The Facts About Teenage Depression And How To Recognise The Symptoms

When the word "depression" is mentioned most people associate it with the adult population, a mental health disorder that older men and women suffer from. However this is not the case as the medical research and statistics now show, a growing numbers of teenagers and even younger children are now suffering from this disorder, often without their parents or guardians even knowing about it or suspecting that anything is wrong.

Here are some shocking statistics:

Around 6% of teenagers are suffering with depression, that's 6 youngsters out of every one hundred

Suicide, caused by depression is at number four in the leading causes of death among 10 - 14 year olds

Suicide, caused by depression is the third leading cause of death in teenagers and young people in the 15 - 24 year old group

Research shows that in the past three decades the suicide rate by teenagers has risen by over 300%. A survey of High School students revealed that almost 60% of them had thought about harming or killing themselves and that just under 10% had actually attempted suicide because of feeling so depressed.

While it is normal for a teenager to have "down" days and that nobody feels on top of the world all the time there are some signs to look out for which may signify a more serious condition. If you recognise some of the following signs or symptoms on a daily basis over a prolonged period of time then it should be taken seriously and the help of your family doctor should be sought.

Lethargy - always weary with no energy

Moodiness

Overeating or not eating regular meals

Feeling dejected

Withdrawing from friends or family

Helplessness

Inactivity - when they were always an active person in sport and other out of school activities

Constant worry

There are various treatments for depression in teenagers and younger children. Your doctor will be the best person to decide on the correct course of treatment or he/she may refer you to a specialist in the care of teenagers with depressive disorders. You may be offered therapy in the form of counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy or an anti-depressant medication, quite often a combination of both therapy and medication is used. It is important to catch this disorder as early as possible as the sooner treatment commences the better chance of a full recovery, in severe cases of clinical depression medication may need to be taken on a long term basis.

© Andrew Tudor Jones

Is Depression Necessarily a Bad Thing? Reasons Why Depression Is the Best Defense Mechanism

When the word depression comes up, what do you think about? Most people are automatically going to say it is negative and it deteriorates the mind and body. But, if I said to you, depression is not a bad thing would you believe me? Have your opinion now and at the end of this you can make your judgments. The Mayo Clinic defines depression as: a medical illness that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Depression can cause physical symptoms, too. It affects what you do and feel. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and depression may make you feel as if life isn't worth living. Read the definition once more... OK, good. The definition clearly makes depression sound like a negative. But, it is not and I will prove to you why.

People become depressed for a variety of reasons, most attributing from the loss of somebody or something valuable. Other reasons range from personal losses in sporting events, extreme change and favorite sports teams losing. Some people, if you want to get extreme get depressed because its raining, the sky turned green, or their favorite food is no longer available at Mr. Chotches Food market. There are a wide range of reasons for this. Now read this over once more. Believe me I am getting somewhere, do not worry!

As one of my professors would say, "The human body is the most fascinating invention ever." And the amazing thing is that every body is different, there is not one person that is the same as everyone else. Is it not human to feel a sense of sadness when going through one of those reasons mentioned in the paragraph above? Personally, I have felt depressed a number of times and it does do damage to the body at the time. I believe in the long run people can gain strength from losses, for the changes and for the wide range of little reasons that could possibly cause depression.

The problem is today's world is that we do not try to rectify problems the way they are supposed to be. We resort to the lowest form and that is medication. In order to cure something of this nature we should identify the thing that caused it to happen in the first place. Sometimes when losing a loved one or when something dramatic happens in someone's life there is no cure for it. That is why the human body is so fascinating. The ability to grieve or feel a sense of vulnerability is a main facet in life. We need to experience these events to become stronger, and whether we eventually become healed or not it is a part of life. I do not think we can be considered human if depression is never experienced.

So, have I swayed your opinion on depression being completely negative? If not, that is quite alright, but at least you are a little more educated on depression as a whole. If you have experienced depression and feel stronger because of it that is excellent. The reason we have these defense mechanisms in our body: crying when your sad, sweating when you workout, goosebumps when your cold or frightened. These all have positive outcomes because it allows for a release of energy that cannot be explained. It allows for us to cleanse ourselves and every body needs an emotional cleanse once in a while. And most of all, it proves that you have a heart and are human.

How Do You Overcome Feelings of Depression?

Overcoming feelings of depression is a must, especially if you have a familial history of any kind of mood disorder. Uncontrolled depression can affect your health, as well as your wealth (material and otherwise). Psychotherapy sessions can be very expensive, so can medical treatments designed to treat depression. As much as possible, you would not want depression to come to this point at all.

But overcoming depression can be quite a challenge. Needless to say, here are some of the things I normally do when suddenly attacked by feelings of depression:

Go to an empty room and scream or cry all you want. Feelings of depression can be such that they can have the capacity to make your insides burst. Going to an empty room and screaming your lungs out should be a lot better than lashing out at someone, hurting, or even killing someone. If you are not that vocal or you would rather deal with your depression very quietly, try writing. Get your thoughts down in paper.

Divert your attention to something else. It's easy to forget you are depressed when you are doing something else. Occupy your mind by:

Watching a comedy flick.

Reading a funny story.

Doing house chores.

Play some music. Music is therapeutic, is it not? If you can play any musical instrument, get your hands on it right away. If you don't have that gift, try singing instead, or listening to soft, relaxing music.

Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is also seen as a means of preventing bouts of depression overtime. Health is wealth. Research has it that people who are physically healthy are generally sound in mind and happy as well. Here are some good habits that can count towards reducing depression symptoms or their impact:

Exercising every morning or early evening. You've heard of the importance of exercise far too often already, yet you still may have taken this for granted. Exercising does many wonderful things to your cells. It boosts body metabolism, improves circulation, and reduces your stress levels as well. To keep yourself from getting bored, don't stick to a single routine. Try different types of exercises to keep you motivated, and as much as possible, do the exercises with your best friend.

Getting a bit of sunlight every morning. Sunlight activates the Vitamin D in our skin which appears to be in low levels in individuals having a mild case of depression. Taking Vitamin D3 supplements can also help especially during cold weather when the sun is rarely up and about.

Making wise food choices. Apparently, there are foods that are said to come with the ability to beat depression. Foods that are high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin B and Vitamin C all make wise food choices. Fish oil, walnuts, and flaxseed help not only with depression, but also in proper brain development and function as well as in maintaining a healthy heart. Brown rice is also recommended as it has Thiamin, Niacin, and Folic Acid, three members of the Vitamin B-family that play a critical role in preventing depression symptoms. Being low in sugar, brown rice also prevents mood swings. Cabbage and citrus fruits, being high in Vitamin C, aids in the production of serotonin, that chemical in the brain that is linked with moods.

Taking essential vitamins. Although nothing beats eating whole foods, taking vitamin supplements is still necessary as we cannot always be certain if we are getting the right amounts of vitamins in the foods we eat. The vitamins that are very important in preventing depression are Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D3.

How To Overcome Depression

A lot of people engage in negative thinking either about other people or about themselves. A lot of people hold resentment for years - never letting go of the past. This definitely paints a picture of a person where his past is controlling his present. You must get past this...

What you must do to move forward in your life is to forgive

1) Yourself if you felt you did something bad in the past...
2) Another person for what they have done to you in the past...

You must not let a person, an incident or yourself get in the way of your future. You have a life to live... so live it!

You need to write down the reasons why you want to overcome depression. When the going gets tough, you need to become energized again by the reasons you wrote down. These are your lifeline. Another great technique is to make the reasons bigger than you. Make it about somebody else. A person is far more likely to let themselves down rather than let someone else down.

Another great step to change your emotion is to first change your motion. Change how you move, how you talk, change how you act. All these motions provide certainty and clarity. Change how you move and you will change how you think. Put those shoulders back, walk with certainty and purpose, speak with clarity and watch your life change once more...

Finally I want to discuss something which is very important which is reaching out for help. Again it the reasons that keep you going. First come reasons, then come results. What are your reasons to do this?. Reach out for help and reach out in a way that you want to change. Approach someone you admire and ask them for guidance. Once a mind has embraced a new idea, it can never go back to its old ways. It is imperative that you seek out mentors and coaches who can help you.

They do not necessarily have to be professional. Why not talk to a person you respect first? There is so much power in your tongue (spoken word... ). Words really do move mountains and what you will notice is that your words will become much more positive around positive people. As you speak, so shall you become...

Above all, you can overcome depression but as I have said, it all starts with a decision. Make that decision Today!

How to Pick Yourself Up When You Are Feeling Down

Having low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence can lead to self-destructive behaviors. Reversing these negative emotions and preventing self-destructive behavior can be a lot of hard work. In this article I will share ways to help you feel better when you are down, these negative emotions don't have to rule your life.

Identifying the source of your pain will allow you to have some objectivity to your situation. Low self-esteem is usually rooted from negative experiences early in life. In order for this to work you have to approach this challenge with positive thinking. Of course this is easier said than done but very crucial to alternative depression treatment.

