Do Not Suffer in Silence, Depression is Treatable

Many people experience depression at some point in life. On the whole, women are about 50% more likely to have symptoms than men. This is most likely due in part to the significant hormonal changes women experience. Men do get this illness, but they often do not seek out treatment. Instead, they show their state of mind through anger and hostility. Men are 25% more likely to commit suicide than are women. The elderly are another population that often become despondent and who are, as a group, less likely to get help for it.

This is a real illness, not just a state of mind or something that someone can think themselves out of. There are several causes, including genetics, trauma history, physical illness (such as not making enough thyroid hormone), certain medications, chronic pain and grief.

Depression is a mood disorder in which signals are not passed between neurons normally. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that are in charge of passing the signals between neurons. Neurotransmitter signals may be too weak or there may not be enough of a particular neurotransmitter, similar to a phone line with a bad connection.

Symptoms include lack of energy, inability to sleep or sleeping too much, restlessness, weight loss or weight gain of more than 5% in one month, intrusive thoughts of suicide and death, guilt and feeling worthless and hopeless, general irritability, inability to concentrate, loss of enjoyment of favorite activities, self-imposed isolation, physical pain, headaches or even digestive upset that does not respond to any treatment. Any of these symptoms lasting more than two weeks is cause to see a doctor.

Some common forms of the illness include childhood and postpartum depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Children can be depressed and may not be able to tell you in words what they are feeling. Children most often express what they are feeling through their behavior. Be attentive to any changes in the behavior or your children. Postpartum depression occurs in the first year after giving birth. This manifestation of the illness can be very debilitating and guilt producing. The woman may feel that because she just had this wonderful child she should not be feeling the way she does. This is just not true. She needs to get help. Bipolar is characterized by extreme periods of extremely sad, hopeless moods and mania. It tends to run in families. Seasonal affective disorder most often occurs in people living in northern latitudes with short winter days and long nights.

Depression is treatable. Cognitive behavior therapy or psychotherapy in combination with medications is a more successful treatment than therapy or medication alone. Eating well and exercising, taking time to relax and regenerate and listening to your body can help ease symptoms and possibly even prevent the illness. Stress management and reduction techniques, such as visualization, meditation and yoga practice are other ways to help manage symptoms. Light therapy is often the treatment method of choice for seasonal affective disorder.

If you think you or someone you know is suffering from this illness and it has been going on for more than two weeks, seek the attention of a doctor. Depression is a real illness that can sometimes be fatal. Remember that it is not your fault. It is a chemical malfunction in the brain that you have no more control over than a diabetic has control over their own insulin production. Remember that depression is a very treatable illness and that there is no reason to suffer in silence.

Dealing With Change in Life: 7 Reasons Why You Cannot Change

We all accept that we should change to catch the day. The world is changing faster than the day before. Dealing with change in life is vital for success. If you want a better life for yourself, you should learn how to deal with change.

I need to change my life, I want to change my life but I do not know how to deal with change.

These are the words more and more people use everyday. Most of us are aware of the need for a change. You think that you can change and you know how to deal with change. Unfortunately, when you need to take action, you feel like frozen. You hesitate and miss the chance to change.

You know the driving forces of change but somehow they are not strong enough to force you take action.

* Your expectations change
* Your desires change
* Your emotions change
* Your knowledge change
* Your goals change

These driving forces step on the gas but there are other forces which put the brakes on you.

If you can learn the forces which are holding you back from change, you can end these reasons and will not miss a chance ever again. Dealing with change in life is only possible if you can decrease the resisting forces.

7 Reasons why you cannot change your life

Admitting that you need to change your life is a powerful start for change. Now you need to discover the reasons why it is difficult for you to act.

1. You get used to your life
   People can get used to everything in life and they are satisfied with it. This is a protection mechanism of the mind. Mind protects itself from depression and anxiety by this way. You can get used to any trouble, problem or any condition. The problem is, getting used to anything means being blind. You cannot perceive the problems as they are or you cannot even notice them.


