How Brokenness Can Lead You to Your True Purpose in Life

When you consider your accomplishments you may think; my hard work produced this for me and I achieved this with my own abilities, skills and intelligence. As you reflect back it is easy to become prideful, even arrogant about your own abilities & Accomplishments. When we think we have reached the pinnacle of self control, God will choose to use that very thing in which you take pride in as an eye opener about where your good blessings came from. God will use the very gift or strength with which we place value in and use it to break us of our belief that we have complete control and live according to our own will. The bible says that God has a purpose and a plan for each of us, and while he may allow us to have free will, for those whom he wants to use for his purpose will be brought to brokenness so that they may serve to glorify him.

Proverbs 11:2

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 19:20-22

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

What is Gods Will?

John 12:24-26

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Philippians 2:2-4

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Gods' purpose and will for us is twofold: first is that we seek him as the first priority in our life and second is that we let our light shine so others can see and become like disciples and glorify god. Consider the verses above as explained by leading pastor. The kernel of wheat represents the self life, when we die to ourselves only then can God begin his good work in us. When we die to ourselves and focus our life on Gods purpose for us can we truly become fruitful and experience Gods blessing. Those who seek only worldly treasures will find only worldly rewards. These rewards die when we die and will account for nothing in the spiritual life. While we certainly have to work and provide for ourselves in this life we are not to make them our only priority. Is it not amazing the time we commit and confidence with which we place in ourselves and the things that we produce. In the world we measure people by their level of worldly success, wealth knowledge, abilities, appearance, and skills. We put such great confidence in these things it is no wonder God uses them to get our attention.

ohn 15 :5-8

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Greed, Pride, Deceit, Selfishness, Fear we all may posses some of these character traits, yet God reminds us that there is no place in the life of a Christian for them. In the bible God brought several men in the bible to brokenness then used them for his purpose. These same men at one time were sinners: Peter was broken of Pride when he denied knowing the Lord at his crucifixion after stating he would never deny him, Jacob selfishly and deceitfully stole Esau's birthright and blessing, David committed adultery with Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the same David whom God said was a man after his own heart. Moses who lost all confidence in himself yet led Gods chosen people to a new land.

James 3:13-15

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil

Matthew 23:11-13

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

So if you are feeling as thought you have been broken and everything seems a mess then you may be very well experiencing God breaking you, bringing you to the very end of yourself where you say I cannot do this anymore I give every desire to you Lord please complete your will and not my own. The bible says we are pressed but not crushed, in other words if we are resistant to the breaking then the pressure may intensify, but God will never break your spirit or give you more than you can handle with his help. This can be better described as a forced dependence on God rather than self dependence, but only if you are open to it.

Psalm 34:17-19

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul told the Corinthians to be pleased if they were experiencing heartache and difficulties in this world and that it meant they were being prepared for blessing.

Psalm 119:35-37

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

The Bible says that God is able to comfort others with the peace He gives to us in broken times. We cannot avoid having our plans and personal will broken through broken dreams, broken promises, and broken relationships. But when our brokenness has been completed, God can use our shattered circumstances to draw others to Him, and we can find joy in the fact that he is using us for his purpose and glory. After all, Jesus himself was broken at the cross for you and I.

Clinical Depression Symptoms - Physical, Behavioral and Emotional

Clinical depression is also known as major depression and unipolar depression. It is a mental disorder characterized by low mood and low self-esteem. It negatively affects the way you feel, you think and you act. People suffering from depression often lost interest in all activities. Clinical depression doesn't mean feeling sad for a few days. It affects eating habits, feelings, body, mood and even ability to work.

It is a serious problem which lasts for a long period of time. It may even generate suicidal tendencies. It has no limitation of age and gender. Common symptoms of clinical depression can be divided into three categories-

Physical-

o Changes in appetite

o Sleep disturbances

o Low energy and fatigue

o Digestive problems

Behavioral-

o Loss of pleasure in activities like sex, sports etc.

o Difficulty in concentration

o Difficulty in making decisions

Emotional-

o Irritability

o Hopelessness

o Suicidal tendencies

o Persistent sad mood

Though, depression is very common still the understanding of the many aspects of depression are prone to research and discussion. Depression can be diagnosed and treated. No laboratory test is available for clinical depression. Its diagnosis is based on patient's self-reported experiences and changes noticed by the friends and family. Anti Depression medication, psychotherapy and counseling are good treatment options for depression. Hospitalization becomes must in severe cases. Proper treatment and advice can help people to get back to their normal stage. Sometimes effects can be seen in few weeks. If you or your loved one is feeling some of the symptoms mentioned above then it is a smart idea to find some help.

Common Symptoms of Real Depression

Millions of people every year deal with symptoms of depression and many are not even aware that they are suffering from real depressive problems. In order to get help, it is necessary to come to terms with the reality of depressive symptoms and that the symptoms may not just go away in time without some outside help. Here are some of the most common symptoms associated with clinical or a major depressive disorder.

1. Insomnia - It is common for everyone to go through times that it is hard to sleep, but when insomnia becomes a routine for weeks on end, it's time to determine what is the cause. Many times, insomnia is the result of clinical depression.

2. Loss of Weight - Those who suffer oftentimes lose their appetites and begin to loose weight before they even notice it. Family and friends are sometimes the first to take notice and to comment on the fact.

3. Extreme Sadness - While everyone faces normal times of sadness over some loss or disappointment in life, those who are depressed become sad in a different way. This type of sadness is extreme and a depressive person views life as totally hopeless.

4. Feeling Worthless - A lack of personal worth and an overwhelming sense of guilt can plague many people who fall into deep depression. It becomes a black whole of endless negative feelings about oneself that may require professional help to overcome.

5. Foggy Thinking - Brain fog is common among those who suffer from depressive feelings. It is hard for them to think clearly.

6. Suicidal Thoughts - Suicide is usually the last resort for those who are battling the inner struggle of depressive problems. Thoughts of suicide can become almost obsessive as the only way of escape.

These are some of the most common symptoms that those who suffer from a major depressive disorder experience and which can be brought on by traumatic events, physical imbalances or a combination of both. If you or a loved one are experiencing most or all of these symptoms for 2 weeks or longer, it is time to find help. Seek out a family member or trusted friend for support as well as a professional counselor. The symptoms of real depression are highly treatable and it is possible to enjoy life again.

Feeling Down, Dumpy, Depressed? Don't Let an Underactive Thyroid Ruin Your Life

The Thyroid Gland is a small, butterfly-shaped mass of tissue found in the neck, just below the "Adam's Apple." Despite its small size, it has a critical role in determining how our bodies function, and, ultimately, how well we feel. The Thyroid controls the body's metabolism, which is the energy supply that is essential for all bodily functions. Think of the Thyroid gland as an automobile's fuel pump. If the pump is not working up to capacity, the car's engine will not get enough fuel, and will run slowly and inefficiently. Should the pump supply too much fuel to the engine, it will run too fast and eventually burn out. An under active Thyroid Gland causes a medical condition known as Hypothyroidism. For some unknown reason, it occurs much more frequently in women than in men, and as many as 15% of the female population may have some degree of Thyroid under activity.  

The symptoms of HYPOTHYROIDISM are quite common and diverse. Fortunately, they are rarely life threatening. Nevertheless, they are very disturbing since they affect the way a woman looks and feels, both physically and emotionally. Without any doubt, an untreated under active Thyroid gland can have a profoundly negative effect upon a woman's quality of life.

Below is a list of symptoms, both physical and psychological, that may be experienced by women who have underactive Thyroid gland function. These symptoms may vary in degree and in intensity. Check the boxes next to any symptom that you may be experiencing.

 Checklist of Physical Symptoms

• Weight gain/ difficulty in losing weight.  


• Always feeling cold, severely affected by cold weather, hands and feet cold  


• Water retention


• Dry hair and/or hair loss


• Dry skin and brittle fingernails  


• Constipation , other vague digestive symptoms  


• Irregular periods, heavy menstrual flow, or absence of periods  


• Infertility  


• Miscarriages  


• Joint or muscle pains; Fibromyalgia  


• Carpal and/or Metatarsal Tunnel syndrome  


• Tingling or numbness of the hands or feet


• Hearing ringing or ticking in the inner ear  


• Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Epstein-Bar Virus)  


• Family History of Hypothyroidism  

   Checklist of Psychological Symptoms  

• Fatigue  


• Depression  


• Severe PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)  


• Decreased Sex Drive  


• Mentally "Foggy"  


• Decreased Concentration (AADD)  


• Poor Recent Memory  


• Postpartum Depression  

Having seen the wide spectrum of symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, it is apparent that they are extremely common complaints, experienced by many women. It is quite possible that either you, one of your friends or a family member is plagued by one or more of these troublesome symptoms. Many times, women with these complaints have been tested for Hypothyroidism and were told that, despite their symptoms, they did not have an under active Thyroid gland because their Thyroid blood test results were within the normal range. They may have been told that their symptoms are part of the "normal" ageing process or are caused by anxiety or depression. In many instances, they are referred to a psychiatrist for treatment with antidepressants and psychotherapy, but often these treatments may not make a symptomatic woman feel better.  

