Depression Self Help - 7 Steps to Fight Depression

Do you suffer from occasional depression?
Do you suffer from 'more than occasional' depression symptoms?
Do you consider yourself your personal worst enemy?
Do you live your existence with uncertainty, always trying to live up to the criteria others set for you?

If you answered yes to any of above questions, you'll be interested in the following depression self help info.

Depression (or prolonged sadness) is really a diagnosis that has become very common in the United States. It has been mentioned that more than nine percent of the United states population actually is affected with this disease. The sad truth is very few of them will actually seek treatment. As a consequence, depression and its ill-effects are a continuous weight to these poor ill-fated individuals. Depression might seem quite easy to deal with but in reality, it takes more than a little cheering up to really cure depression.

A visit to an expert therapist is a good idea to obtain access to the prescription medications that the doctor will recommend. Of course, neither the doctor's visit nor the meds come cheap, but the amount of depression-caused suffering is enough cause to take action. It is advantageous to face depression symptoms head on through the numerous treatments which are available these days.

On the other hand, there are less expensive procedures that a patient can undertake. We can all avail ourselves of self help treatments that fit well into any depression treatment strategy. To that end, I've detailed 7 actions that all depression symptoms sufferers should follow:

Depression self help action #1: People can only get the best of you with your authorization.

Don't give it to them. When you allow somebody get the best of you than you're really letting them win. In life we are faced with the joy of living life or the pain and disappointment of not living life to its fullest extent.

Depression self help step #2: Remember that you are who you are because of you.
Other people's perceptions of you should be discounted. At the end of your life the only important question will be: "Did you live your life as you saw fit?"

Depression self help step #3: Determine what is important to you.
Do you know who you are? Are you happy with your self as you are? These two questions should be answered for you personally to help make any progress.

Depression self help step #4: Remember that you are in charge of your destiny.
Repeat this on a regular basis: 'I am in charge of my future, and it is up to me and only me to live my life'. It is essential to establish practical targets for yourself, and do your best to fulfill them.

Depression self help step #5: Don't become your own worst enemy.
Occasionally it is just a matter of putting yourself first. If you are able to love somebody else, why can you not love your self? You need to realize that you're a decent person, and deserving of being loved

Depression self help action #6: In no way lose sight of who you are, and what you stand for.
If someone disses you simply because you don't meet their standards, it's not your issue; it's theirs. Life can be loaded with discontentment if we live every day attempting to get the approval of other people.

Depression self help step #7: Stay true to yourself and your beliefs.
Don't be afraid to speak up for yourself even when it can feel unpleasant, and in no way let anyone influence who you ought to be. Believe in your self, because the one individual you can rely on is you.

Conclusion:

So that you can successfully fight depression, you should keep your emphasis on the above steps. Having successfully done so, you'll eventually discover your depression symptoms lessening. And eventually, you'll be back to living a normal lifestyle. You'll be able to look in the mirror at the end of each day and see your best friend!

10 Tips to Build Self Esteem

Self esteem...what does the term mean to you?

Most people define it as the opinion they have of themselves. They usually base it on their attitude towards a number of factors like the way they look, the work they do, their achievements, what they believe others think of them, their purpose in life, their potential for success, their strengths and weaknesses, their social status, their ability to be independent and so on and so forth...

For all those who have a positive attitude towards the same always have high self esteem while those in self doubt usually have a low self esteem. Low self esteem - the secret of lack of achievement! The unfortunate part is that it's a vicious circle, low self esteem results in non-achievement which in turn reinforces the feeling of inadequacy and low self esteem. So is it a no- win situation?

Definitely not...

Your self esteem can easily reach new heights if you have a keen desire to do so and a willingness to learn. This article is only going to touch the tip of the iceberg and give you 10 simple techniques to start with.

Step 1

Define the attitudes that make up your self-image. Your self-image is how you see yourself in relation to others. This may be how you see yourself physically, professionally, socially and so on and so forth...You need to define and identify what determines your self-concept for you.

