Mannequin Depression

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." -- Margaret Mead

Lately I've noticed that my meds need tweaking. I'm feeling lethargic during the day and am having trouble sleeping at night. I will be seeing my psychiatrist soon and we can address this. She is very in tune with my psyche and always has ideas for adjustment. She is always open to suggestions from me as well.

I love this about my psychiatrist. Over the course of my treatment, I probably have seen about a dozen therapists and psychiatrists. Of this number, I would say that probably for of them really tried to see me as a unique person with unique needs. Now, this is not meant to suggest that most all psychiatrists are this way. I can only base my opinions on my own personal experience. But I've learned over the years that, to get the best treatment, you must find a therapist or psychiatrist who knows the truth that everyone is indeed unique and is willing to put in the time and effort to get to know you in a deeply personal way.

The quote at this article's beginning has a kind of humorous bent to it. But Margaret Mead was a renowned cultural anthropologist and she meant this in a serious way. Each one of us is unique and, yes, this applies to everyone. This is especially true of the combination of brain make-up and personality. Psychiatrists, more than anyone, should know this truth.

What I'm trying to say is that psychiatric treatment is like no other. Take the example of an orthodontist. With a child's crooked teeth, it's easy to apply some braces (the same braces he places on most all his other patients). With respect to someone with a blockage in coronary arteries, there are basic procedures that apply to most everyone. In my opinion, physicians treating patients for these issues can see us all as mannequins -- only the skin, hair and eye color is different. Generally speaking, what works for one works for all.

It's just not the case with psychiatric problems. My friend, if your therapist or psychiatrist sees himself or herself as treating what I call "mannequin depression," you have the wrong caregiver. And, listen, it is up to you to figure out whether your psychiatrist is among those in this category. They are out there, and, in my opinion, being treated by one with this mentality is a complete waste of your time. With this type treatment, you will most assuredly not get better. You don't have even a shred of a chance, really.

Please do yourself a favor. Take a long, hard look at your therapist or psychiatrist. If you fee he or she is not taking the time to get to really know you and your needs, then let him or her go and find someone who will. You must also educate yourself regarding drug and other treatment options. Most physicians, for reasons not entirely clear to me, will want to prescribe only the latest available medications. Granted, many times these are just what you may need. But many times, an older medication will be more effective for you. (Please don't misunderstand me here. As a patient, you indeed must realize that you are the patient and not the physician. Sometimes, there will be very good reasons for not attempting something you suggest. But the physician should at least take the time to explore in good faith any option you suggest.) If you are getting a blank stare while you are discussing your ideas, please, go elsewhere.

I wish you all luck. I have learned this lesson the hard way -- over ten years of working with psychiatrists. Again, while this is simply my opinion, I feel strongly that I know what I'm talking about here. When it comes to your psyche, you are truly unique with truly unique needs. You can trust me on this one.

Copyright 2011. True Self Enterprises, Inc.

Mis Sold Payment Protection Insurance Claims

Have you ever been sold an insurance policy to make sure that you can pay your credit card, loan or mortgage should something happen to you making you unable to pay your bills or keep up your repayments? If so there is a good chance you may have been mis-sold this insurance and could be due compensation.

This insurance is called Payment Protection Insurance, or PPI for short. is is also known as: ASU Policy - Accident Sickness Unemployment Policy, MPPI - Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance, PLP - Personal Loan Protection and CCPP - Credit Card Payment Protection

You could be just one of around 20 million people in the UK today who this affects. To check if you are one of these people follow the check list below, if any of these statements apply to you then you can start a claim:

• You thought you had to have PPI in order to have a loan


• The PPI was added onto the loan without being fully explainied


• The full cost of the PPI or the exclusions in the terms and conditions was not explained to you


• You were self employed, unemployed or on a fixed term contract when you took the loan out


• You had existing medical conditions such as depression, back problems etc when you took the loan out


• The PPI was a paid as a lump sum when you took out the loan

Now you may be thinking that such a policy is essential, and is a good policy to have. This is indeed the case. However if you have signed up to this unwittingly, or have taken such a policy up as you have been told it is part of the loan, mortgage or credit card and you could not have the package without it then you have been mis-sold PPI. If this is the case you should seek out compensation, as you can get the full value of any insurance you have taken out, over the full lifetime of the loan, mortgage or credit card, no matter how long you have had it, which could result in a hefty claim, possibly worth thousands of pounds to you.

Making a claim

Making a claim is a fairly straight forward process. All you need to do is to contact one of the many companies who offer this service. Most of them have an Internet website and you can start a claim by filling in a short form on their website. It is likely you will then receive a telephone call where a fact find will be completed taking details about the product(s) you have been mis sold payment protection insurance on. You can then leave it in their capable hands. Should your claim be accepted, which can take a few weeks, you will receive your compensation.

The Health Care Crises and Its Dramatic Affects on the Women in America

The State of health care affordability in the USA is dismal at best.  Nearly 50 million American have no insurance or are underinsured at the present time. Though this bleak situation affects men and woman alike, the brunt of the problem is that more woman find themselves uninsured or underinsured.  Though on the whole, both genders share common illnesses, they do not share common access to health insurance nor it its affordability.

The health insurance plans for men and women between the ages of 19 and 64 are similar in coverage requirements however; the pattern of which gender is insured differs. Over 110 million Americans are insured through the company that they work for, while 10 million individuals, women slightly more than men, buy personal insurance for themselves and family. The remaining approximately 8 million individuals are insured through Medicare or the military and other places.  More women are actually insured by Medicare than men.  The rest of the population not falling under any of these categories is not insured at all.

Women generally have lower incomes than men, 17 percent of women in the 19 - 64 age group live below the poverty level.  Women earn roughly a third less than their male counterparts.  In 2004, the average American woman, earned $22, 000 while the average man earned $32,000.

Some individuals are insured part of the year but not all year.  This occurs with part-time workers, however the stats indicate that approximately 13% of men are part-time workers, while 22% of women are part-time workers.  Furthermore, more women are likely to be without jobs the whole year as opposed to their male counterparts. This stat provided by Eriu (Economic Research Initiative of Insured, indicates that 14 percent of American women are not insured year-long.

Since women are more likely to be unemployed or working only part time, they have less access to employer-based insurance, which is more affordable than private based health insurance. Most women will depend upon their spouses for insurance coverage rather than their employer because they may not have one.  At a quick glance it does look like a valuable option but this type of insurance called dependent coverage has its shortfalls as well. This coverage is not very dependable; the women must remain married, and depend on her husband to stay in the job and also to want to cover her in the first place. Even more disturbing is the fact that employers have been cutting back on dependent coverage because the cost is beyond their financial budgets as well.

Age also plays an important role in dependent coverage; older workers between the ages of 50 - 64 are targeted in this equation. Older woman married to older men stand to loss their dependent coverage when their spouse becomes eligible for Medicare. If the woman is too young for Medicare and has no access to the more affordable coverage through her workplace, providing she is working, she would have no choice but to turn to the very expensive personal insurance.  The big problem here is that typically, women do not have the earning potential to afford these costly health insurance plans.

Many women and men consider individual insurance but only a few women actually purchase it. The women that are purchasing private insurance are the rare few that are in the 200 percent above poverty level group, and do not reflect the economic stats of the average woman in America today.

These women are relatively healthy, only about 10 percent report having an illness.  Women who are older and have pre-existing medical conditions have less of a chance of securing adequate health insurance even if they fall in the select few who can afford it.

Furthermore, women use health care services more often than men.  Pregnancy and pre-natal care is a big concern for American women.  Women also use more medication than men to on the average, they have more chronic conditions and they treated more often for anxiety and depression.

Due to these medical needs and drain on the health care system, even though women have lower incomes they also have more out of pocket payments to make.

Unfortunately women tend to avoid seeking medical attention because of the cost factor. On the other hand, because of the cost of health care, women tend to have more medical bills and health generated debt than men because of it.

The barriers to health care for women in at a crises point, lack of access and affordability will lead to long term medical issues and inevitably affect the nation's mortality rate somewhere down the road.

Learn How to Identify the Common Warning Signs of Severe Depression

Feeling "down" and depressed from time to time is not uncommon in everyday life. As a matter of fact, having those feelings of sadness and loneliness every now and than is considered normal and is almost inevitable during a course of a lifetime.

But when those bad feelings of melancholy and sadness turn into an inseparable part of a persons life, along with sensations of guilt and worthlessness, lack of desire to eat regularly and lack of energy, it might be a warning sign of severe depression or clinical depression.

There are a few types of depression, and just as the name suggests, severe depression is the most serious one.
Clinical depression patients often suffer multiple disturbing symptoms that have a profound affect on their lives.

Warning signs:

1. Feelings of Sadness, loneliness and hopelessness for a period of at least two weeks.

2. Lack of appetite followed by a dramatic changes in body weight.

3. Difficulties in falling asleep or constant desire to stay in bad, sometimes for the entire day.

4. Severe fatigue and a low level of energy.

5. Lack of ability to concentrate and poor memory.

6. Disability to enjoy activities, that were once enjoyable.

7. The most serious warning sign is having or expressing suicidal thoughts or plans.

Clinical depression can turn into a life threatening situation if the patient does not get an immediate medical aid for his/her illness.

If any of your family members or friends is going through a stressful period in his/her life due to separation or severe trauma or due to a terminal illness such as cancer or HIV, and shows any of the warning signs mentioned above especially expressing suicidal thought or plans, you must take action immediately and make sure he/she gets an immediate medical help.

Stress and Anger - Symptoms and Management

Stress crumbles your body's immune system and makes you look older than your age. Not only does it bring about negative physical changes but also affects your biochemical state with extra adrenal steroids in the blood stream. Frequent headaches, anxiety, frequent mood swings, sadness, anger, frustration and depression are some of the most common effects of stress. Stress and anger affect your overall health and may cause serious physical and mental health problems in long run. In order to manage your stress and anger, focus on holistic living. It is an approach that nourishes your mind, body and soul and helps you to stay happier and peaceful throughout your life.

Stress and Anger Symptoms

Stress and anger affect your body, mind and behaviour in several ways. It is not necessary that everyone suffering from stress and depression exhibit same symptoms. It affects different people in different ways. Some may experience high degree of stress symptoms while some may exhibit only physical symptoms depending upon the degree of stress and anger.

