Diagnosing the Signs of Depression

Diagnosing depression is not always easy. One of the biggest obstacles is recognizing that you or someone you know or love is suffering from depression. Many times the signs and symptoms are slow to surface making it more difficult to see the changes happening. Many people are reluctant to admit that they are not feeling well emotionally or are worried about the stigma placed on people with depression. It is estimated that approximately half the people who do suffer from depression never seek any help.

The first person someone who is feels they are suffering from depression should see is their family doctor. A thorough physical will rule out any illness or medication that may be causing the symptoms of depression. Your physician will look at past health issues, family history and any history of drug or alcohol use to determine if there is some form of physical cause for your depression.

If there is no apparent physical cause then an evaluation by a psychiatrist or psychologist is needed. Psychiatrists and psychologists diagnose depression based on standards set by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM-IV diagnostic manual. The criteria to meet a diagnosis of depression as stated in the manual are:

You have had an episode of depression lasting at least two weeks with at least five of the following symptoms:

1. You are depressed, sad, blue, and tearful.

2. You have lost interest or pleasure in things you previously liked to do.

3. Your appetite is much less or much greater than usual and you have lost or gained weight.

4. You have a lot of trouble sleeping or sleep too much.

5. You are so agitated, restless, or slowed down that others have begun to notice.

6. You are tired and have no energy.

7. You feel worthless or excessively guilty about things you have done or not done.

8. You have trouble concentrating, thinking clearly, or making decisions.

9. You feel you would be better off dead or have thoughts about killing yourself.

A. These symptoms are severe enough to upset your daily routine, or to seriously impair your work, or to interfere with your relationships.
B. The depression does not have a specific cause like alcohol, drugs, medication side effect, or physical illness.
C. Your depression is not just a normal reaction to the death of a loved one.

Once evaluated a psychiatrist or psychologist can classify the type of depression one may be suffering from and recommend a course of treatment involving medication, therapy or a combination of the two. If the depression is related to a medical condition it is important that a person seek medical help for that as well. Often resolving the medical illness will make the depression disappear.

While many people have the "blues" from time to time it is important to distinguish the difference between feeling down every once in a while to the more long term signs of depression. A good place to start if you are feeling symptoms of depression is with an online depression test. This can be a good first step to getting the help one needs to fight this debilitating disease.

Understanding the Symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Polymyalgia does not affect the joints or bones but instead it causes the muscles to become sore, tender, and stiff with inflammation. As mentioned, this disease affects the hips, thighs, lower back, shoulders, and neck. It is the muscles that are affected, and special attention must be given to particularly supportive muscles like around the neck and the lower back.

What is known is that the disease causes blood cells in the muscle become swollen. When the muscle has been inactive for long periods the swelling tends to be heavier, resulting in muscle being unable to respond appropriately. The stiffness causes the restriction in limb movements, and the pain is the result of pressure forming in the muscle as the body forces new blood to the limbering area.

Weakness is not a factor although many interpret the limb restriction as weakness. It is possible to experience low energy, fatigue, and loss of appetite. And there may be nights with slight fever, and sweating in some cases. Fever may also come and go during the day. Other conditions to watch for are Anemia and depression. The one to watch is depression. Its a depressing disease and it can affect the mental wellbeing of anyone. Depression will severely impact the capacity of the body to cope with this disease.

Demographic distribution is mainly white people over 50 years of age, women twice as likely as men, and predominantly in western society. As there are other symptoms that may be present or become present because of PMR, it is critical to seek medical assistance at the first signs. The illness can lead to serious complications and also possible impairment if not treated promptly.

If your doctor believes you have this disease he or she will refer you to a rheumatologist or specialist who specializes in diagnosing such conditions. A preliminary quick test is the EMG test. This test will pass an electric current through the muscles and the readings from this may indicate PMR possibility. However full diagnosis may require further test combinations usually with blood samples

As there is no known cure as yet, treatment is specific to swelling and pain reduction until the disease leaves on its own. The point to note is that the disease may develop rapidly in some people. This can be quite frightening, especially with the early morning partial incapacitation. The absence of knowledge to explain this also causes much concern.

