Get Out of Depression - Ask the Right Questions

With over 135 million people in depression at any one time it is important to understand why so that we can help those caught up in this terrible dis-ease.

As Anthony Robbins says - to be depressed you have to be completely focussed on yourself and all the bad things that are happening to you! This leaves you asking really poor questions about your life and circumstances and it is those questions that hold you in depression.

The tendency of most people when they are depressed is to ask really poor questions; these can include things like:

• Why does this always happen to me?
• What do I do to deserve this?
• What am I doing wrong?
• What's wrong with me?

What sort of answers do these questions bring? That's right, they bring negative ones! Ask yourself one of those questions now and I guarantee you it will be a negative answer. So it's better to ask yourself more positive questions; questions that provide answers that will take you forward and not drag you down!

• What actions can I take to improve my situation?
• Who can help me through this and back to happiness?
• What do I want my future to really look and feel like?
• How do I make my future full of joy and happiness?
• My life is worth more than this, how do I make it special?

Now, what sort of answers do you get to those questions? Different, more positive answers yes? You see with these questions you are pre-supposing that you can improve your situation; that you can be full of joy and happiness and that you can take the actions to get you there.

Here's a quick exercise for you:

What are the 'better' more positive questions you can ask yourself right now? I encourage you to write those questions down right now and start to answer them. Write out 5 positive questions and then write down a couple of sentences for each answer. Then walk away for a while and come back and read your answers; you can then add more to them.

Our minds are predisposed to answer questions, it is how we work. In fact your mind cannot help nut answer a question can it?

I know you will have answered that question straight away if only in your head, you can't help it. Our subconscious mind is set up to answer questions but it doesn't distinguish between negative and positive questions so give it a negative question and you'll get a negative answer and vice versa.

If you come up with answers like "I can't" and "I don't know" then you need to work harder as they are just blocks on your system. Ask yourself what if I could? Or What if I did know? What would your answer be?

Asking yourself positive question is the start to breaking through depression.

To Your Happiness
Graham

How To Keep Your Major Depression Symptoms From Increasing

Dealing with depressive disorders will make men and women feel like their planet is finishing. Visiting a psychiatrist or getting prescription medicines might not be alternatives you intend to check out.

Dealing with depression symptoms can be created less difficult by using a assistance class. Having a conversation with others which can be frustrated is helpful. Many people can show you new things in regards to the condition, and assist you to learn to handle your depressive disorders.

Tend not to count on a crutch to eradicate your depressive disorders. Many people select alcoholic drinks to ease depression. Although this may possibly help you feel excellent, it is just subsiding your major depression briefly.

Sometimes receiving sympathy from family and friends can frequently help gas your awful conduct if you make you believe that regardless of what you do those family will invariably forgive you. It's healthier that you can focus on getting optimistic and to stay away from property on the unfavorable issues in your lifetime.

Should your mood is nearing adverse, make sure you consume 3 dishes each day. Depression may cause appetite loss, but heading with out foods can contribute to on-going major depression and less enthusiasm as well as. If you are eating improperly and not getting ample energy daily, it makes it actual difficult for your body to operate appropriately. If you eat regularly, your body receives the electricity it will require to help you feel good physically and mentally.

To defeat major depression, you have to be realistic. Consider the goals and anticipations that you have in your lifetime, and in case they aren't sensible, you need to fine-tune them to ensure they doing this. Wanting things which are not likely to happen, or seeking to obtain the extremely hard, is only going to make you dissatisfied. This may make you come to be further more stressed out.

Diet regime may well be a factor in your signs of depressive disorders. Processed foods could have a depressive impact on considered designs, making you think that you're in a loop with no way out of your signs you're experiencing. Try out avoiding fattening food items to enjoy much more healthfully.

Take into account scheduling a consultation to find out a psychological counselor. Interventions that combine prescription drugs and therapy typically produce achievement in the treatment of major depression. Incorporating these 2 kinds of treatment options is much better than making use of any one 1. Prescription drugs operates by controlling the sudden frame of mind downswings, when therapy really helps to workout your issues that lead to major depression.

Do things step by step. Depression can make it sense extremely hard or overpowering to acquire every thing done all at one time. If you focus on taking little methods and making small changes in your life, it is far from as overwhelming on you, and it will be simpler to perform your desired goals.

