Fight Depression Daily - 5 Ways to Fight Depression Naturally

I refer to depression as the black hole. Even if you are no longer in the hole, you still know it's there. And, you know something could still bring you back to it. Scary feeling. You don't have to live in fear, however. You can live again.

I have found 5 daily steps that have given me my life back!

They aren't that hard to do. It's just easy not to do them!

1. Get enough sleep. Come on, we all know this. We just don't do it! It needs to be consistent. If you decide your bedtime needs to be 10, go to bed at 10! That doesn't mean you can go to bed at 9 tonight, 11 tomorrow and it all washes out. We don't catch up.

2. Do something for someone else. This may sound silly but when you are doing something for someone else, you can not be consumed on your own problems. It may be as small as mailing a card to someone who is going through some hard times or even getting involved in a charity. It can really change your perspective.

3. Read 10 pages of a good book a day. No, I don't mean Twilight. This is something I started recently and it really has an effect on your day. I recommend you read in the morning, while it is still quiet. This can set the tone for your day. When you are improving your mind, you are changing your life.

4. Exercise! I mean a good sweat! This can really make you feel alive. Many think that exercising 3-4 times a week is enough. While this is good, 6 times a week is much better. Don't let that overwhelm you. This is actually going to help you feel better. When you workout your body releases endorphins, a chemical reaction to exercise, which makes you feel good! It's amazing that our bodies are equipped to help us fight this disease! We just have to take advantage of it!

5. Nutrition. This is one of the most important, and overlooked, of the 5 steps. Without good foods, we struggle with mental clarity. This does not mean just counting calories. There are plenty of things you can eat that do not provide you with nutrition. Often we over think this process. Just ask yourself, "is this going to add value to my body?". This one question can change the way you think about food.

Common Causes And Symptoms of Depression in Women

Depression is a mental disorder that can hamper everything in a person's life, right from relationships to family life to career. Depression is a serious problem nowadays. The increasing work pressures and the daily stress levels can have negative impacts on human beings. Women are in most cases more prone to depression than men. According to studies, about 20% of women versus 12% of men will suffer from a major depression during their lifetime. Let's take a closer look at the most common causes and symptoms of depression in women.

There can be various causes of depression in women which differ from the causes of depression in men and thus also have a different pattern of symptoms. Depression can be caused by certain natural causes such as the reproductive hormones or even social pressure and increased stress levels. The reason for depression amongst women can also be as trivial as weight gain. Different women react differently to stress factors and if one is well aware of these factors, dealing with depression becomes much easier.

The following are symptoms of depression in women:

• Mood swings and a sad mood

• Irritability or a bad temper

• Lack of interest or enjoyment in activities that once gave you pleasure

• A sense of hopelessness or worthlessness

• Negative thoughts

• Suicidal thoughts

• Lack of sleep, over sleeping, or complete insomnia

• Loss of appetite or drastic changes in one's weight

• Lack of concentration

• Energy loss and fatigue

• Drowsiness

• Lack of sexual interest

• No interest in socializing

• Difficulty in remembering things, or even while making decisions

• Constant physical symptoms which fail to respond to any kind of treatment. These include frequent headaches, digestive disorders, or even chronic pain

A number of theories have been put forward by various people in order to explain why the frequency of depression is greater in women than in men. Biological changes are one of the major reasons. Women go through a number of biological changes. These include the beginning of the menstruation cycles, pregnancy and postpartum as well as menopause. During their menses, they have a hormonal metamorphosis on a monthly basis which brings mood swings. The menstruation cycle can play a monumental part in the problems of depression among women.

Girls who enter puberty go through a lot of hormonal changes and thus are more prone to the problems of depression than boys. The menses are a period in which girls are susceptible to internal as well as external conflicts and pressures.

Postpartum depression usually affects a lot of women. The ratio is as much as one woman amongst at least four first time mothers. Menopause also brings with it bouts of depression episodes. The menopausal phase makes women more susceptible to depression compared to men.

The premenstrual syndrome also leaves women open to depression. This syndrome can actually itself be a form of depression amongst women. And it is interesting to know that the symptoms of this syndrome are quite similar to the symptoms of depression. But however, in some cases it needs to be kept in mind that some women who might be under the impression that they are suffering from the premenstrual syndrome, might actually be suffering from depression. If the symptoms that have been mentioned above are seen on a regular basis every month, it is always advisable that the woman consults a psychiatrist in order to eliminate the possibility of experiencing depression.

Studies have also shown that because of social pressure, women may have a degraded sense of their self-worth compared to their male counterparts. The workplace may be full of discrimination in different ways such as lower pay, hiring or also promotion. All this added to household responsibilities and taking care of the children elevates stress to very high levels. Women usually need to adjust at each and every step in their life in order to make everything work smoothly.

