Depression: Knowing When It's Not A Sad Spell

It's easy to say after a hard day, "I'm depressed", but when you think of it, most of us will have forgotten that we even said that by the next day or at least within a few days. Any normal human being will go through a rough time when they lose a loved one to death or separation, when they can't figure out how to pay the next bill, when they haven't slept in months due to a new baby or when the sun hasn't shone in three weeks. So, even though at that moment it does seem serious, when do you know if it's the real thing? When does it become a clinical depression?

Any item in the list of the most common symptoms of depression can be due to other causes, like a physical disorder or illness. And anybody can be feeling at least one symptom at any given time. So before you go and diagnose yourself with clinical depression, make sure you're suffering from more that one symptom and talk to your doctor.

A person suffering from a clinical depression will usually experience these symptoms:

- A difficulty falling asleep and/or sleeping through the night. They may also wake up early and be unable to go back to sleep. Many feel that they dream all night, the dreams often being of a very disturbing nature.

- A feeling of complete exhaustion with not even enough energy to carry out daily tasks.

- A constant feeling of sadness and misery. Not even the things that usually bring them joy have any effect. They will start crying for no specific reason.

- Feeling that they are a failure in every aspect. They may ponder on the past and the mistakes they have made in the past, are making in the present and will make in the future. This all brings on a feeling of hopelessness, as if life will not get any better and is ultimately not even worth living. Though a depressive person might not be suicidal, in many cases thought of death and suicide are constantly in the back of their mind.

- A person suffering from a depression will either not want to see anyone at all or be terrified of being left alone.

- They have no interest and joy in things that they used to love, such as hobbies. In most cases, interest in sex will disappear completely. Though they may not have an appetite, they might stuff themselves with food to find comfort.

- Though depressed people often seem subdued, they might become irritable and angry for little or no reason.

- Low self-esteem and lack of confidence.

- A feeling that life is unfair.

- Though they might spend the day not doing anything and without the will to do anything, they still feel that life is passing them by.

Depression not only causes emotional pain, in many cases it also brings on physical pain, such as back pain and headaches. These usually cannot be explained by the medical profession and will not go away through treatment such as therapeutic massages or medication. Other physical symptoms of depression are constipation or other digestive problems, chest pain and dizziness. Any of these conditions could imply something else and should be checked out by a doctor. If the patient has a tendency to suffer depression, it should be mentioned to the physician.

How Do You Know If You Have Manic-Depression

Nancy was doing very well until about two years ago when Phil, her boyfriend of 9 years, broke-up with her. It was a difficult moment for her especially after she learned that Phil eventually married her cousin. Since then, Nancy had deteriorated. One evening, she was involved in a motor vehicular accident because she was driving fast and recklessly in a quiet suburban neighborhood.

During interrogation, the cops noted that Nancy was talking rapidly and nobody could interrupt her. Also, she was making jokes and laughing so loud. She further indicated to them that she was on her way to meet the President and his top officials about her invention that could cure the oil crunch. She eventually ended up in the emergency room where she was diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder after intensive evaluation.

Bipolar disorder or manic-depression is manifested by highs and lows. When a patient like Nancy is on the manic side, there is a persistent feeling of euphoria or irritability associated with lack of need for sleep, excessive energy, agitation, fast and loud speech, increase in goal-directed activities such as spending sprees and establishing businesses with no appropriate plan, and hypersexuality.

Patients with this disorder develop poor judgment and impulsivity. They become irritable and can lash out easily even if not provoked. Some patients have delusions of grandeur. When this happens, patients think that they have special powers, talents, and influence.

When not manic, patients either feel normal or depressed. Depression in bipolar disorder has the same manifestation as major depression that consists of feelings of sadness associated with neurovegetative signs and symptoms such as inability to sleep, eat, and concentrate. Energy level is also impaired. In addition, patients experience a feeling of hopelessness, worthlessness, and helplessness. Suicidal ideation may ensue.

For individuals who develop mania, does it always mean that they suffer from bipolar disorder?

Not necessarily. Mania can be caused by various medical and neurologic conditions. For instance, multiple sclerosis and stroke can present with manic symptoms. Moreover, medications and street drugs may precipitate mania. Steroids, cocaine, and amphetamine are some examples. Even some antidepressants can induce mania.