2. Justify Your Life
   Getting used to your life offers you a strong ability to justify your life. You can justify any problem and you cannot say "I need to change my life" anymore. All the problems fade away with your justification.


3. Leaving the Comfort Zone
   You get used to your life, you justified every problem and now you are living in your comfort zone. You know what you can and cannot expect. Life is casual. There is nothing new, neither problems nor opportunities. You do not need to change your life because you feel comfortable with it.


4. Fear of change
   Fear is the strongest emotion in any situation. You do not know how to deal with change and this is freaking you out. Dealing with change in life brings uncertainty and this means you cannot get ready for something you do not know. Worries about the change use all the power of your mind and you do not have much energy for dealing with change.


5. Social Environment
   You want to spend time with the people who are like you. You share the same problems and you understand one another. You want to be a part of this social environment. There is nothing wrong with it unless they are holding you back from changing your life. You feel too comfortable with them that you do not want to waste your time and energy dealing with change.


6. You do not have goals
   If you do not have goals, you should not worry about anything. You do not need to change anything unless you have goals. You will swing with the wind and accept everything what life brings. That is hopeless. You must think like that: "I want to change my life for better"


7. You are not ready to change
   How can you be? There is no time to get ready for a change. Life is changing so fast that all you can do is to adapt to change. Your mind always find a way for dealing with change.

How to deal with change

Now you know the driving and resisting forces of change. That means you can control these forces. Dealing with change is; increasing the driving forces and decreasing the resisting forces. You have the control of resisting forces. You resist to change yourself although you think you want to change your life. So, you should start the change from inside. You can decrease the resisting forces if you can reach your subconscious with subliminal recordings, brainwave entrainment or affirmations. All of these techniques are great tools to help you overcome your limitations.

Early Sign of Depression Symptoms

Depression can really affect your health. It is the problem not only related to your mind but badly affects your physical conditions. People who remain depressed for long time becomes very selfish and immature because they start to lose hope and they always think in negative angles. We all being human beings feel sad occasionally but people who are depressed feel sad on daily basis. The sadness and hopelessness are associated with the depression symptoms but there are some physical symptoms of depression exist as well in people who are suffering from problem of depression.

To give help to all people who are depressed is not an easy thing to do. When you will try to give them comfort form one side, they will think about the other points and when you will try to overcome other, they will take you in some other direction because they are addicted to remain sad and unhappy and when they feel anything good, they immediately start to think that this happiness can bring something else bad for them. So you need to tell them that they are depressed and it is a disease whose only cure is thinking positively.

The depression symptoms which can bring changes physically are less sleep and change in eating habits. When you do not feel sleepy at nights and on the next day, you want to sleep at work or at your school, you are most probably going towards the depression. Same is the case when your eating habits change. Sometimes, you do not feel hungry at all and sometimes, you feel so much hungry when you are depressed. If you are worried for some reason and if you are seeing depression symptoms in you, you should immediately consult someone to help you sort out your problem. Otherwise, you can suffer from depression. Another physical symptom of depression is lack of energy in body for doing anything. When you suffer from depression, you become lazy because your mind is not supporting you and your nervous system remains inactive for long period. In reaction, you feel less energetic and less willing to do anything. This usually happens when you cry and feel sad for long time. During period of crying, you lose your hopes and energy and the next day, you feel tired and lazy.

Chronic and constant headaches are another symptom of depression. Feeling pain in body for more than week and constant headaches can be taken as a positive step through the depression. Some patients feel constant pains in their body without any reason and when they go for medical check up they see nothing is wrong with them. It happens due to the depression. Sometimes, for this reason doctor's advice you to take some depression control medicines and foods which help to maintain your normal depression.

If you think you are suffering from any of the above mentioned symptoms, then you should take some guidance and help to overcome your depression problem completely.