These are possibly the major factors that add up to the prevalence of depression amongst women. As soon as the symptoms of depression are spotted it is always better to start some kind of therapy before the problems increase. The most common and effective treatments for depression include psychotherapy as well as antidepressant medications.

Treating Depression - Facts, Figures, and Solutions

Let's face it periodic bouts of depression are terrible. Living with depression is even worse. There will be over 130 million people who wake up depressed today most of which will be trying to figure out what to do about it. Statically, more than half of the people who are in need of treatment for depression will not seek help. One large study on depression conducted in the United States found that only 37 percent of those struggling with depression sought help within the first year and the average length of time waited before seeking treatment was an incredible eight years.

The most common conventional way of treating depression are the widely prescribed antidepressant medications known as SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which include recognizable names such as Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, and Celexa. Other names you might recognize are Wellbutrin, Serzone, and Remeron. According to Dr. Jeffrey Wood the antidepressants listed above, and others like them, need to taken regularly for six to eight weeks before the benefits will start to be recognized, and all of the medications in this category produce a wide range of potentially serious side effects.

Due to inherent risks of treating depression with antidepressant medications many people will choose to forego these drugs in favor of psychotherapy as an alternative. What might come as a surprise to most people is that research seems to suggest that psychotherapy is just as effective as antidepressant medications without the side effect risks. Additionally, many natural health minded individuals how found the combination of psychotherapy combined with homeopathic or herbal remedies for depression to be a powerful one two punch for treating depression effectively.

Psychotherapies often suggested for depression are cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, brief psychodynamic therapy, couples therapy, and family therapy. There are others as well so be sure and check with your medical professional for additional possibilities.

While I am big believer in therapists in general from a layman's point of view it is difficult for me to understand how extreme ways of treating depression such as electroshock therapy can be of benefit. My brother had electroshock and as far as I am concerned it did irreversible damage to both his personality and the way he views the world. The bottom line as far as I am concerned is if you are thinking about electroshock (ECT) think long and hard and get more than one professional opinion before considering this extreme therapy.

Other people have found relief with the help of alternative treatments. For example, many of those suffering from a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder have found help in a form of treatment known as light therapy (daily exposure to sunlight or special sun lamps).

Homeopathic or herbal depression remedies seems to be quite effective and can be used in combination with many other alternative treatment options.

Exercise can also be produce good results. On study consisting of 156 adults over the age of 50 compared the use of antidepressant medications with participation in an exercise regimen. At the end of the study both treatments produced equally good results. Perhaps the part of the study that was most interesting to me was that ten months after the study had concluded volunteers in the exercise group had less of a chance of relapsing into depression, especially if they had continued with their exercise program.

In conclusion, there are no easy answers when it comes to treating depression with no one treatment being foolproof. Additionally, when feeling depressed talking through your concerns with close friends and family is an important part of recovery. If you are elderly and are in need of a geriatric psychiatrist to help you work through your depression call the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry at (301) 654-7850.

Clinical Depression: Not Just The Blues

Is Clinical Depression Just Sadness?

Sometimes people get the blues. There is usually the a feeling of misery, anergia, intolerance to sounds, thinking process that's extraordinarily slow, anxiety, closing other people out and desires to stay in your bed, but in spite of these she or he still continues with the normal schedule even if everyone notices the frustration of the person. During this time period we can hear her / him say "I'm depressed" however this would only continue for just a few days. Periods such as these would be the time when an individual can experience a down time which is a quite typical condition. This is just plainly having a unhealthy day but not depression.

Clinical depression can last for 2 weeks or more with conditions like sleeping more than 10 hours on a daily basis or under four hours, feelings of worthlessness or shame, irritability, sudden mood changes, weight reduction, changes in hunger and repeating thought processes of committing suicide or dying. These symptoms must be found day to day in two weeks which affects her or his social routines and interactions. People who are at risk for this condition are usually those that have low self-esteem, has concern with failing, unsuccessful romantic relationships, money worries, re-entry to organizations like school or work. Through these times anxiety levels will likely be high, without an outlet and appropriate support system the situation could be damaging. Constant monitoring and psychological guidance will be a wonderful help.

Other Ways to Treat Clinical Depression Symptoms

They say hormonal changes in people who have disorders in their endocrine system and folks that have lacking neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine are also in danger of clinical depression. Individuals who have increased Hypothyroid Stimulating Hormone is suffering from Hyperthyroidism. People who have this are usually irritable, sensitive to heat and noise and prone to depressive disorders unless given medications in order to control the activity of the hypothyroid thereby, depression can also be managed.