Such symptomatic individuals may actually have a condition known as Subclinical Hypothyroidism. In this clinical condition, a patient may be symptomatically Hypothyroid, yet her blood tests may suggest, but not fully support, the diagnosis of Thyroid gland under activity. In Subclinical Hypothyroidism, there is a partial decrease in the Thyroid gland's ability to produce enough hormones to make the body's metabolism work at 100% efficiency; hence an individual will be symptomatic. Such individuals may benefit from a therapeutic trial of treatment with a natural prescription Thyroid supplement.  

There are two basic problems that account for the failure to diagnose many cases of subclinical hypothyroidism. First is that what is considered to be the "normal range" for one of the main blood tests used to diagnose hypothyroidism (TSH-Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is a bit too narrow to diagnose many patients who are symptomatically hypothyroid. Recently, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (A.A.C.E.) has recognized this fact and has reduced the normal TSH levels from 4.5 to 3.0, a change which will allow at least 15% more symptomatic individuals to be diagnosed as having hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, most clinical laboratories have not yet included this change in their laboratory reports. In addition to TSH levels, the amount of other Thyroid hormones such as T4 and T3, as well as antibodies against Thyroid tissue, must be evaluated in any woman having symptoms associated with hypothyroidism.

The second difficulty in diagnostic hypothyroidism is that we, as physicians and scientists, are trained to rely more on objective findings, such as laboratory tests, than subjective factors, such as a patient's symptoms.  Unfortunately, many doctors will not feel comfortable making a diagnosis of hypothyroidism if a patient's blood tests fall anywhere within what is strictly defined as the normal range, even if such levels may be close to indicating the possibility of an under active Thyroid gland in a symptomatic patient. There are definite "gray zones" that exist clinically, such that a patient's clinical symptoms may not be completely documented by their laboratory results. It is important to remember that blood tests only reflect a "moment in time" in the state of the human body and consequently may not always accurately represent its true condition! Therefore, a patient's symptoms must be considered as being of equal significance as their blood test results in diagnosing hypothyroidism.

In my experience, many women who present with physical and psychological symptoms associated with hypothyroidism will have some degree of improvement when treated with supplemental Thyroid medication. Improvement should be noted in two to eight weeks. Increases in energy levels, sex drive, body temperature and memory are the first changes noted. Water retention also improves fairly rapidly. An increased feeling of well-being may also be noticed, as depression resolves. Hair and skin begin to improve after 4-6 weeks, but weight loss usually will take quite a bit longer since the body takes time to breakdown existing fatty deposits.

When I treat women who have symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, I initially use a natural Thyroid medication that has been available since the 1940's, called Armour Thyroid Extract U.S.P.. It is a combination of two active forms of Thyroid hormone, T3 and T4. T4 is the form of the Thyroid hormone that is in the synthetic Thyroid medications commonly prescribed today. Normally, T4 is converted into T3, which is the biologically active form of the Thyroid hormone that actually controls the body's metabolism. In a significant number of individuals, the body is unable to properly convert T4 into T3. Hence a patient may be clinically hypothyroidism, yet have "normal" blood tests. Therefore, I find that a woman's clinical response to the natural form of a combination of T3 and T4, will often be better than giving T4 alone.

It is of critical importance that a physician be finely attuned to a patient's symptoms and her symptomatic response to treatment. Thyroid supplement therapy is very individualized, since the dosage requirements are quite different for each patient. Fortunately, Thyroid supplementation has no significant risks or downsides. A patient virtually never becomes Hyperthyroid when taking dosages of medication typically prescribed. If a patient feels some degree of clinical improvement after 6-8 weeks on medication, treatment will be continued and will be necessary for the duration of their lifetime. If, however, a woman notices no symptomatic improvement with Thyroid hormone supplement treatment, the medication should be discontinued and an alternate diagnosis be pursued.  

A patient's dosage needs to be reevaluated based upon the degree of symptomatic improvement and "fine-tuned" as necessary. Blood tests are helpful only to the extent that they insure that the Thyroid hormone dosage is adequate and is being properly absorbed. Blood tests that are taken 4-5hours after taking Thyroid medication may show elevated levels of T3. Elevated T3 levels in treated patients indicate good absorption and do not mean that the patient is taking too much medication.  The important point to remember is that the evaluation of symptoms is of equal significance to the levels of Thyroid hormone in the blood.        

 Summary

The diversity of symptoms can make the diagnosis of hypothyroidism quite challenging, especially since laboratory tests do not always reflect Thyroid gland under activity in a significant number of symptomatic individuals. If you, a friend, or a loved one experience any of the above symptoms or generally feel poorly, you should speak to your doctor about the possibility that SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM may be the cause of your symptoms. After an appropriate diagnostic evaluation of symptoms and laboratory tests, a therapeutic trial of a natural Thyroid supplement may provide relief from these troubling symptoms.

How Do You Know If You Have Candida

Candida overgrowth has been found to be a frequent complication or even a causative factor in many of today’s illnesses. Treatment is available but diagnosis has to come first.

Yeast is normally found in the mouth, throat, intestines and genitourinary tract. Its presence in the body is not normally problematic and is balanced by a well-functioning immune system and friendly bacteria. If the immune system ceases to function properly, or the level of friendly bacteria in the body becomes too low – as can happen when too many antibiotics are introduced to the body, when steroids are used, when everyday stress becomes overwhelming or with poor diet choices – then Candida overgrowth may occur.

Someone with an overgrowth of yeast can experience any number of unpleasant symptoms such as a genital yeast infection, thrush in the mouth, fatigue, skin rash, depression and anxiety. The symptoms of Candida overgrowth are frequently treated with anti-fungal remedies. Even with these remedies, however, if your diet is not changed to create an environment within the body to prohibit the overgrowth of Candida, relief is sure to be temporary, and problem symptoms will return.

As Candida is a normal component of the body’s natural flora, using conventional laboratory testing to determine the need for treatment isn’t always helpful, and generally can only help to diagnose the late stages of a yeast infection. Current methodologies for testing include checking for the presence of yeast cells in the urine, saliva and stool, or the gut fermentation test which involves testing the blood for alcohol, dosing the patient with sugar and testing their blood again – if alcohol shows up in their blood it is assumed it has occurred from fermentation from the yeast in their gut.

It is also difficult to diagnose Candida overgrowth for a number of reasons. It shares symptoms with other conditions such as gluten intolerance and hypothyroid – and any combination of these can be present simultaneously, adding to the difficulty of diagnosis.

Another factor is that available tests are able to recognize only a few of the 150 known strains of Candida and the cells in the specimen may die while waiting for analysis resulting in a false “normal” result. Along with the test, then, other factors have to be considered before a diagnosis can be made. The doctor must consider if the patient has a history of factors that are known to result in Candida infections and establish that there are symptoms present associated with it. Additionally, the knowledgeable physician will experiment with dietary and antifungal therapy to see if the there are reactions consistent with Candida overgrowth.

Both herbal remedies and prescribed medications can be helpful in treating a yeast infection along with dietary and lifestyle changes. Check with your herbalist as to dose, mode of use and formulations. For antifungal remedies not available over the counter check with your doctor about side effects, costs and availability.

Researchers are working on discovering better testing protocols to establish earlier the need for treatment.

Keeping your immune system, “friendly” bacteria, and Candida in proper balance is possible with a combination of proactive changes; by altering your current diet, and with the responsible use of medicinal or herbal treatments you can maintain a healthy body.

[http://www.candidarelief.com/candidatest]

How To Deal With The Stigma Associated With A Depressive Illness

Many people who suffer with depression feel ashamed or guilty about giving in to this disorder, this is especially so for someone who experiences depression for the first time in their lives. These feelings of guilt and shame are brought about by the way society in general looks on depressive illnesses, many non sufferers feel it is all in the head and that it is easy to just " snap out of it", other people look on anyone suffering a depressive illness as being "mad" believing as the Victorians did that they should be locked away for the sake of society. This stigma will often prevent a sufferer from seeking help, believing they have to keep their feelings a secret, this will only increase the severity of the disorder and prolong their suffering.

Below is a list of alternate ways of seeing a depressive illness which will hopefully help a person suffering depression to deal with the stigma associated with the disorder and maybe help non sufferers to see the illness in a different light too.