IELTS - 10 Tips For Passing the IELTS Exam

To improve your score in the IELTS exams, you should focus on the following ten areas:

1. Improve your overall English ability

The IELTS exam has been designed to test your ability to communicate in English, so ultimately you cannot score well without a high level of English. Learning any language is a slow process that requires hard work and perseverance. The best way to improve your English is to immerse yourself in English...take every opportunity you can to read, write, speak, and listen to English. In addition, try to develop regular habits for doing things in English, such as, reading the daily news in English or starting a blog in English. Research shows that it is important to interact in English frequently as opposed to big chunks of infrequent study.

You can improve your listening skills by listening to the BBC news or watching movies. In doing so, try to understand as much as you can about what the speaker is saying, and do NOT rely on subtitles - they only improve your reading! Reading can be improved by regularly reading English newspapers and novels. Try to guess the meaning of words you don't know and only use a dictionary to check your guesses or for words you can't guess the meaning.

Writing can be improved by writing more often...how about starting a blog or joining a chat group or forum. Speaking can be a tricky one if you are in a non-English speaking country. One thing you can do is to record yourself speaking and listen to it for mistakes. Another thing you can do is to try to meet people over Skype - even if they are non-native speakers you can still benefit from this kind of interaction.

2. Understanding the Exam

The exam always follows the same format, so you should learn about the different question types, and how to answer them. First of all you should be clear about whether you will be taking the General Exam or the Academic Exam because the requirements are quite different for each.

Reading: You should know about the different text types that are used in the reading exam, and also the different question types. This will help you develop reading skills and strategies to answer each type of question, and also let you develop time management skills for each question type. Note: many students have trouble completing the reading section and as a result their grade is often lower than their actual level of English.

Writing: All candidates will write a 250 word essay, so everyone should practice writing a complete 250 word essay within 40 minutes. Many students practice essay writing, but they fail to practice with the time requirement - as a result they are unable to complete their essay during the actual exam. You need to make sure you are preparing for the correct type of exam because general candidates will write a letter whereas academic candidates will write a report based on a graph/diagram. Clearly the requirements are different, so the preparation for each type should be different.

3. Understand how the exam is graded.

Although your exam grade is a single number for each of the four section of the exam, this is not how all sections are assessed. In the speaking and writing sections there are four criteria for assigning a grade. Understanding how each of the criteria is evaluated is essential to maximising your score. This is because we should try to give the examiner what they are looking for so that they will assign a high grade! As an example, in the speaking test - you need to use some idioms or some infrequently used language in order to score a 7 for the vocabulary component of your score. As for grammar, you need to use some complex or compound sentences or your score is limited to a 5, in terms of grammar.

How the writing test is graded

Your writing test is graded and marked from 1-9 in accordance with four key criteria, as follows:

Task Fulfillment: this concerns whether you addressed all parts of the question, and also whether you fully developed all parts of your answer.

Coherence & Cohesion: Coherence refers to your writing being easy to understand and cohesion refers to the way it fits together - such as the quality of your sentence structure, paragraphing, and use of connective devices.

Vocabulary: To score highly you must use higher level words, pay attention to collocation, and also control your word endings (correctly use singular/plural and use the correct verb ending for the correct tense).

Grammar: To score highly you need to use a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, complex) and also avoid grammatical errors, such as with articles and prepositions and sentence order especially when they make your writing difficult to understand.

Special Note: In some instances errors can count in two categories; for example, many grammatical errors also result in a lower score for coherence. On the positive, it is useful to learn lots of connective devices because they can count for Coherence & Cohesion as well as vocabulary. Part of your self-study should be aimed at efficiently using your time to maximize your grade.

How the reading test is graded

Your speaking test is graded and marked from 1-9 in accordance with four key criteria, as follows:

Fluency and coherence: Fluency is about your ability to speak at a normal speed without excessive hesitation and restarting. Coherence refers to your speaking being easy to understand.

Vocabulary: To score highly you must use higher level words, pay attention to collocation, and also control your word endings (correctly use singular/plural and use the correct verb ending for the correct tense). In addition you should try to show an ability to paraphrase and use colloquial language.

Grammar: To score highly you need to use a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, complex) and also avoid grammatical errors, such as with articles and prepositions and sentence order especially when they make your speaking difficult to understand.