Serotonin which is a precursor of tryptophan is responsible for sleep, state of mind and appetite. Therefore most milk drinkers are generally jolly folks due to the fact tryptophan is present inside milk. Norepinephrine on the other hand is actually both a hormone as well as a neurotransmitter. It's usually known as the stress hormone. Once the body's in anxiety the brain produces Norephinephrine. Both Serotonin and Norepinephrine are employed to handle mood issues. People who lack these chemicals may take a hit from clinical depression. A very sensitive state of mind that could lead to a loss of a loved one.

Can Clinical Depression Cause Suicide?

Clinical depression is responsible for many other symptoms and conditions that can disable someone's everyday life. This condition is often responsible for the sadness that many Americans feel as well as many other mental conditions that make up depression. One of the most dangerous symptoms within clinical depression is suicide. You may think sadness can't kill someone but clinical depression may very well cause someone to commit suicide, or at least have a much higher risk of committing suicide.

To increase your awareness level of suicide within depression patients, we will be reviewing actual statistics of suicide rates here in the United States.

Around 6 to 12% of the United States population go through depression at some stage within their lives. So it should be surprising that suicide takes about 32,000 lives each year here in the United States of America. Which makes suicide the eighth leading cause of morality in the United States. Many people that have mental disorders such as clinical depression have died from committing suicide, of these people about 90% of them had such mental disorders. So you should be able to understand that the more unstable a person's mind or mental abilities the more that can lead to suicidal behaviors. In such, those that have mental conditions should not do any type of drugs or have substance abuse problems. As substances that normally cause an elevation in mood may provoke a negative effect which can cause suicidal behaviors in someone that has something such as depression.

Patients that go through adverse and dramatic life events may have a higher risk of suicide, especially if they have a condition such as clinical depression. However, suicide is not a normal response to stress!

There are many risk factors that involve suicide which you should be aware of:

Please keep in mind these risk factors for suicide apply both to clinical depression and other mental conditions. Patients that have attempted suicide in the past may have a higher chance of committing suicide again, violence within the family may also provoke suicide, family history of suicide can be passed on to later generations, being in jail or in constant incarceration can provoke suicidal tendencies, having firearms and other weapons in the house can provoke suicide, experiencing extreme pain or illness can provoke suicidal thoughts. These are just a sampling of the risk factors for suicide, so please keep in mind there are many other risk factors that you may take notice of in the real world.

Too Much Undeserved Self-Praise Can Lead To Depression

Too Much Undeserved Self-Praise Can Lead To Depression

People who try to boost their self-esteem by telling themselves they've done a great job when they haven't could end up feeling dejected instead, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

High and low performers felt fine when they assessed themselves accurately, probably because the high performers recognized their strengths and low performers acknowledged their weaknesses and could try to improve their future performance, according to a study in the October issue of the APA journal Emotion.

"These findings challenge the popular notion that self-enhancement and providing positive performance feedback to low performers is beneficial to emotional health. Instead, our results underscore the emotional benefits of accurate self-assessments and performance feedback," said lead author Young-Hoon Kim, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania.

. The study involved experiments with four different groups of young people from the United States and Hong Kong. Three U.S. groups totaled 295 college undergraduates, with 186 women and a mean age of 19, and one Hong Kong group consisted of 2,780 high school students, with 939 girls, from four different schools and across grades 7-12.

In the first two experiments, one of the U.S. groups and the Hong Kong students took academic tests and were asked to rate and compare their own performances with other students at their schools. Following their assessments, all the participants completed another widely used questionnaire to assess symptoms of depression.

In the third and fourth experiments, researchers evaluated the other two sets of U.S. undergraduates with feedback exercises that made high performers think their performance was low and low performers think their performance was high. Control groups participated in both and received their scores with no feedback.

Across all the studies, results showed that those who rated their own performance as much higher than it actually was were significantly more likely to feel dejected. "Distress following excessive self-praise is likely to occur when a person's inadequacy is exposed, and because inaccurate self-assessments can prevent self-improvement," said co-author Chi-Yue Chiu, of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

The results also revealed cross-cultural differences that support past findings that Asians are more humble than Americans. The U.S. undergraduates had a higher mean response when rating their performance than the Hong Kong students, at 63 percent compared to 49 percent, the researchers found. Still, they found that excessive self-enhancement was related to depression for both cultures.

Article: "Emotional Costs of Inaccurate Self-Assessments: Both Self-Effacement and Self-Enhancement Can Lead to Dejection," Young-Hoon Kim, PhD, University of Pennsylvania; Chi-Yue Chiu, PhD, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Emotion, Vol. 11, Issue 5.

