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This is a subject matter that we in the wellness field deal with quite often. There is neither a single answer nor a single miracle cure that I know of. But you do know that it is certainly bad when you feel tired and blue all of the time, do you not? And yes that is bad but have you thought about what it may be doing to your body? This article will try to deal with a few of these issues.

You say that is bad enough that you are depressed but now you are also sick all of the time. Do you not know that your emotions will impact your physical health; it is not all in your head. It lowers your immunity.

I bet that you have noticed that your colds never seem to go away and if they do they return quickly. I often have this discussion about infections with my clients that are depressed, these infections such as sinus headaches and allergies seem to be common among them.

Are you familiar with the study done by Stanford University where depressed women that had breast cancer were found to have higher levels of the stress cortisol and just about half of the immune response of cancer patients who were not feeling low? This substantiated the fact that your immune system is affected if you have this chronic health problem.

Exercise and diet just may the answer to your problem. First you should exercise at least three days a week for thirty minutes. A good walk on a beautiful day will do wonders for you and your depression. Especially if you do some deep breathing exercises while walking. You should breath deep and hold it (count to three) clear your mind and then release it. Walk with a friend and laugh; I firmly believe laughter and a good sense of humor are the keys that may open the door to your happiness.

Now about your diet, I know that when you are feeling down you could care less about what you eat. Your eating is either very often or not often at all – both patterns are bad for you. One way will add weight to you thus further justifying to you why you feel low (ex: the thought that no one cares so why should you care).

And if you starve yourself your body will then go in to a starvation mode. Both patterns are self destructive, a nutritionist or a wellness coach can help you with either.

I am sure your doctor will agree with me when I tell you that your depression may lead to you having increased levels of stress hormones, which may also boost your blood pressure and heart rate. Now you know that is not good. If this depression is chronic please do consult your doctor and please be open and honest with her, she can help you or find help for you,

You owe it to yourself to be good to yourself, you must realize that you are a worthy person and deserve happiness. Please practice laughing even when you do not feel like it, your brain only knows what you show it. If you think negative thoughts learn how to stop those thoughts. I wish you well. This illness when it is chronic may not only make you blue but may also hurt your health. Take good care of yourself. And as always you must live well to be well.

Everyone knows the names of the popular anti depressants and some of the most famous ones like Effexor, Lexapro and Celexa are not only household names but are regarded as the gold standard on how to treat depression. The fact of the matter is that as Americans are really keen on pills for any type of ailment, from ADHD, to blood pressure problems to mental health disorders, the pharmaceutical industry has thrived even in these hard recessionary times.

But are the majority of these patients aware of the black box warnings put on these drugs by the FDA? Black box means of course the highest alert there is for medicines. Anti depressants which may be only really effective in about 60% of cases, come with heavy baggage as regards risks. These include increase in suicidality, specially in teenagers and young adults, and also agitation and some withdrawal from social life. In addition, these medicines will interact dangerously with some migraine medications leading to the sometimes fatal ’serotonin syndrome‘.

There is no best way to treat depression but there are many alternatives which can really help and every individual who is suffering from this mental disorder should at least be aware of the alternatives and should feel confident enough to be able to choose what could be the best way out of the tunnel of depression for them.

I know that many depressed patients have chosen homeopathy for depression. Those who suffer from some compulsive disorders and tend to be perfectionists can actually take the arsenicum album and really benefit. Kali phosphoricum is usually recommended for those suffering from overwork and are emotionally exhausted.

Whatever the benefits and drawbacks of various medical options such as anti depressants, herbs, vitamins or other natural alternatives, the one therapy which has had most success in how to treat depression is a type of behavior therapy known as CBT (cognitive behavior therapy).
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Anyone who has followed this type of therapy as a way to treat depression, is quickly helped to realize what may be unrealistic expectations and how not to be too critical of their own abilities. By learning to realize reasonable goals, create positive thought patterns, they can control their thinking in a certain way so that negativity is reduced to an absolute minimum.

So, there you have it. This is just the tip of the iceberg in learning how to treat depression. Every individual is completely different and will benefit in diverse ways and with varying degrees of success.

People teased 44-year-old Doug for his logical mind, but little did they know Doug’s outwardly calm interior was masking depression and deep anguish. Raised by indifferent, work-obsessed parents and an emotionally (and sometimes physically) abusive grandfather, he had learned always to be the perfect little adult, catching his mother’s attention only when he trotted out impressive facts.

As an adult, he married an affectionate, outgoing girl – and then spent the rest of their marriage criticizing her “over-emotional” behavior; mirroring – had he but realized it – his grandfather’s negative, critical behavior towards him during his childhood.