• Depression is a real illness - just as your body can become ill so can your mind, mind and body are one entity. There is no stigma with a physical illness such as heart disease or cancer so why should we think differently about an illness of the mind


• Suffering a depressive illness doesn't mean you will have it for life - it is a treatable disease the same as any physical ailment


• Not many people will go through life without ever suffering a mental trauma - all sorts of problems occur from personal or financial stress to bereavement or marriage breakdown. All these issues will affect us mentally, depression is not unique, anyone can suffer from it at anytime in their lives


• If we suffer a broken leg we would seek help and treatment - in the same way we should seek help for our broken mind, they are both treatable ailments


• Depression is not our fault - we have not done anything wrong and suffering a mental disorder is not a punishment

Hopefully, the above statements will help someone suffering depression or other mental health issues to realise it is not their fault, it is an illness like any other and is completely treatable. There should be no feelings of guilt or shame and help and treatment should be sought at the earliest opportunity.

The more acceptance there is of mental illness the more it will be understood and it will become less and less stigmatised over time.

穢 Andrew Tudor Jones

Getting Anxiety Panic Attacks Over Anxiety Depression?

Introduction:

Many people simply do not relax enough. They exhaust not only their physical strength when multitasking, they also become mentally exhausted. For many people this can lead to all sorts of mental disorders, one of which is termed Anxiety Depression. One symptom is the incidence of anxiety panic attacks. If you are unable to de-stress and are constantly worried and fussing over things, however small, there are available cures and treatments for handling anxiety panic attacks.

Does the problem exist:

Sometimes it takes an unexpected anxiety panic attack to happen before there is a realization that a problem exists. Closely related are nervous breakdowns and major depressive disorders.

Signs of an anxiety panic attack can include undue jitters and other stressful behavior, such as erratic and irrational outbursts and constricted breathing. These signs can be triggered off when facing difficult and stress-prone activities. It may be easy to say that all you need is a strong will to cope with these stress triggers but this could be the worst advice. Failing to buck up and keep a stiff upper-lip are stress triggers in themselves.

How to manage the problem:

To effectively manage anxiety panic attacks you have to acknowledge that you have the problem in the first place. This does require that you be honest with yourself with a realization that if you did nothing about it then nothing will change. This may mean visiting a reputable psychiatrist to get diagnosed correctly as your stress triggers may emanate from different psychoses.

Some types of depression:

Here are various types of depression that may be the underlying cause of your anxiety panic attacks.

1 Manic or Bipolar Depression:

This is characterized by extreme and sudden mood swings wherein you are in an elevated state of euphoria while the next minute, day or week you suddenly feel that you have descended into Dante's seventh level of hell.

2 Postpartum depression -

This is experienced by some new mothers wherein the physical stress during childbirth, characterized by a prolonged sadness, and a feeling of emptiness, together with an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby, prevail.

3 Dysthimia

This has a slight similarity with depression though it's a loss less severe. However, if diagnosed, it should be treated.

4 Cyclothemia

This has a slight similarity with Bipolar or Manic depression whereby severe mood swings occur.

5 Seasonal Affective Disorder

This is where you may fall into a rut during Winter and Fall and your mood changes from being happy to sad to angry in a short period of time, without any rational explanation.

6 Anxiety Depression:

This has proven to be more common and is characterized by being overly anxious. Anxiety in itself serves a useful purpose as it causes you to adjust and prepare better to certain stressful activities like a forthcoming grueling exam or job interview.

Anxiety Depression is a different animal - not good at all. It just cannot be dismissed as a case of the nerves. It is an illness that can be caused by a variety reasons including your biological make-up through hereditary factors.

It is outside the scope of this article to explore the various types of Anxiety Depression except to mention that you should seek professional help should you feel more paranoid than usual, suffer anxiety panic attacks more frequently - particularly over absurd trivialities, and feel anxious for no apparent reason. Symptoms include lack of sleep, being unable to relax at all, getting fatigued easily and lacking concentration.

It really goes without saying that when these symptoms occur you should seek professional help. This may include some form of cognitive behavior therapy and medication.

Conclusion:

It does not matter if a "cure" is not found - what is important is that your anxiety is controlled then managed so that you can calm down, relax and not suffer further anxiety panic attacks - and live life normally.

Negative Food Allergy Testing Is Not The Same As Food Intolerance And Food Sensitivity Testing

You can be intolerant to a food to which you are not "allergic". Food intolerance or sensitivity is much more common that food allergy. It estimated that somewhere between 6-10% of people are allergic to a food or foods but between 30-60% of people are intolerant to one or more foods or the additives or chemicals in food.

Food allergy testing will be negative if you are not allergic even though you are intolerant or sensitive to a food, additive or chemical. Food allergy is an abnormal immune response or reaction to a food protein. It is due to the same response to inhaled pollens or allergens. It results when the body makes a specific type antibody or immunoglobulin, known as IgE, to a food. When the food is eaten the IgE antibody recognizes the food protein as foreign and triggers the release of chemicals, especially histamine, from allergy cells in the body. This results in characteristic symptoms of swelling, itching, rash or hives, wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, low blood pressure and rarely death when the food is eaten.

Testing for food allergy consists of blood tests for the IgE antibodies (RAST) or the presence of a hive like reactions produced from histamine released at the site of skin prick, injection or patch contact with the food. The many food reactions that are not due to an allergic immune response involving IgE or histamine will have normal RAST IgE antibody levels and negative skin testing. Some of these food sensitivity or intolerance reactions are due to other antibodies such as IgA, IgM, or IgG. These antibodies may be detected in the blood, stool or saliva though such tests are not as well validated, accepted or available, especially in the U.S.

Diet treatments involving elimination of foods based on elevated IgG, IgM or IgA antibodies in the blood, evacuated stool samples, saliva or intestinal fluid retrieved from the body have shown mixed or to moderate success in people with rheumatoid arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome. The most well understood but still under recognized autoimmune food sensitivity with a genetic basis is gluten sensitivity, also known as Celiac disease. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is much more common than Celiac disease but even less well recognized. Lactose intolerance is the most common food intolerance and often confused with the second most common food sensitivity, cow's milk protein or casein sensitivity. Gluten free casein free diet is now commonly employed as a treatment for autism. The medical community has generally been slow to accept gluten free casein free diet for autism, considering it unproven, though there is substantial scientific and experiential data to support this safe and often dramatically effective treatment.

Testing for IgG antibodies to foods in the blood is available from a few commercial laboratories. Saliva IgA antibody testing for foods is also available through several laboratories. These tests are generally not universally by health insurance and are often rejected as not valid or reliable by many doctors. Stool testing for IgA antibodies to gluten, tissue transglutaminase, dietary yeast, cow's milk protein (casein), soy, and chicken egg is available from Enterolab. This laboratory does not contract with any health insurance and most will not reimburse for the cost of testing. Most doctors either are unaware of this testing and either don't accept the tests as valid or don't know how to interpret the results.

Testing for mediator release (MRT) testing looks for an evidence of release of chemical mediators from immune blood cells triggered by foods, additives or chemicals. The presence of such a reaction is presumed to indicate sensitivity to such foods, additives or chemicals that can produce various symptoms and when substances producing such reactions are avoided or eliminated symptoms are suppose to improve significantly or resolve. MRT is available commercially through Signet Diagnostic Corporation (www.nowleap.com). Several insurance carriers pay for at least a portion of the cost of this testing however because it is considered "out of network" for most plans patients are usually responsible for payment of the service. Some carriers consider the testing "experimental" or not validated and therefore do not cover the testing.

The principle of MRT testing is that certain foods, additives and chemicals are capable of triggering non-allergy immune-based reactions. These reactions release various immune chemical mediators into the blood. If an immune reaction is triggered and these mediators are released, changes occur in the ratio of solids (cells) to liquid (blood serum) that can be measured. The white blood cells and platelets shrink and the volume of the liquid increases. The degree of change can be measured and reported as mild or moderate to severe corresponding with the degree of sensitivity to that particular food, additive or chemical.

Signet claims success with reducing or eliminating a myriad of symptoms or conditions including migraines, headaches, autistic behavior, anxiety, depression, ADD, sinus and ear, nose and throat problems, irritable bowel syndrome, vomiting syndromes, Celiac, chronic stomach aches, bladder problems, fibromyalgia, arthritis, eczema, hives, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The testing includes a comprehensive color report booklet containing a results specific diet plan with detailed information supplemented with several hours of personalized counseling from a dietician.

Of all the food intolerance or sensitivity testing MRT is the most broad and comprehensive. It looks for actual reaction produced by the body in response to foods or chemicals. Signet provides testing for 150 foods or chemicals (123 foods and 27 chemicals) including nitrates, nitrites, MSG and various food dyes. The limitation of all these tests is lack of universal acceptance by physicians and coverage by insurance. However, for those with suspected intolerance to foods or chemicals in whom available testing is negative or indeterminate, such testing can be quite helpful.

Manic - Bipolar Depression Facts and Reality

Manic depression - 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.

Some mornings can start with overriding feelings of joy, elation and power. By the time the afternoon has arrived this can shift to feelings of desperation, despair and depression.

More than 2 million American adults, or about 1 percent of the population have bipolar disorder, the percentage figures are the same for the United Kingdom.