Additional

References

Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

Smoking Cannabis Increases The Risk Of Depression In The Case Of Genetic Vulnerability

Smoking Cannabis Increases The Risk Of Depression In The Case Of Genetic Vulnerability

Young people who are genetically vulnerable to depression should be extra careful about using cannabis: smoking cannabis leads to an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms. This has emerged from research carried out by Roy Otten at the Behavioural Science Institute of Radboud University Nijmegen that is published in the online version of the scientific journal Addiction Biology. Two-thirds of the population have the gene variant that makes one sensitive to depression.

Many young people in the Netherlands use cannabis. Nearly 30% of 16-year-olds indicate that they have used cannabis on at least one occasion, and 12% that they have used it during the past month. Besides worse performances at school, the use of cannabis also increases the risk of developing schizophrenia and psychosis. Smoking hashish and weed were thought to increase the risk of depression but no conclusive evidence for this was available to date. Otten suspects that this is partly because his predecessors failed to consider the individual genetic vulnerability to depression.

Long-term study

Over a five-year period, data were collected from 428 families and their two adolescent children. Each year the children answered questions on topics such as their behaviour and depressive symptoms. The variant of the serontonin gene (5-HTT) responsible for increased vulnerability to developing depression was also determined. In young people with a special variant of the gene, cannabis use led to an increase of depressive symptoms.

Robust effect

'The effect is robust. It still remains, even if you take into account a series of other variables that could cause the effect, such as smoking behaviour, alcohol use, upbringing, personality and socio- economic status. Some people might think that young people with a disposition for depression would start smoking cannabis as a form of self-medication, and that the presence of depressive symptoms is therefore the cause of cannabis use. However, in the longer term that is definitely not the case. Although the immediate effect of cannabis may be pleasant and cause a feeling of euphoria, in the longer term we observe that cannabis use leads to an increase in depressive symptoms in young people with this specific genotype.'

Knowing what the negative effects of cannabis use could be is important because although cannabis may cause an immediate euphoric feeling, for a large group in the population its use can lead to an increase of depressive symptoms in the longer term.

Additional

References

Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

Depression And Anxiety Suffered For The First Time In Middle-Age Where There Is No External Reason

John could not fathom what was wrong. He and his wife were comfortably well off and had got the house as they wanted it. He had always been a confident person. Outwardly in their lives nothing much had changed.

But, now for the first time he was getting low moods and experiencing unease with no obvious reasons. These feelings were sapping his self-esteem. He found himself voicing self-doubt and uncertainty about where he was going in life; questioning his lifestyle, his career and even his marriage. He felt he had been drifting along no longer with any sense of direction. He had lost touch with the ambitions that he had once had.

Life may have become less hectic. But this had meant there had been opportunity for him to hear his inner self telling him things he did not want to hear; that being pre-occupied with paying the mortgage, keeping senior managers happy and cutting the lawn at home plus all the other work he had done on the house, was not really what life is truly about. He needed to let go of the old and do things differently.

The process of self-discovery is not uncommon especially in middle age when there is less pre-occupation with the normal hurdles of early adulthood. Anyone might also become exposed to their own complacency, noticing an attitude of smugness and self-satisfaction that previously lay hidden, appreciating the mixed motives often behind what they do. They start to notice a real self lurking within the persona they had been living.

John started to see that some of the things he had done had stemmed from a self-centred orientation whilst in his own eyes he had been acting in a worthwhile way. He was beginning to grasp the extent he had been living in a fool's paradise. No wonder his confidence was reducing and sense of contentment becoming elusive.

I believe the inner crisis is there for a reason. It is prompting an honest self-appraisal of what we are deep down.

"Count your rectitude as foolishness, know your cleverness to be stupidity"
(Lao Tse Tao Teb King, xiv. Taoist tradition)

Despite a spiritual awakening, we can resist new insight and turn back to the darkness that once enveloped us. Often the outward appearance of everything we encounter continues to seduce us. This can show in smug self-justification of established patterns of behaviour as if a radical response to the inner crisis were not needed.

We might find ourselves thinking, `No matter what the current economic climate, I'm too astute and knowledgeable a person to go under.' Or `No matter what my weakness for sexual excitement might be I'm too good and worthy a provider, and family carer to be rejected by my partner.'

But, if instead we were honest with ourselves, would we no longer need to make up excuses? If we are genuine with others is it not less draining than constantly trying to hide our true selves from them?

My belief is that only by an authentic relationship with others, with whatever notion of God we hold, and with ourselves, can we hope to stop self-deception.
In line with this spiritual philosophy, those of us with a deep trust in a higher truth about life and the provision of a spiritual destiny, are never likely to lose hope, whatever in life threatens us. The spirit of truth and love lives on. However, such faith does lead to consequences. For there can be no new birth without some pain - there is no letting go of former things without some pain of loss.