So when a person shows mania, the physician usually does intensive evaluation to rule out medical, neurologic, and medication-induced conditions before diagnosing bipolar disorder. This process is important because the treatment varies depending upon the cause. Once other conditions are ruled out, then bipolar disorder can be safely diagnosed and treated.

4 Easy Steps to Overcoming Depression and Kicking the Winter Blues

Mild depression can be expected during the long, dark winter months, and these 4 easy steps might just be what you need to shake the off the winter blues and lift your spirit. It's normal to have highs and lows; because we are human, everybody gets them. Nobody is immune, even rich people get the blues sometimes. The good news is that it can be beaten. Try applying a few of these easy steps to help eliminate the symptoms of your depression before it gets worse and you need outside help. Not acknowledging the early signs of depression will take its toll on you, your family and your life in general.

Just Go With The Flow And Enjoy The Ride:

• Step 1. Although at the time things might seem bleak and never-ending, try sitting back and enjoying the ride, accept that it won't last forever. This doesn't mean that being depressed is a good thing or that it should be something to enjoy, but accepting that it is just a natural part of life. Life is full of "ups" and "downs" and at times will feel like a roller coaster ride. Every once in a while you will have a dip, but it won't be too long before you are on the up again. Take it for what it is, just a little bump in the road, a low spot, but most importantly don't exaggerate it and make it bigger than it really is.

Get Active And Start Moving:

Sometimes what can make a depressed situation seem worse is sitting around and dwelling on it. The more focus you put on it, the worse the situation becomes. It's as if it grows, getting bigger and bigger until it's too heavy to carry, that's when depression starts to creep in. A great way to stop the depressive cycle is to shift your focus and energy, do something active that will preoccupy you. Try doing something that takes you out of your current environment and away from your situation.

• Step 2. Get back to nature and go for a run or simply a leisurely walk, maybe take your camera and absorb yourself in the beauty that surrounds you. Exercise is a great way to shift your focus and at the same time can eliminate stress; anxiety and depression. So why not join your local gym or participate in a team sport. Not only will you start to feel better as your body starts to produce "happy" chemicals, you will also start to develop new relationships and perspectives. Go see a friend, have lunch or arrange a trip to the cinema. If you fancy some quiet time how about going to the library and finding a book, choose something that has nothing whatsoever to do with what is going on in your life right now. Try leaving your troubles behind, even if it is only for a few hours.

Let It All Out, It's OK To Cry!

• Step 3. The great thing about crying is it can be done anytime, anyplace and anywhere, you don't even need permission to do it! Do what you have to do to let go of all that negative emotion, it can be very therapeutic and cleansing. Once you have released all that frustration and anger you will be able to see things with from a different point of view, it will allow you to come to grips with whatever it was that depressed you in the first place. It doesn't matter how old or tough you are, crying should NEVER be seen as a weakness, but a strength.

Fix Your Attention Onto Something Else:

• Step 4. This is another great way to distract you and can be done with very little effort on your part. Pick something in your surroundings and describe it in detail, maybe it's the pattern in the carpet, a picture on the wall, or even a view from the window. Then shift your focus onto another object or area and describe that. Find at least 3 things that you never noticed about the carpet, the picture or the view. How many tiles are there on the wall, follow the grain in the wooden flooring and look for patterns. Get creative with crayons, colouring pencils or paints and create your own patterns. This will help to calm your mind and relax body.

These methods are simple and can easily be applied, try them when you first start feeling low or a bit depressed. If these feelings persist for more than two weeks, then you may need to seek professional help. Before it gets to that point, though, try these 4 easy steps and kick those winter blues right out of the door!

Characteristics Of Bipolar Depression - An Essential Way To Deal With It

In psychiatry, bipolar syndrome is a kind of medical finding which refers to depressed mood along with a mixed state or hypomania. When compared with people who are normal, people suffering from bipolar depression have mood swings which might range from a few minutes to even a few months. Such people are prone to attempt suicide at any given chance and are equally associated with distress and disruption. Bipolar syndrome is many times linked to extreme functioning and many creative people attribute their creativity to this ailment.

Bipolar disorder is further classified into Type I and Type II. In case of Type I disorder, the affected person is most likely to experience full-blown mania. In case of the Type II ailment, the highs of the affected individual do not exceed the hypomania stage unless it was set off by such medications. During such manic periods, psychosis may arise. Rapid cycling can also take place. The extent to which a person may get affected because of such disorder varies from individual to individual and from time to time. Thus, the bipolar spectrum concept is put to use generally and it includes cyclothymia too.