An antidepressant is great at rejuvenating the total amount of chemical compounds within the human brain to their optimum levels. Even so, if you would like normalcy reconditioned in your own life, you should also physical exercise and take part in therapy.

Assistance to launch hormones within your head with exercise. Brain hormones can be a stimulant that increases your mood. By merely getting up and relocating, you will probably find your depressive disorders helps in reducing up immensely. A very high vitality exercise routine gives you the best results. The exercise will help alleviate your symptoms and improve your state of health.

Having a record to show your sensation in are often very cathartic. You might feel much better when you express your feelings in a record. Documenting your emotions also permits you to acknowledge achievable styles.

Workout has advantages beyond just your health. One of the main great things about exercising might be to assist cope with depression symptoms. Getting some exercise is a wonderful way to help keep you focused entirely on some thing apart from your major depression. Exercising releases hormones to the method, improving disposition and lowering unwanted pressure. Creating and sticking with a regular exercise regimen will help you to fight depression symptoms on a regular basis.

While you are unemployed, it is possible to sometimes sense depressed. Regardless if you are the sole earner with your family members or simply just the one that adds, reduced earnings can demonstrate nerve-racking and all of-encompassing. The economic problems enhance the anxiety of trying to find a new job and supplying to your loved ones.

While you have experienced within the above ideas, there is lots of information you may attain well before looking for solution for your depression symptoms and it's this knowledge, in addition to assistance from your doctor, that can help enhance your symptoms. Fit everything in you need to to identify a therapy that works for you.

Male Depression Symptoms

As a general rule, unless their sports team is winning, men like to keep their feelings close to their chest. Which means spotting male depression symptoms isn't as easy as it would otherwise be. Here are some tell-tale signs that will help you to spot most male depression symptoms. Obviously medical advice is essential but men are reluctant to admit that there's a problem let alone go to an outsider such as a doctor to get it confirmed.

Don't want sex

Let's face it, whilst they're still breathing, this isn't a normal mode for men to be in. They're always either thinking about sex or vocalizing a need for it.

So if the man in your life suddenly loses his sexual appetite, it may not be that he's having an affair with someone else, it could well be that he is suffering from male depression.

More irritable than usual

OK, depending on who the man in your life is, this could be quite difficult to spot.

But as a general rule, the more stressed or depressed your man in, the more likely he is to get short tempered, irritable and ratty.

You'll need to use your own yardstick to work out whether this is the case and you may want to enlist the help of a few friends as they're often quicker to pick up on this kind of thing.

Trouble sleeping

This is another good sign that the man in your life is possibly suffering from male depression.

The stresses of depression leak over into lack of sleep. Which then fuels the stress levels and pushes anger and irritability further up the chart as the lack of sleep starts to kick in.

Alcohol plays a more important role

Men use alcohol (and maybe drug) to help them unwind anyway.

So once again you'll need a scale to measure this against. Not marks on the bottle of scotch at home - that would just be asking for trouble when he finds them - but just a general sense of whether the man in your life is starting to drink earlier in the evening and whether the home measures are getting ever larger.

Obviously if there's a bar involved then you'll need to decide how you can monitor the booze without making your other half feel like they're under surveillance.

More headaches and other pains

Aches and pains are part of our body's warning signs that something is awry.

Which means that you need to be alert for an increase in the number of these that your partner is experiencing.

If there is an increase in the number of opened compartments in the boxes of pain killers that are strategically placed around the house, that could be a sign that stress and depression are taking their toll.

Increased risk taking

Again, there's a fine line to be drawn when you observe this one. But this could manifest itself in a more aggressive driving technique or even just higher levels of violence in the video games he's always playing.

But more risk taking in any shape or form is another clue that the man in your life could indeed be suffering from male depression.

Break the Triad of Depression

Depression affects over 360 million people and some point in their life and right now statistics suggest that worldwide there are over 135 million people suffering from this terrible dis-ease (yes I call it a dis-ease not a disease). As a Life and Personal Development Coach I get so many people ask me how they can escape the grip of depression. Through many years of coaching people and lots of training courses, seminars and audio programs there is one set of constants that cause - and therefore can break and destroy - the grip of depression.

I call these the Triad of Depression

Physiology

Language Focus

These three things can be used to either grip you tighter in to depression or release you from it. They are the keys to how you can change your state instantly, how you manage your thoughts and feelings and how you can change your life for the better at any given point.