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of stress include dizziness, excessive sweating, breathlessness, nail biting, constipation, diarrhea, nervous twitches, cramps, chest pain, heart diseases, upset stomach, back pain, frequent headaches, heart palpitations, decreased immunity, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, aging, frequent cold, pins and needles, tingling sensation, restlessness, insomnia, loss of sexual desire, heart ailments and muscular aches. It may sometimes result in a stroke or heart attack.

Mental Symptoms

Mental symptoms of stress include anxiety, irritability, restlessness, unnecessary worrying, sadness, depression, loneliness, anger, and feeling of insecurity, lack of focus, depression, burnout, tiredness, difficulty concentration, forgetfulness and loss of mental balance.

Behavioral Symptoms

Stress not only affects your physical and mental well being but messes up your life. Frequent episodes of stress also affect your day-today behaviour. It results in overeating, under eating, forgetfulness, increased smoking, frequent crying spells, angry outburst, loss of temporary memory, social withdrawal, relationship conflicts, drug or alcohol abuse, increased or suppressed anger, lack of interest in work, excessive emotion, loss of sense of humor, feeling out of control, unable to concentrate on anything, feeling helpless or inferior etc.

Studies have shown that about 60-70 percent adults are suffering from stress and depression due to their hectic work schedules, relationship conflicts and unmanaged lifestyle. Around 30-40 percent people visit psychiatrists while rest indulge themselves in drinking smoking and drug abusing. Few adults attempt to suicide.

Stress and Anger Management

Yoga and meditation are found to be very effective in managing stress and anger. Practicing yoga and meditation regularly helps you relieve your tension and stress and makes you feel relaxed and happier.

Some relaxation techniques including exercise, deep breathing, music therapy, natural walks, a warm and hot bath, body stretching, humor, diversion and distraction help greatly in stress management.

Reexamining your reactions and spending time with your loved ones are the best anger management techniques. This way you can assess your extreme behaviour and discover the possible solutions to bring a positive change in yourself.

Holistic living can help to a great extent in managing your stress and anger. The concept is all about living a balanced and healthy life while being close to nature. It not only includes physical well being but also includes your other dimensions such as your body, mind and soul. It brings out a complete change over in your personality and thought process. You become more relaxed and happier.

Plant and Pet Therapy in Depression

OK, I have to say straight away that there is not much research on therapeutic influence of keeping plants and looking after them in depression disorder, but there is a little bit more information about pets.

Pet therapy apparently is especially effective in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and as something encouraging social interaction and keeping depression at bay in elderly people.

As you know depression treatment involves socializing, communicating with people, even if you don't feel like it. Pets can act as your friends; they give you unconditional love and none of the baggage. They trigger memories of happiness and calm you down. They also definitely reduce stress and anxiety.

There was a study group in one of the nursing homes in U.S. few years ago which was given interaction with various pets trained for pet therapy - dogs, a rabbit, a goat, a ferret and a cat.

The results showed that the group decreased its social avoidance, the participants became less depressed.

There are also some therapists in U.S. who prefer to bring their pets to work, saying that it instantly comforts the patient and relaxes them. When emotions get too intense pets provide a momentary distraction, you can touch them when you need contact much easier than people.

Some of the benefits of having a pet (or "an animal counsellor" as they say it in pet therapy) is that they make you feel needed, useful, give you a purpose, which in turn increases you level of self-esteem. They also reduce your feeling of loneliness and isolation, which is always one of the telltale symptoms of depression.

Now, about the plants. What I could find is that plant therapy can be one of the components of depression help if you treat your plant as your pet, give it a name, talk to it and tell it about your fears and insecurities. You also involve colour therapy into the mix. Choose flowering plants - marigold, peace lily, etc. Pink flowers for anger management, purple - for creativity, blue - for soothing effect, yellow - for warmth and positivity.

Don't forget to choose an indoor plant and consider how much light it would need and how much light you get in your house.

But, honestly, I think pet therapy offers you an almost instant feedback and gratification where with flowers it looks like pretty one-sided relationships.

Also consider the severity of your depression before you get your pet/plant. If at times it becomes debilitating, you need a fail-safe, someone who can look after them when you can't. So ask your therapist for advice, and talk to one of your friends and relatives and see if they agree to help when you need it.

So, what do you think? Did you try this therapy? Please, share your experience and thoughts.

Anxiety and Depression - Fighting the Fight

Anxiety and depression can some of the most difficult human conflicts to go through. You're left weakened from the inside out and often the chances of totally curing your illness seem bleak at best. Now you may be saying to yourself that anxiety is a totally different problem than depression and in a way you are right but they are so closely related that often times when a person suffers from one they suffer from the other.

Depression is a medical condition which can affect a person both mentally and physically often causing severe mood swings or chronic physical pain while anxiety can become so great that a person loses their ability to breathe. Often times a person who is suffering from an anxiety attack will have difficulty breathing describing the feeling as though someone were sitting on their chest. One of the most common prescriptions handed out for anxiety is Xannax. Unfortunately many people develop a chemical dependency on this drug as it is highly addictive. It ranks in near the top of prescription drugs most likely to be illegally sold on the street.

Treating just anxiety would do very little for the person as the depression would be left to run free. The symptoms of depression are too many to list but often time people associate a feeling of sadness with being depressed. This is partially true as many people will feel depressed in life especially after a tragic event such as the loss of a loved one but clinical depression is much more than that. Whereas a healthy brain can adjust to these feelings of sadness and overcome them a person suffering from depression will not simply be able to overcome the symptoms. They may retreat from the world missing social events or activities as well as completely cut off contact with friends or family. They in a sense withdraw to their shell.

The depression can bring on unexplained physical pain or fatigue which lends itself to the reason a person may not feel like getting out of the house and doing anything. A person suffering from clinical depression may spend 20+ hours in a bed only getting up to use the bathroom and perhaps eat something. They are constantly bombarded with feelings of hopelessness and often may ask themselves what the point of living is. Their dreams and hopes dashed, this person may become suicidal or even homicidal.

One of the most important things for a person suffering from depression to realize is there is help. Different types of treatment include seeking professional help such as counseling and could also include being administered prescription drugs to help combat the symptoms of depression. Lesser known alternatives include using herbs to treat the illness.

Regardless of which route a person chooses to take in their fight against anxiety and depression there are treatments available that show high success rates. There is no reason to live with the pain of these illnesses and absolutely no reason to have to live with the panic attacks that come along with them. Everyone has the right to feel comfortable inside their own body.

Get Car Insurance With Bad Credit

Tips for obtaining a car insurance policy when you have bad credit.
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• Improving your Credit
• Tricks for lowering monthly premiums
• What affects your credit score the most

Getting car insurance with a credit score or a history of frequent accidents can be quite a challenge. If your credit score has been affected in the recent depression like many have, or just have made some bad decisions, then it will be a bit more difficult for you to get a policy. However, there are many things you can do to help lower your premiums and increase the chance that you will get one.

There are many tricks for lowering your car insurance monthly man individual employee these tricks honestly. However, many do not. One frequently used trick is to claim you drive less than you actually do. In order for you to do this you have to generally claim somewhere around the actual number, if you told them your annual mileage is 20 each year but your speedometer is at 20,000, they know you're not telling the truth. Another thing that you can do is to get a co-signer who puts your car on his or her car insurance policy, because they have a better track record be that tax, credit score, car accident record.

This can be a more difficult thing to accomplish because the vehicle is registered in your name, in order to do this properly you will have to sell the car to your relative. When doing this your relative has to put your name anyone that is driving the car on the insurance policy. This is often times one of the best things that you can do if you do not want to pay $300-$500 more for car insurance and get it right now. Another thing you can do which sometimes times can take more time is to improve your credit score.

This can be done by taking out loans on the small things like a tractor or something that you can pay off quickly and easily. As long as you pay off the loan sooner than the money is due, by successfully this it will raise your credit score. Another thing that you can do is to make sure that all of your credit cards get paid on time and in full. By far the most important loan to pay off is your house, there many individuals today that have had a bad credit card history but still have great credit scores because they paid off the bigger loans (house).

Another thing you can do to affect your premiums if you have a bad track record is to apply for something called voluntary excess. This is where you agree to pay them a higher premium if you should get into an accident, but it allows you to keep your monthly is lower. You can work on improving your credit score at the same time as getting car insurance and simply wait for your credit to go up, which will allow you to pay less next year.

Bipolar Disorder and Relationships - Everything You Should Know

Bipolar disorder's symptoms, effects and complications can be quite varied. Fortunately, there are some ways in which you can learn how to cope with the highs and the lows of this disorder. However, for these things to work you need to be both consistent and conscientious. There are also some things that the people who care about you can do to help you keep this disorder in check as well.

Taking Bipolar Treatment Plans Seriously

One of the keys to navigating a relationship with someone who is bipolar is to focus on what you can control. This means that you will need to recognize that this disorder exists, making and adhering to treatment plans and minimize any trigger-associated reactions. All of these things are important because whenever bipolar is undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or untreated it can wreak havoc on everyone's well being.

Conscientiousness - Surviving Bipolar Ups and Downs

It is important to recognize the unpredictability of human emotions. Whenever left untreated or trying to self-treat bipolar disorder things can get even more unpredictable. Some people may turn to drugs and alcohol when the best thing that they could do for themselves is to abstain. At the same time, it is important to become educated about this disorder and the variables that affect it so that you will be able to take conscientious action.

Man vs. Manic Depression

You can easily become preoccupied with and anxious about the bipolar patient's every move if your thoughts and actions always revolve around them. While the patient may feel as though their feelings are beyond their control your self-respect and self worth shouldn't be battered by their uncaring acts and words. It will require some effort but a person with bipolar disorder can minimize the unpredictability of their moods by:

• Abstain from drugs and alcohol


• Take your medications as prescribed


• Meet with your doctor on a regular basis


• Maintain a stable schedule

It is also important to separate the person from their disorder. This can be difficult to do at times because a lot of patients will either over-identify or under-identify with their illness. In order to avoid doing either of these things you should:

• Bipolar disorder can be treated


• You can use your skills and strengths to minimize its effects on your life


• Your circumstances will pass


• Medication is only one of the possible solutions

Link Between Male Menopause and Depression

Although it is not widely discussed, male menopause is a real problem for many men. Approximately 40% of men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s suffer from some form of male menopause. Male depression associated with male menopause can be difficult to diagnosis. First of all, the symptoms of depression resulting from male menopause are different from the symptoms of traditional depression. Also, a large percentage of men are reluctant to discuss their feelings, fearing that they will be looked down upon or ridiculed.

