constant need to keep a check on your teenager if he is behaving suspiciously. I repeat that keeping close eye and monitoring your child should not be misunderstood as spying. I have observed some of the teenagers in USA behave very violently when they came to know that their parents were trying to know their where about.

After discussing the various mental stresses, behavioral attributes, I would analyze the Visual Changes Disorder or generally I nick named it VCD conflict. At this stage, a child undergoes and develops a severe Internal Psychological Rationale Inconsistency (IPRI) condition of mind. An alert mother or father can easily find out from the activities of her/his child. When child is put under various restrictions, he gets confused. Some times, child finds that many restrictions imposed by parents are not being followed by them, thus leaving an iota of doubt in his mind in differentiating as to what is right and wrong? Three obvious indicators are to identify such stage of child; one he becomes aversive in conduct; two reflects repulsive nature; and three always acts in a justifiable manner to prove his point of arguments for every wrong. The IPRI state of mind is the ultimate decision making approach. I recommend that parent had to follow my CCPA theory of handling such child. The Calm, Cool and Patience Approach model of handling child is developed after nearly twenty years of continuous studies.

What, I CCPA actually meant is one, be Calm while hearing your child, two behave compositely and always act Coolly while interacting; three always be Patience while taking decision deciding your child's career, studies and social responsibilities.

In addition to the aforesaid problems, I have also observed that there are some more
strong Mental Disorders (MD) qualities, which such children have, by and large, reflected before ending their lives. These are:

oThe first MD is Right Adamant Syndrome (RAS) is very dominant attribute
observed amongst most of the children who committed suicide. RAS means that a child tries to justify his every action without understanding the implications. He believes that whatsoever, he is doing it is right and he cannot take any wrong step. Under such condition, the parents have to follow Listen to Interact and Discuss (LID) approach. Under no condition, force your decisions. You should listen to your children patiently and discuss various solutions with them. Remember, your actions are to avert tragedy and not force your decision. I have also observed that at this time the parents also suffer from I Am Right (IAR) disorder. Due this IAR approach, parents become insistent and force their will on children thus further alienating the child.

oThe second MD leads to Leave - Me Alone Disorder (L-MAD). This disorder is
very strongly seen amongst all teenagers when they are fifteen or sixteen years old. Such children, who are crossing the age of adolescence and entering in adulthood, often reflect L-MAD traits. Whenever you find your child is victim of this trait please follow concept of mix and deal (MAD). Under such conditions, become friendly with your teen and try to make him part of some important family decisions so that he is not isolated and willingly share his concern with parents. MAD concept requires regular interaction on weekly and fortnightly basis meetings with the teenagers. Parents must remember that when your child begin to frequently say Leave - Me Alone, think that some thing is wrong. Follow MAD to deal L-MAD.

oThe third MD relates to Lack of Faith Arrogance Stimulus (LFAS). LFAS is
evident in most of the cases of children going astray. When, children are unable to meet ever increasing education pressure, than they suffer from LFAS personality clash. You will observe that under such conditions your children will reflect lack of faith every where. Your child will be shy in approaching parents for wrongs and reserve in discussing various problems with their parents. In these conditions, children generally exhibit most of the obvious signs. This is the most dangerous sign of a child before committing suicide. To overcome the problem, I recommend that parents should adopt the concept of Trust My Faith (TMF) conduct. Make sure that your children pose total faith in you that irrespective of the errors, they are not going to be physically assault and humiliated. Remember, errors can be rectified but once life is gone, it cannot be revived. TMF is an ongoing process which has to be implemented from the day you are blessed with a child.

Not confining to above, I have also observed the four different attributes amongst neglected teens.
One; they carryout certain acts to draw attention of their parents to stress out MD;
Two; such teens begin to feel that they have grown enough to take responsibilities and make decisions;
Three; when checked they get very frequently irritated and;
Four; some of the teenagers remain confused, and act to distract parent's attention.

I have coined a few quotes which can be placed inside house in dining hall, guest,
children and study rooms so that children read frequently to gain faith amongst working parents. One, "Work and study Hard, to become a Good Human being"; two "You are my precious gift of God, I trust, your all actions would be for Good of others"; three "love thy parent to love thy God"; Good Children never hide any thing from their Parent; and "Wherever you are, I am with you my child".

Nevertheless withstanding the above suggestions, I also recommend observing your teenagers activities to guide and mould and not to rebuke and reprimand. You're your teenager suffer from isolation and depression, he shows a sudden change in his/her behavior with parents and elders. Such children should be kept under constant conversation through interaction. Never spy on your teen; but make him believe that you are keeping an eye to help him and solve his problem. You will agree that girls as comparative to boys, are placed under many restrictions by their elders due to various social raisons d'être. I suggest that all parents should maintain close relationships with their children after they cross the age of twelve:

oone, mother with girl and father with boy must interact minimum once a day. Try to have always share one meal either breakfast, lunch or dinner on dinning table or mat; If you missed any meal, you should seek excuse saying Quote" Sorry, over work kept away" Join you next meal".

otwo must interact with your children for minimum an hour or so once a fortnight;

othree once a week spare time to make teens believe that you have taken break only for them;

ofour share lighter veins moment with them before going to bed as Daadi Maa (grand mother) Tales;

ofive never let your child feel isolated. Parent should remember that their asset is their children and not work.

oSix, how over committed you may be it is immaterial to your teen; but how approachable are you matters most?

At last, I would analyse in my next series as to what teenagers think when they enters teenage. My daughters say that there is a tendency amongst all teenagers to ascertain their positions at home, school and with in friends. How they do is so obvious that parents can easily differentiate between a cared and neglected teenager. Most of the working parents feel that by dropping and picking up children from school gates ends their responsibilities towards growing teenagers. Some parents feel that by pumping bundles of notes in their teenager's pockets they have done their share of bit. Such parents are grossly wrong as most of the teenagers are hungry for LPC (Love, Passion and Company).

Before, I proceed further; let me convey my appreciation and sincere thanks to all Ezine esteem readers for supporting the movement of Suicide Free Teenagers Year of 1007 (SFTY-007).

The True Cause of Depression

About two years ago a patient of mine, Mr. Burndt, committed suicide. When his wife, who was also my patient, told me the news at one of her visits, I was shocked. Fully aware that 40% of older patients who are suicidal visit their primary care doctors within one week of killing themselves, I found myself wondering over and over how I'd missed recognizing the severity of his distress. I'd known he'd been suffering from depression but had thought it mild.

But even more shocking than the news of his suicide was the reason his wife gave for it: six months earlier, he'd been involved in a car accident and had inadvertently killed a pedestrian. In the end, he simply couldn't live with the guilt.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) classifies depression into the following types (there are even more, but these cover the basics):

1. Dysthymia. In essence, having a depressed mood on most days for at least two years.


2. Major Depressive Disorder. In addition to feeling "down" as in dysthymia, other characteristics may include excessive feelings of guilt and suicidal ideation, as well as various physical symptoms like loss of hunger and fatigue. It can be mild, moderate, or severe.


3. Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood. This is grief due to a loss of some kind (which itself can be classified as normal or complicated).


4. Depression NOS (not otherwise specified). Includes things like premenstrual depression and seasonal depression (SAD).


5. Secondary depression. Depression due to an underlying medical disorder like Cushing's disease or hypothyroidism.

Though not in DSM-IV, some practitioners further classify depression into two broad types:

• Endogenous (or chemical) depression to denote depression that arises without an obvious identifiable cause, thought to reflect some kind of "chemical imbalance" in the brain.


• Exogenous (or external) depression which is thought to arise from a specific, identifiable external cause.

Given this confusing and non-parallel classification scheme it's astonishing doctors don't become depressed themselves as they try to figure out into which bucket their patient's depression fits!

How can we make sense of all this and, more importantly, understand the real cause of depression in order to augment the effectiveness of currently available therapies?

MIND VS. BRAIN

First, we need to recognize the distinction between chemical and external depression has become outdated. Many neuroscientists have suggested that the mind arises from, and is actually caused by, the physical brain, meaning chemical and electrical reactions somehow give rise to thoughts and emotions. Evidence in support of this theory can be found in numerous studies that show altering brain chemistry with anti-depressant drugs (chemicals) can make depressed people feel better emotionally. The same is true for anxiolytics (like Valium) and their effect on anxiety.

But recently, with the advent of functional MRI scans (fMRI), we now have proof the opposite is equally true, that changes in thinking cause significant, measurable changes in brain chemistry and functioning. In one study, patients suffering from spider phobia underwent fMRI scanning before and after receiving cognitive behavioral therapy aimed at eliminating their fear of spiders. Scans were then compared to normal subjects without spider phobia. Results showed that brain function in patients with spider phobia before receiving cognitive behavioral therapy were abnormal compared to subjects without spider phobia but then changed to match normal brain patterns after cognitive behavioral therapy. This may represent the best evidence to date that changes made at the mind level are able to functionally "rewire" the brain, and that the brain and the mind are more mutually influential than we'd previously thought. It certainly supports the Buddhist view that brain and mind are in fact only two sides of the same coin, or different ways of viewing the same single thing.