These figures are only an estimate, the true figures will probably never be accurately known, this is probably due the stigma attached to mental health issues and the signs and symptoms not being correctly spotted by friends, family, professionals and even the individual themselves. It is fair to say that manic depression is under diagnosed.

Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode)

o Increased energy, activity, and restlessness

o Excessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood

o Extreme irritability

o Racing thoughts and talking quickly, jumping from one idea to another

o Distractibility, lack off concentration

o Little sleep needed

o Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers

o Poor judgment

o Spending sprees

o A lasting period of behaviour that is different from usual

o Increased sexual drive

o Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications

o Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behaviour

o Denial that anything is wrong

A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present.

The above signs and symptoms of mania can be very difficult to spot in an individual who has manic depression as all of the EXACT symptoms and time frames may not be prevalent in every person as each individual is unique.

A good example of this would be a rapid cycle manic depressive who in the mornings is high and elated, followed by despair and depression in the afternoons. This rapid cycle could happen for 2 or 3 days then level off for a relative period of calm for a few days before it starts again.

Due to the stigma attached to mental health problems individuals may try and mask their symptoms to avoid any embarrassment they may feel. Thus making it even more difficult to spot and diagnose.

Some of these symptoms of mania may be the only symptoms that you see in a person who has manic depression, as they are easily passed of as having a "larger than life personality"

Signs and symptoms of depression (or a depressive episode)

o feeling sad, anxious, or empty mood

o Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism

o Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness

o Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex

o Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being "slowed down"

o Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions

o Restlessness or irritability

o Sleeping too much, or can't sleep

o Change in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain

o Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury

o Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

A depressive episode is diagnosed if five or more of these symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer.

A manic depressive will definitely have 5 of these symptoms. This is truly the worst time for a manic depressive, this is where the most support and help is needed.

Again the diagnosis is not 100% correct, as some people will have rapid cycles, i.e. High and elated in the morning then desperation and depression in the afternoon, these symptoms may only last a few days; sometimes they last a few weeks and in some very bad cases months.

In some people however, symptoms of mania and depression may occur together in what some people are calling a" mixed bipolar state."

Symptoms of a mixed state often include agitation, trouble sleeping, and significant change in appetite, psychosis, and suicidal thinking. A person may have a very sad, hopeless mood while at the same time feeling extremely energized.

So again this shows that manic depression or bipolar disorder is not as straight forward as highs and lows.

Diagnosis of manic depression - Bipolar Disorder

Like other mental illnesses, bipolar disorder cannot yet be identified physiologically--for example, through a blood test or a brain scan. Therefore, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is made on the basis of symptoms, course of illness, and, when available, family history.

Treatment of Bipolar Depression

It is absolutely vital that the correct medication is administered once the diagnosis has taken place, as recent research has indicated that people with bipolar disorder are at risk of switching into mania or hypomania, or developing rapid cycling, during treatment with incorrect antidepressant medication.

Therefore, correct "mood-stabilizing" medications are generally required, alone or in combination with the correct antidepressants, to protect people with bipolar disorder from this switch.

Lithium and valproate are the most commonly used mood-stabilizing drugs today.

Side effects

As any person who is open about their Bipolar will tell you, all of these medications have side effects these can include:

o Weight gain

o Dependence on the medication

o Nausea

o Tremors

o Reduced sex drive or performance

o Anxiety

o Hair loss

o Movement problems

o Dry mouth

o Disturbed sleep

Alternative treatments

Herbal or natural supplements, such as St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), have not been well studied, and little is known about their effects on bipolar disorder. Before trying herbal or natural supplements, it is important to discuss them with your doctor.

There is evidence that St. John's wort can reduce the effectiveness of certain medications. In addition, like prescription antidepressants, St. John's wort may cause a switch into mania in some individuals with bipolar disorder, especially if no mood stabilizer is being taken.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are being studied to determine their usefulness, alone and when added to conventional medications, for long-term treatment of bipolar disorder.

One such study was carried out by Dr Andrew Stoll over a four month period. The study was performed to examine whether omega 3 fatty acids also have mood stabilizing effects with people who have bipolar disorder.
He found that the omega 3 fatty acid patient group had a significantly longer period of remission than the placebo group.

In addition, for nearly every other outcome measure, the omega3 fatty acid group performed better than the placebo group.

With almost no adverse side effects apart from a slight gastric upset. This was thought to be due to the large doses of fish oil administered.

The study was published in the archives of general psychiatry in May 1999. Since then far stronger Pharmaceutical grades of omega 3 fish oil have been developed and brought on to the world market so such large doses need not be taken.

Conclusion

Manic depression - bipolar disorder is a condition that is often under diagnosed and in some cases very difficult to spot and treat correctly. A lot of people with this condition will try and mask either their true feelings and or symptoms due to the unfortunate stigma that is attached to mental health. Receiving the correct diagnosis, treatment and medication is vital if they are to stand any chance of trying to live a normal life. It is also crucial for friends and family to also try and understand this condition as it can help them come to terms with certain types of behaviour that are being displayed. As far as alternative remedies go, to date our best bet is very strong omega 3 fish oil as there are no side effects and it is the only remedy that's had any kind of scientific study performed using people with our condition . It is also safe to run along side any form of medication apart from blood thinning medication.

Copyright 2005 David McEvoy

Suicide: Triggers, Warning Signs, and How to Help

When individuals are so overcome with grief, depression, and despair, they feel there is no "out." They can find no hope for the future, nothing to find pleasure in, no peace from their pain. In such difficult times, people can begin to have thoughts of ending their own lives. This can be very difficult to understand for someone who has never felt such pain. "How could he have been so selfish?" "Wasn't he thinking of his kids?" "Why didn't he tell anyone he was feeling that way?"

What causes someone to consider or attempt suicide? Nearly any stressor can trigger these thoughts. It may be a major event, such as a loss of a job, end of a relationship, financial difficulty, or loss of a loved one. Suicidal thoughts can also be triggered by a series of more minor events, or a feeling that life is such a struggle that it will never get better.

Nearly all suicides are preceded by warning signs, which can easily go unrecognized by family and friends. These signs can be verbal, or they can be noticeable changes in mood and/or behavior.
Common warning signs of suicide include:

• Depressed mood
• Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
• Feeling burdensome to others
• Feeling worthless
• Feeling that life has no purpose
• Withdrawal from family, friends, and usual activities
• Excessive anger or rage
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Risk-taking behavior
• Previous suicide attempts
• Family history of suicide attempts
• Writing a will
• Sudden elated mood, representing a freedom from the pain, knowing an end is near
• Giving away prized possessions

Most suicidal people have ambivalence, or doubts, and therefore will make statements to others as a way of reaching out. The following, and similar statements can be considered signs of suicidal thinking should be taken very seriously:

• "I can't go on anymore."
• "They would be better off without me."
• "I don't want to wake up anymore."
• "She'll regret it when I'm gone."
• "I won't be around much longer anyway."

So what should you do if you suspect someone you know is suicidal? First, ask the person. Asking will not make someone suicidal, or put the thoughts in their head, if they were not suicidal to begin with. What's the best way to approach this? Make a statement that you care about the person, and let him know that his statements and/or actions have made you concerned. Ask the person outright if he is thinking about hurting himself or attempting suicide. Do not make judgmental statements or act shocked. Be as supportive as possible. Validate the person's pain.

Do not attempt to handle the situation alone. Get a mental health professional involved by calling your local crisis hotline, which can be found at http://www.suicidehotlines.com, or the national Suicide Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

If the person is high risk and in immediate danger of harming himself, contact local emergency authorities at 911. Do not leave the person alone. Secure any weapons, pills, sharp objects, or anything else that may be used for harm. Be gentle and understanding, and talk openly about the person's suicidal thoughts.

As mentioned earlier, a history of suicidal thoughts is a good predictor of future thoughts and attempts. Therefore, it's important to follow-up with the suicidal person often and ask how they are feeling. Also encourage the person to seek counseling, which can help him identify his triggers for the suicidal thoughts and teach him how to cope with his emotions in a positive way.

Hypomania - Is It the Best Time for You to Treat Bipolar Disorder?

Hypomania can be considered a dangerous state of mind for someone afflicted with bipolar disorder to be in. One reason is that the afflicted person often finds it a good place to be. Another reason for this is that quite frequently it is the beginning of the bipolar cycle. Left alone it often leads onto more dangerous episodes of mania or depression. A different viewpoint is that hypomania can be an excellent place in the bipolar cycle to start seeking treatment.

Can hypomania in fact be your friend? Speaking entirely from personal experience I know this is definitely the case for me. Does the same hold good generally for all or most people afflicted with bipolar disorder? There is an argument to be put that the answer is yes. I would like to examine that question.