Just like women, men experience a phase similar to female menopause. As men age, the levels of hormones produced by a man's body gradually declines. This can have a serious impact on the male's body, emotional state, and sexual behavior.

Men suffering from male depression tend to be irritable, defensive, and angry. They also can be restless and agitated, consumed with self-doubt. Unlike regular depression, they do not sleep too much. Instead, they sleep too little, making their irritability more intensified. They may also be suspicious of others and believe that their situation would be improved if other people would only care about them more.

Another problem associated with male menopause and depression is sexual dysfunction. If a man is having problems with his self-confidence and self-worth, sexual impotence can result in more negative feelings. While this can be an easily corrected problem, many men do not seek medical help. In general, men are very reluctant to discuss sexual impotence with their doctor. This reluctance only prolongs the situation, creating a cycle of depression.

If this depression goes untreated, it can lead to serious consequences. Studies have shown that the suicide rate for men at midlife is three times higher than the national norm. For men 65 or older, the suicide rate is seven times higher than the national norm.

As you can see, it is vital that men feeling the symptoms of male depression seek immediate medical help. Be advised that it can take a very long time to receive a diagnosis of male depression, but in the meantime, you will get help with your symptoms. If you make an appointment to talk with your doctor and find your doctor is dismissive, make an appointment to see another doctor.

Depression resulting from male menopause is a very real and serious medical condition that can be treated successfully. All it takes is the right doctor and persistence.

Depression - A Lack of Faith Or a Lack of Focus?

Psalms 143:7-12 (NLT)
7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me, or I will die.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
11 For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.
12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. (emphasis mine)

Times change...some people love it and some people hate it. Personally, I wish they would leave it alone. We could stay on standard time year round and I would be happy. Oh well, that won't happen and I am digressing with my thoughts today.

We have come to the time of year that we affectionately call the holidays. From now until the first of the next year, there will be parties, family gatherings, festivities and the like. During this time there will be lots of cooking and eating, gift exchanging, and many other activities that are to bring joy and happiness.
We have also come to the time of year that more people suffer from depression than any other time. The days are shorter which means less sunshine. People remember lost loved ones more during the holiday season. Families that are in turmoil create a sense of anxiety for the members. People just seem to be at a loss of purpose as well. Suicides and suicide attempts are actually higher during the winter months than any other time.

What depressing thoughts! I realize that what we want to be a happy time often turns into a very sad time. We actually have a disorder called SAD which means Seasonal Affective Disorder because of the lack of sunshine during the winter months and peoples response to that. One of my Facebook friends actually asked if he could be a rent a cave for hibernation during this time. I am not saying he suffers from SAD, but that is many people's attitudes about the fall and winter months.

Now that I have painted a very bleak picture of what might be my favorite time of the year, let me give some encouragement to all today. Many people suffer from all types of depression. If you watch TV at all, you have seen commercials for every kind of depression medication there is. If you suffer from chronic depression, you might need to see your doctor. But, most of the time the doctor will prescribe one of the medications without talking to you about the causes of depression or the effects of the medication. Medication which is good to help take the edge off of depression only masks the symptoms and does not heal depression.

Taking chemical imbalances as well as other biological reasons for depression out of the equation, the root cause of most depression (if not all) is rejection. With that in mind, let me ask you how do you feel rejected? Whom do you feel rejected by? OK, the counselor in me has to ask questions. Folks, what do we do with rejection? Many times we seek to get even with the person that we feel has rejected us. Many times we try to hide our true feelings and never express them in a constructive manner. A good definition of depression is internalized anger. Anger always has an object. Anger is not a sin as Paul writes "be angry and do not sin." We get angry when we feel someone has wronged us or rejected us and then we "swallow" that anger and allow it to fester inside. Now I am not saying that we need to attack the person that has rejected us. That would be sinning in our anger. I am saying that we need to express our hurt and then forgive the person who has rejected us. I know that is easier for me to write than for you to do. Yet it works. The psalmist in the passage above turns to the One who has never rejected him. David who is called a man after God's own heart felt depressed. Many of the biblical heroes of the faith felt depressed. Elijah even went so far as to hide in a cave. Peter was going to leave the ministry. David commits adultery after staying in bed till 3:00 in the afternoon. Many others suffer from depression throughout scripture.

I want you to know that I do not believe that it is a lack of faith to be depressed. I believe that it is a lack of focus. Elijah had the faith to raise people from the dead. He had the faith to call fire from heaven. He had the faith to ask God to stop it from raining for 3 ½ years and then to have it rain again. He outran a chariot. He was a man of faith who lost his focus. David had faith to kill a giant...he lost his focus. Peter walked on water and was the instrument to heal and bring Pentecost...he lost his focus.

David in this Psalm refocuses. Most of the time, we need to refocus so that we are not looking at the rejection all of the time or the hurt, but we look at the God of the universe who NEVER rejects us.

Solution - Focused Therapy

Most types of psychotherapy involve exploring feelings, being validated, finding explanations, exploring wishes and dreams, setting goals, and gaining more clarity. Every therapist has unique ways of working with clients, based on his or her personality, training, and views of how people change.

A solution-focused therapist is likely to do the following:

1. Instead of going over past events and focusing on problems, the therapist helps you envision your future without today's problems.

2. During the course of therapy (often as few as 3 to 6 sessions), the therapist helps you discover solutions.

3. The therapist encourages you to identify and do more of what is already working.

4. The therapist guides you to identify what doesn't work and to focus on doing less of it.

5. The emphasis is on the future, not the past.

6. SFBT therapists believe that the client is the best expert about what it takes to change his or her life.

7. The therapist's role is to help you identify solutions that will remove the barriers to having the life you want.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a process that helps people change by constructing solutions rather than dwelling on problems. This type of therapy tends to be shorter-term than traditional psychotherapy. Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg of the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee are the originators of this form of therapy.

The SFBT therapist helps the client identify elements of the desired solution, which are usually already present in the client's life. The client learns to build on these elements, which form the basis for ongoing change. Rather than searching for the causes of the problem, the focus is on defining the changes and making them a reality. The two key therapeutic issues are: (1) how the client wants his or her life to be different, and (2) what it will take to make it happen.

Creating a detailed picture of what it will be like when life is better creates a feeling of hope, and this makes the solution seem possible. The therapist helps the client focus on the future and how it will be better when things change. It is important to develop a set of specific, detailed goals. These goals drive the therapy process and keep it focused and efficient.

Why SFBT Is Usually Short-Term

SFBT therapists don't set out to artificially limit the number of sessions. A good brief therapist will not focus on limiting sessions or time, but rather on helping clients set goals and develop strategies to reach those goals. Focusing on the client's goals and the concrete steps needed to achieve them usually takes less time than traditional therapy, in which the client typically spends many sessions talking about the past and explores reasons and feelings. SFBT therapists aim to provide clients with the most effective treatment in the most efficient way possible so that clients can achieve their goals and get on with their lives. As a result of this focus, the counseling process often requires as few as six sessions.

Types of Problems That SFBT Addresses

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is an effective way of helping people solve many kinds of problems, including depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, relationship problems, and many other kinds of issues. Since it focuses on the process of change rather than on dissecting the problem, more serious issues do not necessarily require different treatment. The SFBT therapist's job is to help clients transform troubling issues into specific goals and an action plan for achieving them.

In The Miracle Method, authors Scott D. Miller and Insoo Kim Berg describe how to create solutions with these steps:

1. State your desire for something in your life to be different.

2. Envision that a miracle happens and your life is different.

3. Make sure the miracle is important to you.

4. Keep the miracle small.

5. Define the change with language that is positive, specific, concrete, and behavioral.

6. State how you will start your journey rather than how you will end it.

7. Be clear about who, where, and when, but not why.

Signs That You Should Consider Seeing a Therapist

There are several ways to know when you would be doing yourself a favor by finding a licensed, professional therapist to work with.

1. You've tried several things on your own, but you still have the problem.

2. You want to find a solution sooner rather than later.

3. You have thoughts of harming yourself or others.

4. You have symptoms of depression, anxiety, or another disorder that significantly interfere with your daily functioning and the quality of your life. For example, you have lost time from work, your relationships have been harmed, or your health is suffering. These are signs that you need the help of a trained, licensed professional.

Cyclothymic Disorder - A Very Frustrating Disorder to Have and to Deal With

The Cyclothymic Disorder is a placid outline of Bipolar Disorder of which the person will have mood swings in the range of mild or moderate depression state to euphoria and enthusiasm, but still will stay connected to the reality.

Cyclothymic Disorder is a chronic and irregular mood disturbance that involves plentiful periods of hypo manic symptoms and loads of depressive symptoms. This means that this is a long term condition where the person who has this disorder will have mood cycles in between hypomania. Even if this is a mild to somewhat severe case, it could include having delusions, hallucinations or other psychotic characteristics the depression that can come with it also can be mild to somewhat severe but would not be unbearable or in the depths of despair (suicide).

Cyclothymic Disorder or also known as Cyclothymia

The causes of Cyclothymia disorder are unidentified. Even though the vast changes upon the mood are quite erratic and rapid, the mood swings are far less severe compared to the Bipolar Disorder Manic Depressive Illness.

Symptoms:

1 Sporadic episodes of hypo manic phases and mild depression that will last for maybe at least 2 years

2 The affected person will tend to be more ill-tempered or dark, more than euphoric or happy

3 Unrelenting symptoms with not less than about 2 symptom-free months in a row

The Diagnosis:

3 All of the symptoms does not qualify as major manic or even major depressive episodes

4 All of the symptoms almost never ease up for more than two months

5 There was never a Manic, Mixed or Depressive Episode in the initial two years of symptoms

6 An additional disorder is not accountable for symptoms

7 All of the symptoms are not triggered by drug or any general medical condition

The Exams and Tests:

It will depend upon the person's own portrayal of what his or her behavior was, and this will most often lead to the diagnosis of the disorder.