Take care of yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically by eating right, exercising, and using self-development techniques. Be mindful of the things in your life you're grateful for, this is a very effective component of alternative depression treatment. These things don't have to take a huge chunk out of your day, but it will require effort on your part. The best thing to do would be to say a minimum amount of time each day to practicing these techniques. Remember to set realistic expectations when starting out, you have to take things a day at a time but you have to stick with it. It's takes some time and hard work to develop yourself, but very little time at all to ruin your hard work.

Verify facts before acting on assumptions or prematurely jumping to conclusions. Sometimes fear is the main cause of unsupported and unrealistic assumptions. If you have reason to believe someone in your life is behaving a certain way because of something you did, the best way to deal with the situation is a and be straightforward. Also try not to use phrases that are absolute such as "you never come on time", or "You always mess things up". Absolute searches 'never' and 'always' can exaggerate seriousness of the situation. Causes your brain to label people as incapable individuals.

Make it a goal to free your mind negative thoughts, this is proven to be very effective technique in alternative depression treatment. Our actions are directly affected by our thoughts, the negative thoughts cannot control you unless you allow them to. When you attach yourself to these thoughts it only feeds the power they have in your life. If you are someone you love is battling with depression don't be discouraged, there are ways to treat and manage depression.

What Are The Signs and Symptoms of Depression and How Can I Get Help for Depression?

Research has shown that 20 million Americans receive treatment for depression each year. The signs and symptoms of depression can be identified by a long list of characterizations. There are many different types and stages of depression, however being able to identify the beginning signs will be key to getting the help you need for depression.

The signs and symptoms of depression include but are not limited to insomnia, frustration, mood swings, and a loss of appetite. Being able to recognize the symptoms in the early stages of depression will be a benefit to you and your treatment process. There is no one cause for depression this illness can be caused or provoked by other medical conditions as well.

More serious symptoms of depression are irritability in combination with mood swings and frustration. Hopelessness and a pessimistic outlook on life can also be contributed to signs and symptoms of depression. A loss of energy, intense fatigue, tiredness, loss of interest on hobbies and physical appearance are also symptoms of depression. Losing contact with loved ones and associates, basically cutting yourself off from the rest of the world.

Feelings of helplessness and losing your self worth, in some extreme cases even thoughts of suicide can arise. Insomnia is a common symptom, however some individuals may experience the opposite which is excessive sleep. Unexplained weight loss or weigh gain, eating disorders can also develop during this time. These are all the common signs and symptoms of depression listed above, but the list doesn't end here.

When the signs and symptoms of depression are first recognized the most important thing for an individual experiencing these symptoms to do is look within themselves. Although the answers may not be clear you have to try to identify why you are experiencing these feelings, self awareness is key to beating depression. People can do both great things or very horrible things using the power of their minds, it is very important to understand how the mind affects how we live our lives.

Everyone is different and may require different forms of treatment, however one thing is certain depression can not be cured with medication alone. A patient has to make a conscious decision to do what it takes to get better, and changing the way you think is a big part of that. I am not only a scholar of psychology, I am a survivor of this illness and I know what it's like to face this illness head on.

Ways to Help Depression Using Spiritual Wisdom - Keeping the Faith

Contrary to what some people may think success doesn't just fall in your hands. Without action there will be no results, but before you get started you have to at least know what direction you're heading in. There are some important questions you have to ask yourself, this will allow you to have an objective view of where you are currently in your life. When it comes to facing the battle against depression your approach shouldn't be much different than this.

You need to figure out what you really want, asking yourself this question may not prove to be easy but it is necessary. If you don't know what you want it's going to be difficult to put a plan together. Time is the most valuable thing you have, and it is important that you make sure you spend time doing what really matters to you. There is no guarantee the road will be perfectly paved, but you must remain diligent about working towards success.

The way you think affects every aspect of your life, as an individual reaches spiritual maturity they will be able to better understand this. What you believe is possible has everything to do with what you can and will achieve. There are several scriptures that support this statement as faith plays a significant role in success, for Christians the signs and symptoms of depression will surface in a way that is much similar to a spiritual battle. Like spiritual warfare your battle with depression starts in your mind, and getting help for depression requires you to want help.

In my darkest hours I have to know that God is still God, and because He is God He'll do what He said He will do. I can't worry about what it looks like, and I cannot focus on what I feel. Faith is not about what I feel, faith is about knowing and expecting the best when everything around me is at its worst. I am in love with God because of who He is, not because of what I know He can do for me. I can always expect the best from God because there is nothing better than God. John 14:27 says "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid". Often times depression is accompanied by anxiety which is defined loosely as extreme fear.

I am not ashamed to talk about where I have been because it's not going to keep me from getting where I am going. So even in my darkest hours I can find my peace in God...He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I don't know what tomorrow might bring but I know who will help me stand. When the spirit of God moves in me I just can't contain myself, God is bigger than the tallest mountain. He is stronger than any storm,and His love can heal any pain. I have battled with this illness for several years but getting help for depression has empowered me and it does not control my life.

Is Depression Really a Marriage Breaker?

Is a diagnosis of depression in one spouse like a death sentence for your marriage? Many people believe that separation is inevitable when one of the partners succumbs to this malady, but that doesn't have to be the case. It may cause challenges, but if the bond between the couple is strong, then the union should be able to survive. Having a clear understanding of the disease as well as its manifestations and symptoms will help both partners cope. Although depression is one of the leading causes of divorce, there are ways that you can learn to live with and work through the problem.

Depression Is a Disease

Depression is very much a disease and needs to be treated as such. If your partner was stricken with cancer, wouldn't you give them all the support you could? This is the same commitment you need to make to a spouse with depression. You may be facing a great deal of stress and anxiety, so you will need to be tough. But, take heart, in all but the most severe cases, depression can be controlled. It may take awhile to find the rights meds, but eventually things will improve a great deal allowing you both to return to normal. Separation should only be considered if your spouse becomes so seriously depressed that you fear he or she may harm the children.

There's no denying that depression can sever the emotional connection between the partners. It can drive a wedge between you if you allow your spouse's anger and rejection to overcome you or to drive you to seeking comfort from someone else. If your mate has depression, you will need a lot of strength to maintain your marriage. A great deal of negativity is going to come into your relationship, and happiness is going to become a rare occurrence, at least for awhile. Not only that, but you are going to be expected to be strong and supportive, because that's what your spouse is going to need.

Trying to Place Blame Is Lethal for a Marriage

The urge to blame each other for the problems depression has caused within your marriage can be the single-most devastating emotion leading to divorce. Guilt is a natural human emotion, but it's debilitating in that it can make you feel ill-equipped to provide the support your spouse needs so much. In these instances, it's always best to find outside support for yourself be it from a family member, a colleague, or a professional marriage therapist. If you want to keep your marriage together through the hard times, it's almost impossible to do it by yourself. Accept healthy offers of support from those around you so that you, in turn, can be supportive to your spouse.

As an added note, I have suffered with depression for the last 30 years, and my husband has been extremely supportive. We have now been married 35 years.

How Many People Think Depression Is An Illness?

There aren't too many people who think depression is an illness. Well, if you're simply feeling the blues, there really is no need for professional treatment. You can easily cope with this feeling by perhaps diverting your attention, engaging yourself in constructive activities, getting a hobby, taking time out, going shopping, and so on. But depression is of different types, as you know, and if you're struggling with it often or when it already comes to the point when depression causes sleepless nights, eating problems, and impaired relationships, just to name a few, seeking treatment should not be delayed.

Untreated depression can reduce the quality of your life. If you don't want feeling hopeless for the rest of your life, make an appointment with a specialist at the soonest time possible. The earlier you get on in a treatment program, the better for you. It is important that you choose someone who has been specially trained to handle depressed individuals so you can be sure to receive proper counseling. There are many out there who end up feeling more hopeless rather than hopeful because of inappropriate advices supposedly from "experts". You really wouldn't want to be in this kind of situation.

If your depression is at the early stage, yet, there is every reason to be hopeful. Chances are greater that you will be able to cope with your depression without necessarily taking medications yet. Your doctor, more likely, will start you with individual therapy sessions. By doing this, your doctor allows you to be comfortable with the therapy and not feel overwhelmed. Your doctor will help you set realistic goals and accomplish them. He/she will also show you different means, constructive means, that is, of coping with various stressors that contribute to your feelings of depression.

Your doctor may also put you in group therapy sessions where you can communicate and interact with other depressed individuals. The great thing about group therapy sessions is the fact that you are around people who can understand you as they themselves are in the same situation as you are. Group sessions also become avenues for meeting new people and building your social network which may have dwindled as you become socially withdrawn because of your depression.

But whether or not you consider depression as an illness, doing the following will always work to your advantage:

Taking Anti-depression vitamins. Vitamins are not just intended to boost the immune system, apparently; they can also be used to prevent and control depression. Among these vitamins your body needs to help you combat depression and its symptoms are:

Thiamine. It energizes you as it converts blood sugar to energy. It also keeps you from being anxious.

Niacin. Ensuring healthy levels of Niacin keeps depression from progressing to schizophrenia or psychosis.

Pantothenic Acid. It is necessary in regulating hormones and brain chemicals that control fatigue and depression.

Pyridoxine. It is necessary in preventing mood swings.

Folic Acid for DNA synthesis.

Ascorbic Acid. Vitamin C is a natural anti-depressant; it boosts serotonin production.

