Depression and Substance Abuse

Depression coupled with substance abuse is called 'dual diagnosis'. Research has established that nearly half of the people addicted to alcohol or/and drugs have an overlapping mental disorder. Depression, drugs and alcohol are coherently related. Some people might resort to drugs and alcohol to seek relief from depression (called self-medication) while others might contract depression as a result of substance abuse. It is like a vicious circle and it can get extremely arduous to break away from it.

In most simple terms depression occurs when the brain produces less serotonin and norepinephrine, alcohol further reduces these chemicals, hence a person suffering from depression should stay away from it. Once the intoxication fades away you will be left feeling all the more blue and depressed. Alcohol literally boosts the depression symptoms increasing both their recurrence and asperity. About 40% people who drink heavily have this mental disorder. Depressed people my briefly experience exhilaration however it's soon replaced by irritability, fatigue, disarray and they may even pass-out totally oblivious of their surroundings.

Just like alcohol, drugs can be used as a form of self medication. Depression can set in because of the addiction or as a withdrawal symptom when a person tries to rid himself of the menace. Vice versa, an addict can get depression as one of the many adverse effects that drugs have. Drug addiction often leads to a lot of distress, one is likely to have trouble with law and in relationships, hence an addict aggravates his depression by isolating himself from the society. Also, a lot of money goes into supporting an addiction, so more often than not a person gets into huge financial losses.

Depression is curable in all forms even when a person indulges in substance abuse. It just gets a little more difficult as an addict has to cope with both the withdrawal symptoms and his mental condition. It is imperative to seek help from quarters let your loved ones know of your problems and ask for their support, visit a doctor and give him a complete account of your addiction and depression symptoms. Many support groups also help people fight both these problems, join them. Most importantly resolve to give yourself a better life devoid of substance abuse and depression.

Unforgivable Sin and Mental Illness - How Do I Know If I Have Committed the Unforgivable Sin?

As a Professional Counselor and an active Christian, I have often met clients who come to me ashen faced and trembling because they have believed that they have committed the unpardonable sin. That is, Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I talk to them from my own experience of which I have recorded in a book for those folk to find for themselves that such an offense can only be committed when you die. There are many recorded people in the past who have died cursing Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice. That my dear friends is the unforgivable sin. You have died breathing your last breath cursing the only redeeming name that can ever save your soul. Jesus. Upon death, you can't turn around and ask for forgiveness because your will and your breath have gone, long gone.

God is a loving God. He is always willing to hear a repentant heart. Many a cursing man or woman has received forgiveness at the Cross simply by acknowledging their sin and allowing God to forgive and let them move on in life. Many wonderful Hymns have been written from that craggy place on their knees speaking of that 'once I was blind and now I see' place. of such hymn writers as John Newton and his wonderful hymn " Amazing Grace". He (Newton) went on to give God all the Glory through his writings.

Think about the cursing of Philosopher Voltaire who declared that the Bible would no longer be on the earth within 100 years of his death, yet his house where he lay on his deathbed cursing the Name of Jesus Christ, went on to become a publishing house for Bibles!. He died in a state of unforgiveness. Once dead, he had no more will of his own nor breath to renounce his cursing and to ask for God's forgiveness. You see you must confess your sins with your own breath and tongue, BEFORE you die. Otherwise your will is not your own once you die.

What a tragic experience it is to attend an unbeliever's funeral at the crematorium, where the funeral director states in a bold voice, "....so and so..............did not believe in a God and did not want any religious recognition of such an entity."

I am not interested in the theological technicalities. All that I am interested in is the nature of God. What is His nature? Is He loving and nurturing or is he as the song states " From a distance the world looks like its in harmony ending with the lyrics, God is watching us from a distance " written by Julie Gold and sung by Bette Middler. Is He really at a distance? or is He tangible within our hearts to feel? God understands our hearts. He is always willing to let us turn a new leaf and start again. Look at the wonderful hymns that John Newton wrote that we still sing today with a lump in our throat. How tragic if God had assigned a life of doom and damnation for Newton if, he never allowed such sinful behaviour ( his drunkeness and cursing life) to be washed away and forgiven. The world would surely have been robbed of the glorious words of forgiveness from a broken heart. see below for the words of Amazing Grace by John Newton.

