Depression - Oh That Dreaded Feeling

What is depression?

Depression is not just a state of mind. It is related to physical changes in the brain and is connected to an imbalance of a type of chemical that carries signals in the brain and nerves. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

Types of depression

There are two types of depression: One, which originates from bad or disturbing events in one's life and one, which appears without apparent cause. Out of the two the latter is the most common and the former type is easier to tackle because the cause is known. The first step is to deal with the event that set off the depression. The latter type is more difficult to deal with as the source is unknown.

Kinds of depression

The two kinds of depression are: The sad kind, called major depression, or dysthymia; and manic-depression or bipolar illness.

Dysthymia - Depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not, as indicated either by subjective account or observation by others, for at least 2 years. Note: In children and adolescents, mood can be irritable and duration must be at least 1 year. Treatment involves psychotherapy or cognitive therapy (also known as "talk therapy") is used to alter people's self-defeating thoughts. . Behavioral therapy may help people learn how to act with a more "positive approach" to life and to communicate better with friends, family and co-workers.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy and ability to function. Manic depression can be treated and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

Causes

Depression has no single cause. It often results from a combination of various factors. However, some people may feel like they know exactly why they are having these feelings of hopelessness. These could be because;

. Their partner just broke up with them;

. A loved one or a pet died;

. They just lost their job;

. They are being teased by their friends for some physical disability or something else.

Basically it is because of something sad that occurred in their life.

At other times, however, the reasons for such hopelessness is not quite as clear. There may not be just one cause for it but a various number of contributing factors that may accumulate over a period of time and subsequently lead to these feelings of hopelessness. You may not have any idea why depression has struck you. However, whatever the cause, some of the more frequent factors involved are;

. Family history of depression - it can run in families for generations and generations

. Trauma and stress - as mentioned earlier break-up of a relationship, the loss of a loved one etc.

. A pessimistic personality by nature - people who generally have low self-esteem and a negative attitude run a higher risk of becoming depressed.

. Physical conditions - medical conditions like cancer, AIDS, heart disease and other illnesses can contribute to these feelings of hopelessness, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. These feelings of hopelessness in turn can make the medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make the pain harder to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.

. Other psychological disorders - Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia Symptoms of depression

There can be emotional symptoms as well as the physical symptoms. Some of the emotional symptoms can be:

. A feeling of sadness or hopelessness throughout the day

. Recurring thoughts of death or committing suicide,

. Becoming irritated easily and having feelings of sadness

. Feeling that you are no longer worth anything,

. Problems in concentrating or making decisions,

. Loss of interest in doing anything even things that hold your interest,

. Having feelings of excessive guilt.

The physical symptoms can be:

. Feeling tired easily

. Drastic changes in appetite or weight,

. Body aches and pains,

. Pain in the back,

. Frequent headache and dizziness,

. Sleeping too much or too little,

. Digestive disorders.

Who is at risk?

These feelings of despair are said to be more common in women than in men. This is of course is on a worldwide basis. In the United States, depression is the main cause of disability in women and the ration is 2:1. One out of every eight women will experience major depression at some time in their life. One reason that the statistics are higher for women than for men is that it is underreported in men. The experts also believe that there may also be other, more complex reasons for women's greater vulnerability to depression.

Helping yourself.

The first step is being honest with oneself about changes in ones moods or the intensity of negative feelings as they occur. This will help to identify the possible sources of depression or stress. The sufferer should examine their feelings and try to determine what is troubling them - it could be various issues, relationships with family or friends, financial problems and so on. Sometimes discussing these problems with the people involved or with an understanding friend can bring about a resolution before a critical stage of stress is reached. Even the mild kind of depression should be dealt with if it interferes with your effectiveness.

Avoiding depression

The things that would help oneself in the midst of hopelessness are the same things that can help you avoid it.

. If you are on medication for it, stay on it. You should never assume you can stop the medication just because you feel okay at the moment. Don't change the recommended dosage or quit without talking to your doctor first.

. Maintain a regular program of exercise as this can both help lift and prevent depression.

. Maintain a healthy diet taking care to avoid junk foods.

. Develop several healthy relationships. Loneliness and isolation often feed depression.

. Maintain a healthy spiritual life.

. Try as hard as possible to have a positive outlook on life.

Irregular Sleep Patterns Can Trigger Manic Depression

For a long time, it's been well recognized among bipolar researchers that mania and depression can affect sleep patterns. When a bipolar sufferer is experiencing acute mania, he may be too manic to sleep. Conversely, when he is going through a depressive episode, he may sleep too much and literally not feel like getting out of bed.

What many researchers have discovered as well is that the manic/depressive cycle works both ways. In other words, a lack of sleep can potentially trigger manic episodes. Studies are showing that up to 60 percent of bipolar suffers who have gone through a manic attack experience some sort of disruption in their normal sleep cycle prior to having the attack.