· Doing meditation or yoga techniques. Meditation relaxes you and helps to create balance between your physical self and your inner self.

· Exercising. Exercising increases your energy levels.

· Making wise food choices. If you are depressed, stay away from foods that are high in sugar content. Although these can make you feel good instantly, the effects are only temporary and come with more consequences to your general health.

· Getting some sunlight. Sunlight activates the Vitamin D under the skin, and Vitamin D, studies reveal, appear to be in low levels in people suffering from depression.

Celebrate Depression - It Is the First Step Towards Our Personal Happiness and Peace of Mind

On first glance the title might seems absolutely ridiculous and can only be made by a deranged person. Depression surely isn't a "happy place" to be in and is a state of mind accompanied by a constant "low" mood and aversion to activities. Depression normally impacts unfavorably on our thoughts, behaviors, feelings, emotions and eventually our physical well-being. It include feelings of sadness, anxiety, emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, irritability or restlessness and emotions such as antagonism, resentment, guilt or bitterness. So... How is it possible that any person in his or her right mind can EVER dare to think that depression could be the beginning of personal happiness and peace of mind?

Bear with me just a little bit. I am not really deranged, I just have a slightly different view on the meaning and purpose of the human experience of depression. And this is why...

I regard depression as the "low fuel warning light of life", similar to the "near empty" warning light on the fuel gauge of a car. Once the "low fuel warning light" lights up, we normally don't ignore the signal and immediately adjust our daily schedule or routine and start looking for the closest filling station to refill the car with petrol. Because, past observations and experiences has taught us, that when we ignore this warning light, we will soon run out of petrol and run the risk to possibly get stuck somewhere really unpleasant. We would rather detour from our present route for a while and "prevent the problem" by filling up in due time.

Another view regarding depression, is that the experience of depression is quite similar to experiencing physical pain. For example, when we are running, bump our toe against a rock and we experience a sudden sharp pain. We normally slow down, stop running and investigate what is wrong. Upon investigating our throbbing toe, perhaps, we discover that it is broken. We then might take the necessary corrective actions and adjust our present running tempo accordingly to avoid further damage to our toe and allow for healing to take place. An unwise decision would be to swallow some painkillers and continue with our relentless pace of running, regardless of our broken toe... then we are sure to cause some serious damage that could have a far reaching consequences in future. Following the latter route, can be just as destructive as turning up the radio to drown the ominous knock in the car's engine. There is a slight change that the knock will "disappear" when ignored, but it is much more likely that we will cease and completely destroy the car's engine, if not attended to in time.

Also, I am aware of and it is know fact that medical sciences and psychiatry, largely blame depression on a chemical imbalance in the brain. However, most of us - to a greater or lesser extent - know that thoughts creates chemical changes in our brain, which are adequately confirmed by plenty of neuroscience studies done in recent years (for more information search neuroscience on Google). This present us with a somewhat different perspective and view on depression.

What was first... the chicken or the egg? Do we experience an imbalanced thought as a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain or does a chemical imbalance in our brain occurs as the natural result of an imbalanced thought pattern? I tend to favor the latter as a more reasonable explanation and understanding of why we experience depression in the first place. Thus, it stand to reason, we must have had an imbalanced thought pattern first, before a chemical imbalance could be reflected in the brain.

And my point is... depression is our "warning light" indicating that we are running dangerously low on "life's petrol" (i.e. happiness) and the "emotional pain" that accompanies depression, is a sure indicator that we have to slow down our frantic pace in life and thoroughly explore our present thought patterns (i.e. beliefs) and views about life. Turning up the "music of medication" will merely "drown" the "pain" for the time being, but unless the cause of depression (i.e. our thoughts) isn't dealt with and put into the proper perspective or context, we are heading for a serious calamity in life.

A word of caution though. Collecting all one's antidepressant medication and suddenly throw it into the nearest dustbin, wouldn't be a very wise move to make either. Keep in mind that depression is an evolving mental state of being. An imbalanced thought creates a chemical imbalance in our brain, which in turns intensify the imbalanced thought, which then further increase the chemical imbalance in our brain and so the unhealthy cycle continues. To suddenly remove antidepressants from the equation, wouldn't restore equilibrium and happiness in our lives and could actually worsen our present depressed state of mind.

A much more sensible strategy would be to use the "support" offered by antidepressants (much like plaster to heel a broken leg) while simultaneously make a serious and genuine effort to adjust our thoughts to a more balanced and contextually sound point of view. Then, as our mind gradually heals, so we will need less and less "support" from antidepressants.

Happiness and peace of mind is within all of us. It is our natural state of being.

Each one of us will - sooner or later - become disillusioned with our mis-perception of happiness. When we think we are going to find happiness outside of ourselves, that somebody or some miraculous event will make us happy, we are setting ourselves up for many depressing disappointments. We may look around us and conclude that others seem to be happy, with a degree, bigger car, fancy house, position as team captain, beauty queen, rugby player,...etc. These people may be motivated by their latest attempt to change their miserable lot in life. It, however, is merely a temporary and relative happiness... relative, because it is dependent on rearranging outer circumstances, something that we have very little control over. All circumstantial expectations, eventually lead to bitter disappointments. We also could not know what real and lasting happiness is, if we didn't already have it... inside of ourselves. Depression is merely a mind-set, accompanied by feeling of loss and hopelessness, that comes into existence when our illusionary understanding of happiness no longer holds up.

The fact that many doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists call this natural personal development step a "disease" of our time, is a dangerous point of view, which frequently cause tremendous mental suffering. Any person (with a little bit of common sense, I might add) will inform you that medication is not a permanent cure and in fact could makes matters worse, especially when continued for a long period of time or being administered at an early age. Plus, it is readily admitted by some "experts", that they do not truly understand the cause of depression and simply attempt to make the "sufferer" feel better, by doping them up to their eyeballs with a variety of legalized drugs.

Experience has indicated that depression is actually one of the easiest human conditions to deal with, no matter how severe it might seem and feels to be. In fact the more severe the experience of depression, the easier it is to help the "sufferer". When a person is at the brink of utter despair and they are ready to give up on life completely, they are also well prepared to let go of imbalanced thoughts and open themselves for innate happiness to shine through once again. The way that we could efficiently deal, treat and heal "depression", is to bring our mis-perceptions to TRUTHS... truths about ourselves, our present circumstances and the context in which we function as unique human beings.

We could surely use the support offered by antidepressants to help "heal" our "broken thoughts", just as we need plaster to help us heal a broken leg. But when we keep our leg in plaster for a prolonged period of time, we loose the natural ability of our leg to effectively support our bodily "weight" during everyday walking. Antidepressants - in the same manner - let us loose control of our thoughts and we are unable to deal with everyday pressures, confrontations and changes in our environment... and we become helpless, hopeless and unhappy within ourselves.

The cure... is actually quite simple! Start to daily exercise and stimulate your mind with uplifting thoughts and different perceptions, just as you would exercise a weak leg to regain its muscle strength and stamina once again. When such an "exercise program" is also complimented with a healthy, balanced diet and a good nights rest, you will be amazed by the results and the progress made to restore happiness and peace of mind.

One final question... Are you still of the opinion that the statement "Celebrate depression... because it is the first step towards our personal happiness and peace of mind", originate from a demented person? Or do you also think... "Thank God for depression and a chance to grow as a human being?"

Effective Alternative Depression Treatment Techniques

If you or someone you care about is battling with depression, I'm sure you know by now this is a process that can take a lot of time. Over 20 million Americans suffer from depression and are currently receiving treatment for depression, and in most cases antidepressant medication is not enough. In order for treatment to be successful alternative depression treatment needs to be included. In this article I will include alternative depression treatment techniques that have been helpful to others.

Clear your mind, it is impossible to focus with a cluttered mind. This is also the time you should get rid of all negative thoughts, a good time to practice is coping technique is right before you go to bed at night and every morning at the start of your day. While some of us have a more active imagination that others, we all have the ability to use some level of imagination. Imagination will be needed for this technique, this will be like draining your mind.

Fill your mind with thoughts that are positive and powerful, uplift yourself without such faith and success. Your mom plays a big role in the treatment for this mental health disorder. You should identify things you thought about in a negative way before, and transform those thoughts into positive thoughts.

It is important to engage in interactions with others that have positive energy flowing, so avoid joining in on any conversation that is focused on a negative perspective about things. If there is the situation you have to be a part of, strive to be the one that continues to speak positively. Take each conversation opportunity to exercise your faith and encouraging nature.

The company you keep will play a major role in remaining positive. It is difficult to remain positive if you are surrounded by people with pessimistic attitudes. This is a fact that many people don't realize, because it's not easy to cut off friends and loved ones that you care about. However you have to do what is best for your health, and every chance you get be sure to share these coping mechanisms with others you think we use them as well.

Anyone who has ever achieved believed in something, faith and meditation is what will keep you grounded. Physical activity and a healthy diet will make you feel better and improve your physical appearance. These techniques are all a part of alternative depression treatment and should be implemented over time as support to your original treatment plan for depression.