Perhaps the first point to consider is your exact bipolar diagnosis, the normal pattern you cycle through and the time spent in a normal state between episodes. With bipolar, type 1 a very common pattern is a hypomania episode followed by mania. With bipolar, type 2 a very common pattern is for the cycle start with a hypomania episode followed by depression. With cyclothymiac's disorder the common cycle is from a hypomanic episode to a mild depression.

Given the number of afflicted people whose cycle starts with hypomania the question "is this the best time to treat bipolar disorder?" does take on some significance. If the answer to the question is yes then hypomania provides a great opportunity to keep your bipolar disorder in order. In that case all those people whose cycle starts with a hypomanic episode would find that their bipolar cycle could be controlled at the very point that it starts.

Many afflicted people feel that a hypomanic episode is "fun." They refuse to believe they are hypomanic or refuse to seek treatment for it. They might be denying themselves of the best opportunity to manage their bipolar. To my mind a hypomanic episode offers an excellent opportunity to ensure that even worse problems are not experienced. This is especially so if help is sought at the earliest possible moment.

I am not a health professional. However, I do have considerable personal experience with bipolar disorder. I have also done considerable research into it. Even so I will I not presume to answer the question I have asked. To me logic says it should be the case. However, instead of answering the question in the affirmative I suggest that you give it earnest consideration yourself. Why don't you, next time you think you are entering a hypomanic episode, present yourself to your health professional and seek treatment for yourself. That way you can find out the answer for yourself.

If the answer is yes for you then you will have gone a long way to learning how to managing your bipolar disorder. In turn this will go a long way towards you regaining control of your life.

Detox From Candida

The doctors said that I was a nuerotic 34 year old housewife. I knew they were wrong. Here is my story and how I beat Candida.

I thought I was becoming depressed. I felt very irritable, something which was not like my normal self. Each morning I would get myself out of bed feeling like I was an old woman. My joints ached all over my body. My fingers were swollen and it hurt when I brushed my hair.

My body seemed to feel very sensitive. I cried easily and felt exhausted all the time. All I wanted to do was sleep and not get out of bed. And when I did drag myself out I would start crying.

Eventually I decided that I needed some help. I never liked visiting the doctor but could not think of what else to do. At that time I wanted a quick fix. I made an appointment and dropped my daughter at kindy and took my little son and went to visit the local, so called, doctor. I left his office in tears. He told me I was a neurotic housewife and that I would get over it.

I knew I wasn't the person the doctor accused me of, and that there must have been a reason why I was feeling so bad. In desperation I looked in the yellow pages and decided to go and see a naturopath. I chose one close to home but had to wait two weeks before I could get into see her. I had never consulted an alternative practitioner before although I was certainly not against the idea, just that I had never been sick to have that need.

How relieved I was when I sat in front of this new person and virtually without any prompting from me she told me what my symptoms were and that there was a name for how I was feeling. I had a severe case of "Candida". From memory I think I was on a scale of 9/10 - far too high. I left my new practitioner again in tears. But this time they were tears of relief.

I was determined to do everything she said. It was the start of a six week strict diet plan. No bread, milk, cheese, yogurt, alcohol, coffee, sweets of any kind, certain fruits and also some vegetables. Wow, so what would I eat?

I also had to cook for my husband and children. My family actually went on the recommended diet with me, not that my children knew. I steamed veggies, had lots of raw food and drank water and herbal tea. I baked with buckwheat and made pancakes and cakes using all sorts of interesting gluten-free ingredients.

For a person who does not like cooking I actually had to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. You see I wanted desperately to get better.

After four weeks I went back to see my new naturopath and she said the moment I walked in the door that my skin was glowing with health. I had also lost quite a bit of weight. That worried me a little as I did not need to lose any weight. But I felt fantastic.

My energy increased and the aching joints and other irritations throughout my body started to disappear. I continued the diet and after six weeks I gradually introduced certain foods. 17 years later and I still watch my diet.

So what triggered my Candida? They say stress can be a cause. Well I suppose I had had my fair share of stress before the birth of my son. With my first child I had a wonderful healthy pregnancy. But with my second I was diagnosed with an itchy disease called POLYMORPHIC ERUPTION. Unfortunately it does not go away until after the baby is born and you are unable to take any medication for it.

This itchiness developed in my seventh month and by the eighth month (the same time that we had to move house) I was scratching so much that I would make my hands and feet bleed. A week before my son was due the medical staff decided to take me into hospital as I was becoming distressed and not sleeping. They were worried about the baby.

After my son's birth, the itchiness went away. However, I did not recuperate as quickly as I had hoped, and developed a bad infection from the cesarean birth and remained in hospital longer than I wanted to. I wanted to go home to my daughter and husband.

So I suppose I would have had a great deal of stress going through my body and this could well have led to my Candida. Dr Robert Young (The PhMiracle) says that stress contributes to an acidifying condition. A diet of acidic foods and beverages combined with stress are the exact conditions that allow Candida to get out of control.

In August of 2006 my partner and I attended a Health Retreat for a general 10 day juice detox. My partner had been here many times before and this was my second visit.

I was feeling great and well into the detox but on the fifth day the retreat introduced some fruit into our diet. Within a matter of hours I could feel the sensation of Candida going through my body.

I was very upset as my detox was going so well and I felt ready for the Mountain climb which I knew would be the next day. That night I felt the pain and tiredness and could not surface for the challenging climb.

Instead I went to the resident naturopath explained to him that I thought I had Candida. He did a quick blood test which showed a positive diagnosis.

We narrowed it down to the fact that I had eaten strawberries for lunch and the sugar content did not agree with my detoxing body. My partner asked if he could be tested as well and he was also diagnosed with a high level of Candida in his body.

His symptoms were a constant and irritating cough, nail fungus, insomnia and depression. The question was raised as to why they did not test each guest on arrival. Apparently they did not want to charge the extra $35.00. Considering that the fee is generally $3,000 for a 10 day program we thought it ridiculous that they did not test guests.

The result of our experience was that we led an avalanche of guests asking for Candida tests with most of them testing positive. In a subsequent newsletter the founder of the retreat published an article on Candida. Hopefully the retreat staff are now more aware of the issue and Candida is treated with suspicion for all guests.

One young woman I observed was doing a double or 20 day program and she over-heard me speaking to someone else about my own experience. She asked about what was Candida and said that she also now felt absolutely terrible. I felt quite sad for the young woman because she had spent thousands of dollars on her double program and now was only a few days from going home.

We now realize that my partner has suffered from Candida for quite some time. His toe nails were quite dark with fungus. As a result of changing diet to be virtually sugar free and very low carbohydrate, detoxifying and drinking lots of good alkalized/ionized water, they have now cleared.

I know that most bodies carry Candida in a morph state, but I believe if more of us were aware of it, we would be better able to take care of it.

So here's what do I do

1. My water intake is generally 3 litres. We drink alkaline water.

2. I hardly ever have bread, biscuits, cakes or chocolate. A few weeks ago my body craved for some chocolate. I paid for it the next day.

3. I eat a lot of different raw alkaline vegetables which my partner makes up as a salad.

4. I generally eat fish.

5. When we have cooked food we use Virgin Coconut Oil. (VCO is anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, antiprotozoan). It is approximately 50% lauric acid, a similar quality to human breast milk.

6. Regular exercise

7. I also take 1tsp of Zeolite powder in water - great detoxing agent.

Depression Caused by Disability

There are many dangerous jobs, some physically, some mentally. This is why when you get injured on the job, it is important to not only be diagnosed for physical injuries, but also go through a psych evaluation test.

While it might not be well know, depression is a very common grievance on many Social Security and Supplemental Security Income claims. This statistic can be taken two ways. There are many people who suffer from crippling depression from the type of job or workplace they have. On the other hand, those who get physically disabled at work, often go through a period of time in which they become depressed.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has many different ways of evaluating people's mental health in which case they can award disability benefits. 

First they will require you to send all of your medical records to the SSA for review. These are not just your medical records for physical disabilities, but any record of treatment for depression or mental health.

Your case officer will evaluate your mental health based on these medical records. However, if they do not believe there is enough information or evidence of depression, they will require you to undergo and mental status examination (MSE). This does not mean that SSA does not believe you or doubts your claim, they just need evidence to justify give you disability aid. This is a free examination, which the doctor can also prescribe you any appropriate medication they believe you need.

If the doctor in the medical examination believes that you are affected by depression, the SSA will move forward to their next test. The next test is to determine how your now diagnosed depression affects the rest of your life. Does it keep you from working? Does it keep you from doing everyday activities?  

Depression can greatly affect the prosperity of one's life, which is why it is important to get diagnosed as soon as possible. Start living a better life today with the support you need.

Uncover Depression Signs With Depression Test

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

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

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

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

Overmedication of Depressed Individuals

It is a common method of treating symptoms in the 21st century: you walk into the doctor's office, you describe your symptoms to the nurse, the doctor comes in and reads a sheet of paper then asks you a couple of cursory questions before writing a prescription and telling you to "have a nice day". Most individuals spend more time in the waiting room than they actually spend with their physician. The trend in the United States and in the United Kingdom seems to be to simply medicate patients without fully diagnosing their sumptoms, much less finding the root cause..