Doug was suffering from severe chronic depression, but he himself did not know it. He reported his life as always being “grey and pointless”, as far back as he could remember. He had developed a persona that acted as an effective mask for his symptoms. Doug could not even accept affection from his wife – though he dearly wanted and needed it.

When his wife finally persuaded him to accompany her to counseling, Doug spent the first three sessions talking about her “inappropriate” behavior. In Doug’s eyes, he himself was perfect, and his wife’s faults were the cause of all their problems. However, it didn’t take their counselor long to understand that the real problem was Doug’s childhood of abuse and emotional deprivation. The counselor understood both his severe depression and inability accept anything less than perfection from himself – or others.

At a private session which the counselor – with great difficulty – initiated, it all came pouring out. For the first time since early childhood, Doug cried, and confessed his deep unhappiness, as well as his anger and resentment towards his narcissistic, indifferent mother, the center of his childhood household. Frightened by and ashamed of this release of emotion, he abruptly stopped attending the counseling sessions.

How had Doug reached the age of 44 without anyone but his long-suffering wife cluing on to the fact that he had a deep problem?

Part of this may lie in the tendency of men to “mask” depression and hide it, whereas women are far more open to seeking support and expressing their feelings. This may seem like a sexist assumption, but according to Doug’s counselor, it’s a scenario that has been played out again and again.

Another reason everyone missed Doug’s despair: He had been able to function outwardly, attending his job like clockwork, proud of being utterly dependable. At home, however, his withdrawal was noticeable. He spent most of his time in the basement, obsessively playing computer games, angry at all attempts to get him to participate in any social occasions with his wife and children; or even just to “come upstairs and watch TV with us.”

Doug had no friends, didn’t attend church and his frustrated wife could barely get him to engage in conversation without his displaying irritation. “I feel like I’m always interrupting something important,” she confessed, during their first counseling session.

Another atypical depression symptom exhibited more by men than women: anger. Unlike his grandfather, however, Doug prided himself on keeping his emotions “under control”. He genuinely had no conception that his constant coldness and disapproval was having a damaging effect on his wife and children.

Doug’s real problem was typical of thousands of men and women – chronic depression, caused by early childhood abuse. However, he managed to mask it better than many.
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Doug was resistant to taking anti-depressants and, after abandoning the counseling sessions, lapsed back into his old habits. He is now unemployed, crushed by the loss of his job and completely supported by his wife, who has “given up” trying to get him to help himself. She loves and accepts him as he is – but now she, too, is suffering from chronic depression, which most of the time she masks cheerfully. She has resumed her own sessions with their former counselor, who sees them as “co-dependent and dysfunctional.” Doug’s wife admits this, but still feels she has no choice but to stay in the relationship.

This is not a happy story of triumph over depression, but there is still hope for Doug – if he ever resumes treatment. Sometimes, events and patterns from our childhood have great power over us. These are the hardest dysfunctional habits to let go of, and we become unusually adept at masking them – or rationalizing why we cling to depression and harmful behaviors.

If you have seen yourself in this story, I urge you to be persistent. Take responsibility for your depression, and seek treatment. It will not feel comfortable and I’ll warn you right now, it will be the hardest challenge you’ll ever have to face… but if you are able to persevere through treatment, you will come out on the other side, and gain a joy you’ve never before experienced.

Are you up for the challenge?

Help for mood swings is just one of many concerns for individuals who suffer from depression and other psychological and emotional disorders. Mood swings can be persistent and occasionally severe, disrupting the regular routine of daily life. But fortunately, there are all natural solutions to the problem which can help ease symptoms without side effects.

The first step in getting mood swing help is understanding what causes mood swings in the first place. While the symptoms may be emotional, there is a definite underlying physical cause of mood swings. Imbalance of hormones and other chemicals in the brain causes a disturbance of regular brain function, resulting in a host of symptoms including mood swings.

In order to achieve a sense of emotional well being and balance, it is necessary to restore healthy hormone levels. Getting mind and body to relax can be very important. In the past, this was achieved through the use of antidepressants, but in recent years more patients have opted for alternative methods as antidepressants can cause serious, even life threatening, side effects.

Among the many alternative treatments used for mood fluctuations are acupuncture, massage, yoga, and medication. Diet can also directly influence mood and being sure to get a well balanced diet that contains serotonin rich foods such as turkey and bananas can be a major help. Making sure you get plenty of healthful foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can also make a real difference.

Techniques such as yoga and meditation help to produce a sense of calm by aligning mind and body through the use of positive imagery, guided breathing and slow, tempered muscle movement. This enables the patient to become more aware of his/her physical and emotional responses and can be a tremendous help for moods swings.