Major Depression Treatment - Empowering Yourself Through Communication

Have you ever heard the saying "conversation rules a nation?" I find this statement to be true, most people do not realize the true power in effective communication. Becoming a better communicator can be a great part in your major depression treatment.

Learning is key to self-development, it's natural to be nervous about getting out of your comfort zone. However to achieve success you've never achieved before, you must be willing to do something you've never done. Major depression treatment often involves anxiety treatment as well, facing these fears will allow you to become an effective communicator.

Listening is an important part of communicating, a conversation could not take place without it. Asking questions is a good practice it gives you an opportunity to establish clarity about the things you have trouble understanding. Learning is impossible without listening and comprehending the information that is being relayed. Do not make the mistake of only listening and not engaging in conversation. Listening is a skill that is more rare than you would expect, some people confuse hearing with listening but they aren't the same thing.

Be humble, one thing I learned while getting major depression treatment is that I have to forgive. It isn't realistic to hold people to standards that aren't achievable, we are all human and we all make mistakes. How can I expect someone to forgive me for my mistakes, if I am not willing to forgive others? It is also important to practice humility when speaking to others, confidence is a great attribute but arrogance is its ugly first cousin.

Credibility is established by your actions, words, and sub-conscious behaviors you are unaware of such as eye contact. Making eye contact or failing to make eye contact has different meanings around the world, but in America eye contact something we look for when we communicate with others. This is an effective form of communicating as some individuals have a very difficult time with it. The reason this communication practice is important to major depression treatment, is because many of these individuals have low self-esteem or lack of confidence. Succeeding in this can definitely improve your confidence when communicating with others.

Sense of humor, is one of the most noticeable personality traits. A laugh can always lighten the mood or set the stage for a tension free environment. An important thing to be mindful of is the kind of humor you choose to use, make sure that it is appropriate for the setting and won't be offensive to others.

Feeling Down? Saddle Up

Depression can be debilitating. It can come out of no where and kick you from behind. Knocking you down for the count. Some people can't even manage to get out of bed when they are depressed. Have you suffered from depression before? Most people have been plagued with depression at some point in their life. New research is showing that horses can help lift your mood and get you on the road to recovery.

People with depression often have trouble focusing on the present instead of past/future events. Interestingly, being in the presence of a horse can help with this. Horses are prey animals and their survival depends on reading body language of the herd for potential dangers. When you interact with a horse you join their herd. Quickly they will begin reading your body language. So, if you are agitated, distracted or aggressive the horse will pick up this behavior and mirror it back to you. Instant feedback from the horse will guide your mood and behavior very quickly. A simple thirty minute connection with a horse can change your mood for hours.

This instant connection and having the horse accept you into it's herd can also alleviate many other symptoms of depression such as feeling lonely, isolated and misunderstood. You won't have the exhausting task of explaining anything to anyone or acting in a way you don't feel. Horses accept you for who you are as long as you are calm, peaceful and mindful. This can be comforting to a depression sufferer when it seems impossible to even smile. In addition, being accepted for who you are encourages healing. Horses have an ability to break through emotional walls and melt away facades, leaving you with a feeling of a whole new you!

Just being on the ground and grooming a horse has all of these positive effects but riding is an even better way to battle depression. Riding is physically strenuous for the core of your body. This physical activity wakes your body and will encourage it to release feel good endorphins after the exertion. Not only will you be releasing endorphins and getting fit, you will also be able to connect with nature.

Winston Churchill said, "there is something about the inside of a horse that is good for the inside of man". This quote couldn't be any more accurate. If you suffer from depression, this may be an option for you. Check out local horseback riding stables and take advantage of the positive effects horses can offer.

Straight Depression or Bipolar Depression?

In the past doctors have been accused of being under-sensitive to the signs of bipolar disorder. More recently, the numbers of people diagnosed with bipolar have steadily climbed, leading to the accusation that doctors are now over-sensitized. There's a problem here and it isn't just about diagnostic trends and bandwagons. Screening and diagnostic practices for bipolar disorder remain patchy and this is due, in part at least, to blurry boundaries that can exist between conditions.

Take a look at any forum relating to depression and/or bipolar disorder and a theme begins to emerge. First, there is the issue of whether having been diagnosed with unipolar depression the person wonders if they really should be considered as having bipolar. Secondly, the reverse scenario, in which having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder the person wonders if they really should be considered as suffering with unipolar depression? How do these issues come about?

If we consider each in turn the cloud of confusion begins to dispel. Why might a person who can only ever recall being depressed be receiving medication normally usually prescribed for bipolar disorder? The answer should be fairly simple. A diagnosis of bipolar disorder can only be made if the person has experienced at least one episode of hypomania or mania. And this is where it gets messy. Diagnosing mania is far easier than its milder cousin hypomania (hypo meaning less than or under) and it is just possible that the extra energy and high felt by someone emerging from a period of depression is actually what the rest of us might regard as normal. Then again, treatment with lithium, the standard medication for mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, can sometimes be prescribed as a catalyst for people who are unresponsive to standard antidepressants.

According to the definition of hypomania, which goes along the lines of, 'a distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least four days, that is clearly different from the usual non depressed mood,' a distinguishing feature is that the mood doesn't change in the light of good or bad circumstances. Coach and horses come to mind with this concept. It seems to me that four days is a very narrow window in which to pass such a judgment. Add the issue of good or bad circumstances and I think we've got a bigger problem. Most people live rather predictable lives that rarely involve especially good or bad circumstances. Even if such circumstances were to occur, the idea they would conveniently overlap a four-day period of expansive or irritable mood seems absurd. Establishing 'normal' when it comes to mood is a highly subjective issue at the best of times. Establishing what is 'elevated' compared to someone who is almost always depressed must be spectacularly difficult.

Let's now consider the issue of the person diagnosed with unipolar depression who wonders if they may actually have bipolar disorder? The same rules, or problems perhaps, apply. How do we know whether the periods of relief from depression simply elevate the mood to a rare and unusual place? Happiness is normal after all so don't people starved of this most elemental quality have the right to immerse themselves in it when it comes their way.

Diagnosing bipolar disorder is a complex process that involves time and symptom elimination. Until recently, most people diagnosed with bipolar disorder waited an average of ten years before their symptoms were recognized for what they were. It's a process where patients and clinicians have to work together but being cautious not to pathologize behavior simply because it is rare or unusual.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression You Should Know About

Depression can be a very debilitating disorder, and is commonly overlooked as something minor. There are many aspects of life that depression affects, including social life, work life and well-being. Many people try to tell someone dealing with depression to just snap out of it, or force your way to do something. However, things just aren't that simple when you're dealing with clinical depression. At some point in time in everybody's life they will experience depression, but clinical depression is much different, and it is something that stays with you throughout your life. For people who don't have clinical depression it can be hard to understand exactly what the person is going through.

The following are some common signs and symptoms of depression:

Changes in your thinking: often times someone who is dealing with depression will find that their thinking patterns have changed. You may also find that it is harder for you to concentrate or focus on anything. Decision-making can often times become more difficult simply because you don't care anymore.

Changes in your feelings: when you're in the midst of depression your feelings will often change, you may notice that the biggest change would be in the way of feeling very sad all the time. You may also notice that things that once used to bring you pleasure have stopped doing so.

Changes in your behaviors: you may also notice changes in your behaviors during periods of depression. One of the major changes you may notice is that you start to seclude yourself more often. Entering into a state of seclusion for long periods of times can be very damaging to both your mental and emotional health. You may also notice changes in your appetite whether it be eating more or eating less, as well as a change in your sleep which could be sleeping more or sleeping less. You might also notice a decrease in personal hygiene and a decrease in your sexual drive.

Changes in physical well-being: you might start to notice that you are having a problem with chronic fatigue even though you're getting more sleep than usual. You may also find that you lay awake and are not able to fall asleep at all. There are also times that you may feel physical pains, such as stomach pains, and aches and pains in your neck, shoulders and back.

These are only a few symptoms that someone with depression may be experiencing, there are many more signs and symptoms that you can go in-depth with that are not mentioned here. If you are having any of these signs or symptoms that are lasting for more than two weeks it is advisable to seek out professional help. If you know someone who is experiencing these symptoms it may be in the person's best interests that you recommend the person seek out professional help. This is just a general overview of symptoms of depression there is so much more to learn and understand about depression.

Low Vitamin D and Depression

Three of every four Americans have either deficiencies or borderline vitamin D deficiencies. Yet, Dr. John J. Cannell, MD, head of the nonprofit Vitamin D Council contends that the situation is far worse, "95% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, that's how big the problem is. It's very difficult to overstate the seriousness of the situation."(1)

This vitamin is a suspect in Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD) as skin cells create D from reacting to the sun. If your low energy, depression, and insomnia are related to seasonal sunlight changes then you may need to boost your intake of vitamin D.

A 2010 national study found that the likelihood of having depression is higher in people with deficiency in vitamin D compared to people who are sufficient in vitamin D. In another study, researchers from the University of Toronto noticed that people who were suffering from depression, particularly those with seasonal affective disorder, tended to improve as their levels of vitamin D in the body increased over the normal course of a year.(2) And vitamin D deficiencies may be a suspect in all sorts of illness. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that nearly 60% of patients in the hospital for various conditions had low levels of D in their blood, and almost 25% were severely deficient.(3)

A simple blood test can determine if you're deficient. Have your doctor check your levels by doing a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test.