We all have had experiences when at the most inconvenient time possible, we were interrupted by life. Social rhythm disruptions, or SRDs, are life events that disrupt our established routines such as a sleep pattern. In normal people, i.e., those not suffering from bipolar disorder, this is not a big deal. We shrug it off and eventually return to our regular patterns. In bipolar patients, however, a social rhythm disruptions in their sleep pattern can directly trigger a manic attack.

This is why many health care professionals advise that their bipolar patients write up a sleep schedule for themselves and keep to it. This means going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning - even on weekends. Keeping to this schedule will keep "social rhythm disruptions" to a minimum and lessen the chances of a manic attack. As a general rule, following a sleep schedule also means not taking a nap when you've had a hard time sleeping the previous night. Taking a nap would simple be another form of social rhythm disruption and would not help in the long term.

Lack of enough sleep will make anyone irritable and cranky. Most of us, however, will simply be able to fall asleep the next night and "catch up on our sleep" and be perfectly fine the next day. Bipolar people can not always do this. They may be unable to go to sleep thus triggering a manic attack the next morning. The manic attack will lessen their desire to sleep and they will not sleep much the next night either. It is a frustrating and potentially deadly cycle.

It can be difficult for a bipolar person to keep to a sleep schedule without the help of family members. Including family members in the treatment discussions with the health care giver is good for everyone. It helps the family members to understand how critically important it is that the bipolar sufferer keeps to a regular sleeping routine. It helps the bipolar person by giving him emotional support and making him feel less abnormal.

Strong family support is especially important when the bipolar sufferer is a teenager who, in many; cases, is already going through a stressful period in his life at a time when peer pressure tends to make outcasts of those that don't appear to be normal. But even in adult cases of bipolar disease, the support of a loving family cannot be over estimated.

Live Longer And Healthier: Here's How

Living a healthy lifestyle - that's what most of us want right? People who are concerned about their health and wellbeing are smart enough to know it's only by adopting healthy habits would we be able to live our lives to the fullest. Taking the steps even baby steps towards healthier living is better than doing nothing at all. Here's how you can work on to live a longer and healthier life.

Exercise, exercise, exercise

It's true that sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest problems America is facing today. Everyone knows how important physical activity is and yet, people avoid it like plague. They make all sorts of excuses not to exercise. Some of the most common alibis include I'm too busy, I'm already thin so I don't need exercise, I don't have any space at home to exercise, I can't enroll in a gym because it's too expensive, and I'm too lazy to get off the couch.

The truth is, there's no excuse valid enough (other than medical condition) to make it all right for you to not to exercise. Even the busiest people have at least 30 minutes every day to devote to physical activity. Moderate activities like gardening, chores, and walking can be considered as moving around. You don't have to spend tons of money in a fitness center to get moving.

Physical activity can reduce risks of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, improve stability of the joints, increase flexibility and strength, maintain bone mass, prevent bone problems, and improve mood while reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Maintain a healthy diet

Exercise without proper diet is useless. You need to have a healthy diet to improve your lifestyle. This will not only improve your weight management but also improve the quality of your life as you grow old. Use these tips to make small changes in how you eat.

- Eat more fruits. Add fruits to your cereal, salads, and desserts. Instead of devouring on fat-laden desserts, try making a fruit cocktail and chill it after topping with low fat cream.

- Eat more vegetables. Whenever possible, add veggies to the dishes you're cooking. For example, top your pizza with pepper and corn, add broccoli in the pasta sauce, or insert a slice of tomato or cucumber inside your sandwich. You can also snack on vegetables sticks and low-fat dressing.

- Limit sodium, sugar and fats. Stay away from foods that are high in sodium (processed meats and canned food products), fats (meat, fried foods, and saturated oils), and sugar (pastries, cake, ice cream). Instead, go for foods that are high vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Maintain healthy habits

When it comes to healthy habits, there are four major things that you have to keep in mind. First, get adequate sleep. Second, reduce your stress levels. Third, stop smoking. And fourth, drink alcohol moderately.

Even if you have critical illness insurance and your critical illness coverage is sufficient, don't take risks. It's very good that you're prepared by having insurance coverage but you should keep in mind these tips for healthy living.

Mental Disorders List - The Most Common Mental Conditions Explained

This may come as a surprise, but mental health experts claim that one in four people suffer from a mental illness each year. As much as five percent of the population is afflicted with a serious, long-term mental illness. Here is a mental disorders list with the most common conditions explained.

Anxiety Disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an umbrella term used to describe a number of different anxiety problems such as phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and anxiety attacks. Anxiety refers to feelings of tension and worry that get so out of hand they make it hard to function normally.