Step 2

Closely observe the language used by you. Is it more negative in nature? If you're low on self esteem, chances are there would be a lot of negative content. So here's the challenge... convert each one of those negative statements into positive ones. Yes yes, I hear you saying "but that won't be the truth". That's perfectly okay. We are not looking at getting the 'honesty award'; we are looking at getting 'high self esteem'!

Step 3

Highlight in bold letters everything that you love about yourself. Make a list of a minimum of 30 strengths. I know... you don't have 30 strengths is what you're saying now. So I'll make it easier for you. Over the next 2 weeks I want you to make a daily note of a minimum of 2 things that you believe are your strengths or 2 compliments received or 2 small or big achievements accomplished or 2 skills known or learnt or 2 changes you brought about in yourself. I'm waiting for your list to touch a 100 before you start to believe you're done with this step.

Step 4

Stand in front of the mirror. Now read aloud to yourself both the positive lists a minimum of 10 times, twice a day. Sounds silly? But it works... Practice it for the next 6months without a question and see the difference for yourself.

Step 5

Kill the bug called 'comparison'. 'Comparisonitis' is a deadly disease. It kills our self confidence in seconds because our energy is wasted in checking the environment for better or worse rather than focusing on what's good in us. If this bug runs deep in your system and you just can't get yourself to destroy it, make it work for you. How would you do that? Only make comparisons with yourself. Monitor your progress in various respects and try and outdo your performance each time!

Step 6

Lighten up! You don't have to take yourself and others seriously all the time. It's good to add some fun and frolic in everyday life and situations. Each time you smile and laugh your mind, body and soul relaxes. This helps boost the 'feel good' within us and adds to our confidence.

Step 7

Have you ever wondered why they don't have a noble prize for 'perfection'? That's because no one can ever be perfect! If you are one of those who are striving to be perfect, my guess is you're mastering the art of self-criticism. This means your mind, body and soul is steadily being killed with this slow poison without you even being consciously aware of it! Contrary to what a lot of people believe, self criticism is not a motivator. By default, criticism is negative in nature and negativity cannot yield positive results! Stop criticizing yourself.

Step 8

Pick up a hobby or develop an interest in a subject that you can be passionate about. It will not only help you learn new things but also give you something to look forward to do when you're not feeling good about yourself.

Step 9

Make a list of positive affirmations and paste them in places which you notice a number of times a day. For example, you could paste them on the inside of your cupboard, your mirror, your screen-saver and so on. Positive affirmations could be sentences, quotes, short moral stories or anything else that you can relate to and is motivating for you. Few of the common positive affirmations used are:

• I deserve to be happy and successful.



• I have the power to change myself.



• I can make my own choices and decisions.



• It is enough to have done my best



• I am a lovable person

Step 10

Read. All successful people read positive books. They can be self help books, biographies of successful people or even books related to your field of work or study. If you make a habit of reading for at least 20 minutes a day, you would be able to see significant changes in your thinking, feeling and actions.

So that's the start my friends. There is a lot you will find difficult to do at start and that's perfectly alright. In the race of the hare and the tortoise, do you remember who won? Yes, it was the tortoise, because 'slow and steady wins the race'! Steady is the keyword here... just keep going and going and going and... before you know it, you'll be right on top!

A Christmas Story With Neil Diamond - A Surprise Ending You Will Not Expect!

In 1972, Neil Diamond's song, "I Am, I Said" prevented me from suicide. For years thereafter, because I have bipolar disorder (manic depression) I had manic episodes where I was convinced that Neil Diamond was Jesus Christ and I was "supposed" to be his "bride." In 1980, I took off to Los Angeles, believing that he would meet me to marry me.

I was a "stalker" before that term had been coined. I walked the streets of LA for three months, trying to find Neil. I even had my name changed with the Social Security Administration so my last name was "Diamond."

I charged over $1500 to Neil's production company that was in the process of filming "The Jazz Singer" for telegrams to radio stations all over the country announcing that Jesus Christ had finally found his "bride" and that the marriage to save all of humanity was about to take place soon.