There are two forms of Vitamin D: D2 (ergocalciferol), which is found in plants, and D3 (cholecalciferol), which the body makes from exposure to the sun and is substantially more potent. 20 to 30 minutes of full body exposure to natural sunlight will produce about 20,000 IU* of vitamin D in the blood stream in about 48 hours, depending on age, skin color, and sun exposure.

Healthy people use about 3,000-5,000 IU of Vitamin D a day so we can clearly get enough Vitamin D from the sun. However, the average person makes only 1,000 IU of Vitamin D as we spend most of our time indoors and slather on the sunscreen and put on sunglasses when we are outdoors.

Vitamin D2, known as vegetarian Vitamin D, is around 70% less effective than D3. You can find D3 in egg yolk, meat, sunflower seeds, and oily fish such as cod, tuna, and halibut, but you could never eat enough to keep up with your bodies needs. (By the way, Vitamin D fortified milk only has about 100 IU per 8-ounce glass.) If you can't get enough natural sunlight then taking a Vitamin D supplement may be your best option.

Suggested Daily Dose - There has been much confusion and misinformation on how much vitamin D one should take. The Endocrine Society, world's oldest and largest organization devoted to research on hormones, released what is being considered the gold standard of vitamin D recommendations: 400 to 1,000 IU for infants less than 1-year-old, 600 to 1,000 IU for older children and teenagers, and 1,500 to 2,000 IU for adults.(4)

If it's winter time, November through March, and you live north of the 33-degree latitude line, then you may need more - that's basically north of Los Angeles, CA; Dallas, TX; Atlanta, GA; Casablanca, Morocco; Sicily, Italy; Athens, Greece; and Kagoshima, Japan.

Vitamin D deficiencies can increase your risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, asthma, Alzheimer's disease, and even the common cold and influenza. Also, larger doses of Vitamin D appear to help allergies, back pain, fibromyalgia, type 2 diabetes multiple sclerosis, and vaginal infections.

* IU = International Unit. Where as a gram or ounce is a measurement of weight, IU is a measurement of potency. For example, 1000 IU of Vitamin C has a different weight than 1000 IU of Vitamin D.

References:

1. Challem, J. (2011). The Vitamin D Debate. Experience Life. December 2011.

2. Depression and Diet [WWW page]. WedMD. URL http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/diet-recovery

3. Holick, M. (2007). Vitamin D Deficiency. N Engl J Med, 357:266-281.

4. Chase, C. (2011). New Clinical Practice Guideline Recommends Dietary Intakes of Vitamin D for Children and Adults at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency [WWW page]. The Endocrine Society. URL http://www.endo-society.org/media/press/2011/experts-recommend-screening-for-vitamin-d-deficiency-in-at-risk-populations.cfm

Depression - Don't Let It Beat You

In the world of psychotherapy it is not uncommon for patients to be prescribed anti-depressant medication. In some cases medication is necessary, and the purpose of this article is not to discourage anyone currently being treated to stop medication. Depression is not defined universally, there are many different stages and levels of depression.

Personally exercise is my favorite remedy it releases endorphins in the brain which is the same thing anti-depressant medication does. There is nothing like feeling the stress leave your body and being able to immediately enjoy having a clear mind. This is an illness that affects every aspect of your life but it is good to know that there is hope. Depression can be hereditary or onset by traumatic events there is a huge generation gap when it comes to treating this illness.

Educating yourself will empower your efforts in learning how to battle depression without medication. It is all too common for people to be intimidated by what they don't know, so the natural thing to do is stick with what you know. However challenges are the experiences that bring out the very best in us, do not be afraid to learn because knowledge is power. There are several ways to start the process of effective goal settings.

Establishing accountability is a great technique to use when setting goals. It doesn't necessarily have to be to another individual, self-accountability can be just as effective. Things are very often easier said than done, so creating structure and or planning can be very helpful. A positive attitude is an important part of goal setting; it heightens the probability of that goals will be reached.

Individuals who put effort in understanding the basics of setting and accomplishing goals are better equipped to go forward and be successful. Time management will play a great role in both setting and reaching goals, without efficient time management skills success is difficult. This will allow you to create focus and step into action. Fighting this battle can be overwhelming without a positive attitude, it is important to surround yourself with positive individuals.

Sometimes symptoms of depression can cause irrational behavior and create concern for the person suffering from this illness. Almost 90% of the time anxiety is associated with these symptoms and cause severe panic attacks and nerve issues. Your mind has everything to do with mental health and stability, therefore medication alone is never enough to battle depression.

What Depression Is And What It Is Not

Inevitably you will experience disappointments and loss in your life. That's part of the fine print on the contract you signed when you joined the human race. But like a wave, emotions come and go. You will at some point in your life experience down days and hurt. What causes the imbalance in your life is when the emotions you feel stop moving like a wave and becomes a point stuck in time, keeping you in a constant state of low energy, negative feelings and despair. Here are some ways to find out if the emotional valley you're in is actually depression.

Sadness, Heartache & Despair

You will encounter setbacks and possibly failure in your life. Sadness, heartache, and despair are normal emotions to feel when reacting to bad news. These are realistic and valid ways to feel when life hands you a tragedy. However what keeps these emotions from being depression is that they are transient, and with time (a few hours, a few days, or even a week or two) you will return to your normal emotional set point.

These "negative" feelings are part of the body's natural emotional wave and should be expected when the circumstances are appropriate. These feelings are not fun but they don't interfere with the flow of your life or your self-esteem and are a healthy way of experiencing difficult times. Like an inconvenient rain that only lasts a short while then blows away, these emotions don't keep you from living your life.

The Grieving Process

Grief is also a very normal emotion but can be devastating. Losing a loved one or experiencing a significant loss hurts. There is no way around it. There is no "usual" time period for the grieving process. Grief can last months and in extreme cases years, particularly if the loss has been traumatic and unexpected. Mending a broken heart takes time.

Normally, the loss you are grieving does not affect your self-esteem and this is why grief is also not depression. But say that the grief experienced is a divorce or job loss, or something else that might have been tied to your self-worth, then depression could rise. Finding that your partner doesn't want you anymore or that the job you loved is now gone can affect your self-esteem.

Studies have shown that 25% of people experiencing considerable grief will develop depression.1 Depression, and the feelings of hopelessness and anxiety, may actually interfere with the ability to grieve. When dealing with this double curse the depression will need to be resolved first in order to get to a point where the grieving process can flow and eventually resolve.

Depression

You can distinguish depression from sadness and grief by the intensity, endurance, and persistence of the hurt and sadness. Despair and unhappiness has become your set point. There is often long-term, unresolved anger and emotional trauma, as well as, the feelings of hopelessness and loss of self-esteem that come along for the ride. Plus, there is the ever-present tendency of the depressed to blame themselves for feeling that way.

Depression interferes with daily life in a major way. Concentration, eating, sex, and sleeping might be affected. It also might bring with it intense rage, extremely negative thoughts, persistent worrying, restlessness, feelings of being overwhelmed, fatigue and low energy, chronic pain, headaches, or stomach aches. There is also a general boredom in all aspects of life and withdrawal from friends and family. The major problem is that this feels "normal" so there is a tendency to do nothing about it.

Symptoms of Depression

From the National Institute of Mental Health

Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings

Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness

Irritability, restlessness

Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

Fatigue and decreased energy

Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

Overeating, or appetite loss

Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

Suicide

The elephant on the table of depression is suicide. 30% of clinically depressed people will attempt suicide. 15% will succeed.2 If you have suicidal thoughts or you know someone who seems suicidal you need to take them very seriously.

Suicidal Warning Signs

From the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself

Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means

Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person

Feeling hopeless

Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge

Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities - seemingly without thinking

Feeling trapped - like there's no way out

Increasing alcohol or drug use

Withdrawing from friends, family, and society

Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time

Experiencing dramatic mood changes

Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life

If You Are In Crisis:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call toll-free

1-800-273-TALK

1-800-273-8255

www.SuicidePreventionLifeLine.org

**Open 24 Hours A Day, Everyday

This service available to anyone.

You may call for yourself or for someone you care about.

All calls are confidential.

Also

Hope Community Crisis Centers

1-800-SUICIDE

1-800-784-2433

www.HopeLine.com

Do Low Levels of Serotonin Cause Depression?

The conventional wisdom is that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter in your brain that is responsible for memory, sleep, appetite, learning, and the regulation of your feelings including happiness and welling being. Therefore, if you have a chemical imbalance in the brain antidepressants, like Prozac or Zoloft, can alter your brain chemistry and fix the imbalance, as well as, enhance the profits of the big pharmaceutical companies. Strange then that scientific research cannot find any reliable flaws in the serotonin system of the depressed. (1) You see, even if antidepressant medications do increase serotonin levels in the brain and help some feel better, this doesn't mean that low levels of serotonin cause depression. Aspirin can cure a headache but that doesn't mean that low levels of aspirin in the brain cause your head to hurt.