Yes, it is a most serious offence to Curse the Name and Workings of Jesus Christ through the works which he wrought only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, God, all merciful, just wants to pick up every cursing tongue and wash it with His love and set it back in place to show His glory. It is the devil who perpetuates the guilt and belief that once even a thought crosses into your mind that you have committed such an offence. Do you really think that the devil can't cross over into your thoughts? Well, he excels at that. He specialises in mind control. That is his entire purpose in eternity. To bring down the believer or unbeliever to a place of damnation to follow him there. The human mind is the devil's play ground. Ever wonder why there are so many Mary Magdalene's 're-incarnated' in a mental hospital or why every one curses in the name of Jesus, but not Allah? Think of the devil as being an immature bully. You wake at night in a cold sweat thinking that you have thought the unpardonable sin. Who put that thought there in the first place? Did you? Did you really go to bed that night with the aim of committing the unpardonable? So, where do you think that thought came from? YOU? Hardly likely. The devil just hovers around you, waiting for your most vulnerable time to hit. If you have been involved in seances and the like,such as contact with the dead, where do you think that force came from to lift objects or move the glass on the Ouija board? YOU? Don't kid yourself please!

The same force that came to the seance and told you about your grandfather or whoever and made it look so convincing is the same force that will come to you and whisper evil thoughts such as the unforgivable sin into your head and convince you that it is YOUR thought. Why do I know this?Because I was also a victim of his sick game. I also nearly ended up in a mental hospital due to the sleepless nights of anguish and screams in my head. I know that YOU can get over this with a lot of love, prayer and care. You need support from fellow Christians and Christian counsellors who have walked the walk. You can get over the diagnosis of mental illness - schizophrenia, manic depression, depression, etc and raise yourself up with God's grace and His mighty Holy Spirit. If you are still breathing now, say this prayer- " Father, forgive me, I have believed a LIE. It was not my thoughts, but thoughts impressed upon me by the devil. I ask you to forgive me where I have left doors open and show me now, by Your Holy Spirit, how to come out of this negative place of damnation to be myself. I was created by You and for You. If I am Yours, then you do not want to destroy Your own creation. You excel and love to see your creation grow and show You off, not hover in a wild depressed state of highs and lows. I know that You love me. You sent Your own Son, Jesus Christ to die for me, if I were the only person on this earth, You would still have sent Jesus to make a way for me to get back to You. I invite Jesus into my heart now and thank-YOU for Your love and forgiveness of my stupid thoughts which I I have allowed to grow in my head, I ask for your forgiveness of my allowing this to grow. That is the sin which I am guilty of. I believed a LIE. Thank-you Jesus and I welcome the Holy Spirit into my heart now. Welcome Holy Spirit." AMEN.

You are now forgiven and a Child of God. Don't you ever forget that. Next time the thought comes into your head, Discard it by simply praying, " The Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed for my sins at Calvary, covers and protects me from the evil plans of the devil by robbing me of my rightful joy in life with Jesus Christ. I am set free through the Shedding of the Blood of Jesus and my life is now mine shared in glory with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Trinity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. They are ONE. Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever." AMEN.

AMAZING GRACE - John Newton

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!
Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis'd good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be forever mine.

Why Does Depression Occur?

Depression is commonly related to psychology problems and affects. Almost every person in the world due to some personal experiences but it is also seen that this may also occur due to the depressive attitude of a family member, relatives or a close friend. When we are attached to someone and he is depressed than its natural that we will also get upset.

The symptoms of depression are the following:

. Facing difficulty in concentrating

. Facing problems in remembering minor details

. Lack of decision power

. Loss of will power

. Becoming dependent on others

. Low self esteem

These symptoms occur due to severe control of depression on mind which makes a person weaker and weaker internally.

In some cases the habit of taking depression is hereditary meaning to say that if the habit of depressing oneself is a common practice in the family then he inherits it but in other cases it also occurs in the people who have no history of depression in their families. This proves that it is a kind of illness which may affect anyone.

Melancholia sometimes take place in a person's life due to various causes such as unemployment, family history if depression, financial crises and some people feel dejected because of the death of a beloved, lack of self esteem, assessments, exams or interviews also lay great stress on mind. Weak relationships and pessimistic point of views about him and the entire world are also a reason for depression. Absorption in self interest dreaming and fantasies specially when accompanied by marked withdrawal from reality simply shows the way towards depression because of the expectation of positive results always; a person greatly reduces the ability to carry out one's daily tasks by abnormal ways of thinking, feeling and ignoring.