The bipolar ailment is characterized by periods of abnormally disconcerted moods which often lead to the individual feeling depressed. The moderation and the period of such depression also vary from one affected individual to the other. Such fluctuation of mood can cause either improvement in the functioning or an impairment which hugely depends on the severity of the lows and highs of the mood swing. The affected normal routine is also affected due to the alteration in social rhythm, energy level, cognitive functioning, pattern of sleep, and activity level of the person.

The depression which is gone through by people affected with the bipolar depression is quiet similar to that experienced by people suffering from clinical depression. The various symptoms includes sadness, anger, anxiety, guilt, isolation, lack of self confidence, sleep and appetite disturbances, escapism, fatigue, disinterest in things which the person used to enjoy, apathy, shyness, self loathing, irritability, chronic pain, social anxiety, and suicidal tendency.

The most brutal problem an individual faces in today's world is the period of bipolar depression. Many times the period of such a depression becomes very obvious to people around and is very upsetting.

Certain types of serious depression are supplemented by the symptoms of psychosis. It may consist of delusions (beliefs which are false and cannot be proved or explained with any sort of evidence), hallucinations (hearing, sensing or seeing things which do not really exist), and escapism (finding and making excuses to break out off from apparent stress and unpleasant situations).

People who are so affected may also have the belief that a very powerful body is controlling and hunting them. Many of them may even have the feeling that people who are very close to them are bullying and plotting against them. Many times the anxiety level increases without any reason. They start feeling left out and isolated from near and dear ones. Many people tend to believe in unusual religious sentiments and start thinking that they have supernatural powers and have been born to accomplish a specific task. Delusions are even worse. They generally arise out of the guilt of doing something which must have affected the life of some other person. Many other such contradicting theories have also been associated with the factors triggering bipolar depression. However, none of them has been widely accepted as being perfect.

The basic nature of bipolar depression is flux. It is a state of mind whereby the affected individual is totally immersed in what they are doing. There is complete involvement, absolute focus and success during the activity period. The indicators of bipolar depression are energy, sleep, mood, thought, and activity. The diagnostic subtypes are many times just a sample preview of the continual changes which take place during the ailment period.

In the opinion of the United States National Institute of Mental Health (US NIMH), there is no particular or specific reason for such an ailment. Nevertheless, a number of factors cause such an ailment when combined together. It has also been found that such a disorder runs through the family. Hence researchers are looking for the particular gene. However, most of these researches has ended up proving that more than one gene is responsible for the ailment.

Exercise Can Improve Mental Health

The link between exercise and mental health has been studied since the early 1900s. Various studies show a relationship between exercise and how it can ease anxiety and depression, improve mood and self-esteem, and help a person achieve quality sleep.

Researchers have engaged in many studies to determine the effect that exercise has on patients suffering from anxiety. Anxiety affects 7.3 percent of the U.S. adult population to the point of requiring treatment. 81 percent of the studies found a definitive link between decreased anxieties following exercise, with no conflicting information. The other 19 percent also found a link between reducing anxiety by exercising, however, there were some conflicting results. But more often than not exercising aided in calming anxiety.

Clinical depression affects 2.5 percent of Americans, and since the turn of the 20th century there have been over 100 studies done to examine the relationship between exercise and depression. All of the studies that have been conducted clearly illustrate that exercise is linked to a significant reduction in depression symptoms. Exercise can actually have an antidepressant-like affect that may be evident the first week of starting a fitness routine. These studies have also illustrated that exercise can create a greater affect when the exercise program is longer than nine weeks.

Exercise doesn't just have an effect on anxiety and depression. It can also affect mood, self-esteem and sleep. The Surgeon General's Report mentions that exercise may improve mood, however, there have been no analytic reviews in this area. But there have been 4 meta-analytic reviews focusing on how self-esteem is affected by exercise. These studies have shown that exercise can bring about small but significant increases in self-esteem.

There has also been clinical evidence that increased physical activity can be beneficial for alcohol and substance abuse recovery, as it can help improve social skills, cognitive thinking and dependence. Exercise can even improve brain function in the elderly and help stave off dementia.