DEPRESSION ALWAYS HAS A CAUSE

Where, then, does the true cause of depression lie? I would argue that depression arises at its core from a belief that we're powerless to solve our problems.

This is clearly true with people who know why they're depressed: invariably, once they figure out how to solve their particular problem, their depression lifts. But I would also argue this holds true for people who are depressed for no reason they know. Why? Because thoughts can trigger feelings that remain stirred up long after the thoughts themselves have been forgotten. Some studies have suggested people think upwards of 12,000 thoughts per day. How could we ever remember them all? Yet a fleeting thought we might have had this morning about the possibility of losing our job can and often does leave an emotional residue that lasts hours, days, weeks, or even longer. I would argue, therefore, any depression that appears to be "chemical" is more likely caused by a thought that simply isn't remembered--a thought about a problem we don't believe we can solve.

Further, sometimes what appears to be a "chemical" depression is caused by a thought that isn't directly or consciously recognized. These thoughts are often about problems that seem so unbearably awful and unsolvable we literally don't want (and often refuse) to think about them (such as our becoming jobless or the prospect of our own death).

Finally, I believe the commonly accepted idea that some forms of depression like depression NOS and secondary depression (#4 and #5 above) are caused by chemical or hormonal abnormalities overstates the case. I'd suggest an alternative explanation, that these forms of depression have a chemical or hormonal influence--reducing our ability to believe we can solve our problems but not entirely eliminating it. At first glance this might not appear to be a significant distinction given how incredibly difficult it is to believe in our ability to solve problems, for example, when experiencing premenstrual syndrome. But knowing intellectually we can win even if we're having a hard time believing it can help to sustain the most valuable thing depression tends to reduce: hope.

HOW CAN WE HELP OURSELVES?

None of this is by any means to say we can simply decide to believe we can solve a particular problem when no solution is obvious or forthcoming. Changing any belief, whether consciously recognized or not, is literally one of the hardest things to do. But armed with a clearer understanding of the true cause of depression we can consider the following steps to help ourselves:

1. Find a way to raise your life-condition. Your inner life state has more to do with your ability to believe you can solve your problems than anything that may be actually going on in your life. If your thoughts are swirling in despair, take action to break free of them and attain a fresh perspective. Become immersed in a great book that moves you or watch a movie that transports you. Exercise. Go where it's warm. Chant nam-myoho-renge-kyo. In short, do what you know from experience bounces your thinking to a more optimistic place.


2. Identify the problem or problems you don't think you can solve. It's amazing how often you don't know why you're depressed and how helpful it can be to figure it out. Making a list of everything that's bothering you--a sort of stream-of-consciousness rant on paper--can be a fantastically helpful exercise. Or if you do know why you're depressed, recognizing the cause isn't that you have a problem per se but rather that you have a problem you don't believe you can solve can be remarkably empowering. Also, sometimes we become depressed not because we have one problem we believe we can't solve but because we have multiple problems we believe we can't solve. Handling challenges can be likened to balancing a "plate" of a certain size: if we pile too many problems onto it, not only do we risk having it topple over, we often find ourselves wanting to pitch the whole thing on purpose. When this is the case, allow yourself to only worry about and focus on solving one problem at a time.


3. Identify the reason a problem seems unsolvable. As I pointed out in a previous post, Changing Poison Into Medicine, many things erroneously cause us to conclude we're deadlocked, chief among them our inability to identify a solution to our problem right now.


4. Recognize that your thoughts are profoundly influenced by your mood. Once depression has established itself, it takes on an insidious life of it's own, further diminishing your belief in your ability to solve problems, your ability to plan, and your ability to have hope for the future. In this way the cause of any depression always reinforces itself.


5. Remember that your depressed self is not your true self. Whatever life-condition you find yourself in at any one moment always feels like the only life-condition you've ever had or will have. But your life-condition can and often does change literally from moment to moment.


6. Understand that anti-depressants only treat the symptoms of depression. None of the foregoing has been intended as a denial that anti-depressant medication plays a critical role in the treatment of depression. In the right patient, anti-depressants reduce the symptoms of suffering exceptionally well and can be literally life-saving. But they can't make anyone actually happy because happiness isn't merely the absence of suffering. The best approach, in my view, is to treat the symptoms of depression with anti-depressants (or cognitive therapy or even electroconvulsive therapy) at the same time you address the underlying cause of the depression itself.

I fully recognize that as a means to battle depression - especially a deep, all-consuming depression - these suggestions are inadequate. My point in making them, however, is to emphasize that the single most effective means to resolve a depression is to find a way to tap into our immense power to solve problems.

In a sense, we're all on a journey to find just such a way. For me, the practice of Buddhism has been a consistently effective means by which to win over obstacles I didn't believe I could, a tool that has enabled me to manifest wisdom, courage, and most importantly concrete solutions I don't believe I would have stumbled upon had I not been practicing. If you have a different means that your experience has demonstrated works, stick with it. If not, spur yourself on to explore other paths until you find one that proves it has real power.

In retrospect, I wish I'd suggested to Mr. Burdnt that he think about his guilt over the death of the pedestrian he caused as a problem to be solved - and more importantly as a problem that could be solved. Perhaps had I also begun him on an anti-depressant medication to stave off what were obviously strong suicidal thoughts, he might have had time to work through his guilt. Perhaps he could have shaken loose from its grip in time to forgive himself, and his depression might have lifted. But I'll never know. And that's a problem I have to solve for myself.

Bipolar Disorder - Not A Mental Disorder

Bipolar disorder is not a specific diagnosis. Rather, it covers a spectrum of mood disorders. It is on that basis that I state that it is not A mental disorder. Rather, it is collection of specific independent diagnoses which, grouped together, are referred to as the bipolar spectrum. This collection of mental disorders are considered to be amongst the hardest mental disorders to accurately diagnose.

There are a number of factors which make diagnosing it as being from within the bipolar spectrum difficult. If that is correctly achieved there can be further difficulty in specifying exactly which type of specific disorder is present. An accurate diagnosis makes a successful treatment far easier to achieve.

Manic depressive disorder, now more commonly known as bipolar disorder, can have a devastating effect on the life of anyone afflicted with it. It can take complete control of that person's life. This occurs as the afflicted person experiences mad manic episodes or one of those major depressive episodes. This type of bipolar is known as bipolar, type 1. Many people consider this the worst possible specific diagnosis of the disorder one can get. Not only that, it can severely affect the life of friends and loved ones of anyone so afflicted. Even when "normal" friends, loved ones and the afflicted person can be living in fear of when the next episode will occur.

As is often the case with depression it can lead to attempted suicide or even suicide. There are a number of websites on the internet which quote that one person out of two diagnosed with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide at some stage in their life. Worse still, the statistics indicate that one in twenty persons with the disorder will succeed. Statistics also indicate that if a good treatment regime is in place the risk of attempted or successful suicide is greatly reduced.

If you fear that a friend or loved one with bipolar disorder might be considering suicide seek help urgently. There are many avenues available. A good starting point could be afflicted person's health professional. This is such an important topic that I will be devoting an entire article to it in the near future.

Next down is a diagnosis of bipolar type 2. Here the manic episodes do not normally occur. Instead a hypomanic episode is experienced. These can result in:

1) Happy, excited and joyful feelings
2) Talking more, faster and often louder
3) Increased energy, more activity and an inability to sit still
4) Increased sexual drive
5) Irritability and
6) Recklessness leading to poor decision-making.

The poor decision-making often relates to sexual or money matters. They are often of a very serious nature. They can lead to relationship breakdowns. Conversely hypomania can have an extremely important part to play in the successful treatment of bipolar disorder.

The next level down in a bipolar disorder diagnosis is cyclothymic disorder. With this type the highs and the lows are not as pronounced as with bipolar types 1 and 2. This might sound good. However, it does have a distinct potential disadvantage. This type can be extremely difficult to diagnose. The mood-swings can, and do, escape the notice of even the best health professionals. This is especially the case were there is a reasonably long period of normal moods between the change of mood. The potential disadvantage here is the possibility that the cyclothymic disorder may not be picked up. This leaves the afflicted person experiencing greater than normal mood-swings without treatment.

Up to now I have discussed the spectrum of bipolar disorders in terms of the levels of their highs and lows. The spectrum also includes diagnoses which take into account the frequency of the highs and the lows. The first of these is rapid cycling bipolar disorder. This diagnosis applies where the afflicted person experiences four or more episodes within a one year period. It is not unknown for two or even more episodes to occur within a twenty-four hour period. The reducing time between highs and lows can come into effect with the passage of time if the patient is not receiving satisfactory treatment for the disorder.