The brain cells that deal in serotonin (called serotonergic neurons) have "arms" that reach out to all areas of the brain. The extensive connections and super pathways of serotonergic neurons comprise the single largest system in the brain. To transmit a message the sending neuron releases the chemical serotonin to be absorbed by the receiving neuron. However, more serotonin is released than is needed so the excess is either "vacuumed" back up into the sending neuron or metabolized by an enzyme and removed as waste. The enzyme metabolizes serotonin into 5-Hydroxyindole acetic acid or 5-HIAA. Researchers can look at spinal fluid for 5-HIAA and gauge the level of serotonin in the brain. So if low-levels of serotonin cause depression, then all people suffering from depression will have low-levels of 5-HIAA in their spinal fluid. (2) Seems simple enough.

But there are two studies I'd like to bring to your attention that seem to debunk the chemical imbalance theory of depression. In one, researchers in Stockholm looked at the 5-HIAA levels in the spinal fluid of 68 depressed patients as assessed in nanograms per milliliter. 29% had low level counts below 15 nanograms, which would seem logical in depressed patients, but 47% had regular counts between 15 and 25 nanograms, and 24% of the depressed patients had HIGH LEVELS above 25 nanograms. What is interesting is that the control group of volunteers who were NOT depressed had almost the same exact bell curve of 5-HIAA levels. 25% of the control group had low counts below 15 nanograms, 50% had counts between 15 and 25 nanograms, and 25% of the non-depressed patients had high levels above 25 nanograms. (3)

To summarize this amazing research: 29% of the depressed patients had low levels of serotonin but so did 25% of the non-depressed "normal" control group patients. Plus 25% of the depressed patients had high-levels of serotonin. All in all, the median level of 5-HIAA in the spinal fluid of the non-depressed "normal" group was 20 nanograms but the research showed that 37 of the 68 depressed patients, more than half, had levels ABOVE that "normal, non-depressed" average. Kinda blows a hole into the low-serotonin causes depression theory. Oh, and this study was done in 1974, 14 years before Prozac, the first in a line of antidepressants that flood your brain with serotonin to "cure" depression.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in 1984, four years before Prozac, conducted the other study I wanted to mention. They were investigating the efficacy rates of a proposed antidepressant drug named Amitriptyline that, like Prozac, prevented neurons from vacuuming back up the excess serotonin, thus flooding the brain with extra serotonin. They also looked at depressed patients 5-HIAA levels and, surprise, surprise, found a wide variety, from low to high. The NIMH scientists concluded that, "Elevations or decrements in the functioning of serotonergic systems per se are not likely to be associated with depression." (4) To say that in plain talk, there is no evidence that there is anything wrong with the serotonin brain system of depressed patients. There seems to be a huge disconnect between those pretty antidepressant commercials and the actual scientific research. (5)

Low Serotonin Level Problem 1- If low levels serotonin was a major player in causing depression, then increasing serotonin should alleviate depression right away. Antidepressants raise serotonin levels within hours but it can take weeks for a depressed person to show signs of improvement. Also, after a few months, some people relapse into depression, even while still on antidepressants.

Low Serotonin Level Problem 2- If low levels of serotonin cause depression, then all people with low levels of serotonin should be depressed, but this is not the case. Also, there are people who suffer from depression who have regular levels of serotonin in their brain and depressed people with high levels of serotonin.

Low Serotonin Level Problem 3- There are drugs that don't work on the serotonin system in the brain yet also appear to relieve the symptoms of depression. Welbutrin is a very popular antidepressant but works on the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine.

Studies indicate that serotonin seems to somehow play a role in depression but the question remains, do the lower levels of serotonin cause depression, or does a particular person's depression create those lower levels of serotonin?

References:

1. Moncrieff, J., (2009). The Myth of the Chemical Cure: A Critique of Psychiatric Drug Treatment. Palgrave Macmillan; Revised edition, 2009.

2. Whitaker, R. (2010). Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America. Crown Publishing.

3. Asbert, M. (1976). Serotonin depression: A biochemical subgroup with the affective disorders? Science,191, 478-80; Asberg, M., (1976). 5-HIAA in the cerebrospinal fluid. Archives of General Psychiatry33, 1193-97.

4. Maas, J. (1984). Pretreatment neurotransmitter metabolite levels and response to tricyclic antidepressant drugs. American Journal of Psychiatry141, 1159-71.

5. Lacasse, J., Leo, J. (2005) Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature. PLoS Med2(12): e392. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0020392

How Do You Tell Depression From The Winter Blues?

Winter blues is a seasonal type of depression. As its name suggests, it happens only during the cold, wintry months. Depression, on the other hand, is a general term that refers to "feelings of sadness", extreme or otherwise. Everybody experiences depression at some point in their life, but not everyone gets to experience seasonal depression or the winter blues.

It's been said that Vitamin D helps with depression. This is why getting a daily dose of sunlight is believed to be a great way to reduce depression. In countries where there is winter, this will not be possible (obviously), but of course, it does not mean that everyone will just have to live with depression during the length of the season. There are always alternatives, mind you, so before you give up and merely accept seasonal depression for what it is, consider the following:

Take Vitamin D supplements. If you can't activate the Vitamin D in your body through sunlight, the easiest way you can get your supply of Vitamin D is to try another route, that is via Vitamin D supplements. You can find these in your local health store, or online. It does not matter where you but your supplements from. What's important is that:

One capsule contains 5,000 IU of Vitamin D.

The capsule is not formulated with oil stabilizers such as cottonseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, or canola oil which can clog the heart. If at all, make sure it is coconut oil, which is not only healthier but which can last a very long time.

Your Vitamin D comes in the form of Cholecalciferol or Vitamin D3.

Take other essential vitamins. Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C are vitamins that also play a great role in warding off depression.

Eat fish or take Fish oil with Omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Eating fish regularly can decrease depression tendencies because fish is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Problem is, eating whole fish every day will not be good to your overall health because the fish are likely to be contaminated with chemicals and toxins. Experts recommend taking fish oil, instead. Pharmaceutical graded fish oil supplements are preferred by most experts as they are processed to ensure removal of toxins without removing the Omega-3 component.

Exercise indoors. If it's too cold outside, get things done indoors. Yes, you can do your exercise regimen at home and still enjoy it. How? Rather than do it on your own, invite your best friend over and go over exercise routines together. Exercise keeps your energy levels up, boosts your metabolism, improves your mood and controls depression symptoms.

Get a hobby. Having a hobby diverts your attention and keeps you from getting a lowdown. If you love to write, try blogging. It's stress-relieving to get your thoughts and your feelings out on the World Wide Web. Try singing also or playing an instrument.

Eat well, eat right. Make wise food choices. Hot chocolate drinks sure are tempting during the scold months, but don't drink more than a cup each day. Chocolates, despite being regarding as a comfort food, still are loaded with sugar and calories. They can make you feel high at one point, and extremely low at another, so be careful. To prevent depression, or reduce its impact at the very least, avoid sweets in general, junks, and foods that are high in preservatives and which are hard to digest.

Get involved in your local community. Keep yourself from being lonely during which depression is very likely to attack. Volunteer your services. Coordinate with government and private agencies in your community so can volunteer your services, share your knowledge, and make a difference in someone else's life.

Whether you're having the winter blues or some other form of depression, these tips can help you cope with it somehow.

Clinical Depression Or Thyroid Problem

Your thyroid directs your metabolic action or the way your body breaks down food and transforms it into energy. One of it's tasks is absorbing amino acids, one of which, tyrosine, gets converted into dopamine, the supercharged, feel good neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine then produces norepinephrein and adrenaline, which are famous for their instant energy giving abilities when you are under stress.

The American Thyroid Association states that:

More than 12% of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime.

An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease.

Up to 60% of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition.

Women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems.

One woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime.

Hypothyroidism stems from an underproduction of thyroid hormones and fewer thyroid hormones will mean a drop in your body's energy production and lower energy levels, leaving you feeling lethargic, fatigued, tired, and depressed. A 1993 study found that 56% of women with sub-clinical hypothyroidism were depressed. Another found that 15 - 20% of depressed men and women showed some degree of sub-clinical hypothyroidism.

(In case you were wondering, hyperthyroidism is due to an overproduction of thyroid hormones, which can lead to insomnia, daytime fatigue, nervousness, muscle weakness, unexplained weight loss, vision problems, and eye irritation.)

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:

Depression

Tired, Sluggish, Lethargic, Lack of motivation

Trouble getting going in the morning

Exhausted even after 8-10 hours of sleep

Poor concentration and memory, Mental sluggishness

Can't lose weight even with exercise

Cold hands and feet

Tingling or numbness in the hands

Require excessive amounts of sleep to function properly

Increase in weight gain even with low-calorie diet

Gain weight easily

Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses

Outer third of the eyebrow thins

Thinning of the hair on scalp, face or genitals or excessive falling hair

Dryness of skin and/or scalp

Mental sluggishness

Nervous and emotional

Insomnia

Night sweats

Coarse, dry hair

Dry, rough pale skin

Hair loss

Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches

Constipation, Difficult, infrequent bowel movements

Muscle and Joint Pains, Carpal Tunnel/Tendonitis Problems

Neck Discomfort/Enlargement

Reduced sex drive

Menstrual Irregularities (excessive bleeding, severe cramping, irregular cycle, severe PMS)

Fertility Problems

Chubby or overweight since childhood

For women the most common triggers are the start of menstruation, menopause, or pregnancy. Dieting can also induce a thyroid problem. When you reduce your calories your body will automatically slow down your thyroid, which is a good move on your body's part, but over time, with frequent "yo-yo" dieting or skipped meals, your thyroid may forget to turn back on again.