The Treatments:

The treatment for the Cyclothymia Disorder will require a combination of the anti-manic drugs, some anti-depressants, or can be psychotherapy. There will also be medications that will be use in treating this disorder and they are the mood stabilizers.

8 Lithium: Lithium has been indeed used for some years now with patients who have bipolar disorder, and it can be of help to those patients who have Cyclothymia disorder.

9 Anti-seizure drugs: These are drugs such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), and Valproic acid (Valproate), which are the most well-known anti-seizure drugs. But aside from these anti-seizure drugs, there are also some that are used for Bipolar Disorder such as topiramate (Topamax), gabapentin (Neurontin), and zonisamide (Zonegran).

The patients that have Cyclothymic Disorder have the possibility of not responding to the medication compared to the patients with Bipolar Disorder.

Support Groups:

- For any patient to have the capability of easing out the stress of the illness, joining a support group with members who can share the same experiences and problems will be of help.

Bipolar 101 - What Is An Episode?

Bipolar is known as a cyclic disorder because sufferers quite literally go through cycles. There are the episodes of mania and episodes of depression. And then of course there is the mixed episode, which is a combination of the two episode types combined into a shorter time frame. The bipolar sufferer may experience both mania and depression in a single day.

Essentially, bipolar is a mood disorder that alters the individuals ability to control their own emotions and can cause severe problems in their lives as a result. Because of the cyclic nature of the disorder it can be very difficult to diagnose, without a long time history of the afflicted individual.

What are the episodes? And what do they mean?

An episode is just a reference to a period of time. A specific time frame in which a behaviour or behaviour patterns may occur.

The first one is mania. It is an elevated state of elation. But not like most people would experience. Instead of it being momentarily for a specific reason, the bipolar person will experience a very high level of happy type emotions, in conjunction with irritability, and inability to process things around them properly. I may also include a blatant disregard for many things they wouldn't normally do, such as sexual promiscuity. They may also have high level of energy as well as an inability to sleep.

The second episode type is depression, and it is the polar opposite of mania. Instead of having tons of energy, the individual would have very little energy. May sleep excessively, be unable to focus. They may also lack any sort of interest in sexual relations, or anything at all for that matter. They may show a complete lack of interest in the world around them.

A mixed episode is simply when the manic stage and depressive stage occur over a very small time frame, such as daily.

As is quite understandable these episodes can greatly impact a person's life. These cycles can make it very hard to maintain a working schedule or even carry out any form of relationships.

It can be very difficult for someone suffering from bipolar syndrome to function on a daily basis because of the frequent extreme mood swings and episodes.

This is also why it is very important for a bipolar person to attend to regular medical treatments, including counseling and medication treatments.

Bipolar disorder does not have to consume your entire life, but can do so if left untreated. If you or someone you know may be suffering from this disorder, it is very important they speak with a medical professional. Leaving it untreated can lead to major problems.

Depression: Hiding Behind the Facade

When suffering with severe clinical depression throughout my youth I became accustomed to hiding my feelings, my sadness and ultimately myself from the world. I built up a façade to protect myself from being hurt anymore, and at the time, I had no idea that I was not doing myself any favours by reacting this way.

The facade (or face) that I hid behind was one which to any onlooker made me look as though I was actually high on life. Anyone trying to understand me would have presumed I was a normal everyday person. I laughed, I smiled, I joked and I generally made it appear that I was OK. Fact was this was far from the reality of the situation.

If I sat and questioned now, as a recovered patient why I did this I would honestly answer that my reason for doing so was because it was the only way I knew how to survive. Pretending everything was OK in my family was something that I was expected to do by my parents. In turn, this promoted other detrimental behavioural issues, my façade being one of them.

As humans, we naturally have a built in mechanism whereby our response is that of one where we respond with flight or fight. My mechanism for coping was one which meant I was on edge constantly, waiting for someone to pounce; in turn this made me defensive and aggressive, especially towards anyone who may have criticised me and this was because I didn't want them to tell me something I didn't know about myself.

I didn't want anyone guessing what was wrong, telling me what was wrong or acting superior in knowledge towards me. I figured only I knew me therefore I knew best and as such I would deal with my issues in my own time and my own way. All the time adding layers to the façade I was hiding behind.

Eventually, when I went thought counselling and therapy and then hospitalisation and I was faced with the question, who am I? I wasn't able to answer it. I had built up a pretend person and was living a pretend life in pretend circumstances with pretend outcomes.

Finding out who I really was became a massive part of the healing process that I underwent to become depression free. As such, I would suggest to anyone suffering with depression - patient to patient, stop with the façade, it is OK to get help, advice and support, you do not have to pretend to be OK if you really are not, there are people who understand and who are there to help. Without these people, I know I wouldn't be who I am today.

A New Definition of Happiness

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Happiness. It's a word we hear about all the time. It's something that we work for, that we work to achieve. Yet day by day we seem no closer to attaining it. Happiness eludes us.

Yes, we've had moments when we felt happy. Perhaps it was a wedding. Or a birth of a child. Or it was that other night, when we were hanging out with friends, or spending time with family. In those moments, we felt happy, truly, deeply happy. Transcendent almost.

And then it fades. Darkness ensues. The happiness is gone. In its place will often be a vacuum.

We ask, "What's the point?" If we have the inalienable right to pursue happiness, then what is the point if we don't feel like we can ever reach it, or achieve it? That which we want more than anything, to be happy, seems to be something that we can't have.

Maybe if we had more money! That's really all we need! Or maybe it's that brand spankin' new 3D-LED HD TV. A new car? Yes, that's it!

No, no it's not money or things we want, but we want a relationship. A man or woman who will complete us - that will make us happy! If we're in a relationship - if only we weren't in the relationship!

But then we get those things and after a brief honeymoon we're back where we started.

Empty. Sad. So we try to think of other things. And the cycle continues.

It seems we can't be happy. So what do we do?

We employ distraction. We watch TV (obsessively) to distract ourselves from our lives so we don't have to think about how miserable we are or how miserable the world is. We drink. We smoke. We eat. We check our phones every thirty seconds.

We take subconscious shortcuts to happiness. Yet we never seem to be any happier, if anything, the shortcuts seem to be part of the problem. Then we become addicted to the distractions and we are even more unhappy. Turn on the 11:00 news - you know what I mean. The world sucks, so how can we be happy anyway?

A NEW DEFINITION OF HAPPINESS

After spending the last paragraphs utterly depressed it's time to step away from the ledge. Because we can be happy. But in order to be happy we have to unlearn everything we've ever thought about or even lived about happiness.

First - what happiness ISN'T.

Happiness is not an endpoint.

If our goal is to achieve happiness then we will never be happy.

Yes, read that again.

Happiness is not the goal. The pursuit of happiness is an illusion. If we pursue happiness we will never reach it.

Until now we've thought about happiness as the destination. It's not.

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

We have been told from everyone - parents, teachers, politicians, tv personalities, that the goal of our lives is to achieve happiness. It's in the Declaration of Independence! Can Thomas Jefferson be wrong?

Yes, it's everywhere. We are told time and time again that we must pursue happiness. We are told the goal of our lives is to be happy.

Yet how many of us are happy? Not many. Because we cannot pursue happiness. Let me rephrase, we can pursue happiness if we wish, but we'll never get there. Our efforts will be futile. We know this because we have lived this. We are living this.

It's time for us to develop a new concept of happiness. It's time for us to redefine happiness because our current definition is just not working. No - it's worse than that. Our current definition, of happiness as our goal/destination is simply wrong.

So what is happiness?

Happiness is a result.

Happiness is what results when we are on the path we instinctually know that we should be on. Happiness is what results when we are growing, when we are expanding, when we are developing.

Happiness is not something we can do, or achieve. It's a result. It's a byproduct. When we are growing, when we are expanding, the result will be happiness.

We will never achieve happiness if our goal is happiness.

Our goal must be one of expansion, growth, development. While we are working toward that goal, we will be happy.

Happiness is not about smiling. It isn't about the expression of joy on the face. We might be toiling harder than we have ever toiled before. The expressions on our faces might be one of pain, contempt. But inside we will be singing because we are working on ourselves and developing and growing. The result is happiness.

Therefore, the key, the key for you to be thinking about right now is - are you on the right path? Are you learning? Are you growing? Are you developing? Because when you can honestly answer "Yes" to those questions, then you will be on your journey, and the result will be happiness.

How to Be Happier and Less Depressed - Without Taking Medication

It's possible to curb depression and be happier without therapy or medication if you take a few simple steps. The art of happiness begins with an optimistic thinking style and an optimistic approach to problem solving. And you can use the same optimism-based skills to decrease depression and anxiety.

The Power of Optimism

An optimistic approach to life can work wonders. Optimism enhances self-confidence and instills a sense of self-control while helping us to resist depression. It creates a positive sense of expectancy. Optimists tackle adversity more effectively than pessimists, and see themselves in a position of power... whereas pessimists often see themselves as powerless, or helpless victims. Research shows optimists are generally happier than pessimists, too.

Let's say something goes wrong...

The pessimist quickly denounces the event as more proof that people are untrustworthy or the world is unfair. He tells himself the familiar story this is another unfair setback he will likely not be able to overcome. The pessimist's thought process or "attributional style" does him in. If he believes the setback can't be overcome, or that he'll get more depressed by trying, he'll avoid the problem altogether. Not doing anything about the problem makes the problem worse, which reinforces the pessimist's belief that he is doomed to suffer failure in the situation. The pessimist feels it's hopeless to try to solve the problem or change it in a significant way, and hence he feels hopeless.

A sense of hopelessness fuels depression. And so... the more hopeless the person becomes the more depressed he/she will be.

On the other hand, an optimist will tend to view the same problem in a more productive light. He/she may think of the problem as a challenge to be overcome, and may look for positive aspects of the problem (although they may seem hidden at first). The optimist gets down to work trying to solve the problem, which gives him/her a sense of control. Instead of thinking depressing thoughts, he/she thinks in a way that resists depression.