Another diagnosis is mixed bipolar disorder. This diagnosis applies when the afflicted person experiences the symptoms of highs and lows at the same time. Once again the conflicting, and confusing, symptoms can, and do, lead to difficulties in diagnosing mixed bipolar disorder.

Bipolar is considered to be one of the most difficult mental groupings to diagnose accurately. The first problem is the fact that it covers the two extremes of the mental health spectrum, mania and depression. The next complication is the variation in time between different patients experiencing their personal highs and lows. Also, different patients can and do cycle in a different direction. Most cycle hypomania first, (then mania if bipolar type 1), then depression. However, a number do cycle in the reverse order

All these variations in the bipolar spectrum of mood disorder do combine to make its diagnosis extremely difficult. This difficulty can lead to further difficulty in setting up a successful treatment regime for the disorder. It is common for afflicted patients to only seek treatment for depression. This can leave the health professional totally unaware of the "high" side of the disorder. The diagnosis must then be wrong because it is based on inaccurate (incomplete) information.

A complete and accurate diagnosis makes the prescription of a successful treatment regime far easier to achieve. The key to correct diagnosis is total, and accurate, communication between patient and doctor. Can you see a pattern forming here which could lead to a successful treatment for bipolar disorder?

Depression Can Be Beaten, Know the Symptoms

Depression symptoms can grip us all every now and then when things don't go the way we want them to. These symptoms are usually temporary and we are able to bounce back quickly, however when these symptoms persist for more than a few days you should not ignore them. Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy, feelings of sadness for no apparent reason, ignoring people and unable to function are all symptoms of depression. Ignoring your erratic behavior and thinking these symptoms would go away will only make things worse. Act fast on depression symptoms because if you don't it will be harder to get cured from this illness, especially when self-delusion starts to kick in.

The first thing to do would be to see your family doctor who would refer you to a reputable psychiatrist. For the psychiatrist to be able to make the proper diagnosis, you have to be truthful and tell him or her everything that you are experiencing.

There are different types of depression symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Manic or bipolar depression is one of the most severe and is characterized by sudden and extreme changes in mood. A person is fine one minute and then suddenly and without any provocation can be agitated or in an elevated euphoric state.

Dysthymia or chronic depression is a mild form of depression and affects millions of people. The symptoms can linger for long periods of time although sufferers are able to function normally. It is believed to be due to changes in serotonin, a chemical that helps the brain to cope with emotions.

Cyclothymia, another form of depression, is more serious. It resembles bipolar and consists of recurrent disturbances of either elevated euphoria or irritable mood. The mood swings can occur very quickly for no reason at all.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, as the name suggests, is another mental disorder characterized by mood swings that occur at specific seasons, especially during the fall and winter months.

Postpartum depression is depression that overcomes a new mother after giving birth. There is a prolonged feeling of sadness and emptiness. There is also an overwhelming and uncertain sense of responsibility toward the new baby. It is not certain whether the physical stress of childbirth contributes to this form of depression symptom.

The sudden mood swings from happy to sad or angry in short order can be scary to most people and the road to sound mental health can be daunting. In spite of that, help is available and there are many depression medications available to control these depression symptoms. It is really up to you to take the initiative to seek help the moment you know all is not well with you. This is also the time to lean on family and friends, as well as seek support groups for support and encouragement.

Again, the road to recovery can be long, however if the patient follows the doctor's orders, take their medications as instructed as well as therapy sessions with a cognitive behavior therapist, there is no reason why these depression symptoms cannot be suppressed. Just set realistic goals and accept help from family and friends and before you know it life can be enjoyable again.

The Hearing Test and Depression

A hearing test could help with depression or anxiety. If you notice that you or someone you love seems depressed, anxious, or just out of sorts, you would be wise to consider what needs to be done. Depression and anxiety are usually symptoms of an underlying problem. If you are struggling with your ability to hear, that may be the problem without you even realizing that it is.

If you have always been able to hear fine, you may have never pictured what it is like to have a problem like this. Perhaps your problem has been coming on gradually, and maybe now you are at a point where you really feel like you are separated from the group because you just cannot understand conversations. Maybe you are beginning to read faces and try to follow in that way. One of these times, you may slip-up and be embarrassed because of it.

Embarrassment may cause you to stay home from parties, and before you know it, you will be feeling lonely and depressed. When you do go out in public, you might feel anxious. The underlying cause is an inability to hear. Unfortunately, many people likely go through what you are feeling every day.

If you know that your problem is because you cannot hear, then you should go and get a hearing test. A clinic will help you know what steps to take next so that you can get over this hurdle that is keeping you back from loving life.

It is important to really get a handle on this quickly. The way you think and feel can easily become habitual, and you may still have a difficult time once you are not struggling to hear. Make an appointment to get in for a free hearing test, and from that moment on, try to control the way you think and allow yourself to feel. Remind yourself that your feelings are based on your perceptions of how others react to you because you cannot hear. Remind yourself that you might be acting strangely because you have not been able to hear well.

Going and getting a hearing test is the first step in the right direction. From there, you might need some counsel so that you can learn how to think correctly and positively again. Before you know it, you will be yourself and be interacting with friend as you once did.

What Is The Difference Between Clinical Depression And Depression?

Millions of people worldwide suffer from depression at some point in their lives. But depression can be simple or severe. Knowing the differences between them is very important in coping with the problem effectively.

Definition: Simple Depression vs Clinical Depression

Simple depression is exactly what it is - a normal reaction to things and situations that may or may not be expected but which affects your life in a negative way. Clinical depression, on the other hand, is depression of the more severe kind. It is, in fact, a mood disorder that needs to be diagnosed and treated properly. Depression of this kind is of several forms:

• Dysthymia - it's a chronic type of depression. It may not be very severe but presents with symptoms that have been persisting for at least a couple of years.


• Major clinical depression - a more severe type of depression that affects one's activities day in and day out. Depression of this form extends from a few weeks to months.


• Bipolar disorder - this has got to be the most severe form of depression whereby the sufferer goes through alternating periods of mania and depression.

Symptoms: Simple Depression vs Clinical Depression

When one has simple depression he feels sad, lonely, or simply "out of it". The feelings are not intense so as to affect him in a major way. Many regard a person with simple depression as "having the blues". But with clinical depression, the symptoms are more severe. The feelings of sadness are such that cause physical, behavioral, and emotional changes, such as:

• Sleep disruptions.


• Changes in eating habits (they could be in the form of overeating or loss of appetite).


• Indigestion or stomach problems.


• Loss of concentration.


• Loss of interest to do anything productive.


• Lack of interest in performing basic hygienic practices.


• Crying bouts.


• Agitation.


• Feelings of worthlessness.

Duration and Treatment: Simple Depression vs Clinical Depression

Simple depression never lasts more than a few days. The person is able to bounce right back to his or her usual self without getting any form of medical treatment, although making some changes in one's daily activities living (including eating habits) can be of great help.

Clinical depression on the other hand may go on for weeks, even months, and yes treatment is often necessary. Among those that will be suggested to individuals with this type of depression are the following:

• Psychotherapy. Conducted by a specialist on mental health care, psychotherapy aims to assist depressed individuals to cope with their depression on a constructive (not destructive) manner. The psychotherapist helps individuals learn how to set and reach their own goals.


• Medications. Medications, specifically anti-depressants or mood lifters, are prescribed to individuals suffering from depression. These drugs are prescription drugs and cannot be bought over-the-counter. They have to be taken for months for one to appreciate their positive effects. Negative drug reactions that include weight gain and loss of libido have been reported.


• Electroconvulsive therapy. Now this may sound like a drastic procedure, and it can be! Electroconvulsive therapy involves the application of electrodes that deliver a current to your brain. The effect is pretty much like having a seizure. But, while it may be effective in managing some symptoms of depression, it can trigger memory loss.


• Vitamins. There appears to be a link between low levels of Vitamins D, B12 and Folic Acid and depression, and so increasing your body's supply of these essential vitamins may help a lot in reducing the symptoms of depression.


• Omega-3 Fatty Acids. These essential fatty acids are especially beneficial in brain development and function. Making sure you have enough of these fatty acids in your system goes a long way in preventing and treating depression symptoms.


• Natural Remedies. St. John's Wort and Kava-Kava are two herbal remedies that are helpful in warding off depression.

Bipolar: When Routine Is Interrupted and Depression Sets In

I have noticed from research and my own personal experience that if your wife loses routine that is probably going to be a great start in the pendulum swinging for either a mania or depression episode. Routine is extremely important (often very challenging to achieve) in a person with bipolar disorder. Even the slightest routine changes can really throw off someone with bipolar disorder. A few simple examples would be, the holidays, going on vacation, getting the flu or a cold, and trouble sleeping. It is very often simple out of ordinary routine that starts a snowball effect towards an episode. We obviously don't have the ability to keep everything constantly in perfect routine. That is simply not a part of reality, things happen, vacations occur, and our bodies get sick. We must help our wives when routine is lost.