Accent: Your grade is influenced by the level to which your accent makes it difficult to understand what you are saying, and also the degree to which you use language features of a native speaker such as intonation, stress, and rhythm.

Special Note: In some instances errors can count in two categories; for example, many grammatical errors also result in a lower score for coherence. On the positive, it is useful to learn lots of connective devices because they can count for Coherence & Cohesion as well as vocabulary. Part of your self-study should be aimed at efficiently using your time to maximize your grade.

4. Do lots of practice exams and receive feedback

Doing lots of practice exams is the best way to familiarize yourself with the specific style, requirements, and necessary success factors of the IELTS exam. It is also a way to make mistakes without suffering any penalty. For example, better you find out that you have trouble with the time constraints of the exam before you actually sit the exam. Practice tests also give you insights about the types of questions you will be asked and the answers they require. For instance, many of the answers in the reading exam are synonyms (word with similar meanings) of words in the text. This is useful knowledge because there is usually no point in trying to find words in the answers in the text - instead you need to work on your skill in finding synonyms for these words. This avoids you wasting time looking for words that are not there!

Doing practice exams is not enough. Make sure you maximise the effectiveness of your learning by learning from your mistakes. Try to see patterns in your errors - what kinds of errors are you frequently making? The next step is to learn to overcome these errors. If they are grammatical errors you should do some grammar quizzes focused on that area, an excellent site is at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar.

Of course if you are doing practice writing exams you will need a professional to give you feedback on your mistakes and how to avoid them. This is not just about proofreading for errors, you may have problems with the way you are structuring your essays. You are welcome to post in the writing section of my forum, which is available on the website connected to this article.

5. Developing skills

In addition to improving your general level of English and doing practice exams, you also need to work on many skills that will help you to perform better on the test. Reading skills such as skimming (which parts you should strategically read) and scanning (best choices for searching for information) are essential to deal with the time pressure of the reading exam.

Writing skills such as how to structure an essay and how to highlight your key points are necessary to score 7 and above. If you are doing the academic test you will need to learn how to write a report based on a graph/diagram - this requires a lot of specific vocabulary as well as a high level of ability in using the correct tense to describe trends. For the speaking exam you need to learn how to structure answers to questions and to quickly paraphrase words you don't know (part of the criteria for level 7 and above) and you will need to develop skills in note making and speech making for the part 2 long answer.

To score well in the listening exam, you should develop excellent pre-listening skills, so that you can predict answers and establish listening objectives. It is also useful to have skills in guessing the meaning of words - as you are likely to encounter many of these!

6. Work on your time management

In the IELTS test, time management is a vital element and so part of your preparation should focus on how you will manage your time in the exam. Candidates who do not perform as well as they had hoped often complain that they were unable to finish all parts of the test.

In order to improve upon your time management, you should improve your general English ability, do lots of practice exams under time restrictions, and work on skills that assist your ability to deal with the time pressures of the exam (such as skimming and scanning in the reading exam).

7. Get a tutor or join a class

If you really want to make progress, especially in a short period of time, you really need to join a class or hire a tutor. This is because a tutor or teacher can guide you on how to prepare for the exam, what skills to develop, and also give you valuable feedback on your practice exams and performance in class. Of course it is better to have a face to face class. However, if for some reason you are not able to meet with someone face to face, I have a low priced online service where we can chat online. My essay correction and feedback service may be of use to you also - even if you already have a teacher; do they have the time and experience to give you the level of correction and feedback that you require?

8. Find a study partner

One of the most overlooked resources of most English learners is a study partner. It seems many people think that they can only practice their English with a native speaker; however, it's not true. There are a lot of mutual benefits of having a conversation with another student or with reading each other's essays. Even though you may be at the same IELTS level you will have different strengths and weaknesses. Also, any kind of practice is still worthwhile because it still gets you using and thinking in the language. Finally, you can help motivate each other!