Combating Depression

Depression is one of those dysfunctions which can present with a wide variety of symptoms that may or may not be related. These can range from feelings of sadness, changes in sleep patterns, weight changes, lack of energy, cognitive function impairment, to a wide variety of other issues. According to Dr. Jennifer Wild, a senior instructor at the Institute of Psychiatry, despite a large increase in cognitive behavior therapy - otherwise known as CBT - doctors are still advocating the use drugs on their patients. Wild argues that doctors need to have a better understanding of the psychological therapies available and should be offering such therapies to individuals in lieu of medications which simply mask the dysfunctions. Her findings were posted on the BBC's website.

Using Therapy, not Drugs

According to Dr. Wild, "People with depression often get better when they change the way they think. Since with therapy it is more likely to achieve this with longer lasting results than drugs, doctors need to stop pushing pills and start pushing treatments that work."

The problem with many clinicians is that they have been taught over the years to simply provide medication to aiding masking or alleviating the symptoms and that is exactly what antidepressants do: make a person feel better. They do not solve the underlying symptoms, nor do they treat the problem that is causing the depression in the first place. When doctors simply prescribe a pill, they are only enabling a temporary solution.

Professor Robert DeRubeis at the University of Pennsylvania took a team of researchers and looked at CBT as a way of treating depression. They found that individuals who received such treatment as compared with medications showed significant long-term recovery through retraining the patient's thought patterns.

In 2008, the UK Government introduced an initiative called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, or IAPT, which is effectively halting the automatic prescription of pills and expanding the availability of psychological treatments that are effective in treating the symptoms. Prior to the initiative, most doctors in the UK offered 80 percent of patients' drugs and only 20 percent were offered therapy. Now, 115 out of 154 of England's primary care trusts now offer IAPT service.

If one suffers from a disease or dysfunction, a doctor should first and foremost focus upon finding an answer that addresses all the symptoms, as opposed to masking the symptoms through pills. There is simply no substitute for a carefully considered diagnosis..

Importance of Marijuana Testing at Home

Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in in the world. Many people, in particular, youth are getting addicted to Marijuana due to several reasons. One of the main reasons is peer pressure. They may also try and get addicted to it after seeing their siblings, relatives or parents using it. Marijuana addiction leads to many serious health effects. It also destroys the personal, professional, social and economic status of the user.

Marijuana drug testing is conducted at workplaces, schools, medical institutions, government offices and so on. Though some parents have started using drug testing kits at homes these days to check if their children are abusing Marijuana, many are not. Here we will discuss about the importance of conducting Marijuana testing at home.

Marijuana-Commonly Abused Drug
Among many illicit drugs, Marijuana is the most common illegal drug used in the United States. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) revealed that there were 16.7 million Marijuana users in 2009. The drug is obtained from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main active component of the drug.

Effects of Ignoring Marijuana Suspects
Marijuana when consumed at low doses gives a feeling of euphoria and well-being. However, many problems are associated with Marijuana intoxication. These include impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem-solving, distorted perceptions, and many others. Learning and memory skills are greatly affected by the drug addiction.

If you suspect that one of your family members is abusing Marijuana and ignore him/her, the consequences can be lethal. The drug when used at high dosage causes paranoia, tachycardia and delusions. Increased rates of anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression are associated with chronic Marijuana usage. Long-term usage of the drug can disturb functioning of vital organs of the body including heart, brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys. It is therefore necessary to conduct Marijuana testing at home regularly to identify the drug abusing family members.

Home drug test kits
Home drug test kits are generally used by parents to check drug addiction among their kids. Different types of kits including saliva test, urine test, and hair test are available in the market to assist home drug test to detect Marijuana. Urine tests are commonly used as they are inexpensive. Today, saliva test kits are becoming popular among households as they are non-invasive. Home drug testing is confidential, accurate, easy to use, and cost-effective.

Confidential
You can check for Marijuana addiction or abuse at the comforts of your home. There will be no issues such as exploitation of donor (or suspects) privacy. Home drug testing kits save a lot of time involved in commuting too. You need to take the suspect all the way to laboratory, make him/her give sample and wait for days to get results.

Accurate
Marijuana testing at home with the help of drug testing kits provides quick and accurate results. You need not go to laboratory to get accurate results. The kits approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) give 98% accurate results.

Easy to use
The most important benefit of home drug test kits is that they are easy to use. Anyone can handle and use them. There is no need to take any special training to use the kits. They include a single step qualitative analysis, which provides you results within minutes. The results thus obtained are easy to read and understand.

Cost-effective
They are generally available in affordable prices unlike laboratory tests, where you need to spend huge amounts. Urine test kits costs less than 2 dollars.

Though there are many companies offering home test kits to detect Marijuana abuse, it is always better for you to approach a reputed company which offers FDA approved ones.

Where Is Your Locus of Control?

Locus of Control - where is yours?

Locus of Control LoC - Is basically the psychological term that describes how much a person believes they can control the events of their life. If you have an External Locus of Control then it is likely that you feel that many things are out of your control and believe that chance, fate, luck, God or more powerful 'other' people will play a big role in how your life unfolds. For those people who have formed an Internal Locus of Control, they believe that they are responsible for their own life and the outcomes that they experience.

What I have observed as a therapist

I witness the effects of LoC every day in my role as a therapist, I either test each client to see what score they get on the Locus of Control scale or I ask pertinent questions that allow me to understand the strategies my client is using to take responsibility for their life.

To me, it is a fundamental requirement to know if they have learned to use an interior or exterior source of reference of what they can and can't control in life, and this information plays a big part in the therapeutic strategies that I subsequently deliver.

Those individuals with a higher external locus of control seem to be more susceptible to anxiety, depression, poor health and weight gain, whilst those with lower more internal scores, are often, calmer, more positive, more resilient and seem to bounce back more quickly after unfortunate events in their life and tend to have a more healthy outlook regarding their body.

I will go into more detail later in this post, however, the good news is that once a clients can see that they may be abdicating or deferring some of their control to external sources many things can change in their lives, (if that is what they want).

In my experience helping a client move their external locus of control more towards an internal LoC and helping them to take more responsibility for all aspects of their life is a key aspect of recovering from depression, raising self-esteem and bolstering confidence.

Locus of Control vs. Desire for Control

I work with many clients who become paralysed and immobilised by depression or anxiety disorders that invoke fearful thoughts and emotions. Often these individuals used to have a wonderful natural perception, they would be able to walk into a room and pick up peoples moods, like a sixth sense, however, as they became more depressed and anxious, never knowing what their emotions would do next, their ability to believe and trust their own feelings lessened, leaving them (unknowingly) feeling vulnerable.

To counter balance these vulnerable feelings, they begin to, (unconsciously) look for external validation to help them feel more secure about their decisions and actions in life. This is a good example of a persons Locus of Control moving from Internal to External through the 'numbing' of their emotions due to prolonged periods of stress, trauma or depression.

When this happens the anxiety or depression or ME or OCD or agoraphobic sufferer (tick your box) begins to unconsciously become far more controlling about the small things in their life that they feel they can control and so they focus all their attention on these. Any carer or partner of a sufferer doing this will know how frustrating and annoying it is having to 'put up with' all the new rules about what is and isn't acceptable around the house or what to eat or where to go, what to wear etc.

Often the sufferer can't see that they are controlling the tiny things and can't even think about facing the big decisions, this becomes the beginning of obsessional behaviour that they feel gives them at least some control, even though it is mistaken, debilitating and holding them back.

It takes time, however, once the sufferer can see that they are controlling the petty things and abducting responsibility for the real issues in their life, things can change. Of course, they will still need to set goals, change the way they are thinking and start planning for the future - but that's a whole other issue, they need to pull themselves out of the depressive state, one realisation at a time.

This is important

So, a person who is controlling and has a high external locus of control, will feel uncomfortable, vulnerable and powerless, and a person who is controlling, but with an internal locus of control, will be active, more positive and feel more in control of their life, thus happier. Finding the right balance is the name of the game.

Internal Locus of Control vs. External Locus of Control

It is hard to put into words how the two types differ, because there are always so many degrees of separation. Listed below are some generic indicators.

External Locus of Control:

• Are likely to feel a little uncomfortable in social situations


• Feel powerless and will often refer to 'professionals' for help, Doctors, specialist etc.