Physiology

Physiology is about how you use and move your body and how it directly affects your 'state' or mood. Changing your physiology can rapidly improve your state and how you are feeling. There are certain things you do with your body when you are happy that are different to what you do when you are happy and joyful.

What do you do with your body when you are depressed? Is your head up or down? Where do your eyes look? Are your shoulders up and straight or forward and slumped? Do you move quickly or slowly? What facial expression do you use?
This is the physiology of 'doing' depression!

Now swap all of those around and answer the questions as if you are happy; is your head UP or down? Do your eyes look at the floor or FORWARDS? Are your shoulders slumped or Up Straight? How much quicker do you move? Have you got a big SMILE on your face?

This is the physiology of 'doing' happiness and joy - put yourself into that physiology now and then without changing it try and be depressed... so

• Look up and forwards
• Pull your shoulders up and backwards
• Put a big smile on your face
• Stand like you're happy

You can't feel depressed when you stand like that; can you! All you have to do is change your physiology to change your state in that moment.

Language

For a long term move away from depression you need to also alter the language and your focus.

What language do you use when you are depressed? What questions do you ask yourself? I bet you find you ask yourself really poor questions such as "Why does this always happen to me?" or "What do I do to deserve this?" These are really powerfully negative questions because if you ask a negative question you'll get a negative answer.

It's time to start asking positive questions; "What actions can I take to improve this situation?" "How can I change my life for the better?" These are better questions, more positive questions that will provide more positive answers.

Take time now to sit down and write out as many positive questions you can and start to answer them. Ask 3 different positive questions each day and get the answers and you are well on your way to destroying depression

Focus

The third and final part of the Triad of Depression is focus because what you focus on you get in life. What do you focus on when you are depressed? All of the bad things in life right? Let's be honest here; if you focus on all the bad things in life you are going to make yourself depressed aren't you!

So make the change now to move on to thinking about and focusing on all the good things in life. My suggestion is the have a 'grateful' book; this was suggested to me many years ago and it changed my life. A grateful book is simply a book that each and every day you write down what you are grateful for in life - family, friends, health etc etc - the more you write the more you will think of. Add at least 2 things per day and make sure you right out a new list every day so that you know what you are grateful for.

Conclusion
Improve your physiology, your language and questions and your focus and you will loosen the grip that depression has on you and move towards happiness and joy.

To Your Happiness
Graham

There's No Shame In Depression

"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds."
~Laurell K. Hamilton

The facts made known to us through the branch of existentialism explain our struggles. We are alive but for a short time, and whilst we lament that we will soon and certainly die, we often lament just as much that we are alive. These are truly dark realities. Those given to depressive episodes - a day, a few months, or indefinitely for some - know these realities intimately, and more. They have borne the brunt of truth (and many vicious non-truths) at full force.

Ever more do the depressed need God, but shame is inappropriate. The trouble is society has become adept at refusing to recognise what is patently in front of it.

And where we find ourselves sharply out of step from the social landscape we belong in, we begin to feel we do not belong. When we are forced to belong in a place we don't feel we belong, our wellbeing turns south. We enter disease.

All this dissonance from within suggests we are at war - with ourselves. And if we explore the protagonists of the war, we may see one of the reasons for the conflict: an irreconcilable shame. It appears irreconcilable.

THE COURAGE INVOLVED IN LIVING DEPRESSED

Not that we propagate feeling depressed, because quite frankly there are far better ways to live, but we can appreciate the courage it takes to live in a depressed state. To live this way, to bear the load, to socialise when it hurts, and to trudge one day at a time; that is courage.

So where does shame fit?

It's a lie of the enemy. This dark and mysterious dog is intentionally invisible. It growls and it snaps, yet we don't really know what it looks like. All we know is how we feel.

There is no shame in being depressed, because it takes more courage to live this way than most think.

There is no shame in being depressed, as much of what depression is comes against us beyond our control. But we can deal with it the best we can, with the help available to us. And I suppose we can be thankful that be have access to much better treatment options than we used to.

There is no shame in being depressed, because if any other person had the personality and experiences we do they would react the same as us. All things being equal we have more in common with others than we ever realise.