PMR symptoms are bilateral, and as a result individuals may complain of fatigue, especially if they are unable to perform normal daily activities. A gradual encroachment of the disease will give rise to this perception, with everyday become significantly more obvious than the previous. Watch also for wight loss, loss of appetite, and a malaise (general ill feeling). And sleep deprivation is likely, and this will impact on the elderly in a number of ways. By now you should see that although the disease it self is not life threatening, possible by-illness has the potential to be, especially if compounded by 1 or more of these factors.

If the individual reports having pain in the sides of the head, especially when chewing, then this is likely to be GCA (Temporal Arthritis). Again the doctor should be consulted at the earliest possible sign.

Depression Symptoms and Hypnotherapy

What is Depression?

The Oxford Reference Dictionary says that depression is "as state of extreme dejection often with physical symptoms". There are, as with anything, different types of this condition which range in duration and severity.

The human condition is one that brings with it what is often called "moods". You can be in a good, bad, high, low or indifferent mood. It is normal to experience all these moods at different times. Some of these moods can be started by conscious events in our lives whilst at other times we may be unaware of why we feel a particular way. Sometimes there may be a physical reason for feeling one of these moods.

The word 'depression' or 'feeling depressed' is often used to refer to feeling 'blue' or 'down' even though this may state may last for only a short period of time. Referring to this short time of feeling down as depression is not accurate and it is important to distinguish between occasional low moods and depression.

Depression is when someone experiences a sustained period of dejection or feeling low that seems to have little respite or it can be a low mood that seems to continue to return on a regular basis. To this end there are categories of depression ranging from what is considered mild depression to the heavier and longer lasting low moods of chronic, clinical or manic depression.

What are the Symptoms of Depression?

Typically a person with depression may experience any or all of the following:

1) Loss of appetite
2) Broken sleep or insomnia
3) A constant feeling of dread
4) A lack of motivation
5) Feelings of guilt
6) Low self esteem and self confidence
7) A sense of being trapped with no means of escape
8) A sense of shame and failing
9) A pessimistic outlook on life (always expecting the worst to happen)
10) A lack of energy
11) A hunched stance, unhappy expression and negative attitude to any or everything
12) A sense of being a victim or always having bad luck
13) A high level of stress or anxiety

In the mildly depressed person only some of the above may apply for only a short period of time. In the person with manic depression many more of these symptoms may be true and can be coupled with psychotic episodes of delusions, hallucinations and a loss of a sense of reality. Anyone with manic depression should be under the supervision of a psychiatrist and will probably be prescribed drugs to help the condition.

It is the mild forms of depression that other forms of help such as counseling, hypnotherapy and EFT may be useful. Certainly if you do feel that you are depressed, even if it is only a mild form of depression and has been with you for a only few days or keeps returning sporadically you should go and see your doctor first. It is not the intention of this article to address anything other than mild depression.

There are a number of events that can trigger mild depression. These can be:

1) A divorce
2) Shock or upsetting news
3) Loss of a job
4) Loss of the home
5) Being assaulted (mugged)
6) A burglary
7) Rape or constant abuse
8) Physical, verbal or psychological abuse at home or at work

These 'life event's' happen to all of us. It is how we perceive them and ultimately deal with them that make the difference between someone who handles the crisis and someone who feels unable to cope. Even children can suffer with depression, which may be due to factors in the home or at school.

For those people with mild depression which they know has been caused by a particular event or events, an Up from Depression self hypnosis CD may help.

Work Stress - Who Is To Blame - It May Be You

Having fun with your co-workers is an ideal way to remove work stress. It can be done easily so that it doesn't disrupt work or take time away from work. But adding fun activities can lighten the mood in a time of stress, and can increase productivity and job performance. Which will lead give you more time, to spare for fun activities.

Many people believe playing practical jokes on people in the office is a fun way to relieve stress and tension. It may relieve your tension but add to the person who is the result of the joke. So steer clear of activities like this because it can lead to many disastrous events and upheavals. A few joke telling sessions are okay, but disrupting a co-workers computer can send someone over the edge if they are also under stress and rundown. So have fun, but make it fun for everyone.

Some activities to try include to eliminate work stress ...

Secret Santa

Choosing names out of a hat and secretly giving someone a gift without them knowing it is you can be rewarding for them and you. Gifts can be serious and appreciative, or fun and exciting. The longer you keep the secret, the better. It doesn't just have to be kept until Christmas to use these games. Work stress is all year round ... so this can be done at anytime.