Chronic Depression. Depressive disorders are extremely common. These are marked by sadness, low self-esteem, loss of meaning in life, lack of pleasure in things you enjoy, and suicidal thoughts. Depression often occurs along with other mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder, addiction, or psychosis.

Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar disorder is one of the most common mood disorders. It's marked by dramatic swings from manic to depressed. These moods are much stronger than the regular ups and downs all of us experience. Manic or depressive episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to weeks at a time. People with bipolar are likely to make bad decisions that can hurt themselves or others when at these extremes.

Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is an extreme mental condition that often makes it hard for the sufferer to enjoy a normal life. It's marked by delusions, paranoia and hallucinations. Schizoaffective disorder is a combination of schizophrenia and mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder. Most schizophrenia sufferers can enjoy a fairly regular life as long as they're on the proper medication and seeking therapy.

Dementia. Dementia is a loss of cognitive functioning that occurs as you get older. It's more extreme than the usual loss of functioning that comes with old age. Dementia actually isn't a disease but a way to describe symptoms where memory, language, attention span, problem solving abilities and other mental functions are impaired.

Eating Disorders. Eating disorders are a form of mental illness and they're much more common than most people realize. Many people with eating disorders can maintain the appearance of being healthy. Eating disorders are caused by distorted body image, usually where the person perceives themselves as overweight even though they aren't.

Addiction. Addiction is an extremely common form of mental illness. There are two types of addictions - addictions to substances and addictions to certain behaviors or activities. While alcohol, prescription drug and illegal drug addictions are the most common, gambling addiction, sex addiction, and food addiction are also quite widespread. In all addictions, the addictive substance or behavior triggers pleasure chemicals in the brain. The addict becomes dependent on the drug or activity and can't feel pleasure without it.

All of the above mental disorders are treatable and treatment has high success rates. If you suffer from a mental illness, it's important to realize that you're not alone. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can receive treatment and get back to optimal health.

Signs of Bipolar Disorder - Look Out!

There are quite a few signs of bipolar disorder that are pretty harmful and serious. If you are suffering from this disorder or know someone who does, it is important that you know what to look out for.

Here are some warning signs:

• Unusual and prolonged periods of euphoria;


• Over-agitation, over-irritability and annoying moods which are beyond normal limits;


• Intense impulses regarding indulging in sex, shopping sprees, business investments, etc.;


• Frequent racing thoughts causing lack of sleep and extreme restlessness;


• Hallucinations that go far beyond existing reality;


• Too many problems regarding work or school that cannot be attributed to alcohol or substance abuse;


• Many suicidal thoughts;


• Extreme energy while feeling severely lost, empty or hopeless.

Signs of bipolar disorder can be so severe that they impact the work or study life of the individual with erratic mood episodes that the person requires professional help. These signs are reported by the patient or her immediate family and circle of friends because it generally affects the social interaction of the patient.

Severely unstable mood swings happening in a day or week - from being too annoyed to being too excited - are common. Hallucinations and delusions may occur along with unusually intense mood episodes. Exaggerated and abnormal jumps in mood swings, from being overly happy to being overly depressed, are also characteristic of the disorder.

How is the problem ruled out?

There are series of lab tests, physical exams and other tests conducted to get a full diagnostic picture. It is only a psychiatrist who can definitely rule out the possibility of this disorder and the treatment plan necessary. But after the tests, a thorough interview is required for the doctor to get the patient's family profile by getting the complete historical symptoms relating to family members, which may include talking to a parent, sibling or spouse; as such, friends and family members play an important role in determining the patient's medical profile.

Depressed people are the ones seeking help the most often, but the medical professional must be able to distinguish their symptoms from those who suffer from unipolar depression and who don't experience mania.

How to treat bipolar depression disorder?

No cure has yet been discovered to banish this illness, but there are available treatment combinations depending on the diagnosis. Since this is a lifelong illness, a long-term medication plan is suggested that combines both psychotherapy and medication. There are cases where treatment plans have to be altered to find out what works best for a given patient.

Behavioral patterns are studied and observed via a daily life chart to ascertain the effects of the medication in place. If some changes in behavior and mood episodes occur, the doctor may add or reduce some medication as he deems necessary to lessen the signs of bipolar disorder.

Understanding the 5 Types of Depression

Within the broader term of "clinical depression" are several different types of depression, which are diagnosed based on their symptoms, duration, and underlying cause.

The increased diagnoses of depression over the past thirty years may, in fact, be due to a growing recognition that it is an emotional disorder which surfaces in a variety of ways. Although the word "depression" is often bandied about among people who are unhappy or disappointed about some of their circumstances, they use it with no real understanding of what clinical depression is.

Genuine clinical depression continues well past the event which may have created the original negative reactions, and robs its sufferers of the capacity for normal functioning. Accompanied by lethargy, unremitting sadness, loss of hope, feelings of failure and inadequacy, clinical depression may lead to eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and in some cases, self-destructive behaviors including cutting and even suicide.