Equally helpful is the use of herbal remedies. For centuries, homeopaths have relied on various herbs and plants to heal a variety of ailments of mind and body. Now, that knowledge has been directed into the formation of natural remedies which use herbs such as St. John’s Wort and Passion flower to provide safe, gentle help for mood swings. Nothing works better to balance moods and restore equilibrium, and because they are 100% natural they do so without any harmful side effects.

Another step that is helpful is getting the proper amount of sleep. Often, depression and other similar disorders can disrupt regular sleep patterns, leaving individuals feeling run down and less than sharp mentally. This not only leaves you open to emotional ups and downs, it can also be dangerous as it can affect your reactions. Allowing your body to relax properly so that you can get the necessary amount of sleep is critical to fighting troubling fluctuations.

Mood swings can be extremely difficult, but there is no reason why you should have to rely on traditional medications and their many pitfalls in order to treat them. Consider all of your options and try the natural solution for restoring emotional balance and achieving a sense of well being. Your entire body will thank you for it.

There is nothing that feels much worse sometimes than being lonely and depressed at the same time. Usually, loneliness tends to facilitate depression, although it’s a fact that many people who are mild to moderately depressed tend to isolate themselves from others creating their own lonely situation. Sometimes it’s hard to know which feeling causes the other, but there are some simple, practical steps that you can take to help you deal with some of the issues of loneliness and depression.

If you are not seriously clinically depressed, in which case you should see a doctor for help, you can make a few adjustments in your life which can help you tremendously. The most important thing is to give yourself something to look forward to that is stable and reassuring during this time of feeling lonely and depressed. One of the best ways to do that is to make a predictable schedule in your life for a whole month. Sometimes scheduling your life around some personal positives within a set amount of time can really add a lift to your life and help with the negative feelings you are experiencing.

Here’s where to start:

Establish a Sleep Pattern

Make a choice to go to bed before midnight every night for a whole month – Did you know that every hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours of sleep after midnight? Try to establish a routine for your body by going to bed the same time and getting out of bed the same time every day, whether you feel like it or not. This will help your body and mind adjust to a positive cycle of rest and sleep.

Eat Well

Eat at least two well balanced meals a day. Even though you may eat three meals a day, make sure that two of the three are nutritionally well balanced. Breakfast and one other meal are generally the most important to receive necessary nutrients.

Exercise

Add an exercise routine to your week – Even if you’ve never exercised before in your life, start now! If it’s just a simple 30 minute walk around the block, or at the local high school track or at the indoor mall, do it at least 4 times every week. Walk more if you feel like it.

Quit Thinking of Only Yourself

Do one random act of kindness for someone each day – Think of someone other than yourself every single day! Maybe your coworker needs some help, or maybe an elderly person needs a lift to the grocery store or perhaps your neighbor is ill and needs a dinner meal. Send a card, say “Good job!” or pat someone on the back for change. Do something, however small, that encourages someone else. At the end of the month, you will have gifted others with 30 acts of random kindness!

Start a Hobby

Choose a hobby to engage in throughout the whole month – Even if you don’t really do anything, choose something. Maybe you’d like to learn Spanish or gardening. Perhaps you’d like to bowl or learn calligraphy. Take a class or join a group or join the gym. It really doesn’t matter, but find something that interests you and become involved in it at least once a week for a month.

Have Dinner with Someone

Ask one person out to eat with you at least once a week – Whether it’s family, a friend, a coworker or a casual acquaintance with whom you’ve never taken the time to get to know, ask them to eat lunch or dinner with you. This alone can help you if you’re lonely and depressed.

Make these simple choices at the start of 30 days and don’t deter from them. Even if you are lonely and depressed, don’t allow yourself to be passive. It’s only for 30 days! You will be surprised at how you feel at the end of a month of changes in your life. You will benefit from feeling better, looking better and maybe even helping someone else in the process. Many times, by helping others, we are helping ourselves!

Life is not a fairy tale. At one time or another, people will get sad, frustrated or even depressed. The problem is, not all people can easily deal with that. There are some that easily gets sad when they feel that life is pressing on them. If we know some that are feeling sad, we need to find ways on how to cheer people up.

What we need to do is tailor our approach. You need to have the personality and right circumstances for the cheering session. Obviously, you cannot cheer someone who is sad if you are also sad. Think about what is making the person sad and take it from there. You cannot just cheer them by doing things because it might offend them.

Distract them from being sad. If your friend starts showing signs of sadness, try opening another topic to discuss about. What he needs is something that would keep his mind off the thing that is making him sad.