Let's talk about how to remain optimistic in a pessimistic world. If we are creative and determined, we can weather most storms pretty well... and, if we use reframing, one of the most important skills used by optimists to keep the upper hand and avoid getting depressed, we have the power to gain the upper hand over adversity.

Case Example

After three years of law school, a woman took the bar exam and failed it. She came to me for help with her depression. She was depressed because she would have to take the "horrible exam" over, and she felt like a failure. Her depression was ill-affecting her marriage. Further, she told me she wasn't sure she could ever pass the test. She sank into a deep depression because she felt she had squandered three years of her life in law school, all for nothing.

How was she framing the event? Quite pessimistically!

Naturally, she was disappointed and upset with herself. And she was expecting the worst. Yet if she would be able to learn to view the event in a more positive and hopeful light, there would be hope. But how?

A Happier Plan

I encouraged my discouraged client to think differently about her "failure" and to see it as a possible success. She laughed at first. How could the worst failure of her life be considered a success?

Well, let's find a way, I told her. Failing the exam could actually help you to be more successful, if you play your cards right!

But how?

Because you'll take the exam again, and this time you'll be more than ready for it. You'll have time to review your study materials and learn the subject matter better than ever. You'll not only pass the exam, but you'll master the material, which will make you a better lawyer!

In other words, Failing the test may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened for your career.

Well, she wanted to believe me, but it wasn't easy. Then she took a deep breath and tried to view the failure in less catastrophic terms. She began to realize it was a temporary setback. So things were looking up. Note: We feel more depressed if we think a defeat is permanent. If we view it as temporary, we feel better about it. Most dark situations can be temporary. But either way, we can still be in charge of our reaction to an event. That gives us potential power over the event. Believing you have power is very important.

What happened?

In the end, my client was able to develop a positive mind-set, and she began to study for her re-test in an enthusiastic fashion. She learned the material better than ever. And she passed the test with flying colors! How happy she was!

Later on... she told me she was actually glad she had failed the first time... because she wasn't ready to practice law before. Now she felt good about herself, her knowledge and skills!

By reframing the event, my client was able to relieve her depression and ultimately replace it with elation. And she had learned an important lesson about the power of reframing a bad situation into a good one. She had discovered the art of mental alchemy, of turning base metal into pure gold, of turning problems into opportunities.

Don't let your problems intimidate you. Problems can almost always be solved. And they can actually make us happier, for by solving them we become stronger... and we gain a sense of fulfillment and success by overcoming.

To Sum It All Up

You can be happier and decrease your depression by employing the techniques of optimism. The skill of reframing can help you to get the upper hand over all kinds of problems. You'll discover the art of happiness, and you'll be stronger and happier in all you do.

Symptoms of Depression - And How to Get Rid of it - A Definitive Guide

Everyone, at one point in their lives, experience gloom because of unexpected turn of events such as deaths and accidents. When relaying these feelings to our friends, we often use the word 'depression' to quantify how sad we were feeling at the moment. The truth is, depression may be too strong a word because there is something called "clinical depression" which has a separate set of quantifiable signs and symptoms. The following paragraphs will discuss these symptoms.

The symptoms that most characterizes clinical depression is the presence of negative feelings that are experienced at a high intensity. Individuals who are diagnosed with depression experience worthlessness, guilt, and helplessness. An overall gloom that persists for a certain number of months are also included in the symptoms. Because the feeling of helplessness accompanies this sadness, individuals find it hard to come out of depression without outside help.

Individuals who have clinical depression are known to have difficulty in making decisions about their lives, and they also struggle to to concentrate on their work. Their difficulty is considerably more intense than mild indecisiveness that a number of people already have. These individuals find it hard to simply get up in the morning and face the real world.

They may also experience extreme tiredness and fatigue, and they cannot summon enough energy to get through the day no matter how long or hard they slept. Some patients that were diagnosed with clinical depression also complain of aches that cannot be treated by medication.

Sleeping habits are also adversely affected by the presence of depression. People may have difficulty falling asleep, or even if they could, they do not feel rested enough. In some cases, all the person does is sleep, all day and all night. They may also lose interest in activities that they actively sought in the past such as sports, hobbies, or even sexual intercourse. One other common symptom is the change in eating habits. Some might eat more than usual, others lose the appetite they once had.

Research has shown that approximately 50% of the cases of clinical depression are not treated or even diagnosed. It may be because the individuals are not aware that their symptoms are already severe enough to be classified as clinical depression. It may also be due to the inability to cope and the helplessness that people feel during their illness that discourages them to seek help. In truth, depression is treatable, and if it goes undiagnosed, it can even lead to suicide. It makes it all the more saddening that some choose to just end their lives over a condition that can be treated.

Some Of The Best Boxing Movies Of All Time

Sports movies deliver chills, thrills and goose bumps when done right. They can bring cheers during triumph and tears upon defeat. Boxing is one of those sports that has intrigued people for years and some of the greatest movies of all time have come from within the ring. While everyone has a different list, here are what some consider to be the top five greatest boxing movies of all time.

#5 - Cinderella Man
Despite being a bit of a box office disappointment in 2005, Cinderella Man went on to achieve a great deal through the crowds and the Academy. Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard brought an uplifting story full of cheers to the big screen starring Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger. The movie highlights the biopic detailing James J. Braddock, who rose from the depression to win a rather shocking heavyweight championship.

#4 - The Quiet Man
Going back several decades, The Quiet Man stars John Wayne as a former boxer who vows never to fight again after killing a man in the ring. Upon marrying an Irish woman that publicly calls him a coward, he decides love is worth fighting for. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and director John Ford won a Best Director Oscar for the film in 1952.

#3 - Million Dollar Baby
This is perhaps the most decorated boxing movie of all time and rightfully so. It won the 2004 Academy Award for Best Picture and Clint Eastwood won Best Director. On top of this, Clint Eastwood was nominated for Best Actor and Morgan Freeman and Hillary Swank received acting honors. The movie details a bond that is developed between a boxer and trainer inside and out of the ring following a horrific accident inside the ring.

#2 - Raging Bull
You cannot talk about boxing movies without mentioning Raging Bull. Robert De Niro won the 1980 Academy Award for his impersonation of real life boxer Jake LaMotta. The movie details the struggles of LaMotta with violence inside and out of the ring. It has often been regarded as one of the great films in history thanks to the directing of Martin Scorses and the supporting acting of Joe Pesci. The American Film Institute placed it at number four on the list of the 100 greatest movies of all time.

#1 - Rocky
Despite being one of the greatest movies of all time, Raging Bull fails to compare to Rocky in terms of boxing movies. At the time, the movie was written by an unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone. It was a surprise box office hit when it debuted in 1976 and essentially launched the career of Stallone. It is easily the most recognizable boxing movie, has iconic quotes, images, and scenes, and will forever go down as the greatest movie within the ring.

Depression Warning Signs and Understanding Depression Symptoms

Those who suffer from depression warning signs and related disorders may know the warning signs symptoms of depression all too well. They also know that these disorders tend to manifest themselves as repeated episodes of the depressive condition with the typical patient having many distinct episodes during their lives.

While not identical in every person, depression warning signs that may be experienced can include any of these:

1. Difficulty sleeping or other disruptions of sleep patterns

2. Overwhelming feelings of anxiety and/or sorrow at inappropriate times

3. Loss of interest in pastimes formerly enjoyed

4. A sensation of hopelessness, lack of self esteem and feelings of guilt

5. Fatigue and overall lower energy levels

6. Loss of appetite or abnormally large appetite, leading to weight loss or gain

7. Suicidal thoughts and recurring thoughts about death

8. Irritability, restlessness and short temper

9. Memory lapses and an inability to concentrate

10. Difficulty in maintaining close or romantic relationships

Depression warning signs have increased in frequency in western industrialized societies, especially among those born after 1930. Some have concluded that pollution and its attendant harmful effects on the human body are to blame for some of the increase in depressive disorders and has ramped up the number of persons suffering from depression signs.

Experiencing one or more of the signs of depression and other mood disorders has to do with levels of neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine along with changes in the neural pathways of the brain. Imbalances between the neurotransmitters appear to be a cause of depression in many cases where depression signs are manifested.

Depression warning signs can derail careers and relationships, cause school work to go downhill and lower quality of life. The feelings of despair, sadness and frustration can make it impossible to function normally and relate to others. In many cases, depression goes undiagnosed due to the stigma borne by mental illness or failure of medical professionals to correctly diagnose or treat the problem.

Those who suffer from this condition often choose to self-medicate rather than go through the side effects of prescription medications. These people may use alcohol, caffeine or street drugs in an effort to feel better, which never works in the long run. Many of those who commit suicide happen to have symptoms of depression.

An additional problem faced by those suffering from depressive disorders is the stigma which is attached to the ailment. People who have depression signs are sometimes seen as crazy, unpredictable, even dangerous! In short, they are often avoided because of their disorder which only adds to their feelings of isolation and despair.

The stigma associated with depression warning signs can be devastating to those afflicted with depression. Teachers, co-workers, neighbors and employers will tend to treat them differently because of the disorder. It can be difficult to hide in many situations, for instance, when trying to get a new job. While it is not legal to ask a prospective employee about medical conditions they may have, one does not necessarily want to withhold the truth from an interviewer.

At the same time, it might be a long shot to actually land that job if your interviewer is aware of your depression. This is a case whether or not your depressive disorder would affect the quality of your work. In the case of students, teachers may treat them differently and the student could suffer from low expectations on the part of teachers.

There is also a lot of misinformation about persons with mental illness of any sort, with many making the assumption that all such persons are potentially violent and feared as a possible danger. Again, this leads people to isolate the sufferer, making their life even even worse.

Health insurance plans offered by employers often will involve higher premiums from the employer if a new hire has health problems, including depression signs. The employers fear is that their premiums will go through the roof if they are to take on a new employee with any sort of preexisting medical issues. This is true! Those who suffer from depression signs and disorders hardly get a fair shake from insurance companies.

The feelings of worthlessness and isolation that are felt by those who suffer from a depressive disorder are made worse by the stigma attached to the condition among the general public. This leaves the patient feeling even worse, their sensation of inadequacy and guilt compounded by the way that society treats them.

Society as a whole must learn to treat those with depression and other mental illnesses like the human beings that they really are. They are simply human beings with an illness, no different than a physical illness, merely different symptoms.