9. Set realistic goals

Part of knowing the exam and understanding the grading criteria is about knowing where you personally are and what you must do to get to the next level. It takes about 10 weeks of full-time study for most students to rise to the next IELTS level. Therefore if you are a level 5 student, it is not likely that you will be able to get a 7 within 10 weeks. It is best to be working on raising one level. To illustrate this if you are a level 5 student you should be focusing on things like correctly using complex sentences, learning to paraphrase unknown words, and the overall structure of an essay.

10. Establish a timetable and reward system

Based on the goals you have set for yourself you should set up a timetable for reaching those goals. A timetable will help you to push yourself to study and to get through sufficient work to achieve those goals. As mentioned above it takes about 10 weeks of full-time study to raise one level - so if you really do want to jump two levels within 10 weeks, you will need to work twice as hard as a full time student - and study about 10-12 hours per day! If you are gifted it may take less, but don't kid yourself.

Set aside the maximum number of hours you can spare each day to practise English for all four parts of the test. Practice regularly and give yourself a reward between tasks (I like ice-cream!). Take at least one day out of your week to rest and forget the test completely or you will become stale and depression may start to kick-in! Take every opportunity to immerse yourself in English whenever you can. Watch TV and films, listen to the radio, visit English websites and have as many conversations with native English speakers as you can.

Depression Pills - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

The depression pills known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most widely prescribed medication for depression. SSRIs work by blocking the reuptake of a chemical transmitter called serotonin into the nerve cell endings. This action maintains a higher level of serotonin in the brain, which in theory reduces symptoms of depression.

The first drug in this category to find its way to the market was Prozac in 1988 followed by Paxil and a few others. From day one they have been the most popular and some would argue most overprescribed prescription antidepressant medication. Perhaps on reason for their popularity is that their side effects are less severe than older antidepressants (MAO inhibitors) and the consequences of overdose are also much less severe. 

An SSRI is often a doctor's first choice in treating cases of depression. These drugs are also used in cases involving dysthymia and seasonal affective disorder. They usually take from one to four weeks to become effective. While their side effects are not as severe as older antidepressants the list is still very long. Side effects include increased anxiety, fatigue, upset stomach, insomnia, apathy, lack of sexual interest, dizziness, sweating, tremors, dry mouth, weight loss, weight gain and headache.

Additional complications:

*Drug interactions: Taking SSRIs with another type of antidepressant called MAO inhibitors can trigger dangerous even life threatening interactions.

*Suicide in children: The popular SSRI Paxil has been linked to an increase in self harm in children which could possibly lead to suicidal attempts.

*Withdrawal: Abrupt discontinuation of any antidepressant including SSRIs can produce flu like symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, sweating and headache. Sudden withdrawal has also been linked to sleep problems and vivid dreams.

*If you are bipolar just say no: If you have bipolar disorder SSRIs can activate manic states which can involve dangerous behaviors. 

Naming names 

There are currently six selective serotonin uptake inhibitors on the market. They are Celexa, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft.
 
In summary, if you have severe depression you should consult with your doctor to find the best treatment option for your unique situation. On the other hand many people with mild to moderate depression have found help in the form of herbal remedies for depression containing ingredients such as St. John's wort and Passionflower. These all natural alternatives are very safe and have been shown to be effective as a stand alone treatment or in combination with behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy. Herbs should not be mixed prescription antidepressant medications and you should consult your doctor before changing your treatment plan.

Are You a Little Low on Serotonin or Dopamine? Take A Test!

Ladies, do you feel depressed or overwhelmed by your moods? Men, do you frequently have low energy or can't focus? Did you know that this could be from a lack of serotonin in women and dopamine in men? These are brain chemicals and when they're at normal levels they create a sense of well being and contentment.

Many experts, including among others, John Gray, PhD., world-famous author suggests that we can create health, happiness and lasting romance by following a simple nutrition and exercise routine, as well as putting into practice some relationship and communication skills he recommends. The nutrition program helps the body create more serotonin and dopamine just by giving it the nutrients it needs each day, many of which we're not getting in our foods any more.