HERE ARE THE THINGS YOUR WIFE MUST DO DURING ROUTINE BREAKS AND INCONSISTENCY

• Keep taking medications, try to take medications at the same time every day. Help them stay consistent so that they are less likely to miss doses and fall into depression.


• Make sure that they are getting adequate rest. If they stop sleeping well that is a tell-tale sign that something is off.


• Make sure they don't overdo it on caffeine or alcoholic beverages


• Take all necessary steps to keep as much routine as possible and a minimal change if possible.

It is not uncommon for Bipolar people to become depressed after being sick, going on vacation, or having company in town. Follow those steps mentioned above with your wife to help prevent such vulnerability to mood problems after a change in routine. The most common episode that follows routine breaks, is depression.
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Depression

Depression in Bipolar Disorder is usually more than just a few days of feeling low. In fact usually the type of depression experienced in bipolar patients is "clinical Depression". This Depression often includes some or all of the following symptoms.

CLINICAL DEPRESSION

• Sadness/unhappiness


• Low/no self-esteem


• Zero motivation


• Negative thinking


• Irritability


• Weight loss


• Loss of appetite


• Low/no sex drive


• Fatigue


• Worry/anxiety


• Suicidal thoughts

Even mild depression can seriously interrupt one's life. Major depression can interrupt work, home life, school, and all different types of relationships. This time can be extremely painful for the depressed and also the family and friends of the depressed person. The duration of clinical depression varies from person to person but is not uncommon at all to last for months on end. Depression is extremely disruptive because it affects the brain so substantially that it can if serious enough affect the body and makes the person physically ill as well. Clinical depression usually is shown in two different types of forms. It is usually brought out in the person either being unhappy and mean, or clingy, sad, and overly emotional. Both forms of depression are parts of clinical depression and both can be overwhelmingly difficult on the husband. The husband tends to feel unable to help their wife in any way.

Alcohol and Depression - Giving Up For Your Health

One night at a party, I had three drinks and two tequila shots. I was on top of the world! I was the best dancer and most interesting person in the party. I was sooo happy I went to sleep with a smile on my face. The next day, not so much. After a couple of years of the "day after party" ritual of mandatory headaches, and need for gallons and gallons of water, I started waking up with a disturbing lethargy and grumpiness that was not characteristic. At first, it was just the day after, then, the couple of days after. And then, it never left. I was always tired, unhappy, emotional, hopeless. I was depressed."

Depression is a usual and not at all expected consequence of alcohol consumption. Alcohol, at the moment it is consumed, can bring a jittery, top of the world feeling that intoxicates people with the notion of invincibility. But alcohol, in fact, is not an upper but a downer and its long term effects are a lot more related with depression than with any form of happiness.

Here is how it works: Alcohol lowers the chemicals in your brain that give you your good feelings, serotonin and norepinephrine, and nullifies the effects of stress hormones, making you feel unhappy and stressed the next day. In a recent study, people were cut off drinking completely after drinking one drink per day for a period of time. After three months, their depression scores on the standard depression inventories had improved. Also, according to the psychiatry branch of the National Institute of Health (NIH), alcohol has been proven to activate a gene that causes depression and other mental health issues, including manic-depressive episodes and seizures.

Symptoms of depression may include:

o Overwhelming feelings of grief or sadness.
o Feeling worthless, hopeless or helpless.
o Not having energy, feeling tired all the time.
o Trouble making decisions and/or concentrating.
o Little interest in what used to be usual activities. Change in sleeping patterns - sleeping more or less than usual
o Change in eating patterns - eating more or less than usual.
o Avoiding people.
o Lowered sex drive.

In addition, alcohol can lower the levels of folic acid in the body, speeding up the aging brain process and increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. How's that for feeling depressed. A curious note is that alcohol is linked to depression no matter the sex, but in men the alcohol more often precedes depression, whereas in women, depression precedes alcohol consumption. So, in general, men become depressed from drinking, while women drink because they are depressed.

Using alcohol to distract oneself from depression is dangerous and ineffective. You may feel better in the moment, but in the long run it just makes things worse. Why not visit http://www.alcoholfreereview.com for more options and information about alcohol and its effects.

How to Support People With Depression

Depression is quite a common word amongst people as it is the second most occurring disease in human beings. It is a mental disease that affects millions all over the world. Right from kids, adolescents, adults and old people can suffer from this serious mental illness. People suffering from depression generally found in the state of sadness and blues. Depression has so many types associated with it. Some of the types of depression are very dangerous and some of them are mild. Women are more susceptible to depression. The exact cause of depression has still not been discovered, researches are still going on to find out the exact reason. However it is believed that depression is due to the chemical imbalances in the brain system. People suffering with depression commonly exhibit following symptoms:

1. Sadness and irritation almost all day.

2. Loss of energy or fatigue.

3. Socially inactive.

4. Decreased interest in daily activities that generally enjoyed by sufferer in the normal life

5. The feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness trouble the sufferer almost all day long.

6. They find it difficult to get off to sleep, they usually sleep too less or too much (exceptional case).

7. They find themselves inferior amongst others because of lower self esteem.

8. Poor appetite, because of which they might gain or loose significant amount of weight.

9. Headache and abdominal pain is another symptom that people suffering from depression usually exhibit.

10. Suicidal tendencies are also observed in depressed people.

People with depression usually exhibit 5 to 6 of the above listed symptoms. They need to seek immediate help as soon as they find themselves suffering from these symptoms. If proper treatment not sought at the right time, the affects may disrupt their lives. People suffering from depression need plenty of support from friends, family, relatives or neighbors. Following are the ways you can support people with depression:

1. People suffering from depression need your emotional support if you are his family or friends. Engage the depressed person in conversation to divert his attention from all those things that depress the sufferer.

2. Monitor a depressed person make sure he or she follows the treatment method properly. Also make sure your depressed friend does not use alcohol to reduce depression, as alcohol is a depressant and worsens depression.

3. In severe cases you might have to accompany your depressed friend to doctor.

4. Try to remind sufferer about his positive accomplishments, it will help him getting out from state of lows, and will also put positive energy in him.

5. Try to engage your concerned depressed person in fun activities to energies him.

6. Make sure there is no negativity around the sufferer.

7. You can accompany sufferer to gym, or encourage him to exercise daily for an hour, do not hesitate if you also need to exercise along with depressed to motivate him.

8. Put some positive energy in depressed by assuring him about his good health.

Feeling Down? Saddle Up

Depression can be debilitating. It can come out of no where and kick you from behind. Knocking you down for the count. Some people can't even manage to get out of bed when they are depressed. Have you suffered from depression before? Most people have been plagued with depression at some point in their life. New research is showing that horses can help lift your mood and get you on the road to recovery.

People with depression often have trouble focusing on the present instead of past/future events. Interestingly, being in the presence of a horse can help with this. Horses are prey animals and their survival depends on reading body language of the herd for potential dangers. When you interact with a horse you join their herd. Quickly they will begin reading your body language. So, if you are agitated, distracted or aggressive the horse will pick up this behavior and mirror it back to you. Instant feedback from the horse will guide your mood and behavior very quickly. A simple thirty minute connection with a horse can change your mood for hours.

This instant connection and having the horse accept you into it's herd can also alleviate many other symptoms of depression such as feeling lonely, isolated and misunderstood. You won't have the exhausting task of explaining anything to anyone or acting in a way you don't feel. Horses accept you for who you are as long as you are calm, peaceful and mindful. This can be comforting to a depression sufferer when it seems impossible to even smile. In addition, being accepted for who you are encourages healing. Horses have an ability to break through emotional walls and melt away facades, leaving you with a feeling of a whole new you!

Just being on the ground and grooming a horse has all of these positive effects but riding is an even better way to battle depression. Riding is physically strenuous for the core of your body. This physical activity wakes your body and will encourage it to release feel good endorphins after the exertion. Not only will you be releasing endorphins and getting fit, you will also be able to connect with nature.

Winston Churchill said, "there is something about the inside of a horse that is good for the inside of man". This quote couldn't be any more accurate. If you suffer from depression, this may be an option for you. Check out local horseback riding stables and take advantage of the positive effects horses can offer.

Feeling Blue? Say Hello To SAD - Autumn Depression

One of the recognized types of depression is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The problem is that for most of us SAD is a normal state of body and mind during the darker months of the year, so we don't give it as much attention as it deserves.

The symptoms of autumn depression usually involve drowsiness during the day, sleeping long hours and having trouble waking up, lots of comfort eating (especially carbohydrates) and weight gain, loss of interest in usual activities, lower sexual libido, feeling down during the day... You see? Normally I would attribute all I've just listed to my body trying to adapt to winter clock.

There are few theories of why we are affected by SAD.