Alcohol and Depression - Giving Up For Your Health

One night at a party, I had three drinks and two tequila shots. I was on top of the world! I was the best dancer and most interesting person in the party. I was sooo happy I went to sleep with a smile on my face. The next day, not so much. After a couple of years of the "day after party" ritual of mandatory headaches, and need for gallons and gallons of water, I started waking up with a disturbing lethargy and grumpiness that was not characteristic. At first, it was just the day after, then, the couple of days after. And then, it never left. I was always tired, unhappy, emotional, hopeless. I was depressed."

Depression is a usual and not at all expected consequence of alcohol consumption. Alcohol, at the moment it is consumed, can bring a jittery, top of the world feeling that intoxicates people with the notion of invincibility. But alcohol, in fact, is not an upper but a downer and its long term effects are a lot more related with depression than with any form of happiness.

Here is how it works: Alcohol lowers the chemicals in your brain that give you your good feelings, serotonin and norepinephrine, and nullifies the effects of stress hormones, making you feel unhappy and stressed the next day. In a recent study, people were cut off drinking completely after drinking one drink per day for a period of time. After three months, their depression scores on the standard depression inventories had improved. Also, according to the psychiatry branch of the National Institute of Health (NIH), alcohol has been proven to activate a gene that causes depression and other mental health issues, including manic-depressive episodes and seizures.

Symptoms of depression may include:

o Overwhelming feelings of grief or sadness.
o Feeling worthless, hopeless or helpless.
o Not having energy, feeling tired all the time.
o Trouble making decisions and/or concentrating.
o Little interest in what used to be usual activities. Change in sleeping patterns - sleeping more or less than usual
o Change in eating patterns - eating more or less than usual.
o Avoiding people.
o Lowered sex drive.

In addition, alcohol can lower the levels of folic acid in the body, speeding up the aging brain process and increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. How's that for feeling depressed. A curious note is that alcohol is linked to depression no matter the sex, but in men the alcohol more often precedes depression, whereas in women, depression precedes alcohol consumption. So, in general, men become depressed from drinking, while women drink because they are depressed.

Using alcohol to distract oneself from depression is dangerous and ineffective. You may feel better in the moment, but in the long run it just makes things worse. Why not visit http://www.alcoholfreereview.com for more options and information about alcohol and its effects.

Overcome Depression - 5 Benefits of Hypnosis

Depression has long been a problem for many people. While there may be a lot of solutions to treat the problem, statistics of sufferers show that an increased number of people are experiencing depression.

Depression is a condition wherein the patient suffers from low self-confidence, loss of energy and sometimes lack of appetite. A depressed person may also experience stress and insomnia, which are both difficult symptoms to deal with. Depression could be caused by traumatic experiences, phobias, guilt and increased anxiety. Depression is a condition that you should always treat. After all, it can result to suicide. If you're experiencing symptoms of depression, then it's time for you to consult an expert to help you get through the situation. The good thing is, depression is treatable. One promising treatment method for depression is hypnosis.

Definition of Hypnosis
Hypnosis tries to alter a patient's mental and emotional status through a series of steps and treatment sessions. This method includes counseling and psychotherapy with the help of a hypnotherapist. You may wonder how depression can help you overcome depression by tapping into the subconscious, since that's still an unclear theory for some. Actually, psychological counseling and psychotherapy, which are both steps incorporated in hypnosis, are supported by a lot of comprehensive research studies. Hypnosis is certified effective and most patients can prove that.

5 Benefits of Hypnosis for Depression
Hypnosis could offer great improvements for you; the only thing to remember is to use a reputable practitioner doctor for the process. Here are five benefits you could get from hypnosis:

1. Hypnosis is by far the best way to treat and overcome depression.
Almost 90% of hypnotherapy patients were cured of their depression. This high success rate only proves that hypnosis is the most effective method of overcoming depression for many people.

2. Hypnosis offers a natural treatment method; drug intake is totally unnecessary.
Since depression involves your mental state, no surgery or any invasive procedure could possibly treat your condition. However, by using hypnosis, you can reduce and eventually eradicate the signs of depression. Hypnosis is actually a well-known antidepressant. Thus, there's no need for any pills or surgery.

3. Aside from alleviating the signs of depression, this method also provides several additional benefits for you. These include improved outlook in life, better sleeping habits and enhanced self-esteem. Hypnosis also helps you cope up with stress and pain.

4. Treatment for your depression is gradual.
This means that you could lessen the symptoms of depression one step at a time. First, the hypnotherapist will analyze your situation, and they will then provide counseling sessions appropriate for you. Counseling involves letting out all your hidden emotions while the hypnotherapist helps you regain your positive thoughts.

5. Overall health is achieved.
With hypnosis, other conditions associated with depression such as heart problems and behavioral disorders can be improved. This is because your physical state recovers as your emotional and mental issues are alleviated.

Remember if you are unhappy with your life or feel depressed, seek help. With the right help people can and do make recoveries from depression and go on to lead their best lives imaginable.

Struggling With Endometriosis and Depression

For women with endometriosis the last thing they think they will ever have to deal with is depression. But it is a very real possibility, not only because of the disease and the painful symptoms it causes but also because of some of the treatments used to control it.

In the psychiatric world depression is defined as:

1. Severe despondency and dejection, accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy.
2. A condition of mental disturbance, typically with lack of energy and difficulty in maintaining concentration or interest in life.

Coping with endometriosis can cause both physiological and psychological depressive symptoms. Learning to recognize them quickly is an important first step to getting the proper medical help.

In a general sense women going through depression have a sense of hopelessness. There can be a variety of things that will trigger depressive episodes that cause a loss of interest in daily activities and a sense of worthlessness; death of a family member or close friend, break up of a marriage, or even an illness. In the case of endometriosis it is a little easier to pinpoint likely causes of depression in women who suffer from it.

The first thing to look at is the emotional toll endometriosis can have on women. In many cases it can be an up-and-down roller coaster of emotions depending on:

• Many women experience the worst symptoms just before and during their period. This can cause extreme fatigue from dealing with the pain.
• Treatments that don't work at relieving the pain and discomfort caused by endometrial lesions in the abdomen.
• Hormone controlling drugs that cause hormonal imbalances causing mood swings and irritability.
• The inability to participate in activities with family and friends. In some cases a lack of support for what they are going through from family, friends, and coworkers will also contribute to feelings of depression.
• Uncomfortable or painful sex adversely affecting relationships
• The inability to get pregnant.
• The cost of getting their endometriosis treated, particularly if they do not have insurance.

Probably the two biggest factors that contribute to depression in women with endometriosis are finding a treatment that works for them and the treatment method itself. Endometriosis is a disease that responds to the amount of estrogen a woman produces each month. This is all ties to her monthly menstrual cycle. The goal of most treatment regimens is to suppress or limit the amount of estrogen a woman produces. To do this hormone suppressing drugs are used.

The most common hormone controlling drugs used are birth control pills, for mild cases, Gestrinone, Danazol, Depo Lupron, Synarel, and GnRH agonists. The problem with using these types of drugs is that they force an early menopause on the woman taking them. This happens because these drugs cause the body to slow down the production of many of a woman's hormones. This causes a hormone deficiency which can cause depression.

The other factor in this is finding a treatment that actually works for each individual woman. The reaction to these various hormone controlling treatments can vary from woman to woman. Each woman also reacts differently to the endometriosis itself. It can take quite a bit of time and energy just finding the proper treatment regimen. During this time it can begin to feel like there is no treatment out there that will help them.

Endometriosis can be a frustrating disease to deal with for any woman. It is estimated that about 5.5 million women suffer from this disease in the United States and Canada alone. For any woman getting treatment for their endometriosis it is important to work with your doctor and health care providers as your treatment regimen progresses. Only you can tell them what is working and what isn't so any medications can be adjusted as needed or other treatment options can be considered.

How Can I Overcome My Depression?

"I've had enough, I can't take it anymore!"
"It's useless, there is no point in going on!"
"I am hopeless, I give up!"
"I can't cope anymore!"
"I can't stand my life anymore!"
"My life is not worth living anymore!"
"What's the point in living?"

If these feelings and thoughts of emptiness, despair and worthlessness are intense, prolonged and overwhelming that you find it difficult or even impossible to function normally and enjoy life like you once did; and you walk around sad and tired for most of the day and going through it is an ordeal, then you are "depressed". You are suffering from depressive disorder or clinical depression.

How can you fight and overcome your depression?

Understanding Depression

The first step in effectively overcoming depression is to understand it. What is it, how does it affect you, what causes it?

Depression is an illness! It is the most common of all mental health problems. Researchers estimate that 17 million Americans, or even much more, suffer from depression at some point in their lives.

You are not alone!

It is not just a passing blue mood, or the normal pain and sadness that follows loss of a loved one, or the "downside" in life's ordinary ups and downs. The feelings of emptiness, helplessness, worthlessness, hopelessness and despair are intense, unrelenting and pervasive to such an extent that these affects your the day-to-day life, affecting your ability to work, study, eat, and sleep.

Common signs and symptoms of depression can include:

Diminished or loss of interest in almost all daily activities. Friends, hobbies, sports social activities and sex don't interest you like they used to. You have become numb to pleasure, joy and happiness.

Sleep disorder. You either cannot sleep (insomnia), or you wake up in the early hours of the morning, or you oversleep and struggle to get out of bed (you just like to bury your head under the pillow).

Concentration problem. You find it difficult to concentrate, focus and make decisions.

Loss or Decreased Energy. You are so fatigued, sluggish and feel like a zombie all the time. You drag yourself to work. Simple tasks become difficult and longer to accomplish.

Eating Disorder. Either you have lost your appetite to eat or you cannot stop eating. You become severely underweight or overweight.

Irritability. You have become very irritable and short-tempered.

Increased pains and aches. You always complain of headaches, back pain, muscle pain and stomach ache.

Thoughts that life is no longer worth living. You have lost all enthusiasm and zest for life.

Types of Depression

There are various types of depression. The most common are Major Depression and Dysthymic. Knowing the type of depression you have can help you effectively deal with it.