Psychological disorder is also a reason of extreme depression and this may become a cause of biological problems such as genetic problems. Depression is something which drives a person towards many mental and physical diseases with the passage of time. We must not forget that we are not alone we have a large number of people closely attached to us therefore we have to make sure that they are not grieved due to us. There are uncountable causes of gloominess we can certainly avoid them by at least trying to make our life as comfortable and peaceful as we can rather than ruining it with our own hands.

How to Cheer Up a Female Colleague From Work

What can you do if a female colleague from work is sad and depressed? How can you cheer her up? Here are 7 tips on how to do that:

1. Compliment her hair.

This is very important for a woman. If you like her hair, there's nothing wrong in complimenting it. Don't do just to make her feel good. Only do it if it's true.

2. Send her a bouquet of flowers

Call someone and tell him to a bouquet of red roses with a note to her. The note should write "From your secret admirer. You look beautiful today."

3. The happy email

Send her a happy power point in an email to make her smile. Maybe one with a lot of men :) or one that is just funny.

4. The award goes to...

Talk to some other colleagues and make up a new award at the office. This award could be for "the best suit", "the most efficient employee", "the most funny colleague", "the greatest purse of the day" etc. Be sure, that your colleague is one of the ones who will receive the award.

5. Take her on a shopping adventure

Ask her if she wants to go shopping with you later. Talk a little about where she wants to go and what she wants to buy. This will make here happy and she will think about the things she is going to buy all day.

6. Motivational quotes

Send her an email filled with motivational quotes. This will raise her spirit.

7. A little gift

Buy her a little, symbolic gift. It could be a little chain lock, a small stuffed animal toy, a chocolate that she likes, etc.

Recognizing Depression in the Elderly

You've just visited your parents who live out of state and you heard your mother complain all about the neighbors, the food and more. Should you mark all of this complaining as a sign of depression? Maybe.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 2 million people aged 65 or older suffer from full-blown depression. Another 5 million suffer from lesser forms of depression.

Many elderly are isolated and face health problems that affect their quality of life. These health issues can include arthritis, diabetes, heart conditions and more. In order to dull the pain, many elderly take prescription drugs that include depression as a side effect or they abuse alcohol.

They may also find that many of their friends have passed on and they have lost many of their social connections. Families move away from each other and while this is can be a great thing in terms of freedom and independence, it can also mean that grandparents and grandchildren may only see each other a few times a year.

Elderly people may have also lost their sense of purpose or they may feel a loss of identity. They may also feel helpless and hopeless if they lack mobility.

Here are a few signs of depression in the elderly:

1. Elderly depressed people may complain about minor ailments such as gas or constipation, rather than openly say they are sad or lonely. Many elderly express their depression through pacing, wringing their hands, or constantly worrying about money, their health or current events.

2. They may not attend to their personal hygiene habits

3. They are apathetic or indifferent to activities they once enjoyed

4. They may not be able to sleep or eat and these symptoms may be disguised as other health concerns

5. The elderly person may have a new fixation about death and dying.

Depression can be treated with medication as well as through support groups and therapy. The elderly should also be screened for hormone imbalances, B12 deficiency, thyroid problems, and other nutritional deficiencies.

How can you help?

First thing that you can do to help an elderly person you might think is depressed is to

1. Lend an empathetic ear and then suggest activities you can do together, such as a walk, a museum trip or simply a trip to the grocery store. Laugh with them and share funny stories.

2. Make sure that your elderly person has scheduled activities at the community center to attend in your absence. Ensure that they are connected to their family via phone and computer if their family lives far away.

3. Fix healthy meals for the older adult or have meals delivered to their home

4. Encourage them to be a pet owner. Pets will keep them company and give them renewed purpose and responsibility

5. Encourage all depression medications are taken properly and watch for signs of suicide. If there are signs, seek professional help.

It's also important to know the signs between depression and dementia. With dementia, the mental decline happens slowly, while with depression, it's much faster. Both dementia and depression will weaken the elderly person's concentration skills, but in the dementia victim, the person won't even care about their memory loss. In either case, make sure the elderly person sees a doctor to be properly diagnosed.

Depression in the elderly can commonly be confused with grief, but the way to find out is by talking, offering support and being persistent in them seeing their doctor. Your vigilance might save their life.

What's The Best Superfood For Healing Depression?

I've known for a long time that Maca powder is a powerful 100% natural and non-pharmaceutical treatment for depression, but I hadn't seen any research on it until recently. I wanted to share some promising findings in this article about how Peruvian Maca can help stabilize emotions.