"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
(John 3:3)

Copyright 2011 Stephen Russell-Lacy

Having Bouts of Depression? Try Adding Omega 3 to Your Diet

Are you suffering from depression? Not due to the drop in the stock market indices or some other trivial problem, I am talking about the type of depression that leads to unstable behaviour, mood swings, and other serious results.

It has been found that our western diet could possibly be contributing to these bouts of depression. We consume too much of omega 6 and very less of omega 3. Did you know that in countries such as Japan and Iceland they have very few cases of depression? The difference is, that their diet contains more of fish as compared to the westerners. In Japan the people eat about 147 pounds of fish a year and in Iceland they eat about 225 pounds. I know that is far more fish than I could eat. Could our high intake of the omega 6 fatty acids and a very low intake of omega 3 fatty acids be contributing to our depression?

Blood tests were performed on the people showing signs of depression. It was discovered that people with a higher content of omega 6 in their blood as compared to omega 3 appeared to be experiencing more depression. It is also a fact that people suffering from depression tend to be careless about eating balanced diet resulting in even lower amount of omega 3. Studies have shown good results when omega 3 has been added to their diet. Participants who added it to their diet showed less mood swings and stress. The end result, their depression eases.

You don't need to take an overdose to get these results. Taking as little as 1 to 2 grams a day of omega 3 by supplements is quite sufficient. You can also get your omega 3 by eating fish twice a week. It should be cold water fish and the best amongst them is salmon. If you are pregnant or worried about the possible mercury content or other toxins in fish, then you can take supplements. Flax seeds and fish oil are the two very good options for the supplements that you can take. Both of them can be found at your pharmacy or in a health food store.

Don't take depression lightly. It's a very serious problem. We are not saying that proper amounts of omega 3 in your diet will cure it. You should still be under a doctor's care and taking medicines they have prescribed to you. Adding omega 3 as an additional preventive measure will help these medicines work better.

If you are not suffering from depression, then adding proper amounts of omega 3 to your diet may help keep you from developing it.

Depression And Anxiety Suffered For The First Time In Middle-Age Where There Is No External Reason

John could not fathom what was wrong. He and his wife were comfortably well off and had got the house as they wanted it. He had always been a confident person. Outwardly in their lives nothing much had changed.

But, now for the first time he was getting low moods and experiencing unease with no obvious reasons. These feelings were sapping his self-esteem. He found himself voicing self-doubt and uncertainty about where he was going in life; questioning his lifestyle, his career and even his marriage. He felt he had been drifting along no longer with any sense of direction. He had lost touch with the ambitions that he had once had.

Life may have become less hectic. But this had meant there had been opportunity for him to hear his inner self telling him things he did not want to hear; that being pre-occupied with paying the mortgage, keeping senior managers happy and cutting the lawn at home plus all the other work he had done on the house, was not really what life is truly about. He needed to let go of the old and do things differently.

The process of self-discovery is not uncommon especially in middle age when there is less pre-occupation with the normal hurdles of early adulthood. Anyone might also become exposed to their own complacency, noticing an attitude of smugness and self-satisfaction that previously lay hidden, appreciating the mixed motives often behind what they do. They start to notice a real self lurking within the persona they had been living.

John started to see that some of the things he had done had stemmed from a self-centred orientation whilst in his own eyes he had been acting in a worthwhile way. He was beginning to grasp the extent he had been living in a fool's paradise. No wonder his confidence was reducing and sense of contentment becoming elusive.

I believe the inner crisis is there for a reason. It is prompting an honest self-appraisal of what we are deep down.

"Count your rectitude as foolishness, know your cleverness to be stupidity"
(Lao Tse Tao Teb King, xiv. Taoist tradition)

Despite a spiritual awakening, we can resist new insight and turn back to the darkness that once enveloped us. Often the outward appearance of everything we encounter continues to seduce us. This can show in smug self-justification of established patterns of behaviour as if a radical response to the inner crisis were not needed.

We might find ourselves thinking, `No matter what the current economic climate, I'm too astute and knowledgeable a person to go under.' Or `No matter what my weakness for sexual excitement might be I'm too good and worthy a provider, and family carer to be rejected by my partner.'

But, if instead we were honest with ourselves, would we no longer need to make up excuses? If we are genuine with others is it not less draining than constantly trying to hide our true selves from them?