Secret Admirer

This is similar to the Secret Santa, but you can use gifts or notes to a person. Just telling some co-worker they are doing a good job and that you appreciate it can bring a smile to them, and yourself. Having a few quotes that are humorous, a joke or two that you leave in their pigeon hole or desk can just lighten the day. But have fun and be inventive with what you do.

Social Club

This is a must. Even if half of the staff doesn't want to be involved, do it anyway. You will find others will join as the word spreads. This can eliminate work stress when you need to remove stress the most.

But collect money, only small amounts and put it into an account for fun activities. It could be a night out, a dinner or various activities.

We go to a place for Laser-Strike. A shooting thing sounds not too good, but with lasers. Teams search each other out in a darkened warehouse and shoot with lasers. Fun and exciting, but a physical running around activity. Mix the teams up, boys versus girls, management versus staff or whatever. Remember, this is to reduce work stress ... so no picking on certain people.

But make it a regular event, but fun oriented rather than just down to the bar for a drink. Introduce a trophy to the winner as you change the activities, so it can be a sports outing or whatever.

You don't even have to spend money. A house to house (progressive) dinner, where everyone provides a different dish to eat, can be fun. It is a party on wheels going from house to house. Hire a bus to transport you to remove the drink driving issue. Getting to know your work mates helps to reduce work stress easily.

But think up ideas, put them into a hat and draw one out each week, month or whenever. But aim to have fun, get to know your work mates and colleagues ... and most importantly ... reduce work stress!

The boss will appear more approachable, workers will appear happier. But the workplace will thrive. More enjoyment, more understanding of everyone's stress, a collective approach to a lot of work stress issues. But staff will tend to talk more; issues won't be swept under the table, but kept in the open and dealt with early.

A fun activity and beneficial for the workplace as a whole. Best of all, something to look forward to at the end of a busy day, week and month. Remember, it is the work stress that affects you most. Stress can be almost constant in today's' society. Work stress can be eliminated by getting together with your work mates with the goal to ... reduce work stress!

Treating Atypical Depression

Are you in a place where you think that you might be suffering from depression? If your symptoms don't match up with the symptoms for the most common form of depression but if the result is still very much the same, it might be time for you to take a look at atypical depression. Atypical depression is actually a subset of major depression, and it is largely characterized through mood reactivity. Even in the midst of atypical depression, you will be able to experience improved moods when positive events occur. This can make diagnosing this condition tough, but there are still treatments and options that are available to you.

When you are looking at atypical depression, you may find that there are symptoms that it does not have in common with major depression. For instance, the first symptom is that mood lightening is possible when in the presence or in anticipation of positive events. Some other symptoms include weight gain or an increase in your appetite, over-sensitivity to interpersonal rejection, feeling a heavy leaden feeling in your arms or legs or hypersomnia, a condition where you sleep more than you should. You need to have at least two of these symptoms to qualify for atypical depression.

The important thing to remember about atypical depression is that it is treatable. The first thing that you should remember is that you do not need to turn to drugs, prescription or otherwise, for this issue. Many of the drugs that the prescribe are going to be expensive and in the long term, habit forming, so take a moment and make sure that you look at your other options. One important tool that you might want to consider if you are suffering from atypical depression is put yourself on a well-considered diet plan. This does not meant that you should eat to lose weight; instead, eat foods that are light and crisp and that will give you the energy that you need to get through your day; the effects from doing this can be quite positively profound.

Remember that you should also keep your goals small, but that you should indeed have them. There are many people who frequently feel overwhelmed in the face of atypical depression, and the issue with this is that they often find that they cannot move forward because the job is too big. Just remember that all you need to do is to break it down into smaller tasks so that you can accomplish it easily. When you have a series of small tasks to think about, suddenly things become much easier.

Take a moment to really consider the issues that are presented by atypical depression. This condition is more common than you might think, and at the end of the day, it all too often goes untreated. Remember that when you are looking for a solution, check out our e-course, which can give you fast, safe and, above all, drug free solutions to your depression!

Depression and Bloating, Are These Systemic Yeast Infection Symptoms?