Depression Stats, Treatments and Causes

In 2008 the World Health Organization estimated that about 121 million people suffer from depression worldwide. In industrialized countries maca depression like the US, depression effects around 7% of the adult population. And depression among children is increasing.

The traditional treatments for depression include counseling, therapy and pharmaceutical drugs. Alternative treatments such as exercise and nutritional improvements are gaining popularity.

One of the most recent theories regarding the worldwide prevalence of depression is that it is in part caused by a lack of nutrition. This is where Maca for depression comes in. Maca powder is an incredible nutritional powerhouse with nearly all amino acids, 10 vitamins, 12 minerals, 23 fatty acids as well as several unique glucosinolates.

The Scientific Evidence on Maca For Depression

I've been hearing about the mood elevating properties of Maca powder from customers and friends for the past 8 years, so I'm sure that there's something to the practice of using Maca to reduce depression. But digging a little further I found that a couple of scientific studies have confirmed these personal experiences.

In 2008 5 researches from a hospital in Australia studied a group of women for 12 weeks. One group was given 3.5 grams of Maca powder per day, while the other group was give a placebo. At the end of the trail the researchers reported, "... significant reduction in scores in the areas of psychological symptoms, including the subscales for anxiety and depression and sexual dysfunction after Maca consumption." The researchers conclude that Maca is indeed effective for treating psychological symptoms like anxiety and depression.

Another study published in 2006 treated mice with depression over a 21 day period using Red, Black and Cream colored Maca roots. They discovered that while Black Maca helped improve cognitive function the most, all colors of Maca were helpful for depression.

Who Should Use Maca For Depression

Based on all my research and experience Maca powder is a great natural alternative for alleviating depression for anyone suffering from a light level of the disorder. Chronic and severe depression may require a more comprehensive treatment and intervention. Here's a list of depression symptoms that Maca might help:

• postpartum depression (often nutrient related - Maca is safe while breastfeeding)


• dysthymia - low level depression


• anxiety


• low energy


• lack of motivation

How Much Maca To Take For Depression

Taking Maca for depression falls into a therapeutic usage of Maca and that means dosage levels should be consistent over a long period of time (At least one month). My recommendation for an adult of 150lb (65 kg) is to take 3-4 teaspoons (8-12 grams) of organic Maca powder daily.

Also keep in mind that it may take several weeks up to a couple of months for Maca to provide the benefits you are looking for. Maca is a powerful food, but takes time to work. The good news in this, though, is that Maca has no side effects, has many other benefits and can lead to permanent reversal of depression.

Identify The Hidden Links Of Depression

Depression is a complex disorder. About 30 million Americans have had at least one incidence of serious depression in their life time.

Depression can be associated with traumatic events in your life, such as loss of a loved one, stress and hormonal changes, infections, specific medicines, or drug/alcohol abuse. Recent researches have shed new lights on different causes of depression.

Depression Is Linked With Inflammation.

Anyone who has suffered a viral or bacterial infection understands what it means to feel sick. Sickness brings on fever and nausea, lack of appetite and loss of interest in physical and social surroundings. Sick people tire easily, and have deprived sleep. Additionally, they feel sad and irritable; agonize from shortened attention span and temporary memory loss.

Just as terror is normal in the face of a predator, sickness is a normal response to infection prompted by factors named inflammatory cytokines/markers created by body's immune and inflammatory cells.

There is a growing evidence to suggest that inflammation is associated with depression. Here is some of the evidence:

--Increased levels of inflammatory cytokines can stimulate depressive behavior.

--Inflammatory cytokines can enter the brain and alter the levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin in the brain.

--Amounts of inflammatory cytokines are much higher in people facing stress, anguish, sadness, and other difficult emotions.

--Higher levels of inflammatory markers preceded the beginning of depressed mood in a senior population with no psychiatric history.

--Depression is frequently connected with a variety of factors (e.g., psychosocial stress, medical illness, obesity, poor diet, diminished sleep, social isolation) that are known to result in an increase in inflammatory markers.

--Depression is a recognized complication of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

--Depression shares similarities with 'sickness behavior', a normal response to infection or inflammation.

--In cancer and hepatitis C patients receiving immunotherapy, depression appeared in up to 50% of patients.

--Neurochemical findings in autopsy studies suggest an inflammatory component to depression.

--Medications with an effect on the immune system can affect mood.