My belief is that only by an authentic relationship with others, with whatever notion of God we hold, and with ourselves, can we hope to stop self-deception.
In line with this spiritual philosophy, those of us with a deep trust in a higher truth about life and the provision of a spiritual destiny, are never likely to lose hope, whatever in life threatens us. The spirit of truth and love lives on. However, such faith does lead to consequences. For there can be no new birth without some pain - there is no letting go of former things without some pain of loss.

"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
(John 3:3)

Copyright 2011 Stephen Russell-Lacy

What Are the Symptoms to Be Watched for to Determine If You Are Suffering From Depression?

"I'm depressed." Does this statement sound familiar to you?

The word "depressed" became the generic term used by people in the society referring to their feelings when they are upset or sad. However, the symptoms of depression are more serious than merely feeling blue. In fact, depression can intensely impair the daily functions of an individual affecting the physical, emotional and mental aspect of the person. Worst of all, depression is indeed fatal.

The following questions may serve as guide to determine whether you are really suffering from depression. An affirmative answer to every question is equivalent to one positive symptom of depression.

Have you unintentionally lose or gain at least 5% of your weight?

A depressed individual may experience alteration in his/her eating pattern. The person may immensely lose appetite. Thus, a sudden decrease in his/her body weight would be evident. Otherwise, a depressed person may overeat as well. Overeating becomes his/her coping mechanism towards stressful situations.

Are you experiencing insomnia or hypersomnia?

Difficulty of sleeping or insomnia is one of the symptoms of depression. Usually, a depressed person over thinks about the stressful situation or event, keeping him/her awake throughout sleeping hours. On the other hand, depression might also make the person over sleep during waking hours. This serves as the person's escape from facing the distress he/she is experiencing.

Are you always feeling tired or fatigued?

People suffering from depression always feel tired or fatigued in any activities including those which they previously enjoy. They have lack of motivation or energy to socialize and even perform their favourite leisure pursuit.

Are you feeling worthless or excessively guilty about something?

Depressed persons generally feel that they are insignificant to others. They feel worthless and useless. They feel guilty about all the misfortunes in life they are experiencing. They keep on blaming themselves for everything.

Are you having difficulty concentrating, making decisions or remembering details?

Depression usually makes a person preoccupied with the distressing situation. As a result, the person would experience impairment in decision-making and remembering details. In like manner, a depressed person loses focus on whatever he/she does.

Are you having suicidal thoughts?

Having suicidal thoughts is the most dangerous aspect of depression. If this symptom would not be cleared out from the system of the depressed person, there is a very high percentage that the person might end up committing suicide.

If your answer is yes to at least more than one of the questions above, you might really be experiencing depression. To top it all, you must be suffering from the symptoms about two weeks or more to confirm that you are really depressed.

However, the most authorized person to diagnose depression are professionals on the medical field or mental health experts. Therefore, depression is not an illness anyone can just claim any moment when someone is experiencing the symptoms discussed earlier. On the other hand, every person troubled by the aforementioned symptoms must really seek for medical attention. Besides, there is nothing erroneous with being cautious about one's health.

Natural Help for Depression: Herbs, Supplements and Therapies

Depression is increasingly common, and a growing number of people in the Western world are taking anti-depressant medication. Many herbs and supplements offer natural help for depression, but how do you know which ones are effective and safe?

There are also many therapies that can be used as self help for depression even if you are taking medication.

St. John's Wort

Depression is a more serious condition than "just feeling a bit down". At its worst it can be a debilitating illness. Depression is usually divided into mild, moderate and severe. Although severe depression usually needs medical treatment and often also psychotherapy, there is a growing interest in natural help for depression.

Probably the most common herb used to treat depression is St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum). It is widely used in Europe especially for mild or moderate depression, although in the US this herb is classified as a dietary supplement.

Some studies have reported that St. John's Wort is more efficient than a placebo and as effective as tricyclic antidepressants when used in the short term to treat mild to moderate depression. St. John's Wort is also often suggested for SAD, seasonal affective disorder. This wintertime condition affects mainly people who live in areas that get little winter sunlight.

However, in some studies the herb has not been found effective for major depression. Because it can interfere with some prescription medications, you should consult your doctor before starting to take this herb. The quality of the supplement is also important, as there are many over-the-counter herbal products that have fairly low levels of hypericin (the active ingredient) and are not as effective as the higher quality supplements.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Good nutrition is important when you are suffering from any illness and there are some nutrients that are especially important for depressed people. Omega-3 fatty acids are so-called "healthy fats" that the body uses for many functions, including maintaining the nervous system.

Many studies also connect them with mood and emotional health. Omega-3 can be found in oily fish, some seeds and nuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. It is also available in supplement form.

Many therapies can be used as self help for depression and they can often complement medical care. Many of them are safe to use even if you are taking prescription anti-depressants. These complementary therapies are not intended to replace medical care, but are safe to use to relieve symptoms in depressed people.