Some people say it happens because of lack of chemical serotonin in the brain, but it doesn't explain the seasonal link. I agree with the different theory - lack of natural light. Without it our body secretes too much hormone melatonin, which affects our mood and sleeping patterns. However, it's not the only reason, because medication suppressing melatonin in our body doesn't get rid of seasonal affective disorder.

Autumn depression treatment consists of few factors.

First, you can use self-help - spend more time outdoors during the light hours, sit next to windows if possible, bring more colour in your life, especially orange, don't plan on anything major in your life during autumn and winter, leave it till spring and summer, eat well and exercise.

Secondly, there are depression therapies you can try:

- Cognitive-behavioural therapy, where they teach you how to process all negative thoughts and respond to them;

- Light therapy which involves a special bright daylight lamps or light bulbs, and even sunrise stimulating lights, that gradually wake you up in the morning;

- At last, antidepressant medications - just don't forget that you will have to start taking them before your SAD starts and continue until spring, as it takes time for them to begin working.

All in all, if you suspect you suffer from SAD, my advice is to check first with the doctor. The chances are if you had the same symptoms for two years he would diagnose you with SAD, but he'd still need to rule out other types of depression.

Tell you friends and relatives about it and let them help you. Also you can find a support group for SAD near you, you just never know.

So, anyone here suffers from SAD? How do you fight it? Reach out and share your experience.

Symptoms of Depression That You Need To Know

While estimated to affect up to 20 million American adult every year, depression can be easily diagnosed and treated. All of us suffer from sadness at one time or another but people with true depression suffers from recurring and frequent long term symptoms. But if we all suffer from sadness or feelings of being depressed from time to time, how do you know if you already have a depression problem?

Here are some depression symptoms to help you. Not all people have all the same symptoms or even at the same time. If you suspect your or someone you know may be suffering from depression the best thing to do is consult a doctor.

- Unexplained crying

- Lethargy

- Indecisiveness and difficulty in concentrating

- Anger, worry, worry, agitation and irritability

- Prolonged sadness

- Negativity or pessimism

- Loss of energy

- Thoughts of death and suicide

- Unexplained body aches and pains

- Social withdrawal

- Feelings of guilt and sense of worthlessness

- Irregular sleep patterns and loss of appetite

- Fatigue even without heavy physical activity

- Lack of interest to surroundings

A medical check-up for depression will include a complete physical examination to rule out any other health problems and to get a detailed clinical history. When being diagnosed, you must be honest with your feelings to help the doctor arrive at the correct diagnosis. Though we've listed the most common depression symptoms above, never do any self diagnosis or rely on unqualified opinions from friends or family. Only a trained medical practitioner can determine if you are indeed suffering from depression and he will be able to help in recommending the proper care for you.

Also note that one type of depression is recurrent, this means the depression episodes regularly happen. This could be as regular as once a month or as far between as several years.

Depression must never be covered up. Do not be ashamed or embarrassed if you are diagnosed with depression. You should accept the problem and seek medical assistance. No one is immune from depression. People from all walks of life, ethnic groups and ages could be affected. And as mentioned earlier, over 20 million suffer from it every year so realize that you are not alone.

Believe and want to get cured and you have won half the battle in overcoming this condition.

Patients Ask - Do Hormone Imbalances Cause Depression?

A lot of people have been asking, "Do hormone imbalances cause depression?" Both physical and mental symptoms have been presented by patients due to abnormal levels different hormones in the body affecting the cells in both the brain and muscles. Several studies have also been conducted showing the relationship which can help people find treatment and prevention.

Excess Estrogen

Excess estrogen may mean either having too much estrogen being produced or having too less progesterone to balance the effects. Doctors find that several patients with hormone imbalance experience agitated depression which is a state combing both elements of depression and excitation or agitation. Women describe it as a sense of restlessness and irritability compounded by insomnia at an extent. Estrogens are described as excitotoxins when present in high levels. Estrogen dominance is considered as mild estrogen toxicity wherein patients feel like jumping out of their skin or having an electrical charge in their system.

Estrogen is then discovered to create passivity and agitation. The addition of other substances containing excitotoxins such as aspartame or caffeine can exacerbate symptoms. Effects can last for years depending on the patient's response. It has then become a fact that hormone imbalance can cause depression in women since hormones are actually chemicals affecting substances in the brain responsible for mood. This the same as hormone changes experienced during labor or menstrual cycles. Women often go through temporary or short-term depression during such cases.

Hormones and Neurotransmitters

Hormones and neurotransmitters are both natural-occurring substances in the body with a complex interaction and links that can help explain the changes in physical and mental aspects during hormone imbalance. Hormones circulate through the bloodstream and act to help cells and organs properly. Neurotransmitters are more specific in their role of boosting or reducing chemical signals between particular nerve cells to gain specific responses.

There are so-called stress hormones that particularly cause depression medically. Stress and depression are highly associated. When a person's response or ability to cope to stress is impaired, stress hormones can accumulate thereby causing a variety of mental symptoms leading to depression. Emotional arousal is triggered by various neurochemicals in the brain and hormones in the bloodstream which can hinder physical activities and mental capabilities.

Serotonin and norepinephrine are neurotransmitters particularly responsible for enhancing mood. However, low levels of these have been found in depressed individuals with a specific correlation with hormone imbalance spurring doctors to provide a diagnosis of clinical depression. However, low serotonin levels can be either a symptom or cause of depression. If a person engages in pleasure-giving activities or minimize stress, more serotonin is being produced and vice-versa. Depression can also cause added chemical changes in the brain which determines the duration of the condition.

Dealing with Stress

Stress is a triggering factor that can affect hormone imbalance. The body views stress as a type of threat resulting to the "fight or flight" response. The body will either try to fight back the perceived threat by reinforcing itself and improving overall performance and function of cells or organs or it will try to preserve and protect itself by avoiding the perceived threat. Some occurrences in the body include heightened alertness, suppressed appetite or sex drive, enhanced delivery of fuel or energy to major muscles, improved focus and boosting levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These effects are supposed to last only for a short while until the threat is overcome or gone. Otherwise, the effects will be unhealthy and hormone imbalances cause depression.

Uncover Depression Signs With Depression Test

One mental disease is depression. No, those afflicted aren't somehow less than others. Crazy or nut case aren't words that can be used to describe you. It simply means that you have a disease that affects the mind and requires treatment to be cured. Those with mental illnesses are head cases is something that is from the past. At the first sign of depression use a depression test that can be found on the Internet. For a basic idea of where you stand, an on line depression test is a great solution. If the results are positive then you can seek further information and even treatment.

How you relate to different events and ideas is one of the main concerns of an on line depression test. It will ask you how you are dealing with those around you. Most of the on line tests have the same basic composition. Their purpose is to help you recognize signs of this disease. It is not written in stone. It is only a guide that will help you take a look at yourself and determine your next step. Every year over 17 million people in the USA suffer from depression. But only a small number, about 1/3, take the step to find help. The depression test allows you to identify depression but only you can ask for help.

If there is trouble with eating and sleeping, the depression test will find it. It will uncover signs such as feeling hopeless or helpless or even worthless. If you have mood swings the test will uncover it. The test will delve into stress. What are some of the things that are going on in your life that could be causing depression? The depression test, like a hammer, is only a tool. Stand back and examine your life with the help of this tool. The final goal is to identify depression signs.

Depression has chemical, emotional and even DNA elements. Stress is also a major factor in depression. There are wide ranges of stress related issues that affect us every day in our lives. The online depression test can only assist you in identifying the prospects in your case. The test can do no more than show you the issue and suggest further action. There are medications like anti-depressants and natural herbs on the market to treat depression. Medicines and herbs are often used in conjunction with group therapy or one on one talk therapy. If you think you or a loved one suffer from depression, use an on line depression test.

The Fear-Anger-Depression Cycle

There is a direct link, often overlooked and minimised, between the emotional states of Fear, Anger and Depression. I will break down each emotion separately first to explain further...

• Fear is a distressing emotional state or feeling that is induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism and gives us the ability to recognise danger and flee from it or deal with it head on - also known as the Fight or Flight response. It is important to distinguish fear from anxiety which can occur without any perceived external threat. With Fear, the threat can be real or imagined.


• At it's core, Anger is a signal to us that something in our environment isn't right. It gives us a sense of power in powerless situations and the illusion of control in an uncontrollable situations. For the duration of the anger episode, a person does not have to feel the distressing Fear of the perceived threat or condition and can feel empowered instead. The Fight or Flight hormones of Adrenaline and Cortisol help this enormously.


• Every day Depression (as opposed to depression caused by a death, a major life event or other trauma inducing situation) is invariably caused by bottled up and stuffed anger and according to Louise L. Hay (of "You Can Heal You Life" and Hay House Publishing fame), is anger you DO NOT FEEL YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE. When people do not express their anger (and other emotions - especially negative ones) it builds up inside them and manifests in the form of reactive or clinical depression.