Major Depressive Disorder or Major Depression. This form of depression interferes with the person's ability to function normally - to work, study, sleep, eat and enjoy pleasurable activities. It is disabling! The symptoms are persistent and can range from moderate to severe and if not treated can last for several months. It may occur only once in a person's lifetime but more often, it is recurring and each occurrence tends to last longer and is more debilitating than the one before.

Dysthymic or Dysthymia (dys, meaning disorder and thymia, meaning mood). This type of depression is less severe. The chronic symptoms of dysthymia are not as strong as the symptoms of major depression but could last longer (two years or more). It does not seriously disable the person but could prevent him from functioning well or from feeling good.

The other types of depressive disorders are Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depressive Disorder and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Bipolar or Manic Depression is characterized by swing of moods - from one emotional pole (severe high or mania) to the opposite pole (severe low or depression). When in the manic mood, one may be hyperactive, overly talkative, feel abnormally elated and full of grandiose notions, have increased sexual desire, inappropriate social behavior and poor judgment.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) usually occurs during fall or winter, when natural sunlight is limited. The surroundings look gray and gloomy most of the time and some people get depressed.

Causes of Depression and Risk Factors

Why are you feeling depressed? What causes your depression?

There is no single cause of depression but rather, a combination of many factors - genetic, biochemical, environmental and psychological.

Depression may run in families - meaning it can be hereditary. Some people may inherit genes that make them susceptible to depression. The genes do not cause the depression but increase the risk when certain psychological and social factors come into play at the same time. The genetic tendency to depression can be triggered by some stressful life experience.

Studies indicate that depression may be caused by chemical imbalance in the brain. The human brain operates on fluids called neurotransmitters, some give energy (adrenalin) and some control body movements. The neurotransmitters associated with depression is called Serotonin which regulates mood, sleep, appetite, alertness among others. When a person is overly stressed for a period of time, the brain uses Serotonin faster than it can create and when the level of Serotonin drops, you become depressed. Other studies indicates that depression can also be caused by elevated stress hormone called Cortisol, and by other biological contributors.

These genetic and biological causes do play certain roles in depression but social and psychological factors have more enormous impact. The causes and risk factors for depression may include:

Stressful life experiences like sudden severe loss (of a loved one, job, friendship).
Loneliness
Marital or relationship problems
Financial problems
Health problems or chronic pain
Childhood trauma or abuse
Alcohol or drug abuse (including prescription medications)
Intense physical or mental trauma
Failing at some important task

Knowing and understanding the underlying cause (or causes) of your depression can help in overcoming the disorder. If your depression is caused by loneliness, you can socialize more - go out with friends. If it is your job that is depressing you, change to a more satisfying career. You can remedy your depression by changing your situation!

Treating and Overcoming Depression

There are many treatments for depression, including therapy, medication and other alternative treatments.

First and foremost is to recognize, acknowledge and accept your depressive disorder and deal with it squarely! Do not escape your depression by turning to alcohol or drugs. Your depression will worsen and you may find yourself six feet under the ground!

The standard prescribed antidepressants are not the cure. It has been proven that these prescription drugs have serious risks and side effects and cause more harm than good! Depression can be healed naturally and safely! There are also safe and all-natural alternatives to these commonly prescribed drugs, without the side effects or health risks. Their ingredients are all natural and no prescription is needed.

The best road to take in effectively treating and overcoming your depression is the one that addresses the underlying environmental and psychological factors that cause you to be depressed. Your whole person must be healed! These can include:

Develop a support system. Ask for help from your family and friends. Let them know your problem and how they can help you. Join and participate in support groups. Do not isolate yourself!

Go out and enjoy yourself. Talk to positive and cheerful people who make you laugh (avoid negative people). Visit old friends and reminisce happier times.

Exercise regularly and get adequate sleep.

Eat a well balanced diet and take vitamins regularly.

Change your surroundings (redecorate your room, make it more colorful),

Learn relaxation and meditation techniques. Take a break from your daily routine which could be monotonous and depressing. If possible, change it.

Get out of your bed in the morning and take a refreshing shower.

Last but not the least, pray!

Laughter Offers Many Advantages

True to the age old adage of laughter being the finest medicine, this easy expression of glee has many advantages. Here we look at how laughter may assist your well being and why you should indulge in it daily.

Talking about benefits of laughter, one thing that is the most notable of all is health. Laughter is recognized to boost the total health of an individual to a great extent. No surprise many yoga poses incorporate laughing. Many studies have suggested that laughter has multiple fitness advantages. It strengthens the immunity mechanism, improves blood circulation, flow of o2 and plenty of more. All of this contributes to sound health.

Laughter can even help you manage your blood pressure levels. While stress is a first trigger of high blood pressure and elevated levels of hypertension, you can simply do away with it by indulging in basic mirth. It works as a great stress buster and simultaneously keeps your blood pressure under control. In fact, certain reports have proven that people with high blood pressure are usually those who laugh less than others.

If you would like to enhance the quality and health of your skin, laughter is again your greatest choice. It keeps you happy and this bliss is reflected on to your skin. It directs the circulation of blood and o2 to your face and helps you accomplish a healthy and gorgeous complexion. Thus, by laughing as much as possible, you'll manage to guarantee superb skin for yourself. Nevertheless, if you're handling acne, laughter alone might not aid. In such conditions, you'll require advanced acne treatment products such as Clearpores Acne treatment system.

Laughter may additionally help you attract a person you like. After all, folks are typically more drawn to smiling and laughing faces as against frowning ones. No one would like to get better acquainted with a person who broods or sulks throughout the day. In addition, a brilliant humorous personality is always appreciated. In fact, this particular quality is one of the most top ranked traits looked for by folks of either sex in their substantial others. So, do not be afraid to laugh and when you do, anticipate attracting more interest from the opposite sex.

What's more, you can easily get rid of depression by indulging in a bit of laughter. It could support release the feel good hormones of the body, better known as endorphins. So, when you laugh out loud, you're bound to feel happier, healthier and normally more happy.

So, going by the above-mentioned information, it's amply clear that benefits of laughter are aplenty.

The Real Reason Why People Upset Us - Anger Management From a Spiritual Perspective

On Facebook and Twitter I often post quotes from various people about topics I'm interested in, or that I think other people would benefit from. Recently on Facebook, somebody sent me the following private message:

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding about ourselves" - Carl Jung

Chris - I don't understand, can you help please?

After typing almost a complete response, I realized it was long enough to be an article... and so I decided to do exactly that - turn my answer into an article. I hope you enjoy...:)

I hope I can help... but this is a deep understanding that really takes personal exploration to understand. The simple version is: As long as somebody else's words or actions can upset us, then that means our own enjoyment of life is dependent upon other people. Our happiness is never our own, but rather, 'belongs' to the people who upset us.

In order to move past this difficulty, we must choose to become self-aware... even at the most difficult times. Therefore, every time we are upset by somebody else, it would help us to ask ourselves, "Why does this upset me?" And then when we have an answer, again ask "Why does that upset me?"

The intention is to discover the root cause of why that person's behavior upsets us.

For example, if a partner leaves their cups around all the time, we might be upset. But why? Well we say "It's disrespectful." Is it really? Why do we believe it's disrespectful? We might discover that it is what one of our parents did as a child. And then we may remember all the fights our parents had over the exact same issue.

By understanding that, we then see that the real reason we are upset by our current partner leaving the cups out has nothing to do with disrespect, but instead, it is a reminder of all the past arguments from our parents.

That's a *very* brief and limited example... and I hope that you will discover your own answers through this exploration.

Just remember from now on - every time something upsets you - just pause and ask yourself why... because you're usually not upset because of what's happening in the present, but because of something that happened in the past.

Another example: Your partner comes home late. You're upset and say they're disrespectful. But when you feel your body, you notice you feel -scared- so you ask yourself why. What you discover is that somewhere inside you, there is a fear of being abandoned... and when they come home late, it makes you worry they might be leaving you. And maybe you discover that's because as a child you never knew when one of your parents would come home, or perhaps your parents divorced, or perhaps one parent left for a regular routine trip and never came home (died, ran away, etc).

And so you discover that your partner coming home late upsets you not because it's disrespectful, but because you have a fear of being abandoned.

This logic is true of ALL things which upset us.

It happens to varying degrees... some smaller than others. Sometimes it's so minor we won't even notice it, such as us being frustrated that a little child has stepped on our toes again. Or maybe it is a huge issue, one which has come up in a relationship (personal, or professional) many many times and is never resolved.

Whatever it is, if you want to experience more peace in your life, just be like a child again... remember to ask "Why?"

Is A Depression In Our Future?

Some say it is the declining value of the dollar; others blame drought, oil prices, and the mortgage crisis. No matter who or what you blame, the certainty is that the American economy is in crisis. Despite appearances and rhetoric, the depth of the crisis confronting Americans and the world go deeper than many are willing to admit. While economic pundits and politicians are finally using the word "recession," there are those who are beginning to think depression.

This past weekend we went grocery shopping at the largest retailer in the area, one that is the largest worldwide. What became immediately clear was that there were many wholes in the shelves which, on any normal Saturday morning, would have been stocked to overflowing. In addition to our normal bag of flour having risen from $2.99/5lb. bag to $4.99, it was clear that this commodity was in short supply. The same was true for rice, eggs, meats and many other staple products. The shelves were certainly not bare, but the gaps and low stock was clearly evident. While this could have been attributed to late deliveries, concern rose the next day when a friend went shopping at a different chain and found a similar situation; jacked prices, no flour, little rice and obvious gaps in product stock.

There is no question that rising fuel costs are having a dramatic impact on food prices and availability. Reports are aired everyday about the soaring costs of staples. The truck driver rally in Washington, D.C. could not help but go unnoticed by the media as the plight of drivers worsens. Still not sure how widespread and how deep this problem had reached; I conducted a very informal survey of various writer groups nationwide. Being an author and always watching the world around me for ideas, it seemed that members of such groups would also have their fingers on the economic pulse in the areas in which they lived. I sent a survey to numerous groups and asked what they were seeing at the stores in terms of prices and product availability; whether they were going alter their purchasing habits; if they were going to buy more or less consumer goods; how they would spend their "economic stimulus check;" the price of gas in their area and if they were going to change their eating, driving and shopping patterns. The results, which are being verified by growing news reports on the economy, are frightening. One cannot help but wonder if some of the events that led to the Great Depression of the 30's are being to be repeated. In the late 1920's there was overproduction, a growing gap between rich and poor, a large increase in foreclosures and large stock investments by those who were really on the economic margin. Does this sound familiar? Given attempts by the Federal Reserve, Congress and even businesses to try to stimulate consumer buying, are we in a situation where a silent desperation pervades those in the economic know?