Dr. Gray says:

"... works immediately for more than 90 percent of the people who try it. The program is so easy to apply that almost everyone who tries it benefits immediately. Many, under the supervision of their doctors, have gradually gone off such psychoactive medications as Prozac. Thousands of overweight people have lost and kept off their extra weight in just a few weeks. Every day I hear the stories of increased health, energy, successful weight management, and better sleep at night.

Do you know if your serotonin or dopamine level is low? Take a test to see if you're deficient in these vital brain chemicals.

Take this test:

Find Out if you're deficient in the vital brain chemicals that help make you healthy and happy.

MEN:

1) Do you have lots of energy and passion at work but not at home? Work is stimulating and challenging, but when you get home, you don't have energy?

2) Have you found that your interest and passion declined as your relationship with your partner/spouse continued over the years? You find you avoid eye contact, you're distracted, and conversations with her are dull?

3) Are you inattentive and impatient? Have you lost interest in what your partner talks about and can't focus your attention on what she's saying?

4) Are you impulsive? You can't take time to think through a problem or reflect on your feelings?

5) Are you forgetful? Does your motivation drop and you forget, but you can always remember football games, important business calls, or problems at work?

6) Are you solution oriented with your spouse? You always want to solve her problems right away or talk her out of her emotional upset?

7) Are you unavailable emotionally? Do you need to go somewhere by yourself in your home for long periods and you can't devote time to listen to your partner?

8) Do you have tunnel vision? You can focus only on big problems and you ignore the little ones? And even if you know the little ones, you have no energy to put your attention to solving them?

9) Are you bored and have addictions? Are you bored with most normal life experiences and have developed addictions to escape this boredom? Addictive substances or behaviors such as excessive sports, video games, alcohol, drugs, smoking, sugar, coffee, overworking, oversleeping, over-exercising, excessive TV watching?

10) Do you need space and distance after sex? Do you fall asleep right away after sex?

WOMEN:

1) Do you have what Dr. Gray calls temporary amnesia? You're hungry and your partner waits a while to get food. Your blood sugar level drops and during this period you forget any good thing your partner/spouse has ever done?

2) Do you have sudden mood changes?

3) Are you needy at lot of the time? You're less autonomous that normal?

4) Do you give too much...often being driven by feelings of excessive caring, obligation and responsibility for others? Do you fail to give yourself what you need?

5) Are you resentful and hurt when you give too much?

6) Do you have unrealistic expectations, thinking that your partner knows the way you feel and think? (According to Dr. Gray, most men don't have a clue what women think and feel.)

7) Do you feel a need to help your partner even though he may not be asking for help? You're wanting to change him to improve him and you offer unsolicited advice?

8) Do you feel overwhelmed? There is too much to do and too little time to do it? You want to always please others?

9) Are you depressed? (These are signs of depression: chronic distress and despair; strong feelings of guilt and regret; feelings of isolation, abandonment and hopelessness; indifference toward life and relationships; inhibited sex drive; numbness or flatness of feeling; inability to sleep at night; lack of passion or interest; resistance to having fun; unwillingness to make relationships work; chronic fatigue; little or excessive hunger.)

10) Are you obese and do you eat emotionally to avoid or minimize your feelings of depression?

If you answered YES to 5 or more of these, you may have a brain chemical imbalance. And according to Dr. Gray, most of us have DO have an imbalance in brain chemistry.

How do we correct the deficiencies and imbalances that may be creating our feelings of depression and overwhelm, ladies, or feeling lack of energy or not being able to focus, men? The MAGIC KEY for all of us is in our diets...it's what we eat that greatly affects our health, happiness and love life.

Gray says,"A perfect" diet contains no sugar, no dairy, no bread, no processed foods, no hydrogenated fats. While attending with a Nobel Prize winning MD practicing in Mexico, every day, I witnessed patients who stopped addictions without any withdrawal symptoms by means of intravenous amino acid supplementation. Patients could come in high on heroin or cocaine and leave in nine days free from addictive cravings...

"Tears of joy would come to their eyes as they shared how happy they were. For the first time in theirs lives, such patients were producing healthy amounts of brain chemicals. All their unhealthy cravings seemingly vanished."