These episodes reoccurred several times until 2003, and the Delilah Radio Show. Around Thanksgiving that year, Delilah had a show devoted to something you were thankful about. I wrote in and told her how grateful I was that Neil's song had deterred me from suicide.

About six weeks later, during Delilah's Christmas show with Neil Diamond, she called and asked if I wanted to share my story on the air. When she began the phone conversation, suddenly, Neil Diamond was talking in my ear saying, "You've done me great honor ... by sharing this story and I love you for it"!

I was so stunned, I didn't know what to say, and told Delilah, "I don't know how to thank you for this"! She replied, "Pay it forward."

I have since never had another manic episode whereby Neil was the "object" of my thought disorder.

So, because of the Delilah show and her magnificent Christmas gift of allowing me to personally talk to Neil, I've been healed of my psychotic delusions about him. What greater Christmas gift could there possibly be? For Neil to say "I love you," on national radio?

So, I am continually grateful to Delilah for her wisdom and grace to give me the best Christmas present I could ever have received.

What Are The Symptoms Of Depression And When Should Drugs Be Used For Treatment?

Well, there are two kinds of depression - simple depression and clinical depression. Simple depression is just being gloomy for one reason or another. No medical treatment is necessary since the feeling usually goes away after a few days. Simple depression is not to be confused with clinical depression, which is so much more than being gloomy. There is an overwhelming feeling of sadness that lasts for weeks, or even years. And not only that, clinical depression can affect the way one conducts his/her affairs or lives his/her life. Worse, it can progress into a mental disorder, or lead to death.

There are factors that trigger one to go into a depressive state. A failing grade, a broken relationship, a failed business venture, unemployment, retrenchment, a diagnosis of a chronic condition, or loss of a loved one (in death or something else), can trigger depression. There are also drugs that have depression as one of the side effects. Regardless of what has triggered the attack, getting the necessary treatment is a must when one is in the depressive state for more than a few days and presenting signs and symptoms that are no longer appropriate under the circumstances. Detecting the early signs and symptoms of depression is, therefore, is deemed very important.

Are you depressed?

Some people do not realize they are already depressed, thus treatment may come a little bit late for them. To find out if you are depressed, try to answer as truthfully as possible the following questions:

• Are you overeating or losing appetite?


• Have you gained weight or lost it?


• Have you lost interest to do things you normally enjoyed doing?


• Do you often fret?


• Do you have trouble sleeping?


• Do you have difficulty focusing or remembering things?


• Do you feel like everything is lost and that there is no hope to recover whatever that is?

Depression Signs and Symptoms

Answering "yes" to all these questions suggests that you may be suffering from what is called clinical depression. Depression of this kind manifests in the following signs and symptoms:

• Overeating or loss of appetite. Some people react to depression's triggering factors by gorging on "comfort foods" while others just don't have the appetite to eat anything.


• Weight gain or weight loss. Overeating can lead to weight gain that can only add to more problems. Not having the appetite to eat or eating very little can cause you to lose weight, but I can tell you right now that losing weight this way is not at all healthy weight loss.


• Moping. The lack of interest to do anything productive is a serious sign of depression.


• Difficulty sleeping. Insomnia and over-sleeping are manifestations of anxiety or depressive attacks, and they can also spark the onset of depression.


• Memory loss, loss of concentration. Severe depression can make you lose your focus and make you forget things easily.


• Despair. Now, this is probably the worst symptom of depression. Despair means losing hope or not finding any meaning to life anymore. This is when suicidal thoughts come in.

When Drugs Are Necessary In The Treatment of Depression

Taking anti-depressant drugs may be required when you experience any of these symptoms as a result of depression. These drugs, along with psychotherapy, will help to relax you and reduce the symptoms that are affecting you in a big way. These drugs are controlled drugs; they have to be prescribed by your doctor.

There are also vitamins that can help you deal with depression. Vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12, along with Vitamins C and D can reduce the symptoms of depression. Since these vitamins help you maintain general well being at the same time, they can be taken even before you experience any of these signs and symptoms of depression.