Checking Your Thyroid At Home - If you suspect there is a problem with your thyroid try this home test before going to your doctor and getting blood work done. You will need to check your underarm, or basal, temperature first thing in the morning before you start moving around and raising your body temperature for 3 days. Your body temperature should hover around 98.6 degrees when taken orally but will be lower under the arm, between 98.4 and 97.8 degrees. If it's below 97.8 degrees for 3 days then you may have thyroid problems.

THYROID TEMPERATURE HOME-TEST

You will need to use a non-digital thermometer (digital is not as accurate under the arm).

As soon as you wake up turn on bright lights, stay in bed, and keep your eyes open for 30 minutes (going to the bathroom is fine as is reading.)

After 30 minutes place the thermometer under your armpit. Leave it there for 10 minutes. Stay quite in bed with your eyes open.

Do this for at least 3 mornings to get your average temperature. You don't have to do the 3 mornings all in a row if you don't want to.

For Women: If you are a menstruating your basal temperature is most accurate days 1 through 4 of your period. Do not take your temperature around your ovulation or mid-cycle which causes your temperature to rise.

If you are male or a woman in menopause then any morning is fine. Hot flashes should not affect basal temperature.

If the temperature under your arm is less than 97.8 degrees for the 3 days that you check it then that's a good sign that you have a thyroid issue and you should seek out a thyroid specialist. After blood, urine, and saliva testing the doctor will recommend a course of action.

About Depression

Sometimes sadness and sorrow just rings the doorbell and waltzes right in with a hearty, "Honey, I'm home," and you know depression has arrived. Other times, it grows slowly, silently, and insidiously. At some point (along time ago) everything seemed fine but then the days got heavier, then hopelessness and despair crept in. Over time, months, or years, like that famous frog that unknowing sits in the pot of water as it slowly heats to a boil, the sadness wears you down and you find that your enthusiasm for life has vanished.

You feel miserable, discouraged, tired, broken, and hopeless but strangely this feels "reasonable" and you might not notice there is a problem until you find your life in crisis with drugs or alcohol, troubles at work or in your marriage, or you wake up one morning knowing that you just can't go through one more day.

You might even have success in your career, marriage, family, and finances, because you can pass yourself off as "normal", but you're missing the joy, happiness, and that certain lightness that makes life worth living. There might be moments where you escape the dread but after awhile, you will find yourself miserable and despairing once again, having returned to your set point, as if you've signed a dark contract that requires you to give up your enjoyment of life.

We master the art of depression because we feel it's the only way possible to live life without completely going off the deep end. We build the skills that don't really bring us joy but do keep us going for one more day. We become master artisans in:

Blocking and repressing our unwanted feelings

Creating a faade where everything is alright

Self-blame

Procrastination

Work-aholism

Victimization

Co-dependency

Guilt

Low expectations

Putting our needs last

Isolating ourselves

Never saying "no"

Overindulging in comfort foods, alcohol, and TV

We keep it up until the alienation and sorrow become too great and there is a suicide attempt, violent outburst, major panic attack, nervous breakdown, or hospitalization. The mind and body are crying out that there is something terribly wrong.

There is a wonderful quote from Dr. David Burns from his book Feeling Good in which he says:

Depression is one of the worst forms of suffering, because of the immense feelings of shame, worthlessness, hopelessness, and demoralization. Depression can seem worse than terminal cancer, because most cancer patients feel loved and they have hope and self-esteem

You may be convinced that your own case is so bad, so overwhelming and hopeless, that you are the one person who will never get well, no matter what. But no matter how terrible your depression and anxiety may feel, the prognosis for recovery is excellent.

You deserve to live a life of happiness. You can beat depression.

Understanding Depression and Finding New Ways to Overcome It: Part 2

Depression has become the third largest individual health problem in Australia - more women than men experience depression (almost twice as many) and around one million of us will experience a depressive illness this year alone. In this article we'll look at how the body can be used to create anchors for us and how we can make time in our everyday lives to debrief and prepare for our challenges.

Depression is a malady of our age and is part of our shared psyche - it could be called a spirit of our times. Wherever you are, whatever you do, the spirit of the age is present. Its important to know how you can assist yourself before, during or after depression visits yourself or someone you love. These principles are based on the running of the human body in synch with the energetic flow of life and draw from indigenous wisdom.

1. Principle one is context, context is the surrounding information that gives meaning to a certain event. Context can answer the question, "Where am I?" To build a connection with the land under our feet gives us both feelings of being grounded and centred- powerful wells to draw from when we feel lost or confused.

Shamanic context comes from the regular observance of changing seasons and tides of life. This could be walking daily and observing the change of the earth seasons, redecorating to change the colours or layout of your home, and consciously following the patterns of holiday times, a weekly day off, or a regular weekly event, like Friday date night etc. Our bodily patterns of eating, sleeping and creativity differ season to season, consciously marking the start and end of seasons helps us stay attuned to our body's wisdom and get in touch with what's happening here and in the now. To get in touch with the present moment is to build a sense of belonging that anchors us.

2. Principle two is rites, rites are a solemn ceremony that marks the changes in our lives. Rites can answer the question, "Who am I?". When we celebrate the major passages of our life we birth ourselves consciously. This conscious care and attention to what our bodies are experiencing can offset much of the grief and disillusionment of becoming something we are not ready for or welcomed into.

Shamanic rites mark the passages of girls becoming women then mothers then wise women, boys becoming men and fathers and elders, and communities becoming new expressions of their ancient ways. Acknowledgment and celebration of these transformations gives us anchors to go back to when we experience things falling away or falling down around us. Sharing our life changes with our families and our communities allows us to share the weight and the benefits of coming of age. This kind of community sharing helps us to feel welcomed and supported as we find our newly grown selves in the context of global or even universal anchors.

These two principles can be applied directly to balance and combat depression. Both of these methods hook us into the flow of energy in the world around us and the ebbs and flows of energy in the body that we live in. Happily, building context and honouring our rites can be very simple or as ritually organised as we would like to make them. The time we will invest in anchoring ourselves into our deeper wisdom will depend how much time we have to devote to our selves, how our communities are taught to respond to such activities and what suits our personalities. There is an spirit that combats the spirit of depression in our age and that spirit is harnessed through honouring our body, honouring our process and consciously marking the events that bring us into being.

Teenage Depression: Self-Help and Wellness Tips

So many people live with a subtle, toxic level of depression turning each aspect of their daily lives into drab shades of grey. It becomes their way of being, making it difficult to excel at anything. They tend to attract negative attention and the cycle just builds up to despair, followed by defeat.

We are all seeds for growth and change at our core. According to Darwin, the ones best at surviving the challenges of the world survive and multiply. The seed of creation/creativity is our essence.

Every living organism creates waste. There is physical waste, emotional waste and spiritual waste. This waste comes into contact with our seed of creativity and covers it in waste. If you strip off the waste foisted onto you by yourself and others, you will return back to your creative seed, your essence.

Should these negative waste products be taken in to our psyches, they can be misinterpreted as our essence, leading to depression. By learning to cleanse ourselves of outer and inner detritus, we will be on our way to returning to our core state.

Here are some tips for helping yourself to overcome depression, despair and defeat:

Washing Off The Waste. Water has amazing properties. Try washing your hands in cold water after a particularly challenging situation and say aloud your intention to be free from any negative energy. The very worst that will happen is you will have cold, clean hands.

Walking. When the waste covers us, our essence becomes imprisoned in our own body. The first remedy is to walk. Electronics-free walking is transformative. It becomes meditative; it frees up the body and allows the chemicals in the body to begin to transform us into well beings.

Looking. As you begin to walk (preferably amongst trees), you will find your mind eventually begins to relax. Your shopping list of annoyances, fears and frustrations fade. The waste begins to melt away and you are ready to look around and search out simple pleasures: a bird, a tree, leaves, an ant doing its work, a lovely fragrance wafting in the breeze. As you begin to notice these things, you will find a smile lighting your lips. Give into it and let the feeling of that smile waft over you.

Smiling. When we are in psychic of physical pain, we need all the positive energy we can gather. Smiling stimulates our brain-reward mechanism. It is more effective than chocolate (and no calories). It can reduce the effect of stress enhancing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and dopamine, and increase the level of mood enhancing hormones, such as endorphins, while reducing blood pressure. Smile and if you don't feel like it, fake it! Pretty soon, it will be real.

Eating. So much of what we eat today has been created for ease of storage and transportation. Going back to a simple diet with fruits, vegetables and protein used as a condiment will nourish your body and your mind. Minimizing processed foods will let your body reconstitute itself with the best cells it can use.

Drinking. Water helps to get rid of waste in the body and allow our systems to operate efficiently. Our cells need refilling several times a day. Adding anything to water makes it non-water.