• May be more likely to believe that medication will help them to recover


• Tend to view things negatively - glass half empty


• Tend to struggle to get back on track after trauma, bereavement or trouble in their life


• Tend to focus on worries and negative 'what if' scenarios


• Seem to get ill easily, catch colds and any bug that is doing the rounds, get tired easily


• Tend to lean on others for support and advice


• Tend to put on weight easily or comfort eat


• May tend to put faith in horoscopes, clairvoyants or other paranormal concepts


• May struggle to get to sleep as thoughts in their mind race around


• May be religious or have a 'faith' that God will sort it out for them - in the end


• Are likely to have developed a kind of learned helplessness


• May (unknowingly) get lots of attention from others due to their suffering


• Tend to control the small (irritating to others) things that tend to pin themselves down i.e. Won't go to a restaurant


• Tend to blame other elements if things go wrong

So, you can see that many of these strategies are looking external to themselves for help, advice or guidance, they are in many instances a victim to what others do and say.

Internal Locus of Control:

• Are likely to feel comfortable in social situations or at least can fake it well


• May listen to Doctors and specialists, but feel they know themselves better


• May try to avoid medication and use positive thinking and healthy living to recover


• Tend to view things positively - glass half full, interesting opportunity etc.


• Seem to bounce back quickly after trauma, bereavement or trouble in their life


• Tend to focus on what they can do, what they will do and when they will do it


• Have a great immune system, rarely get ill, have lots of energy


• Seem to be very independent, rarely ask for help


• Tend to be the right weight for their age and height, eat healthily and exercise


• Do not believe in the paranormal or horoscopes etc.


• Tend to sleep well most of the time, can get by on less sleep if busy


• May not be religious or gain independent strength from their beliefs


• Take responsibility for mistakes or mishaps, they learn from them

Here, you can see that the individual feels that they have the power within them-self to do what ever they feel is right, without deferring to external sources.

How an Internal Locus of Control may benefit you

As you recognise your current position and begin to let go of old out dated beliefs - people normally find the following happens:

• It would make you more active now, not having to wait for motivation to appear


• You would set goals around the things you would like to achieve


• You would be excited about learning and trying new ways of being in the world


• You would learn from your past behaviours, then move on


• If things went wrong in the future you would take responsibility and not dwell on it


• You would become more social and have more fun

Self-awareness and flexibility of emotions is the key

People with an internal locus of control are generally more successful, for very obvious reason, however, I feel that we all need to be flexible in our thoughts and our behaviours. Sometimes it is appropriate to be internal and controlling and other times it is right to stand back and be more caring or relaxed.

By understanding where you locus of control is at anytime in your life you can become aware of the strategies that you are using - then take back control. Interestingly, as people get older their locus of control generally becomes more internal, because they have had lots of experience of life and realise that the majority of what happens to them, is a direct result of what they think, what they say and what they do.

Some tips to take more control

• Realise that by not making a decision, is, in fact, already a choice. The choice to let others (or life) decide for you.


• Pay close attention to your own internal dialogue if you hear yourself saying "I can't do that" or "There is nothing I can do about it" recognise that you have just made a decision and ask yourself if it is the only option? What would a person with an Internal LoC do?


• Plan your future, set goals, take time to visualise a big bright future that you feel compelled to step into.


• Explore your values, what values would really focus you? Integrity, honesty, compassion, humility, commitment...


• Don't be afraid to have fun, to talk to people, to let your guard down occasionally


• Don't fear failure, fear not even trying


• Learn new things

How to Help a Family Member Living With Bipolar Disorder

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder or bipolar affective disorder, is a brain disorder that causes extreme mood swings. The mood swings are different form the normal ups and downs that we all experience.

What are some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder?

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), "people with bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that occur in distinct periods called "mood episodes." The elevated moods, which are characterized by overexcitement or an unusual level of happiness are most often referred to as manic episodes. People with bipolar disease also experience depressive episodes, which are characterized by extreme sadness and/ or hopelessness. One of the most difficult aspects of bipolar disease is the emotional swinging back and forth between mania and depression. "Extreme changes in energy, sleep, and behavior go along with these changes in mood" (NIMH). The changes between mania and depression are called cycling. In some cases, people experience what is called "rapid-cycling" which means the individual suffering with the disease often goes back and forth between mania and depression several times within a week, or even a day rather than having long periods of depression followed by occasional episodes of mania, or vice versa.

What is the impact of the disease on the patient?

For those individuals who have bipolar disorder with rapid cycling, the switching back and forth can be physically exhausting. Mania tends to take a lot of energy because the mood and their accompanying behaviors are so extreme and often, intense. Some researchers believe that the crash after a manic episode may be exacerbated by exhaustion cause be lack of sleep and ramped up activity. Emotionally, cycling takes it's toll as well. Confusion is not uncommon because one minute the individual is flying high and the next they are crashing which is often accompanied by long crying episodes.

What is the impact of the disease on the family?

The frequent mood swings associated with bipolar disorder can be confusion and emotionally exhausting for family members. Especially younger children may not understand why their loved one is happy one minute and sad or agitated the next. Patience, education, and compassion are required to support a family member with bipolar disorder. Below are some tips to help you on your journey.

Tips for helping family members support a loved one with bipolar disease.

1. Avoid labeling!- Try not to identify your loved one by their disease. Avoid phrases like "Teresa is bipolar". After all, we don't say, "Teresa is depression" or "Teresa is cancer." It's much better to call it what it is. "Teresa has bipolar disorders/ disease."


2. Understand behaviors- Become an expert on the subject. Knowledge can help demystify the unknown. Education for the whole family can improve symptom management and medication compliance, help prevent relapses, and alleviate stress for everyone. Learn to view the behaviors of your loved one in the context of the illness. Their behavior is not personal. If your loved one suddenly becomes upset, agitated or angry about something, it may be a symptom of their illness. This requires patience and compassion, not lecturing!


3. Be aware of your own behaviors- If you are feeling angry, upset, or anxious about your loved one's behavior, those feelings will be transmitted to your loved one and may negatively affect your relationship. If you monitor your own feelings and behaviors, you'll be better equipped to help your loved one. If you're simply having an off day yourself, let your loved one know and then lay low for a while. It's important to tell your loved one how you're feeling so that they don't feel rejected, or like you're ignoring them.


4. Learn the symptoms- One of the best things you can do for yourself is to become educated about the symptoms of bipolar disease. The National Institutes on Mental Health offers a lot of free and credible information.


5. Know the warning signs- Suicide, which is both a stereotypic yet highly individualized act, is a common endpoint for many patients with severe psychiatric illness. The mood disorders (depression and bipolar manic-depression) are by far the most common psychiatric conditions associated with suicide. At least 25% to 50% of patients with bipolar disorder also attempt suicide at least once.

Risk Factors:

• Having mental and substance abuse disorders


• Family history of mental or substance abuse disorders


• Having attempted suicide previously


• Having a family history of physical or sexual abuse


• Having family members or friends who have attempted suicide


• Keeping a firearm in the home

Suicide Warning Signs

• Talking about suicide


• Always talking or thinking about death


• Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless


• Saying things like "It would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out"


• Worsening depression


• A sudden switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy


• Having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, like driving through red lights


• Losing interest in things one used to care about


• Visiting or calling people one cares about


• Putting affairs in order... tying up lose ends... changing a will

For more detailed information, visit the Bipolar Disorder Center on WebMD.

Bipolar I Disorder Vs Bipolar II Disorder - The Difference

You may have been told you have bipolar disorder, but you may not have been told which type you have - bipolar I or bipolar II. Even if you have, you may be wondering what the difference is between the two types.

The first thing you need to know is that there IS a difference.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association, it is broken down as follows:

BIPOLAR I:

Single Manic Episode
The patient has had just one Manic Episode and no Major Depressive Episodes.

Most Recent Episode (MRE) Manic
The patient has had at least one Major Depressive, Manic or a Mixed Episode.

MRE Hypomanic
The patient has previously had one or more Manic or Mixed Episodes (ME).
The symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.

MRE Mixed
The patient's most recent episode is of mixed mania and depression.
The survivor has had at least one Major Depressive, Mixed or Manic Episodes.

MRE Depressed
The patient has had at least one previous Manic or Mixed Episode.

MRE Unspecified
Other than duration, the patient currently or recently meets criteria for Major Depressive, Manic, Mixed, or Hypomanic episode.
The patient has had at least one previous Manic or Mixed Episode.
These symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.

BIPOLAR II:

The patient has had at least one Major Depressive Episode.
Or has had at least one Hypomanic Episode.
There have been no Manic or Mixed Episodes.
These symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.
Specify Current or Most Recent Episode: Hypomanic. Depressed.

The difference between bipolar I and bipolar II, then, is that in bipolar II there is NO manic or mixed episodes; whereas, in every case of bipolar I, there IS mania involved.

Looking for Light in the Mental Health Care Wilderness

Paul Raeburn writes poignantly of his experiences as a father helping raise three children, two of whom suffer from mental illness-a son with bipolar disorder and a daughter with depression. His account will elicit a shudder of recognition from clinicians with institutional or agency experience and will resonate with the many parents struggling to get help for distressed children from managed care and the medical profession.