There is no shame in being depressed.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Grieving: When We Lose Someone We Love

C.S. Lewis, writer of the well known Narnia Chronicles, composed this very genuine line, "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." For anyone who has lost someone they love no thoughts ring truer than these written by Lewis. Sadness, despite the fact that it's generally called a normal process, feels as though we are robbed of our own being.

For people who have lost somebody they love to cancer, regardless of whether these patients underwent the conventional method or seek alternative cancer treatments, there is an emptiness they feel after losing the battle. It could be said that in some way the sickness cancer preps you for death, yet grief is a bottomless well or a sinking pit one can't get out of.

In psychology there are actually 7 stages of grief prior to one can say they are genuinely over it. And although the sadness of losing somebody we love to cancer or to any form of death is something people will carry for the rest of their lives, there will be a point when we can overcome grief.

Shock and Denial
Pretending this is just a dream is the normal first reaction to grief. The shock is of it truly happening brings about disbelief and our mind's initial response is to refute it.

Pain and Guilt
Even though sadness is an emotionally charged sensation, occasionally the pain is simply too deep that it's almost physical. This ache is what causes the depression and the self-destructive ways. It's also the most anguished section of the stages. There's also such a thing as survival's guilt, feeling that we should have perished along with our cherished one.

Anger and Bargaining
For the reason that we can't do anything concerning the situation, we all experience this heavy rage and demonstrate hostility to the world or blame people for the demise. This is where people relieve the bottled sadness they feel within.

Irrationally, we also start to bargain for our dearly departed. We'd query why us or promising God specific things in order to bring him or her back to life.

Depression, Reflection and Loneliness
We then come to a point when we just want to be alone and think about what just transpired and also why this happened to our life. We'd think, we performed every little thing, alternative cancer treatments, good nutrition, the best medical doctors yet still, this is what happened. Often the melancholy is profound in this phase because this is once you comprehend the scale of the loss. People who will try to help you get out of this rut won't succeed.

Upward Turn
This is the stage when we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We're not completely out of it but the dark has lightened up a little bit.

Reconstruction and Working Through
After seeing that silver lining, we become more functional. We start reflecting on more positive notes like what we should we with our lives, how we could restore our lives, and our utmost concern is to move on.

Acceptance and Hope
This is now the end of the tunnel and all over the sun is out and the world is a gorgeous place to live in again. You've come to acknowledge your sadness, because it isn't totally gone, but you've accepted the circumstance you're in.

It's difficult to lose someone we love, be it cancer or any other form. But as Leo Tolstoy said, "Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them."

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: An Effective Method to Beat Mental Disorders

A little change in our attitude helps to understand and overcome adverse situations in our life. The way we behave and the way we react to situations largely depends on our own perspective towards life and situations that directly or indirectly influences our lifestyle.

As a psycho-therapeutic approach, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps individuals to learn new skills to deal with dysfunctional behaviors and emotions. This kind of therapy is used both for individuals and groups to train them in recovering from addictions, depressions, panic attacks, anxiety disorders and other phobias. The self-help sessions in such therapy programs helps in understanding and overcoming various disorders and alleviating symptoms. In most of the cases, such CBT is beneficial for patients who suffer from various mental health disorders and depressions as it poses lesser risks than antidepressants and other methods of psychotherapies.

In order to avail the best solutions for any kind of mental disorders through CBT, individuals should feel free to expose their worries, problems or fears. This helps CBT experts in offering better counseling and suggesting the apt therapy or program for long term benefits. They take initiative in comprehending the illness and its severity that may differ from person to person. The therapy focuses on eliminating negative behavior of individuals of different age groups through systematic processes. This therapy has also turned out to be a boon for those suffering from:

Post traumatic stress disorder

Insomnia

Anxiety

Eating disorders

Obsessive compulsive disorders

The concept of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy evolved in early 1960's. A combination of behavioral and cognitive therapy, CBT focuses on the beliefs and thoughts that influence the mood and attitude of an individual. The therapy facilitates one's thinking process to be more healthy and adaptive and tries to change unhealthy behavioral patterns. Any environmental factors or past experiences influence one's perspective of any given situation. Often this view is distorted and that makes them react to situations with an irrational response. The very first step in CBT is to teach people to analyze the trouble situations with complete clarity in order to adopt the right and appropriate reaction. CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offered by professionals help in providing complete relief to patients from behavioral and emotional responses that leads to disturbing situations. This therapy comes to play when a person consciously analyzes, interprets and manages his/her thoughts. As feelings and thoughts are interwoven, individuals find better control over their emotions. Anyone who wants to control the thought process can apply this technique and reap maximum benefits.