As well as building up over a period of time, incredibly, it is also possible to go from fear to anger to depression in seconds without even being aware how you even got there. The body and mind (conscious and subconscious) are so interconnected and so incredibly amazing that they can process the perceived threat, give the body the adrenaline and cortisol to "Fight or Flight" and then stuff the anger - all in seconds - if the subconscious tells the body it is not safe to express that anger in relation to the perceived threat. An extreme example of this would be the spouse of a violent partner not feeling safe to assertively respond to a violence incident.

The rate of depression differs between women and men. A loose estimate is that 1 in 4 women verses 1 in 10 men experience depression at any one time. Maybe this is connected to societal programming which teaches females that being angry (or indeed expressing emotions of any kind) is not ladylike verses men who are not exposed to this same programming. This view was supported after the results of a study were published of male and female prisoners which found that when incarcerated, women tend to self harm as a way of expressing their pain whereas men will fight. The fear-anger-depression cycle is heightened in women therefore who much of the time are not even aware that they are even angry at all such is the power of their programming.

Do yourself a favor... whether you are male or female, next time you feel the onset of anger or depression, ask yourself as soon as you reasonably can "what am I fearful about?". This will save you a lot of unnecessary pain in the short, medium and long term as you get honest with yourself about what is really going on with you.

Most Important Depression and Anxiety Physical Symptoms

We all feel anxious to an extent from time to time. Let it be a board meeting presentation, public speaking or just waiting for your lover on your first date. But if this regular anxiety gets overwhelming and start attacking frequently, it may lead to a serious mental and emotional situation called anxiety or panic attack.

There are literally millions of people across the world suffering with anxiety and panic problems in their day to day lives. But the sign of relieve is that anxiety disorders are completely curable. The key is to identify and diagnose it at its beginning stages and get it treated properly.

Different biological changes in the body reflect several physical symptoms of anxiety disorders. Common anxiety physical symptoms are easy to identify if you are aware of them. Educating yourself about anxiety physical symptoms not only helps you to identify them for yourself but you can also help people around you to discover this disorder in early stages.

Following are some of the common anxiety physical symptoms:

• Racing heartbeat called as palpitations.


• Severe chest pain, often people mistaken this pain as heart attack which adds to the trauma of patients.


• Shortness of breath.


• Excessive sweating which exhausts the sufferer.


• Limbs trembling and shaking.


• Difficulty in swallowing, feelings of choking in throat.


• Feeling of being smothered.


• Patients also suffer with nausea and indigestion.


• Numbness in the limbs.


• Facial numbness.


• Patient fears that he is going crazy.


• Hot and cold flashes, this is more common among female patients.


• Headaches and migraines.


• Fatigue and anemia.


• Sleeplessness.


• Just moments before anxiety attack patient feel dizzy and lightheaded.


• In some severe cases anxiety attacks can also lead depression.


• Due to all the tension in the chest and heart ribs also start paining and result in tender breasts in female patients.

Please note that above anxiety physical symptoms do not dictate the degree of severity of anxiety attacks. Some people suffer with several of the above symptoms while others suffer with just a few of them. There are few people who do not show any anxiety physical symptoms but still experience anxiety attacks.

One best way to deal with anxiety physical symptoms is practising deep-slow-breaths therapy. Due to anxiety we tend to breathe quicker therefore our breath becomes shorter. By taking deep breaths you can calm down the mind and control breathing more effectively.

Business Marketing Strategies-Your Guide To Creative Ideas and Implementation

Today, most of the world is struggling. The economy is struggling, people are struggling, small businesses are struggling, congress is struggling, and just about everyone else is struggling. These times are probably making you doubt whether or not you can survive in today's world.

Not too long ago, you were able to run to the bank and take out a loan for any unexpected costs, or to help pay for expansion or new marketing ideas. But not in today's world. There have been small businesses that have taken out loans before, and paid it off earlier than expected, and have been denied today, because all of a sudden they are a "high risk loan." How that works, I'm not sure. When people are scared, we do irrational things that can actually make things work while we think we're looking out for our best interest.

One of my favorite quotes is by Harry Vardon: "There are two types of people-those who keep there nose up while in despair and win championships-and those who do not."

So you want to be one of the small businesses that, against the odds, still comes up with creative ideas, implements effective strategies, and will be one of the businesses people look up too.

I believe that if one person, or business, so can any other business. All we have to do is look at how companies during the Great Depression survived. And you'll see companies that didn't sit back and wait for things to get better. They increased their marketing efforts and took their fate into their own hands.

Another thing is to look at successful marketing campaigns and see why there are successful and try to modify that to your product or service.

For example, these are some of the things you should try to implement into your marketing campaign and show your potential customers:

1. Incorporating cool, on-point technology helps you stand out in a crowded market and woo tech-savvy consumers.


2. If you add value to customers' lives with real content and helpful, fun services, they won't soon forget you.


3. Demonstrate the value of your product by bringing it directly to where consumers happen to be. You'll be that much closer to making a sale.


4. Give customers an experience they'll want to brag about to their friends (aka your future customers).

These are just a couple of values you should keep in mind while creating your marketing campaign.

Treatment of Hypothyroidism - The 3 Reasons Hypothyroid and Hashimoto's Patients Suffer Needlessly

Life with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism can be very frustrating. The reason being is that Hashimoto's, the most common cause of low thyroid, is an immune problem that affects thyroid function, yet is treated the same way as every other form of hypothyroidism in conventional health care.

My son is now seven, and I think I can teach him the basic treatment approach to managing hypothyroidism from a conventional perspective.

Basic Conventional Management of Hypothyroidism (no matter what is the cause):

If the patient complains of fatigue, weight gain, cold hands, heart palpitations, or depression then test TSH. If the TSH is above 3.0 then prescribe hormone replacement. Continue to increase the hormone dose until the TSH measures below 2.0. If the patient continues to experience any of the symptoms after the thyroid is "balanced" on the lab tests then treat it as a separate condition and give the appropriate medication, usually anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication.

Now what is the glaring problem in that approach?

1. Never is consideration given to the actual cause of the low thyroid. We never stopped to ask why is the thyroid not working?

2. Treating every symptom as a separate problem, although it is actually related to the thyroid problem not completely addressed can be dangerous and unnecessary. Are you depressed or do you still have a thyroid problem?

3. The approach, highly unlikely to change the actual problem, continues to get worse while we throw new medications at it while the patient suffers.

If our theoretical patient above lives in the United States then the most likely and common source of the problem is from Hashimoto's. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks and destroys it's own thyroid tissue, leading to low thyroid hormone production.

So fundamentally the problem is an immune related problem, not so much a problem with the actual thyroid gland. So what does that mean for the patient getting standard conventional treatment only?

The thyroid replacement is making up for l0st thyroid function, but in the mean time the immune system is slowing destroying the thyroid. If nothing is done to address this immune attack then the problem will just continue to get worse.

Have you ever had the check engine light come on in your car? When that comes on do you put a piece of tape over the dashboard to cover up the light or do you investigate and find out what is going on with the car so the engine doesn't blow up? Ignoring the immune system's role in most hypothyroid cases is very much that same thing as taping up the dash board.

The target of the therapy really needs to be aimed at quenching the immune attack on the thyroid. This creates the best possible outcome for the patient and short-cuts a lot of the frustration patients feel when they are diagnosed with this disease.

Self-Help for Depression - 7 Steps to Feeling Better Fast

In any given year, an estimated 13 million to 17 million Americans will suffer from some form of depression. Women are twice as likely to be depressed as men. And, in fact, one in every five women is expected to develop clinical depression at some point in her lifetime.

With startling statistics such as these, it's no wonder that the drug companies continue to pump countless resources into developing new drugs to treat depression. But with a myriad of side effects, prescription antidepressants aren't always the answer for people suffering from sub-clinical depression.

Although it's always best to seek appropriate medical treatment when you're depressed, for symptoms of mild to moderate depression, which is sometimes characterized as "the blues," there are several self-help steps you can take to feel better fast. By focusing on these things each day instead of your sadness, you will be better prepared to battle the blues.

Step 1: Get a Complete Physical

Sometimes an underlying health condition, like hypothyroidism or a vitamin D deficiency, can induce or mimic feelings of depression. That's why it's important to get a complete physical with comprehensive blood work before you begin a depression self-help regimen.

Step 2: Exercise at Least 30 Minutes a Day

Exercise is your body's built-in antidepressant. Just 30 minutes of mild to moderate activity a day (such as a brisk walk) will prompt your body to release hormone-like chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins create a feeling of euphoria and well-being in the human body and can even mask mild pain. If you're feeling particularly blue, instead of wallowing on the couch, get up and get some exercise!