The Recognition of Mixed Anxiety-Depressive Disorder

When you talk about anxiety disorders, you probably focus on these symptoms: sweating, trembling, irrational fears. However, you may be surprised to know that most anxiety disorders share a link with depression and substance abuse. For example, over 50% of patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suffer from depression as well.

What is the link between anxiety and depression? It may be hard to see. Depression is often represented as causing a feeling of lack of energy. The truth is that most depressed people have a high state of anxiety. These can lead to panic attacks.

Where depression is present along with an anxiety disorder, both issues are intensified. First of all, depression is much more difficult to treat. In addition, when depression is accompanied by an anxiety disorder, the suicide rate among depression sufferers increases dramatically.

Depression and anxiety can make it easy to dwell on how awful you feel. It can actually increase the length of time it takes to manage and overcome the depression and anxiety. They can also create a feeling of isolation.

Because these illnesses often go hand in hand and are becoming more recognized. In fact there is a new term for it: mixed anxiety-depression. Symptoms include disrupted sleep or insomnia, low energy, tension, palpitations, and restlessness.
Anxiety-depression treatment can include medications. While medications are not enough to cure anxiety disorders, they can help the sufferer deal with the symptoms. Antidepressants alter the chemistry of the brain. Most begin to work on some indicators of anxiety disorder immediately; however, it can take up to six weeks for the full effects to be felt.

SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are also antidepressants. They help brain cells communicate with each other by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is involved in the regulation of learning, sleep, and moods. They have been shown to be very effective in anxiety-depression treatment. Beta-blockers, usually used to treat heart conditions, can also be prescribed for anxiety treatment. They can help prevent the physical conditions which accompany most anxiety-depression disorders.

Medications are used to help control the signs of anxiety-depression disorders while the patient receives psychotherapy. Therapy is also a very important part of treatment. It is especially important for the anxiety portion of the disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps anxiety-depression disorder sufferers change the way they think and how they react to anxiety-inducing situations. The CBT therapist accompanies the patient through role-playing to actual encounters. CBT therapists also teach relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.

CBT only works when the anxiety-depression disorder sufferer is ready to undertake the challenge of facing his or her fears. It must be specific to their individual disorder. This treatment usually lasts about three months and it may incorporate group therapy.

Finally, exercise is a great treatment for both anxiety and depression. Exercise boosts serotonin in the brain and releases endorphins. It provides a distraction from destructive thoughts and can increase your positive interactions with others. It should not, however, replace psychotherapy, which is essential in the treatment of anxiety-depression disorder.

Coping With Depression

Here are a few tips on how to cope with depression in a relationship.

Depression is a universal phenomenon and quite possibly there is no one on the face of earth who has not gone through the course of depression at least once in his or her lifetime. When someone is in a love relationship, the chances of suffering from depression become higher.

It is very important to know different strategies for coping with depression, otherwise the depressed person may end up making fatal decisions in their life. This article focuses on discussing different strategies in the format of tips with the purpose of educating the readers to cope with episodes of depression in their life.

Build Your Knowledge about Depression

The first and most important thing for coping with depression is to understandall the necessary details about depression, its causes and effects, symptoms and treatments. For that purpose, you may consult with doctors specializing in mental health or you may depend on mental health journals. Apart from that, there are huge resources available on the net which can offer you plenty of information for depression and different strategies for coping with depression.

Learn How To Discern the Difference between Myth and Reality

The next important step for coping with depression is of course to increase your knowledge about the significant differences among myths and reality concerning depression and its different aspects. Many people believe that depression is not a treatable disease; hence there is no question of any specific possible treatments. Some people simply lable it as an experience of ordinary sadness; however, the fact is totally different. In fact, depression is a complex process and if not encountered at early stages, it may get out of hand and even cost lives..

Value Yourself and Your Unique Presence

Sometimes when we are in a relationship, we simply forget to value our own existence and unique identity by putting our family members first, which results in suffering from inevitable depression from identity confusion and identity distortion. You should respect yourself and know how to value your own decision and actions in a rational fashion. Set some time aside for yourself, give yourself a reward as an appreciation of your efforts, While coping with depression, you should first look at yourself from a dignified perspective.