Helping. When you find yourself overwhelmed by life's circumstances, go and help out someone else. Just focusing on someone else gets you out of the spiral of your own problems. It reminds you that we are all connected and lets that heart connection flow.

To Thine Own Self. No one knows more clearly than you the words that can push you into a downward spiral and no one knows as well as you the words that will let your heart sing. Think of the most perfect words and actions to uplift yourself and then say them and do them as often as you can.

In Conclusion: So many people see the world as a scary, dangerous place. I see the world as a collection of shells hiding radiant, shining seeds filled with kindness and love. So on my bad days, I remember the radiant light and I'm okay for a little while longer.

How I Beat Depression

I am going to get straight to the point. If you have sought out this information then there is a distinct possibility that like I once was you can't smile, you are exhausted from lack of sleep, you are at your wit's end, staring into an infinite void of nothingness and a big Black Dog is biting you backside. You think life will never be the same again. That there is no chance you will smile again, and no end to your despair. You will never beat depression. You are in a hole and can't get out.

NOT TRUE READ ON.

To beat depression you must tame the Black Dog. He is lurking while your mind races, blaming you for everything that's wrong in your life. Small insignificant detail sets you off on a terror trip, STOMACH churning, you are short tempered, and weepy. You want to die that's how you are. You feel as if there is no help. STOP right now. There is help there is a way out, try the following as soon as.

Go to a room or bedroom where you will not be disturbed. (This is very important) Make sure you are wearing loose fitting clothes or bed wear.

Now lie on your back make sure that you are comfortable and warm. If lying on you back is difficult for you, adopt a position that is comfortable. Begin by taking deeper than normal breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Start to become aware of your breath. Where does it impact most on your body? Is it in your stomach as it rises and falls, maybe in your nostrils or throat? Pick one place as this will be your point of reference.

Lie still for a minute concentrating on your breath. You will notice how your mind starts to wander, straight into the library of self-criticism and blame. This is perfectly normal, very gently bring you mind back to your point of reference. (I have called this the mind's parking space). Initially you will find this is hard to do but it will become increasing easy the more you practise. Tell yourself that you are NOT TO BLAME for everything wrong in your life.

Now tense and release you right leg. Starting at your toes concentrate on every part of the foot, try and relax the foot totally, feeling it sinking into the bed, ankle, lower leg, calf muscle, knee and thigh are treated in the same manner. Then switch to the right leg and follow the same routine. Be aware when the mind starts to wander and bring it back to the area it is supposed to be concentrating on. In your mind try and look through the skin to what lies beneath. Extend the focus to the pelvic area, relaxing all of that right all the way up to the ribs, then lower back, chest and upper back. Next both hands and arms together. Try to identify what sensations you feel in each area, it may be tingling, itchy, warm or cold whatever. Relax your shoulders, neck face and head. A lot of tension builds up in these areas during the day. Take your time with this. Try and stay in this relaxed state for as long as possible, there is no right or wrong in this procedure.

Now you are not supposed to fall asleep. I found that if it was just before bedtime or early in the day it was ok to fall asleep.

When you stay awake, on completion you will find that you are totally refreshed. This is a VERY POWERFUL healing technique; unbelievably it has great body and mind healing properties and is the first step taken to beat depression.

Now I am a down to earth kind of guy who never believed in anything out of the ordinary, so to think that one day I would be practising meditation, would have been totally alien to me, but I am doing it. This does take practice and it is not detrimental if you do not succeed at first, just relax and try another time.

So you should now be more relaxed and refreshed. The concentration on the breath, you started off with can be practised whether you are lying down, sitting, walking or whatever you are doing, use it to PARK your mind as and when required. The combination of meditation and relaxation will make you feel better the very next day.

If you are consuming too much alcohol cut it right back start drinking more water.

Now there is one main theme playing continually on you mind, it comes from somewhere in the past you know what it is, nobody else does, unless you have told them, which can be very good thing to do. Bring it to the surface, address it and try to resolve it. Seek help, if it cannot be resolved put it in a compartment in your mind and lock the door. This is the next step in beating depression.

You must now grasp the following idea and believe in it 100% and adopt it. The PAST IS DEAD it cannot be changed and it cannot hurt you. The future has not happened yet and may never occur. You must live in the present for the actual moment. The sooner you accept this the sooner you will start to get better.

Remember this PEACE can exist only in the present moment.

How often have you heard it said that as soon as this or that is finished I will be able to live in peace? You will never have peace thinking like that. If you really want to be at peace, you must be at peace right now. Live for this moment and beat depression.

Every day take some form of exercise walking, swimming, or golf, whatever but do it. We all know about the chemical imbalance story so I won't bore you. If you don't there is plenty about it on the net.
Diet is also important try and loses weight if you need to. Giving UP ALCOHOL should help this will happen as a matter of course. Eat more fruit and veg and drink plenty of water. This is vital, you should drink around 2 litres of water in small quantities per day.

This is REALLY IMPORTANT take an omega 3 supplement, it must be HIGH GRADE. This is a great mood lifter and very good for you generally.

If possible get your family and close friends involved. Explain to them that you are ill ask for their support and to cut you a little slack, ask them not to disturb your meditation and make less noise around you. Ask for their understanding. Force yourself to complete at least a couple of worthwhile tasks per day, the satisfaction achieved will be well worth it.

Try and do a good deed or kindness to someone every day, this will give you a sense of worth, very important.

Purchase some relaxation CDs, I find Body and Soul and panpipes suits me just fine, but we all have our own tastes. Play it when you feel stressed out. Take them to work and play then at rest periods.
If you are driving and become stressed out or agitated, stop and park up, do not meditate whilst driving for obvious reasons.

Now if you follow my advice give up the booze/drugs. Practice the meditation you will start to improve overnight. You have been in hell now it's time to leave. Make sure you set aside time for yourself each day you deserve it. Please remember you are not to blame you are ILL. You now have some tools to give you relief.

I found that the first time I actually smiled and laughed like I used to my improvement was rapid. Outside was a nice place again, the triggers that used to set me off had started to vanished, life was good again I was on the way to beating depression.

You are going to hit a brick wall now and again, go back to the start, each time, it becomes easier DO not give up I have done it so can you.

Remember people who have not experienced the hell we have, do not understand what depression is like, even though they say they do. Professionals tell us they see it day in day out. There loads of books out there whose authors have not got a Scooby Doo. Books full of facts, figures, dates, important people, medical jargon, unless they have suffered this disease they do not fully understand how sufferers feel.

When you are getting better only take alcohol in small amounts, continue you meditation, and relaxation. Keep taking Omega 3 Fish oil supplement; help someone else to BEAT DEPRESSION.

Please believe the way out is through self-help, follow what I have told you. It is not easy it takes effort, sometimes you will think this is load of tosh, I am getting nowhere. You are getting somewhere you are starting to beat depression. One day things start to change, you feel a little better and so it continues a little bit at a time. You will not waken up one day and everything will be fine, it is a progressive process.

Keep practising meditation and relaxation. It is a good discipline to follow for the rest of your life.

Remember THE BLACK DOG IS ALWAYS ON THE PROWL.

I hope you start to improve soon. Good Luck on your journey.

Let me know of your progress.

Why Are You Depressed?

Statistics claim that as many as forty percent of Canadians will experience depression at some time in their life. This would likely be very hard to measure and might not actually account for the different types of depression that individuals can experience.

For example, some depression is temporary and can pass with time. You might be depressed about an examination you wrote only to find that you actually got a good mark which then greatly lifts your mood.

Grief can bring different reactions from different people. One person may be devastated by the loss of a pet while another person views this as something that would be expected for an animal with a shorter life span than humans.

Many people have stated that it was much easier to lose a loved relative who had lived into his/her nineties than a young child who had their whole life ahead of them.

Chemical depression, however, is not something that one "gets over" quickly and can, in fact, take a toll not only on the individual who suffers from it but also the family and friends who feel helpless and don't know what to do to improve the situation.

Some theorists believe that anger turned inward becomes depression.

A while ago, I had been struggling in my attempts to figure out exactly what was slowing progress with a client. After about the third session, I asked "Is there anything that you are angry about that might be a factor in your depression?"

The client immediately began telling me about a situation that had been festering in her mind for several years. She was so angry about how her husband's employer had required him to be on a project while she was pregnant, on her own and without supports. While he was absent because of the employment demands, she felt full responsibility for their small child. She felt that no one understood how abandoned and helpless she was at that time.

Because the client had not shared these resentments with anyone other than her partner who could really do nothing about this after it occurred, the client allowed the anger to fester into a depression.

I will never forget how relieved I felt to have gained some understanding that day. And the client, before leaving my office, indicated that telling me had also brought her some relief also.

There are many different theories about depression but, in this case, it truly was anger turned inward that was the cause of illness. Because the client was used to being "nice" and not asking others to help meet her needs, she had become so extremely vulnerable. She tried to bottle up the anger but ended up becoming depressed.

Are you angry with someone or something that is causing or fueling depression in you? Would you find it helpful to talk with someone about the situation?

Clinical psychologists are trained and experienced in helping individuals with mental health problems.

The first step to dealing with your depression is to book an appointment with someone who can help.