With the mounting evidence that exercise has a positive impact on many of the body's systems, engaging in physical fitness to promote healthy mental function is a smart move. Even light exercise such as walking or stretching offers a myriad of benefits. Exercising for 30 minutes, 3 times a week is recommended to maintain healthy brain function and may relieve symptoms of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. So get movin!

Helpful Tips For Recovering From Depression

Many people still do not think that depression is a disease. As many times as it has been scientifically proven, there are still those that think that it is a sign of weakness; if fact, those that struggle with depression are some of the strongest people out there. Depression is a combination of life circumstances as well as a chemical imbalance in the brain. There are ways to help you while recovering from depression, and these ways are definitely worth taking a look at and at least trying.

Recovering from depression is one of the hardest things that you will go through in your lifetime, but it is possible, and there is light at the end of the tunnel for you. People suffering from depression have a hard time even caring about things. Therefore, making the decision to make an effort to get better, is quite a hard one.

The issue with recovering from depression is that it is definitely not something that can me done overnight. This depression did not start all of a sudden, and you will not be recovering from depression all of a sudden. Things like this take time, and you have to be willing to give yourself the time to get better.

Make sure that you have the support that you need from others that understand what you are going through. Counselors are a wonderful resource for those recovering from depression. Keeping a strong line of support is crucial when recovering from depression. You will have times that you don't want to try anymore, and you don't want to get out of bed; but you need someone there to help get you out of that bed, and get you back on the right track.

Keeping yourself motivated is also very important. There are many inspirational books that are available for such motivation. There are also books that offer daily inspirational sayings and thoughts that can help you get through those days that you don't want to go on.

Recovering from depression is a hard road to travel. Know that in the beginning, and make sure that you are prepared for what is to come. You have to stay focused and motivated. Keeping your support system as strong as possible is so important, that without it, your chances of recovering from depression are much lower than the chances of those that are prepared and have lined out a strong support system.

Depression is definitely a disease, and one that cannot be helped. When the depression starts to affect your life, it is time to see a professional. By no means feel like you are weak for using any help that you can find. This makes you strong, not weak. Recovering from depression is not exactly the easiest thing in the world. It will take time, patience, and understanding within yourself. Know always that there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep trucking toward it and continue recovering from depression, no matter how hard it gets at times.

Mental Illness - A Problem With the Gut

Modern medicine generally considers mental illness to be a brain condition treatable with drug therapies. It is becoming more apparent that the problem with mental illness lies not in the brain but with an organ far removed from the brain, commonly referred to as the gut. Noteworthy is the fact that Hippocrates (469-370 BC) stated that "All diseases begin in the gut." More recently, Dr. Phillipe Pinel, father of modern psychiatry stated,

"The primary seat of insanity lies generally in the region of the stomach and intestines."

Other researchers have more recently endorsed this principle by contributing to a growing body of evidence suggesting a very strong link between various types of mental disorders and diseases of the intestines. These disorders include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, autism, and ADD/ADHD. When gut diseases are resolved or at least minimized, mental illness symptoms often completely disappear or are at least diminished.

Since the breakthrough studies of Dr Barry Marshall who discovered that ulcers were caused by a bacterial infection of the stomach, there has been speculation that other gut diseases such as Diverticulitis, Crohn's Disease and IBS could perhaps also be caused by an infectious agent. These types of diseases can often occur in the very young and go undetected or even undiagnosed for years resulting in chronic inflammation of the gut and lack of absorption of vital nutrients in the body.

Other factors may also be involved in poor absorption. These include allergies and autoimmune responses, both of which can develop with continued unchecked inflammation of the bowel. Whatever the causes, it is this lack of absorption of essential nutrients required for the brain to function normally that can lead to mental disturbances.

What are these essential nutrients? The B vitamin complex, especially B6 and B12,. Vitamins C and E are essential, and a number of trace minerals including magnesium, zinc, and iron have been shown to be important. In fact, Dr. Bruce Ames of the University of California, Berkeley has shown that a deficiency of these essential nutrients in the body can cause mutations and lead to degenerative diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Although a resolution of the gut disease issue is still ongoing, often a reversal of mental illness symptoms can occur with proper supplementation of essential nutrients that the brain lacks because of poor absorption. This reversal can occur even in individuals who have suffered chronically from mental disorders.