Raeburn's son Alex, a fifth grader, "detonated" one day upon learning that his art lesson had been cancelled. Screaming in fury, he ran through the halls at school, smashing the glass on a clock with his fist, barreling through the front door, and leading the school staff and police officers on a chase through the neighborhood. The cops wrestled him down, yelling, punching, and kicking, packed him into a squad car, and drove away.

The accounts of this incident and of the many that follow are replete with details familiar to those who work with bipolar children:

• seizurelike rages that give way to exhaustion, sleep, and a subsequent total lack of recall


• agitated or rambunctious behavior in class


• oppositionality and reckless defiance


• risky and rebellious impulsivity


• threats to kill


• a mysterious decline in academic abilities despite superior intelligence


• dark, brooding malevolence interspersed with creativity, brilliance, and sweetness

With the skepticism of a veteran observer, Raeburn traces the family's journey through a maze of hospitals, physicians, therapists, and medication cocktails. Just as age, maturity, and possibly blind luck seem finally to be allowing Alex to regroup, the Raeburns' daughter, Alicia, then in sixth grade, becomes symptomatic and is found to be swallowing handfuls of pills and cutting herself. Once again the family is driven back to the hospitals and practitioners who worked with Alex.

Through the years the Raeburns continue to find the results of treatment frustrating and at best mixed-a pharmacological cornucopia, substance abuse, involvement with the juvenile justice system, and therapists who blame parenting skills, intramarital conflict, and, in Alicia's case, the trauma of rape rather than brain chemistry. Perhaps inevitably, given the severity of the stressors, the Raeburns' marriage dissolves. The parents go their separate ways. Raeburn writes unflinchingly about the loss of his marriage and his own experience of psychotherapy.

Formerly a senior writer and editor at Business Week with years of experience covering science and medicine, Raeburn is no stranger to research. He has mined his family's medical records and has interviewed-and quotes-not only Alex and Alicia but also their brother, Matt, and other parents and children. He writes:

As I began the research for this book, I became increasingly aware of the scandalous disregard with which we treat our mentally ill children. Children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders are among the most neglected and mistreated members of our society. Of the millions of American children with emotional problems, only one in five receives any medical care... But the problems with mental health care cut across the economic spectrum... Treatment of children's psychiatric disorders is often abysmal. The diagnosis is missed. The children are given the wrong drugs, or the right drugs in the wrong doses. They are offered little or nothing in the way of counseling and psychotherapy. They are admitted to psychiatric hospitals repeatedly, and discharged under the orders of insurance companies after only a few days or a week, long before a diagnosis can be made or an effective treatment established. Many of the few children receiving care lose it abruptly when their insurance runs out, which happens much sooner for mental illness than it does for diabetes, heart disease, or any other ailment. Some parents are forced to give up their jobs to become full-time care managers for their children. Some lose their jobs, because they can't get their work done while they are being called away to emergency rooms, school classrooms, police stations, hospitals, and juvenile detention centers to attend to their children.

Convulsed by the torment of their children's illnesses, many parents attempt to conceal their struggle and out of shame or embarrassment. But as Raeburn so accurately observes, the medical system and the nation are failing us all. The suffering of sick children amounts to a public health crisis that demands attention: "The longer the epidemic remains hidden, the longer it will continue."

This wise and informed account of the horrors of medical care for mental illness among some of our youngest citizens and their families is must reading for mental health professionals and parents with troubled children. "What we found," Raeburn says, "was a splintered, chaotic mental health system that seemed to do more harm than good." Many therapists will readily agree. Now is the time for us social workers, parents, and ordinary Americans to take action. By failing to respond to the needs of the nation's children, after all, we jeopardize our collective future. In the process, we disrespect the children we once were.

Reviewed in this article: Paul Raeburn's Acquainted with the Night: A Parent's Quest to Understand Depression and Bipolar Disorder in His Children (New York: Broadway, 2004).

Symptoms of a Depressed Person

Depression has got a very significant effect on one person's personality. The personality can be affected in a lot of ways by the depression. The major changes that can be found in the personality of a person due to depression are:

• No interest in love life.


• Experience loneliness, gloom, hopelessness, indifference and hatred to the people who come across them.


• The person will have extreme despair.


• The run away from problems rather than solving them. They start thinking of leaving their home and running away. The thoughts about suicide are also very prominent in depressed individuals.


• They also tend to move away from the company of their friends and family. The depressed person often prefers loneliness and despair. They will seem to be happy avoiding everyone and everything in their life.


• Depressed individuals become more sensitive. They lose their temper easily and get angry at almost everything. They will start crying for the simplest things. They will be always irritated.


• They will have zero self esteem. They lose all self confidence and will think of themselves as useless and good for nothing. They will think only about the negative sides of the life.


• The excessive depression can lead to loss of interest in everything including love, sex, friends, sleep and appetite.


• Feel of guilt is a common factor of every individual. They even start feeling guilty for others wrong.


• A depressed person will find it very difficult to express and handle feelings and actions. The actions of such a person are very unpredictable. The rage that they have for themselves is often outrage to all those who get to be in front of them.

How to Cure Depression Naturally

Many people suffering from depression often wonder how to cure it, while medications might not be effective. Depression is not like any other illness and it really depends on you and how you deal with it. As most mental disorders are, depression is a very real yet treatable disorder.

It is not a secret that people suffering from depression are poor communicators and they tend to isolate themselves. Depression affects people of any age, pensioners, teenagers, usually single people, rich and poor, anyone can be affected.

There are different types of depression, and this article has the purpose to inform anyone that is currently in this condition to get over it easily by taking small baby steps. Depression can not be cured in one day. Clinical depression is the most common form of this illness, it affects 12% of the entire population.

Learning how to cure depression all by yourself is not easy, you might not follow the right paths and even make things worse. Depression has different forms, just like in any other disease. Severe forms are usually manifested by a range of symptoms that often interfere with the ability to manage basic daily activities such as sleeping, studying, working, and eating. It can also severely affect one's sexual life.

One less severe form of depression is dysthymia. It usually occurs in teenagers but it can affect people of any age. Dysthymia involves long-term chronic symptoms that can keep one from being happy and feeling good, no matter their activities.

While clinical depression or dysthymia have very similar symptoms in most patients, bi-polar disorder, another form of depression is a lot different. They all have to be prevented. Bipolar disorders are characterized by repetitive mood changes, mania, depression accompanied by low self-esteem. Many teens and adults that do not manage to overcome depression and get confused are prone to suicide. Recent studies have shown that the rate of suicide has increased with over 7.8% only from the past year.

Medication in most of the cases will not treat the root cause, this does not mean it never will, but it's a long ongoing process with pros and cons. The side effects of medication can affect other organs and your normal body functioning.

This is the main reason people often seek a natural cure for depression while medications prove non effective on long terms.

Chris Green a former sufferer has managed to overcome depression without medication. His best selling book 'Conquering Stress' reveals how to cure depression, anxiety and stress using a revolutionary step-by-step program that will eliminate depression and anxiety out of your life forever.

The Downward Depression Spiral

So many folk are troubled by depressive disorders these days and studies show that three out of ten people will experience a depression in their life-time. You're really not alone. The truth is depression is often called the common cold of the psychiatric illnesses. We all feel down at times and 'ups and downs' are a part of everyday living. It is perfectly normal to feel down in the dumps when you experience a loss. Whether it is losing your employment, losing your spouse to separation or death, a loss of self-esteem through being rejected or any one of the many other life incidents which can cause us to feel down.

The Effects of Stress

Stress causes the chemicals in the brain, called serotonin, to get used up. The brain chemicals will naturally restore themselves to their healthy level however only if we have a certain amount of recovery time following a stressful event. At times there's no opportunity to recover, due to continuous stress. This is when the signs of depression will start showing. The feeling of having no worth, not being able to sleep or to eat, or eating or sleeping an excessive amount are very common warning signs. Uncharacteristic negative talking is also a typical warning sign and suggests that the brain is sick and the person needs treatment for depression.

Treatment

Many people believe that their heart as well as other bodily organs can get ill and immediately get medical treatment for the ailment. However there's no such acceptance if the brain gets unwell with depression because of excessive stress. This is really not logical because the brain is actually merely another organ of the body, and therefore, just like the heart, can also get ill. Many people find depression hard to accept. Nobody can wish away depression or 'pull themselves together' - they would if they could. The person requires medical help.

Medication

There have been such developments in anti-depressant medications for which we should be truly thankful. Be compliant with your doctor and you will find an anti-depressant that helps you. The medicine simply gets the brain back to working normally again and you'll definitely find that you are your 'old self' once more within about three weeks.

Coping with Stress

The best way to stop this never-ending cycle of spiralling down into depression each time you go through stress is to learn to alter the way your mind thinks! This is generally known as Cognitive Therapy or therapy of the thoughts. It is hard work but really worthwhile. You are able to have a life free from depression!