Watch Out the Warning Signs

The behavior of a depressed individual is not the actual behavior. The common behaviors are withdrawn, shy, sullen and angry. Before coping with stress, try to identify the warning signs of depression in you and your partner. Most commonly, a depressed person experiences sudden outbursts of anger. In fact, they actually show their anger to themselves and their own mental state, although seemingly appear towards environment.

Seek Help and Treatment

Depression is a real disease and it is absolutely treatable. Similar to other illnesses, depression may get worse day by day if proper treatment has not been administered on time. There are various self-help groups around the world, who offer their unconditional support to the depressed individuals and help them coping with depression. If you are experiencing episodes of depression, it is better that you should visit these self-help groups. Additionally, you may also consult with doctors and mental health practitioners for possible treatments.

Rescinding Job Offer After Medical Exam Q&A

Many employers require new employees to complete a post-offer medical examination. But, do you know what you can do if this exam reveals a serious medical problem? The ADA limits your response to this situation.

Q: We require all new hires to have a medical examination prior to beginning work. If the exam turns up a serious medical condition, may we rescind the job offer? A: Only in limited circumstances. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you may revoke an employment offer based on information obtained from the medical examination or inquiries if the criteria used are job-related and consistent with business necessity. But, you also must show that even with reasonable accommodation, the individual would be unable to perform the essential job functions. Further, you may screen out an applicant on the basis of a disability if the individual poses a "direct threat" (i.e., a significant risk of substantial harm to himself or others) and the risk cannot be adequately reduced by reasonable accommodation.

This level of risk assessment can be very difficult to demonstrate. For example, a medical examination might reveal that an individual has a mild back deformity even though he is currently able to do the heavy lifting that a job requires. This applicant likely should not be rejected under the ADA. According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations and guidance, the results of a medical examination may not be used to disqualify people who are currently able to perform the essential functions of a job.

In other words, the EEOC says you may not reject an applicant because of "fear or speculation" that a current condition indicates a high risk of future injury. Instead, you must base your assertion that the applicant poses a "significant, current risk of substantial harm" on an individualized assessment that reflects current medical knowledge and the best available objective evidence.

Similarly, if applicants are rejected based on criteria such as "abnormal" back x-rays, epilepsy, or lifting requirements, and those criteria tend to screen out an entire class of individuals with disabilities, the employer must be able to show that the exclusionary criteria are job-related and consistent with business necessity. So, for example, in Miller v. City of Springfield, 146 F.3d 612 (8th Cir. 1998), the court determined that the police force did not violate the ADA by screening out applicants using psychological testing designed to measure depression. The court found that the psychological testing was job-related and consistent with business necessity since it was used to select individuals to train as police officers.

The EEOC, in its ADA Technical Assistance Manual, also has taken the position that general "blanket" exclusions usually will not meet ADA requirements because these evaluations do not involve an individualized medical assessment of the applicant's current ability to perform the job safely and effectively. However, a few courts have rejected the EEOC's position and ruled that employers may use medical tests or inquiries to screen out individuals who are not disabled but who may develop a condition that would make them unable to perform a particular job.

For example, in EEOC v. Rockwell Internat'l Corp., 243 F.3d 1012 (7th Cir. 2001), the Seventh Circuit determined that the employer did not regard 72 applicants as disabled when it excluded them from employment in jobs that had a high risk of causing cumulative trauma disorders. The employer based its actions on test results showing that the applicants were more likely than others to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. The court upheld the employer's decisions because the EEOC did not present evidence to show that the employer perceived the applicants as substantially limited in their ability to work in any job in Southern Illinois. Rather, the employer regarded the applicants as unable to perform only four particular jobs at Rockwell.

Accordingly, if you want to rescind a job offer because of post-offer medical results, make sure you carefully review the ADA requirements and have individualized analysis to support your decision.

Learn more: http://www.ppspublishers.com/articles/rescinding-job-offer.htm