Give them something special. Why not giving them a hug? It is amazing how a hug can change the entire mood of a person. It can lift up that sullen mood of your friend if you volunteer on giving them a hug. It can also be giving them something they like. Perhaps they like flowers. Give some to them so that they have a reason to smile.

Always show that you are concerned about them. There are times when laughter is just not the best medicine. Make them, feel that you there if ever they need a friend or someone to talk to. That kind of concern will make them feel loved.

If you don’t know any ways on how to cheer people up, just try to be cheerful, and you will eventually share that feeling to your friend. When we keep a happy disposition, we can slowly lift other people’s mood because of our presence. We can be an example for them on being happy and jolly all the time.

It might take you several attempts before you can finally cheer someone. It will all depend on how deep his sadness is. There are people who just don’t like being cheered, and you have to make sure you know the signs of that. You can also have times like these and you just want to feel alone. Even if you know the ways on how to cheer people up, when the person doesn’t feel like smiling at the time, just let her be, but never leave her side. She might need you to just be there even though you don’t talk. Your presence might be what she needs.

Did you know that up to about 20% of teenagers are likely to suffer from teenage depression before they become adults? The worst case scenario is even more depressing when we realize that if we do not treat this condition, then it can lead to drug abuse, suicide and self injury. We also know now that 90% of all teenage suicides can be traced back to some mental disorder and a teen with depression is likely to be near the top of the list.

Given the life changing developments during puberty, we should not be too surprised that a teen with depression may just be crumbling under the pressure. Add to that academic and sports field competition plus all the hype about how they are supposed to look and behave from advertising, then we realize that sometimes the pressure really is enormous. Teenage depression may well be just a reaction to all this and we have to help them to get out of it if we can.

It may well be the fault of all the reality shows on TV which lead our adolescents to have unrealistic expectations. When these are not forthcoming then teenage depression can result. Look at the survey carried out in Western Australia recently. They examined about 400 teens and found that a whopping 30% were at risk of some future depressive illness. All those interviewed in that risk group believed strongly that happiness lay in getting their hands on money, fame through TV or other media and good looks.

Those who were in the majority, fortunately, believed firmly that their objectives could be achieved through merit and hard work. Their healthier values were reflected in the fact that they were not at risk of depression or some other mental disorder.

How can you get your teen back on track and become a fulfilled well balanced adult if he or she has been diagnosed as having a depressive illness? Many treatment options are available and they should be talked through, if possible, with the teenager.

If you think that antidepressants are the answer, then you may have to think again when you look at the statistics. We know that only about 30% of cases benefit, the other two thirds are either only partially effective or do not work at all.

Protein can boost alertness and gives us a slight mental boost. High protein foods include meat, poultry, eggs, fish, cheese, milk, tofu and green vegetables.

A lack of selenium has been shown to cause bad moods. It can also cause anxiety, hostility, irritability and depression. The right amount of selenium can help us feel better. For example, a daily dose might be, an avocado pear, a tuna sandwich, one Brazil nut or a handful of sunflower seeds.

Carbohydrates can help to relax us and bring about an anti-stress effect. Research has shown that dieters tend to become depressed two weeks into a diet because of the reduced intake of carbohydrates. Eating carbohydrates causes insulin to be released into the bloodstream which produces a sense of calm. Eating carbohydrates in large quantities induces sleep. Foods which contain carbohydrates are wholegrain bread, cereal, fruits, pasta and rice.

Clinical studies have shown that folic acid deficiencies have been linked to depression. Folic acid can be found in cooked spinach and orange juice. A limited intake of caffeine (one or two cups of coffee per day) can add a lift to a person. However, more than two cups of coffee per day can be counterproductive.

Finally, it is very important to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

Remember, eat to enhance your health. Most of us are stressed enough without having to worry about what to eat. However, what we eat and how we eat it can contribute significantly to our ability to cope with stress in our lives. It is important to include some complex carbohydrates in every meal such as pasta, potatoes and cereals, brown rice. Eat these foods in moderation because too much complex carbohydrates are not good for you. Reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates for example fizzy drinks and sweets. Eat adequate amounts of protein such as eggs, meat, fish etc. Try to get plenty of potassium. Good sources are bananas, milk and nuts.

Always remember people can and do make full recoveries from depression. It is so important to access the correct help for your type of depression and symptoms. Choosing good healthy food is always best for our mental and physical well being!

Welcome to my world. I grew up and live in a small rural town on the east coast. I am passionate and dedicated to providing resources to help others help themselves. I am embarking on a journey to tell the world that one in five of us, including myself, will suffer from depression at some point in our lives. I want to change peoples’ attitudes towards depression and mental illness. My wish is that people who are suffering from depression will access the right help to enable them to recover and go on to lead the best life imaginable for them. I was fortunate to get the help I needed to live my best life imaginable. Come and join me on this great journey! We can truly make this world a better one to live in!