The survey spanned the nation. Writers in both cities and rural areas from the East Coast to Alaska to the Mid-West responded. While I will not report every response, I will show the nature of most responses along with some interesting quotes and thoughts from those who sent in the survey. The following are typical responses (by the time this article is published I am sure the numbers will be a little out of date-I am sure they will all be higher):

"Yep, seen it, experiencing it here in farmland rural Pennsylvania where cow manure has become THE fertilizer - the only one that won't bankrupt. Feeding a household of five including two always hungry teens, it's glaringly obvious things are going downhill. Our cupboards are dwindling to the barest of bare necessities. Our veggie garden is doubling this year and I'm checking into a chicken coop. Has anyone seen the price of eggs? Eggs for crying out loud! They more than quadrupled in price in just a few weeks here.

I read somewhere that 25% of the US grain has been taken for alternate fuel possibilities - can't find it again and have to ask if it's true? If so, whose stupid idea was that? Don't take it from existing supplies, make it. I'm thinking maybe my hubby isn't so nuts in busting his behind running his mother's grain farm along
with his full time job this year. I may pitch in. I've got family in all areas, farming (grain and livestock), trucking, construction, and I've seen how all of it is being hit."

"I'm tacking on some things that worry me. I came from California where I made a decent wage. When we moved to TN a few years back, housing was much cheaper here than CA, but that was about all. Everything else was equal, food, clothing, cars, etc. Gasoline was still a little cheaper.
Wages here are 1/2 of what people make in California, and very few companies provide any type of medical or dental insurance. I was shocked to learn that the job I'd done for over 23 years in California required the completion of a master's degree in TN, which I do not have, yet the salary was 1/2 of what I made. They would not allow me to apply, even though my qualifications were a perfect match for the job."

"The typical wage here is $8.00-10.00 per hour. My husband is a truck driver for a local company and makes $14.00 which is considered high. Of course, his company provides no insurance or extra money towards such. I noticed today that gasoline has climbed another 2 cents to $3.57 and diesel is $4.72. Already my husbands company is cutting back on runs and trying to combine them, so we're very worried about our financial future. I wonder how people who make $8.00 can afford the fuel to get to their job. Basically they are working to buy gas to get to their job...where will the money come from for all their other expenses. It's very scary."

"It just ticks me off beyond belief that we are paying over a billion dollars a day for a war, borrowing money from China and our economy is going down the toilet, but President Bush, when asked will still claim that we're in good shape."

"I live in south central Kentucky where nothing is close. Driving is a necessity. If gas prices get much higher, we are thinking of getting an Amish cart and training one of our horses to be driven. It would take all day to get to town but we could go to the convenience store.

We still have good availability of products but the prices are going up in the supermarkets. I no longer buy beef. Instead I have a friend who raises Black Angus cattle and we split a cow. I have a friend who is raising sheep so I will probably buy a couple of the lambs. I shop at the Amish bulk food store in the county and save a lot over the supermarket prices. I will be eating fresh veggies all summer, grown in our garden or those of my neighbors. Gas prices are $3.59.9 for regular as of last Sunday. Over $4 for diesel! I combine errands and don't leave my farm unless I have more than one place to go in the same direction. We are eating out less. We are planning on saving the stimulus check. Just an aside, my daughter-in- law is in retailing in NYC and she says we are in a major depression. People are just not buying."

"In the Seattle area, wild salmon is going for $19.99 a pound, gasoline at
Costco $3.65 at the regular gas stations $3.79 a gallon. People here are
driving less, eating out less, and purchasing food at the lower end stores
such as Grocery Outlet and Cash and Carry. We were in a huge Asian market
one week, rice stacked up as high as an elephant's eye. Now just try to find
regular rice - many of the people here are purchasing rice to send to
relatives overseas."

"Unfortunately, I am a volunteer driver for Catholic Charities - IE, I haul people who don't have transportation to the doctor - so have little control over my gas consumption. I drive 700 to 900 miles a week so buy from 30 to 50 gallons a week. They supposedly pay us for our gas used, but are consistently six months or so behind in updating their prices and the past six months have been the worst ever."

The following are snippets of responses from around the country. It is evident that people are frustrated and even frightened. While products are available, the current trend in prices is continuing upward. Recent reports indicate that state governments are cutting back on budgets and employees; tourist destinations are already feeling the pinch and more and more storefronts are displaying "space for rent" signs. Since many plan on reducing driving, this summer does not bode well for that industry. Agriculture reports show late plantings of corn and wheat crops and who knows what summer weather will unleash. It is clear from U.N. reports that the food situation is rapidly declining in poorer nations as droughts and floods destroy staple crops. I am sure many of the comments that follow are a mere shadow of what is beginning to happen in your area as well:

I used to be able to buy a pack of chicken breasts for $3 or $4, now the same pack is $7.
I traveled to Spartanburg where gas was $3.29/gal (middle grade). When I got back to ATL to fill up, it was $3.49/gal. Last weekend, I paid $3.69, now it is $3.79 or $3.89.

Saturday is usually a busy day in Fayetteville, but there were no cars in all five lanes at one of the busiest intersections. Some of the independent stores had no cars in parking lot and it looked like they were closed.

How will you use your economic stimulus check? Put it in savings!

Gas $3.74 Rockford, IL.

Prices, though? Meowza! They are up, and rising! But am I buying what I don't really need? Not on your life. Not with heating oil where it is, and climbing. I'm trying not to take unnecessary trips, and I'm certainly not eating out very often. I'm using my old lawn mower, which I had thought about replacing this spring.

I haven't noticed any shortages except the "sale items," but prices have definitely increased.
I have received mine (stimulus check) as a direct deposit, and it will stay in the bank. I don't plan on buying anything new, just my usual necessities.
$3.89 for medium grade.

I haven't noticed a decrease in the availability of basics, but prices have risen considerably here in PA--this includes basic such as eggs, flour, butter....Eating and shopping will all be dependent on what I can afford. I anticipate, if the prices keep rising, having to forgo some of the necessities.

In SE Michigan. Prices, however, are another story. Eggs have doubled, milk, dairy products skyrocketing. Good beef cuts (steaks, prime roasts, etc.) are a rare buy in our household these days because they are so expensive. Fish/seafood products are also beyond reach as a steady diet.

Save those left-overs and use them as part of a creative low-cost menu for tomorrow's dinner.
Get caught up on a bill or two and treat ourselves to a gourmet (home cooked) dinner.
$3.65/gal.

Less frivolous foods, the munchies, you know. Bulk peanuts and fresh raw veggies make good inexpensive snacks. 86 all the packaged crap. Drive only when and where necessary. Make a list. Plan a driving session in a well-routed circle that accomplishes several chores in one outing. Planning for a vacation now includes high on the list, "how much will it cost in gas to get there and back?" Shorter trips/destinations if you are driving a car.

I've noticed the prices skyrocketing - quadrupling in a matter of weeks for some things like eggs... A lot of what I used to get I can't find local anymore.

It will go toward an alternate heating source, most likely a wood burner in the basement.
Last I looked, diesel was $4.59 a gallon and today's local report said low grade is now $3.62.
Anything we do over the summer will be local, no major travel.

Rural farmland in the mountains of Pennsylvania where the cost of living is very low and so is the average family income.

I am concerned about stories on the news about Sam's Club and others
rationing rice. Is there a rice shortage?

I live in Arizona in a town between Phoenix and Tucson. There is no real public transportation in my area, and, with summer temperatures going well into
the triple digits for about 4 months of the year, riding a bicycle really isn't an option.
Let's face it. The American people are getting hosed by greedy speculators who are driving the price of oil, (hence food prices) artificially high.

I don't blame people for not buying. Prices are going out of sight. Yesterday, gas here was $3.79 and I bet it's up from that today.

Food prices are up varying percentages, from 15-percent to nearly 50-percent on many less expensive cuts of meat. Hamburger (80 percent lean) has risen from about $1.99 per pound a year ago to nearly $4 per pound.

Overall, my daughter said the supermarket tab here for her family of four has jumped from about $130 per week to nearly $200. Also, shortages of some products are starting to become apparent, with some shelves bearing large gaps in mute testimony to lack of availability of rice and flour...
Hope that helps.

As to gas prices: Spokane, WA prices range from $3.50 to $3.70. I live in a small town where our one station is $3.87 for unleaded. More to the point, Diesel in Spokane that has more effect on food prices is about a dollar higher at $4.50 to $4.80.

Unfortunately, I am a volunteer driver for Catholic Charities - IE, I haul people who don't have transportation to the doctor - so have little control over my gas consumption. I drive 700 to 900 miles a week so buy from 30 to 50 gallons a week. They supposedly pay us for our gas used, but are consistently six months or so behind in updating their prices and the past six months have been the worst ever.

So what does all of this mean? The early warning sign are there and I would strongly suggest that people keep an eye on commodity report, climate calamities, and, of course, the price of fuel. There is little doubt that people will be tightening their belt, going out for meals less, traveling shorter distances and using their "stimulus" checks to keep their head above water this summer. Living in a region that depends on fuel oil, it is scary to hear that contract prices for hearting oil less winter will approach $4.00/gallon. This will surely collapse to the economy in the Northeast. If diesel continues to rise, truckers will be at a loss and food will simply not be delivered to stores. Already, many truckers who deliver saw logs are calling it quits. How long can fishing fleets absorb continued price rises? Summer employment looks bleak. The key is to be alert and be informed.

Is there is bright spot here? If you read my article, "The Mother of All Course Corrections," you will see that the consumer is now in a position to finally make intelligent buying decisions. You can affect what is produced with your valued dollars. If you stop buying the junk food, stop buying sodas, buy only healthy foods and cereals, the market will have to respond. This is your opportunity to finally make a difference in terms of what is produced and what you consume. Insist on quality and use your power to create a more sensible, sustainable economy. The time is at hand for choices, choose wisely!