Inflammatory Cytokines Play An Essential Role In Depression

Researchers do not know why inflammatory cytokine levels are higher in depressed and anxious people. They speculate that psychological stress can change blood pressure and heart rate. These stress-related changes can lead to the production of cell signaling molecules that stimulate cytokine production. Other source of elevated inflammatory cytokines include smoking, fat-rich diet, and being overweight.

Numerous scientific observations implicate inflammatory cytokines have a key role in depression. Inflammation may trigger, aggravate, and extend depression through:

--Hyper-responsiveness to acute stress

--Weakened immune system

--Neuronal damage and neuron death

--Impaired neuron revival

--Enhanced neuronal toxic end products

Links Connecting Depression And Inflammatory Diseases

Accumulating studies have shown compelling relationships among depression and well-known inflammatory or autoimmune diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Therefore, it is important to realize inflammation as a common factor that may cause multiple health issues.

Depression is a recognized risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, as well as an independent predictor of poor prognosis following a heart attack. For example, patients with heart disease are three times more susceptible depression than the general population.

Stress could be a hidden trigger that causes the development of both depression and heart disease. Stress can precipitate depression by activating the nervous system, interrupting heart rhythm, increased tendency for clotting of the blood, and intensified inflammatory responses, all of which negatively influence the cardiovascular system.

Inflammation that impairs both the disease and the tendency towards depression is observed in diabetes and cancer. While negative emotions may not increase the risk of advancing diabetes or cancer, they could intensify these illnesses.

There is evidence that once you have cancer, psychological stress and depression can worsen the cancer through increased levels of inflammatory cytokines. Research proves that inflammatory cytokines can cause resistance to chemotherapy, accelerating the conversion of tumor cells into full-blown cancer. Some cytokines appear to encourage the establishment of new blood vessels that feed tumors, the key process in tumor metastasis.

Several large studies showed the evidence that patients with COPD are at an increased risk of developing depression. Despite advances in various treatments, the death rate associated with COPD has doubled in 30 years. The existence of anxiety and depression has been linked to increased death, weakened functional status, and decreased quality of life.

Of people who suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), more than 20% have depression. Evidence also suggests depression can worsen IBS.

Links Connecting Depression And Inflammatory Skin Disorders

Depression is commonly accompanied with inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne and rosacea.

Psoriasis is a hyper-proliferative inflammatory skin disease that often appears as thick, red, flaking patches. Several studies have established that depression is a widespread challenge among psoriasis sufferers, which can modify the progress of psoriasis as well as the effectiveness of treatments.

The connection between depression and acne has long been documented, especially in teenagers. Acne increases the risk of depression and suicide attempt. Depression can also exacerbate acne.

Control Of Inflammation Represents An Innovative Approach To Relieve Depression

Evidence shows that inflammatory cytokines induce not only signs of sickness, but also true disorders in susceptible individuals and physically sick patients despite the fact that they have no previous history of mental disorders.

The findings that inflammation can actually initiate depression and various chronic disorders suggest that targeting inflammatory responses could be a novel strategy to treat depression and associated health concerns. Various studies are under way to treat symptoms of depression with anti-inflammatory drugs including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Encouraging results have been achieved by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines in psoriasis and from the treatment of COX-2 inhibitors in patients with depression.

Natural Treatments For Relief of Inflammation And Depression Symptoms

For decades, NSAIDs have been widely recommended for various aspects of flu-like symptoms or sickness-related behaviors. Unfortunately, 25% of NSAIDs users encounter severe and sometimes fatal complications such as stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. The newer NSAIDs such as selective COX-2 inhibitors (Vioxx and Celebrex) have been associated with an increased risk of severe adverse cardiovascular events including heart attack and stroke.

In this scenario, the good news is that safer approaches are available. You can control depression and anxiety without the side effects of antidepressant drugs or NSAIDs! Nutrients, anti-inflammatory herbs and herbal remedies have been demonstrated to relieve depression symptoms.

By keeping inflammation under control, anti-inflammatory remedies may:

--Improve sleep and diminish headaches and anxiety

--Help rebuild the balance of nitric oxide and prostaglandins, which contributes to the severity of depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction

--Repair the body's antioxidant defense

--Enhance the vascular healing and repair

--Reestablish vascular cell function and integrity

Millions of people go undiagnosed or untreated for depression. Without treatment, depression may remain for 6 months or longer, with increased occurrence and severity of episodes.

If you feel the pain from depression, or your symptoms of depression continue despite the treatment of anti-depressant drugs, or your anti-depressant drugs become less efficient, you may need to recognize inflammatory sources and benefit from anti-inflammatory treatment.