Depression is a serious psychological condition that can have wide-ranging effects. However there have been many advances in the treatment of depression in recent years that have brought new hope to people who are struggling with the effects of depression in their lives. Below are some tips that are covered in greater detail in our our Depression Class.

Tip 1. Do Something

Research has again and again shown that the most effective thing you can do to improve your depression is increase your level of activity. When we give in to the temptation to hide out on the sidelines of life, this creates a cycle of avoidance that reinforces the depressive feelings we are trying to overcome. Some people find it helpful to take a few minutes and come up with a list of activities they enjoy doing that reliably improve their mood such as spending time in nature, calling a good friend, or reaching out to someone in need. Pleasurable activities improve our mood by distracting us from our worries and filling us with positive thoughts, images, and sensations in the present moment. This counteracts our feelings of depression, and gives us a sense of control over our emotions.

Tip 2. Exercise

Although most of us are familiar with the physical benefits of exercise, the mental and emotional benefits of exercise have only recently become more well-known. Research has shown that exercise is an effective way to improve feelings such as sadness, irritability, anger, fatigue, anxiety, and even poor self-esteem. Physical activity for as little as ten minutes at a time has been shown to increase our level of happiness. Exercise increases the level of certain chemicals in the brain called endorphins which elevate our mood, while decreasing the level of stress hormones like cortisol that can have detrimental effects on our long term health. Exercise also increases our self-confidence and helps us to feel good about ourselves. It gives us a sense of accomplishment and can help us overcome feelings of self-doubt.

Tip 3. Be Aware Of Your Thoughts

Most of us don’t realize we are having an almost constant conversation with ourselves in our heads. If you take a minute and tune in to this conversation you might be shocked at what you are saying to yourself. We may say mean and critical things to ourselves that we would never dream of saying to someone else. Our inner critical voice is often composed of messages that have been said to us by important people in our life, and we all carry with us both the good and bad messages from our past. When we become stressed or depressed we become even more vulnerable to the voice of this inner critic.

For example, when people with low self-esteem are faced with a failure, they are more likely to give up and tell themselves messages such as “You will NEVER make it”; or “Something bad will ALWAYS happen”. Research shows that people with high self-esteem actually have more failures (as well as successes) than those with low self-esteem. The reason is that a person with high self-esteem will ignore their inner critical voice, dust themselves off, and get back in the game.

4. Pay Attention To Your Feelings

Contrary to popular belief, clinical depression is not so much about feeling badly as it is about not feeling anything at all. Our emotions often give us important information about ourselves and adjustments we need to make in our lives. Usually we are feeling a certain way for a reason, and we need to learn how to decipher the emotional messages we are sending ourselves. It is easy to become confused about what we are feeling, and we can mask our true feelings with secondary emotional reactions.

Yet our emotions help us assign value to things in our lives, and are the source of our passion and motivation. To overcome depression we must learn to become of aware of our emotions and the messages they are sending, without becoming lost in them or overwhelmed by their intensity.

You may be feeling lost and alone. It can feel like no one cares and the whole world is crashing down. You may not realize that there are support systems all around you. Family, friends, and other people you may never even have considered are ready and willing to help you deal with your depression.

Look at your family. Most families will have fights from time to time. Sometimes those fights are going to be bigger and sometimes those fights are going to be smaller; you may even stop talking to each other for a while. That does not mean that there is no way that you can turn to your family when you are depressed and need to be supported.

Family does not have to mean related by blood. It might not seem like it, but everyone has at least one good friend that will always be there for them. You may be so close to some of them that they think of you as family. If they do not care about your depression or how you feel, they are not very good friends and you are better off finding people who are more supportive.

There are people besides friends and family that you can talk to, such as a teacher or spiritual leader that you trust. This can be difficult for many people because the relationship with these people tends to be impersonal. Still, they can provide a valuable source of support and act as a sounding board when you are feeling depressed.

Some examples of places where you can find information about local services that provide free or low-cost mental health assistance are: community bulletin boards, schools, and local hospitals. In some cases, people find it easier to talk about their depression with one of these people, not only because they are professional, but the emotional distance allows them to see things objectively, reducing the fear of being judged.

It is very possible to overcome the depression that you are feeling, but you have to make a decision first. Before anyone else will be able to help you, you need to decide to help yourself. You may think that you are all alone in the world, but there area always people waiting to help you. Take a look around at all the people in your life. You might find more support around you than you thought was there.