Bipolar Disorder

There is, however, a form of clinical depression called Bipolar, or Manic Depression. It
is often misdiagnosed because, of all the types of major depression, it is the only one in which the victims experience episodes of unfounded elation and may even become hyperactive. Because their bouts of sadness are interrupted by these episodes, they do not always look like other clinically depressed people.

Unipolar Disorder

Unipolar, or major depression, and bipolar depression are the types of depression often contrasted. People suffering from Bipolar Depression may themselves not realize they are depressed because of their frequent switches from extreme sadness and lassitude to extreme happiness and an overabundance of energy. There are no such fluctuations in Unipolar Depression; its most obvious symptom is the sufferer's continuing sadness and lethargy.

Atypical Depression

The third of the types of depression, Atypical Depression, is both the most prevalent. It is similar to the Bipolar Depression in that people with Atypical Depression are capable of responding to positive events, but their reactions will be less subdued than those of bipolar sufferers. In this they differ from Unipolar Depression victims, whose negativity is ongoing. But even individuals with Atypical Depression are sad and indifferent the majority of the time.

Dysthymic Disorder

The fourth of the types of depression is the Dysthymic Disorder, a less severe version of Unipolar Depression recognizable for the length of its duration. Dsythymic Disorder will last for more than two years, and because it continues for so long, the negative attitudes of its sufferers are often dismissed as unattractive personality traits. Because of this, of all the types of depression, Dysthymic Disorder is the one least likely to be diagnosed, and it may affect someone for a lifetime.

Psychotic Depression

The last, and most severe of the different types of clinical depression [http://www.treatdepressionhelp.com/Types_Of_Depression/] is Psychotic Depression, which brings visual and auditory hallucinations in addition to a negative emotional stated and loss of interest in life.

What to Expect With an OCD Test

When individuals think they have OCD they could be right or they could be wrong. There are a lot of symptoms for this disorder that could be signs of other things. It's important for people to see a doctor so they can take an OCD test to find out whether or not this is a disorder they likely have. There are also quizzes available online that can be done from the comfort of home. These should not be replacements for medical advice, but they can help individuals determine if they need professional attention.

At home tests
There are going to be a lot of questions asked during an OCD test. Questions about concerns with germs will be there as will questions about keeping things in order. There will also be questions about thoughts that come to mind and regular worries that go on throughout the day. The test will move on to inquire about repetitive acts that are performed, how they make someone feel and if there is a chronic need to do them all the time. It's extremely important to answer all of these truthfully, as incorrect answers can change the results of the test.

Doctor's office tests
When at the office of a physician, they will likely give patients a number of different tests. These will help the doctor come to the proper diagnosis so they can rule out other illnesses or disorders that could be a result of the symptoms as well. The physical exam will be much like a regular checkup. The physician will check blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight and listen to the lungs and heart to make sure they are functioning properly.

The lab tests will screen individuals for things like drugs and alcohol, just so they can be ruled out for causing the symptoms to arise. The psych evaluation is one of the most important tests. This is going to be an in-depth question and answer session between the patient and doctor. Questions about thoughts, patterns, feelings and symptoms are going to be asked. Sometimes friends and family will be brought in to answer questions, but this depends on the person.

Diagnosis
In order for this disorder to be diagnosed by a doctor, there are certain pieces of criteria that have to be met. First of all, individuals must have obsessions and compulsions that are bothersome. The patient may also need to understand that these are excessive and have no valid reason for happening. Those obsessions and compulsions also need to play a large role in the life of the patient and interfere with their daily activities or routines.

In addition to this, patients must also have other signs and symptoms. These include: recurrent thoughts, excessive worries about random things, repetitive behavior, uncalled for mental acts. Once the doctor has determined that this is the disorder, treatment is the next step. There are a variety of different treatment options that each person can explore.

Treatments
Medication and psychotherapy are the most common treatments and are sometimes done simultaneously. The medications can help patients gain control of their compulsions and obsessions so they don't take over their everyday life. Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed because they help change brain chemistry. Some of the antidepressants that are prescribed include: Prozac, Zoloft, Anafranil and Paxil. There are other options, but these are normally tried first. The tests will help the doctor choose which medication to prescribe.

Psychotherapy is effective for many people because it retrains the mind to control thought patterns. This also helps diminish compulsive behaviors by gradually exposing the patient to the things they fear the most. There are a lot of different techniques that therapists use with their patients. Sometimes this treatment can be stressful; it varies with each person and their reasons for having the disorder.

Other treatment options are available to explore. Residential treatment and psychiatric hospitalization are both options for people who want to be watched by professionals. These put them in a safe environment where they can learn which treatments are best for them. Deep brain stimulation and ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) are other options available as well. Some individuals even try out self-help and home remedies, which can be effective.