Step 3: Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks

Fluctuations in blood sugar can intensify feelings of depression. Because of this, nutrition is an important component of your depression fighting self-help system. To give your body the energy it needs to feel good and face life's daily challenges, eat three small meals and two or three small snacks each day. Make sure you get plenty of lean protein and at least seven servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. If you need a sweet treat, dark chocolate (in moderation) has been shown to have depression-fighting characteristics.

Step 4: Take Dietary Supplements

No matter how well you eat, it's hard to get the recommended daily requirements (RDA) of all vitamins and minerals. At a minimum, take a high quality, high potency multi-vitamin each day. You may also want to take extra vitamin C and consider taking additional nutritional supplements that are known to have mood stabilizing properties (St. John's Wort and 5-HTP are two examples).

Step 5: Avoid the News

If you've watched the news lately or checked the headlines on CNN.com, then you know there's enough negativity in the world to make even the happiest person sad. If you're battling depression, the news will only make you feel worse - so avoid it! If you need to check the weather report, try one of the online weather agencies because they don't give you a helping of doom and gloom along with your forecast.

Step 6: Get Fresh Air and Sunshine

Depressed people tend to hibernate, shutting themselves off from the world. But this only makes them feel more sad and isolated. A great antidote to feeling blue is spending time with Mother Nature. Go to the park, the beach or your backyard. But get a little fresh air and sunshine each day.

Step 7: Get a Daily Dose of Spirituality

Doing one thing (or more) each day that lifts your spirits is essential when you're fighting depression. Need a few suggestions? Watch your favorite feel-good movie, laugh out loud during a half-hour sit-com, read a few pages from a spiritually uplifting book, listen to a spirit-based instructional CD or DVD, spend 30 minutes playing with your pet or call a friend to catch up. Choose an activity that feeds your soul and leaves you feeling joyful.

Although severe depression should always be treated by a qualified health care professional, only 20 percent of depressed people actually receive the treatment they desperately need. By following the simple, self-help steps outlined in this article, you may be able to turn around your state-of-mind before clinical depression sets in.

Is Depression a Real Disease Or Just a State Of Mind?

Depression is a serious malfunction of transmitters in the brain that control our emotions. Dopamine and serotonin are the leading cause of this mental illness. When these two chemicals are out of check then serious effects are noted in the persons mental state.

Serotonin and dopamine are our wake and sleep alarm clock for the body. With their release, they control our wake-sleep cycle, our pleasure senses, mood and motor functions.

They work on the cellular level and work in the nerve junction synapse(the small space between the nerve cells). There are many chemicals that work at this area but these two are believed to be the main reason for this debilitating illness that is not cured in 1-2 weeks. It sometimes takes months before the medication is effective in the mental state. It is thought to be in lack of one and too much of the other. Too much serotonin can lead the body to want to sleep all the time. Dopamine controls the motor functions of the body and the shakes that follow depression is conjuncted with this chemical. As in the disease Parkinson's, where the body shakes uncontrollably, dopamine is believed to be lacking in the receptor sites. That is why it is given orally to these patients. To try to level out these low, unbalanced transmitters.

Now that depression has a foundation for the cause, it can be treated with mostly success. Therapy is also required to help the individual become more rational thinkers and how to handle situations more productively. Having a rational head on your shoulders is a great asset and things don't seem to be as bleak and out of control.

Recognizing the condition is of up most importance. Leaving these at a unchecked imbalance has malfunctioning effects. Some of the symptoms for depression are: no energy, no appetite or too much appetite, no entrust in any of the usual activities, in a sad state of mind, crying without real reason and no interest in the significant other and the guilt of that feeling is overwhelming. Other people will notice that there is something wrong with the normal personality and will begin to ask if there is anything wrong with the person's health. These are only a few of the symptoms that can follow depression.

Depression is a long term disease and must be treated as such. There are no quick cures. It usually takes years for the person to completely recover and then it is usually a life altering condition. People with this disease are different than they where before it hit them. Their personality are totally changed and their demeanor is altered.

However, with medications these symptoms can be relieved to a degree of equality and continued therapy can help balance the imbalance in the transmitters in the brain.

Why Bipolar Disorder Can Be So Dangerous

There is nothing abnormal about having days with ups and downs. Most people have a middle ground to come back to after dealing with good and bad days.

Those who suffer with Bipolar disorder (manic depression) do not have the luxury of finding a middle ground. They constantly find themselves on one end of the spectrum or the other. They can spend days to weeks feeling on top of the world only to immediately fall off a cliff and enter a depressive phase that makes it difficult to get out of bed for weeks at a time.

A manic episode can be either a minor state of elation and happiness or involve extreme ideas. For example, an extreme manic episode might cause someone to sell their house and max out their credit cards because they think they are destined to become a pharoah in Egypt. To the person having a manic episode these ideas would seem completely attainable. Their optimistic attitude and huge reserve of energy might be contagious to those who are close to them.

Some individuals who suffer with Bipolar disorder have to deal with episodes that include anger, agitation and restlessness. After they go through this range of emotion they drop like a brick into a severely depressed state.

If you think that you are dealing with the symptoms of Bipolar disorder then you should arrange an appointment with a psychiatrist. Make sure that you take someone with you to the appointment so that they can help to describe what you are going through. The best choice will be someone who is around you a lot such as a family member or close friend. The doctor will want a detailed history of your symptoms and might order some tests to make sure there are no drugs in your system.

One of the biggest problems that comes from Bipolar disorder is that the person who is affected does not notice the shifts in mood. When they are having a manic phase they think that everything is great and do not want to give up the euphoric feelings that they are experiencing. Therefore, it is important for family members to help them find medical care to treat their episodes.

There are many medications that are effective in the treatment of Bipolar disorder. Lithium, Depakote, Zyprexa and Seroquel are among the most popular ones. You will need to work closely with your psychiatrist to determine which one works best for you. Chances are you will have to try different ones at different strengths to determine which one makes a good match. Do not fool yourself into thinking you are better after being on a medication for awhile. If you choose to discontinue the medication you will likely fall right back into a destructive path.

Short Quotes - A Torch Towards Success

Life contains many ups and downs. There are so many hindrances, which come in a way, while running towards success. Sometimes we become too frustrated that mind gets block and only negative thoughts come out. At that worst time of life, something needs that gives a ray to live life. Short quotes are best way to inspire and motivate to fight the difficult time.

It helps to triumph over the calamity. It brings optimistic thoughts to us. A quote contains the wise statements of experienced people who faced many troubles in their life but still moved on with determination. They moved heaven and earth to reach their goals. There are so many great people like mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi etc, who are legends in their self. They made an example of hard work, leadership, creativity and change their fortune.

Quotes motivate us and throw light on the qualities which are essential for successful life. In the ups and downs of life, human mind feels very exhausted. In struggle of life, depression comes. Depression is the stage, when human being feels so gloomy. At that time reading quotes gives a new inspiration to life. It gives new energy and power to bounce back. It makes the point of 'never give up statement' and work like a tonic for human life.

For example the statement, "There is no road to success, but though clear strong will power", point out the Success through strong will power. We can not achieve our goals until we move forward with strong will power and confidence. The life is all about learning. There is no age of learning. Do the work with all your power and energy with confident on yourself. Undoubtedly success will fall on in your hand. For those that enjoy kayaking will double their enjoyment by purchasing a clear bottom inflatable kayak. Here are few tips to help guide you on your purchase of a transparent bottom kayak.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder - 4 Episodes, 2 Symptoms, 4 Varieties

A typical day for a person begins with them waking up usually in the morning. They go about their day, doing routine activities such as going to work, meeting deadlines, attending meetings and dealing with all kinds of people.

In the person's home, they must do chores and spend time with family. Other activities must be done too including: going to the grocery store or church. Above all else, they must deal with different scenarios that they can welcome or resent. This all adds up to making the individual sick.

This is the type of day a person suffering from Bipolar contends with. Having the disease should not be hard to talk about but it is even if the person is seeking treatment

Once just called maniac depression, it was later changed to bipolar because of the two extremities of mood polarities. When people with bipolar suffer from extreme highs (mania) or from depression, then they are having what is technically called an episode.

The Four Episodes of Bipolar Disorder

When a person is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, they will typically suffer from the four symptoms found in the disease: depression, mixed mood, hypomania and mania.

1. Depression- when this episode begins, the person is feeling sad and don't want to do the things they usually do.

2. Mania - this episode starts off as a high feeling, then becomes angry and irritable.

3. Hypomania - a milder form of mania. This can lead to either depression or mania. Can start as a good feeling.

4. Mixed Mood - means a person with feelings of depression and mania at the same time.

Symptoms of Bipolar -

1. Depression - feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness and guilt. The person either sleeps too much or too little and experiences changes in their weight or appetite. They will always feel tired, restless and cannot seem to make a sound decision. A worst case scenario includes the person thinking about suicide or death.