Gray's quest to find a natural way of getting the amino acids our bodies need so that we wouldn't have to travel to Mexico or get them intravenously. He found a nutrient-dense breakfast meal replacement shake that was rich in the amino acids he was looking for. All he had to do was eat his amino acids.

It is easy to lose weight, because the amino acid supplementation takes away all cravings for extra food. Correct brain chemistry gives us relaxation and endless energy. With this support for our brain, we stop overeating to get more energy or to find comfort. Think about learning more about brain chemistry in your pursuit of optimal health.

Regain Your Life After Depression - The Emotional SOS Approach

What is Depression?

Depression is a condition that can affect anyone, of any age. It can affect a person regardless of their circumstances or life experiences. In fact, one in five people will suffer depression at some point in their lives. It can be brought on by a number of mental and physical factors. Often it is hereditary, or brought on by hormones in the body. Sometimes if a person is not receiving adequate nutrition they may become depressed.

Stress is another known factor as well as drugs alcohol. Studies have also shown that many sufferers of depression have long term sleeping difficulties. Psychological causes of depression due to personal circumstances are very common. For example if someone loses a child or someone related or close to them it can often trigger depression. Other social impacts such as status or reputation can also have an impact on a person's self esteem or create additional stress which can lead to symptoms of depression.

Why do people suffer depression?

Unfortunately, unlike most medical conditions, it is extremely difficult to determine why a person suffers depression and when it started. Many sufferers tend to isolate themselves from social environments or hide their feelings from family and friends. Doctors believe some people are more susceptible than others and their depression can be triggered a lot easier. The symptoms of depression tend to vary between people depending on their personalities and method of coping. A person suffering depression is seen to be experiencing sadness helplessness and hopelessness. These people normally come across as pessimistic and have low self esteem. It can deplete motivation even to the point where the sufferer may not be able to get out of bed.

Some turn to drugs and alcohol?

People can deal with depression in several ways often depending on their personality. Some people suffer low self esteem in conjunction with depression which makes it harder to deal with. These people put themselves down and fail to see and positives which can cause their depression to become even worse. Some people will become angry and antisocial, isolating themselves from their support which can often have a negative effect. Many people, more commonly teenagers and young adults are known to turn to drugs and alcohol. This often exacerbates the situation. These substances are unhealthy and can have mental effects that can exponentially increase the effects of their condition.

Unfortunately, depression not only makes the sufferer feel down and unhappy, it can also affect other areas of their life. Younger people tend drop their performance in school, others at work, and it can also have an impact on their relationships.

What are the treatments available?

There are treatments and method to suppress the symptoms of depression. These include short term cures such as anti depressant medication, or seeing a psychologist. Anti depressants cure the condition by changing the chemical balance in the brain to change the moods and feeling of the person. Unfortunately this treatment cannot be used long term and is only effective in fifty percent of cases.

Diet and exercise can have an effect. Many sufferer's have reported significant changes in their condition just by eating healthier and exercising more often. Cognitive behavior therapy is used to give a person tools to cope with times when they feel depressed or to avoid getting into these situations. The benefits of this approach are that the results can last a lifetime. However it often suggested by doctors that sufferers take part in these treatments simultaneously for maximum results.

How Damian cured his depression.

Damian suffered from Depression for over 15 years and is now cured. He spent these years researching the condition and developed numerous steps to find his way out. His preference was to regain his life without taking anti-depressants. So he created a plan for his day to day activities and began to put that plan into action. Over time the clouds of depression began to lift and this helped him to see the world more clearly. This clarity led to refinements to his plan and eventually to his cure.

Damian provides visitors to his website with a free booklet to explain some of the steps he took. You can find this by clicking the links below this article.

Conclusion

Damian found a way to cure his depression without taking anti-depressants. He does not advocate his methods as a solution for everyone but he does believe that his approach helps people to better understand why they have the condition. This is important because Damian believes that when people understand what is happening to them and why, they are then better equipped to deal with the condition and to find a way out.

Emotional SOS helped Damian to get his life back. It may work for others too.