Some common therapies to use as self help for depression include yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, acupuncture, massage and aromatherapy.

Herbs and supplements can provide natural help for depression without the side-effects of many anti-depressant medicines.

However, alternative or complementary treatments and supplements are not monitored and tested with the same strict methods as medical drugs. Some herbs can sometimes interfere with certain medicines. It is important that you talk to your doctor before taking alternative remedies to make sure it is safe to take them, especially if you are on anti-depressant medications already.

Natural Cures - For Depression

The common scientifically recognized treatment for depression are antidepressant and psychotherapy. People who are suffering from mild to severe depression are often recommended psychotherapy or antidepressant, or both. Antidepressant though have worked for many people and still works, it comes with a lot of side effects and as a result many people are now looking for natural cures for depression or alternative treatment where they are sure side effects will be limited or eliminated. Some people with depression moderate to severe have benefited greatly from alternative treatment or therapy. But know that there is no evidence to this fact.

Alternative or complimentary treatment is an health treatment that is not classified as standard western medical practice.

Natural cures for depression work by increasing relaxation, and relaxation helps relieve a person of depression symptoms. And also help a person cope with the causes of depression such as anxiety, grief, roles changing and also physical pain.

There are different kind of alternative therapies and it ranges from diet and exercise to mental conditioning, and lifestyle changes. I will be discussing some of these natural cure approaches below.

Herbal remedies

There are different types of herbal remedies that are used to treat different illness but the ones most popular for the treatment of depression are: St. John's wort and Ginkgo biloba. In other parts of the world St. John's wort has been used medically for thousand of years and well accepted as an effective treatment option for depression.

Meditation

Meditation also described as an altered state of consciousness is a form of relaxation. While the mind is at rest, you focus on just one thought for at least 10 minutes each day, clearing your mind of every other thoughts. Other relaxation techniques you can use along side meditation are: progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery or music therapy.

Massage

Massage is among the available touch therapies. Touch therapies use touch to provide relaxation. These types of therapies work on the principle that the mood and body are interconnected and the physical health and emotional well being are closely linked. All types of massage are based on this principle including shiatsu, neuromuscular therapy, spinal release therapy, and so on. The belief is that when the body is relaxed, the mind contribute to better health, and with better health, there is less depression and overall well - being.

Exercise

There are different forms of exercise and they help in lowering stress, make you feel relax and less depressed. Exercise has other benefits for those who are depressed such as increasing their energy level. This makes exercise a generally safe health practice.

Music therapy

Music therapy is like a natural tranquilizer for the human spirit. Personally I find music to be very effective to getting over fear, anxiety, stress, and it can also be an effective way to get over loss if you let it. If you want to enjoy music, listen carefully to the words and find strength in them or simply force yourself to get up and dance to it, you will definitely feel better afterward. Music has so much power over us. To have a music therapy all you need is a CD player or mp3 player with headphones. Then choose the music that matches your need at that point in time. It's better to create a music list. Like I have a list for 'rhythm and blues', 'motivational' 'hip hop' and so on. So that depending on your mood, you can just pick the list appropriate at that time and let it play and carry you away from where you are, and your problems.

Other alternative treatment options for depression that you can look into are:

Acupuncture
Aromatherapy
Biofeedback
Chiropractic treatments
Guided Imagery
Hypnosis
Yoga
Diet
Flower remedies

Taking alternative medicine for depression

Before taking any herbal remedy or starting any natural remedy program for depression, consult your doctor so that he or she can weigh the risks and benefits for you, so you are informed and know exactly what to expect from the process, rather than just jumping into it blindly.

Christians and Depression

Christians are Christlike, they try to understand what the bible standards are, what God requires from them and then structure their principles and standards of life by it just like Jesus Christ did when he was on earth. Christians sacrifice their time and some of the temporary pleasures of this world to serve God well, and it is understandable to wonder why after such effort and sacrifice will God allow a Christian to suffer from depression, such a terrible illness? Some people have turned away from God as a result, and even some of the ones who are still Christians get ridiculed sometimes for claiming to serve God but still suffering from depression. It makes even the strongest in the faith sometimes wonder where is God? Why does he permit so much suffering on his children?

Being a Christian doesn't exempt one from the suffering and pain experienced in the world. The bible never said Christians will be exempted from suffering. In fact as Christians we should not be surprised when bad things happen because Jesus Christ who we try to imitate were persecuted, he suffered and went through pain for doing nothing wrong, talk more of we who are sinners. Moreover as readers of the bible we were already forewarned of the many bad things that will happen as 'signs of the last days' Luke 21:11. The suffering that befall a Christian or even a non Christian is not God's fault, rather they happen for one of three reasons.