2. Mania - increase in the level of energy, racing thoughts, sleeps less, is easily distracted, excessive self-confidence, increase in talking, is focused by accomplishes very little and does unusual or extreme activities.

Four types of Bipolar -

There are four main types of bipolar disorder.

1. Type 1 - Bipolar I involves manic and mixed episodes including major episodes of depression. The patient could suffer more than one episode for several days, weeks or even months. It seems seasonal changes do affect what symptoms the person shows.

2. Type 2 - Bipolar II involves major episodes of hypomania and depression. A person's normal functions occur between these two episodes.

3. Type 3 - Cyclothymic Disorder is a fluctuating disturbance in moods with hypomania and depression episodes. Considered the milder form since the episodes do not occur on a regular basis and when it occurs it happens on a shorter and less severe times.

4. Type 4 - Not Specified is a treatable disorder where the symptoms shown by the individual do not fit into any particular category.

Bipolar has no known causes. Further studies are being done to find out for sure what causes bipolar disorder though some say genetics. Persons from all races and all ages can suffer from the disease.

If a person is experiencing symptoms, they need to be seen by a physician right away.

Iron Imbalance Can Lead to Clinical Depression

Iron and clinical depression

It is an established fact that iron is very essential for neurological functions and development. Iron deficiency is very prevalent all over the world. This deficiency can lead to depressed neurotransmitter response, leading to clinical depression. When iron is not transported from the blood plasma pool to the cerebrospinal fluid, depression can set in.

The Importance Iron Balance

The importance of iron for sustaining good health cannot be underestimated. Lack of iron can lead to exhaustion, clinical depression, vulnerability to viruses, cancer, and various degenerative conditions.

On the other end of the spectrum, excess iron or change in the iron-binding capability leads to a situation where the free unbound iron causes or aggravates all diseases, infections, cancers and toxicities.

Therefore, in our efforts to acquire the right proportion of iron or lose excess iron, we must not overlook the fact that iron must be bound and properly guided through the body from the time of ingestion to excretion.

If we do not pay attention to bind and properly guide iron during the detoxification process, the toxic effects of iron may nullify its various benefits.

It is very difficult to determine the exact iron content in the body, since no test or combination of tests, under any clinical condition, can give us the accurate estimate.

Before laboratory investigations lead us to any conclusion, it must be understood that the results of each laboratory test may be influenced by factors such as infection, inflammation, liver disease and malignancy. Sometimes laboratory tests are inadequate.

Most elements can either donate or accept electrons in order to attain a stable electronic configuration; but iron can both, donate as well as accept electrons.

Due to this ability of iron, it is highly reactive and can be highly toxic. Hydrogen Peroxide in our body readily dismutates in the presence of iron, giving rise to free radicals. Unbound iron speeds up this process of producing free radicals. Free radicals play havoc by damaging cell structures and ultimately killing the cell, resulting in various diseases.

The role of Proteins

Most living organisms bind iron atoms to protein molecules in order to prevent this damage done by unbound iron. This enables them to restrict the damaging action and take advantage of the various benefits offered by iron.

Proteins play an important role in metabolism by speeding up biochemical reactions by their enzymatic action. Enzymes produced due to chronic inflammation, action of free radicals and change in the related subclinical markers cause a breakdown of connective tissue, which holds the body together.

The words protein, peptide and polypeptide tend to be a little confusing. Although they have common characteristics, they are distinct.

Protein is a complete biological molecule with a three dimensional structure, whereas peptide is a finite chain of amino acids which lacks proper structural arrangement. A polypeptide is an infinite chain of amino acids which also lacks a proper structure.

Biochemical screening is a test done to detect the presence of any disease. Such tests have revealed that every degenerative disease results from six subclinical defects, namely, pH imbalance, anaerobic metabolism, free calcium excess, chronic inflammation, connective tissue breakdown and oxidative stress.

Our body metabolism and exposure to pollution gives rise to extremely reactive ions called free radicals. Free radicals are produced due to iron imbalance which indicates that iron is not bound to protein and therefore, is free to cause damage to cells.

Iron deficiency or Copper deficiency?

Acute inflammation is actually a positive sign since it triggers the immune system to fight diseases and withhold iron. This is kept in mind by health professionals while formulating medications for treating cancer, iron deficiency, excessive tiredness, memory loss and depression.

Sometimes tests show that a person has low iron content in blood serum. Prescribing iron supplements may pose a risk because low iron may actually indicate low copper content.

When clinical tests show low serum iron, elevated Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) and low Transferrin Saturation, it could not only mean that there is free iron but also a copper deficiency.

How do we know? Let's get a little technical. Ceruloplasmin is a copper protein complex found in blood plasma. Ferritin is a protein complex that is found in cells, and it stores iron in soluble and non-toxic form. Transferrin is a blood plasma protein that binds iron tightly and therefore, reduces free iron. Now, Ceruloplasmin takes iron from Ferritin and attaches it to Transferrin. Two molecules of iron can be attached to a single molecule of Transferrin. Therefore, there is a vacancy for two iron molecules on every Transferrin molecule. In a normal person, only 30% of these vacancies get filled. When fewer iron molecules are attached to Transferrin, the TIBC rises. This is an indication of low copper. Since copper is low, it cannot produce Ceruloplasmin and the above-mentioned process of attaching iron to Transferrin cannot take place.

In short, clinical tests that show low iron content in blood serum may actually indicate low copper content. Therefore, prescribing iron supplements may aggravate the condition.

What else does free iron indicate?

Also, when there is free iron, it can mean that there are not enough amino acids. Amino acids are the most abundant neurotransmitters available in the brain. Research has shown that a lack of specific neurotransmitters may induce clinical depression. Antidepressants regulate the action of these neurotransmitters thereby providing relief to the person.

Moving towards the Right Solution

If the above-mentioned factors are studied well, a proper diagnosis and treatment for clinical depression can be arrived at.

The risk of infection, disease and high toxic levels can be reduced once we identify iron imbalance. Thereafter appropriate measures must be taken to restore the iron balance. Therefore we must consider a few factors:

1. Since intestinal mucosa contains Transferrin, it must be well maintained.

2. Protein levels should be optimally maintained.

3. The right balance of aerobic-anaerobic metabolism must be attained. Too much of anaerobic metabolism results of production of toxins and resulting in fatigue, which is a symptom of clinical depression.

4. Overpowering acid stress by maintaining alkalinity

5. Getting rid of toxins and organic solvents that may hinder the iron binding action done by proteins.

6. Individuals who are diagnosed to have free iron should take to a diet rich in whole eggs and cultured dairy products.

7. A proper phlebotomy and testing program must be conducted to monitor iron overload.

Since iron deficiency or excess plays a key role at every step in the diagnosis and treatment of clinical depression, we should be careful to monitor its status in order to avoid the chain of events that are triggered by its imbalance.

Last but not least, a clinical depressed person who snores, needs to address to apply snoring remedies in order to stop the snoring and support their biochemistry.

How To Help a Friend With Depression

When most think of depression, they think about a family member with depression or someone that they know of who is suspected of being depressed in school or the workplace, but few will think about what to do with a depressed friend. What can one do for their friend who appears to be suffering from depression? Many will be unsure of what to do for their friend. Some will try and ignore the problem and think that it will just go away; others will distance themselves from that person so that they don't have to deal with it. What doesn't seem to cross the minds of most is that getting their friend into counseling would have been the best idea and the best thing they could have done as a true friend.

Few, whether they are young or old, seem to take depression seriously. Most will dismiss it as whining or a weakness that the person has, but depression is neither of these things. Depression is a mental illness that needs to be dealt with properly, or the person could continue to fall deeper into depression until they are completely lost and left in the dark. A common excuse for people to ignore the problem or to distance themselves from their friend is that they can't help them, but there are things that friends can do. They can not treat the person themselves, but there are things that they can do that can help encourage their friend to get the help that they need. Someone who suspects that their friend might be suffering depression should learn what they can about depression, perhaps even go so far as to ask questions of a counselor online. Finding out what some of the signs of depression are can also help one to figure out if their friend may actually be depressed. Some of the signs would include a decline in socializing, lack of enthusiasm, loss of interest in activities that would normally be of interest to them, increased procrastination, inability to concentrate and a lack of concern for time. These are only a few of the many signs that could indicate that a person may be depressed. If a few of these are seen in the friend, then the person should show their support and talk to their friend.

Sometimes, a person could really use a friend to talk to and having an understanding friend that is willing to listen can go a long way to making them feel better, but the ultimate goal should be to encourage them to seek help from a counselor. This is not always an easy task, especially if the friend is worried about what other would think of them if someone found out that they were going to counseling. One could suggest online counseling, which is becoming a popular way for people to get the help they need for their depression. They could easily get in touch with an online counselor from their home and from there get the counseling that they need. The counselor will work with the person to find out what is making them depressed, and then help the person to learn how to deal with their depression so that they can find their way out of it.