A Systemic Yeast Infection is something that can become very serious. Any person affected by this will undoubtedly have a variety of symptoms. You may have been to your doctor, or doctors, over and over with no results. Often the Infection goes misdiagnosed and the person who has it will suffer needlessly for months, maybe even for years.

The first thing to do is to listen to your body. We all usually can tell when something is not right. There are many symptoms that can come along with this type of infection. Some of the most common systemic yeast infection symptoms are.

• Generalized Symptoms-Dizziness, fatigue, weakness and migraine headaches


• Digestive Symptoms-Oral Thrush, Constipation, diarrhea and rectal itching.


• Women can have-Yeast vaginitis, UTIs, bladder infections, problems with your period.


• Skin symptoms can be eczema, or acne.

You can also experience depression, memory loss and insomnia. If left untreated this type of infection can lead to other conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS).

There is bacterium called candida albicans in our digestive tract already. If an overgrowth of this bacterium starts, due to some upset in the bowels bacterial balance, then you will develop a yeast infection. The upset is usually caused by taking some type of medication, like an antibiotic, or by some other underlying condition that affects the immune system like stress,or illness.

You usually develop these infections in your mouth or vaginal area, but when they are left untreated they can spread inside the body. The yeast then changes into a more invasive form and it starts to break down the barrier between the intestinal system and the blood circulatory system. What this means is that the stuff in our intestines can get into our bloodstream and other areas inside our body and cause major problems. When this happens it becomes a systemic yeast infection. Your doctor can confirm the infection through a stool sample.

Guess what the treatment is-adjusting your diet and lifestyle. Changing your eating habits to make sure you stay away from foods containing simple sugars, mold and yeast. No more beer, at least for a little while. You will focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. You will also have to stay away from dyes and artificial sweeteners.

You are also advised to avoid any antibiotics or artificial hormones. It may take months for someone to fully recover from the Systemic Yeast Infection symptoms. But with the knowledge you receive in treating your infection, you will be able to remain healthy.

The number one treatment is to take a natural approach. Adjusting your diet and lifestyle so as not to encourage any further development and growth of the yeast.

Depression and Dehydration

Is there any link between depression and dehydration?

There are many different types of depression, which can range from feelings of mild depression to more severe clinical depression.

So it would be too simplistic to say that all forms of depression are affected by dehydration.

However, when we understand that the brain tissue is about 85 percent water and the body is about 70 percent water, I think it is only logical to conclude that not drinking enough water will have a significant impact not only on the physical body, but also on the mind and emotions.

In addition, a significant number of Americans are suffering chronic dehydration and are unaware of its effects on the mind and the body. Depression is a common symptom of chronic dehydration.

There are many reasons why depression and dehydration are linked. One of the most significant reasons is that depression is often connected to insufficient levels of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter.

An essential amino acid, tryptophan, is converted to serotonin in the brain. However, when the body is dehydrated, the transport of tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier is deterred.

Dehydration also causes a shortage of tryptophan in the body because of the body's impaired ability to detoxify when there is a water shortage. Thus, the liver then uses more tryptophan as an antioxidant to help neutralize free radicals and other toxins in the body.

In addition to dehydration's effect on tryptophan, it can also deplete other essential amino acids in the body. Studies have shown that an incessant shortage of amino acids can contribute to feelings of dejection and inadequacy, as well as feelings of anxiety and irritability.

Dehydration Increases Stress in the Body

There are other factors, of course, that can contribute to depression. Stress is at the top of the list.

In the book Hexagonal Water: The Ultimate Solution, M.J. Pangman writes that "Dehydration is the number one cause of stress in the human body.

It is well known that stress produces many of the psychological symptoms of depression. What many people don't understand is that drinking plenty of water when enduring any type of stress is the best way to minimize its negative physiological and psychological effects.

In addition to drinking more water when under stress, it's important not to assume that drinking other fluids like juices, coffee, tea, soda or alcohol are substitutes for clean water. The fact is that all of those liquids will actually contribute to the condition of dehydration in the body.

Obviously, drinking water will not necessarily "cure" all types of depression. However, it may be the missing link for many people who are chronically dehydrated.

In summary, the connection between depression and dehydration is well established. Re-hydrating your body by drinking enough water daily is foundational to any health treatment plan, including treatment for depression.