As a direct consequence of a person's action.

The influence of Satan and his demons on the world.

Unforeseen occurrence

As a direct consequence of a person's action

Many of the sufferings that befall us humans is caused by us, by actions such as fighting during war that leads to death, crimes that lead to life in prison or sins passed upon children, polluting environments that leads to diseases and natural disaster, greed that lead to imprisonment and death, harmful health habits that can cause various defects and health conditions.

Christians who live their lives according to God's standard are protected from some of these self inflicted pain and Christians who don't are not immune to the consequences of what they do. Galatians 6:7 says: "Do not be misled: God is not to be mocked, for whatever a man is sowing he will also reap". Obeying God's guidelines protects Christians from many calamities, proverbs 1:30-33. But unfortunately not all calamities, Christians sometimes suffer misfortune as a result of other people's mistake, such as environmental pollution and even factors that are not within anyone's control such as hereditary factors.

The influence of Satan and his demons on the world

The bible discloses that much suffering is because of the influence of wicked spirits. the suffering for which so many people blame God does not come from him at all, Revelation 12:12.

Unforeseen Occurrence

Time and unforeseen occurrence also have a bearing to what happens to us. Something bad happening to you not because you were targeted by the devil, or any of your fault but because by chance you were at a place at the wrong time.

Can my Depression be Punishment from God over something I did?

Most of the people who violate godly standards do experience bad effects and sometimes it happens quickly. But does this mean they are being punished by God for the sin they committed? If that were true, what about Jesus Christ who never did wrong but was cruelly mistreated and put to death? And what about Job who lost his possessions and was afflicted with loathsome disease, was God punishing him too?

No. The bible helps us to understand that a time will come when people will be judged according to their deeds, but for now, prosperity should not be viewed as proof of God's blessing nor should adversity be considered proof of his disapproval. Proverbs 2:21,22

Should a true Christian suffer from Depression?

Depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. But your lifestyle choices, relationships and coping skills matters more than genetics. If this is the case, one would expect a Christian to have more hold on depression since he or she is living a life according to bible's standards which allows him or her to have a happy life, one free from life's unnecessary worries and gives them the strength beyond what is normal to cope with life's challenges. And a Christian knows better to face matters head on than to take it personal and let emotions control him or her. But we're imperfect humans, no matter how we try to live our lives according to bible's standards, and fight life's struggles without getting emotional, sometimes we fall short and give into our emotions, but that is okay. You just need to be able to pull yourself up each time you fall short.

Can my Faith in God help me overcome my Depression?

The answer is yes and no, which one will apply to you depends on how you regard faith. Do you simply have faith that God will somehow pull you through your depression without making effort to see that you overcome your depression? If that is the case then, no, your faith can't cure your depression.

But have you been diagnosed to have depression, and you've started taking the treatment you need to get better and making other extra effort and counting on God to bless your treatment and your efforts so that you can get better? Then yes, your faith will help you overcome depression.

The bible in James 2:17 clearly states: "Faith, if it does not have works is dead in itself."

To illustrate: A young man may court a young lady, telling her that he loves her. But if he never asks her to marry him, is he really demonstrating that his love is thorough? Likewise works or actions are a means of demonstrating the genuineness of our faith and our love.

Help for Christians suffering from depression

How to Avoid much Suffering

God does not just leave us by ourselves without a guide. He provided us with the very best counsel on living through the bible, which when applied fills our lives with meaning, results in a happy family life, brings us into close association with people who really love one another and safeguards us against practices that can bring us much needless physical suffering.

As a Christian learn to face your problems head on. Don't take it so personal that you become depressed. There are different ways different people are suffering today, if yours is depression, then quickly reach out to qualified people who can help and start dealing with it. Don't let it linger while you ask yourself why me. Asking the wrong questions doesn't help you, so get the help you need and pray to God to bless your treatment and your efforts to get well.

Draw strength from the many examples in the bible of Christians who faced many problems but were able to cope. Learn how they did it and apply it in your case.

Seek support from a mature Christian member, someone you can confide in and that can help you cope with your illness. A problem shared is half solved, and two good heads are better than one.

Should a Christian take antidepressant?

Of course, if your type of depression requires it. God has allowed mankind to learn about many medical tools that can greatly help people suffering from different health issues. It will be foolish not to avail one's self to them. Remember, you need to give God something to bless. A person who is sick and doesn't take the drug that is required to get well, is like a person who wakes up every morning and prays to God for a better life and then sits down all day doing nothing, even if that person prays for the next 50 years, without taking steps to create that better life, his situation will remain the same.