CBT, though a lengthy process is very effective and hence worth all the efforts. Hence it is incredibly popular treatment program that helps people in recovering from a great variety of disorders right from depressions to panic disorder and bulimia. If you are looking for a sure solution to your stress, disorders or depressions, look for such CBT therapy specialists. They can guide you in being more positive in life, relieving you from all sorts of anxieties with ease.

Using Personal Strength to Overcome Depression

Because depressive states are considered serious illnesses, sufferers may need special attention to overcome the disease and regain their lives. In learning how to overcome depression, they will want to build an extensive support network of friends and relatives. Even during the days when they feel particularly down, they should try to engage in social activities with people who love them and care for them. In fact, interacting with others is one of the ways in which the worst of the depression symptoms can be lessened. Playing guitar, attending a sporting event, or having a picnic are all low-key activities that can help.

Physical exercise is perhaps one of the best tonics for mild to moderate depressive episodes. Because even just a bit of cardiovascular exercise can release feel-good hormones that will surge out of the brain, this is one way to elevate mood and improve outlook. Men and women who have never exercised much in their lives may find it hard to know where to start. If they fancy any particular activity and have wanted to try it for years, then they should commandeer a friend and start right away. Lovers of the outdoors can hike in the local woods at the first faint blush of dawn. Positive moods should soon follow.

Avoiding unnecessary stress is yet another way to prevent one's depression from spiraling out of control. For example, if individuals have been under undue financial strain for some time, they might want to procure some debt relief assistance. This will help them to improve their financial standing, and they will no longer remain awake at night endlessly replaying their economic problems within their own minds. If the downturn in their mood has been caused by the loss of a loved one, then they might attend counseling sessions. Reputable counselors can suggest specific techniques for avoiding negative thought patterns.

Lastly, medication can also help. Psychiatrists suggest that some people may be incapable of normal thinking without the benefit of certain medicines. These medications can reestablish proper brain chemistry, which will help pull people out of their negative states. As with most medicines, individuals should read the capsule sidebars carefully so that they can identify any potential side effects.

Because depression is a serious illness that can lead to severe mental impairment, sufferers should get help as soon as they can. With the assistance of loved ones, depressed men and women should receive professional care on a range of fronts. Social activity, exercise, and medication can all combat various symptoms of the disease.

The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not, nor is it ever intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice or professional recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician(s) or other qualified healthcare provider(s).

Studies Seek Better Understanding And Treatment Of Depression

Studies Seek Better Understanding And Treatment Of Depression

Connecting the dots between two molecules whose levels are decreased in depression and increased by current antidepressants could yield new therapies, researchers say.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that enables brain cells to communicate and brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF, is a brain-nourishing molecule that also aids connectivity. Popular antidepressants such as Prozac, developed to increase levels of serotonin, have recently been found to also increase BDNF levels, said Dr. Anilkumar Pillai, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University.

"We don't know how the molecule, serotonin, which is well-studied in depression, regulates BDNF signaling," Pillai said. He's principal investigator on a five year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to help him make the connection.

He suspects a critical piece is the protein transglutaminase 2, or TG2, expressed by brain cells and most other cell types. TG2 plays a role in natural serotonin recycling and potentially is a factor in the serotonin deficiency associated with depression. It also may help explain why levels of serotonin and BDNF seem to rise and fall in sync, Pillai said.

TG2 coverts serotonin to Rac1, a protein that helps rejuvenate BDNF receptors, which typically sit on the surface of brain cells but must periodically move inside to reinvigorate. Depression appears to upset the balance of these complex, critical inner workings. Pillai hypothesizes that the high levels he has found in depression, likely result in too much serotonin conversion leaving too little of the neurotransmitter to properly support brain cell communication. Instead, more Rac1 is produced but - inexplicably - its degradation also increases ultimately decreasing BDNF signaling as well.

Pillai has seen the unfortunate chain of events play out in an animal model with increased levels of TG2 and clear signs of depression. "If you can fix problems with the receptor, you should be able to reverse depressive symptoms in these mice," he said.

One of the many questions he wants to answer is whether existing antidepressants impact TG2. To help clarify the role of the impaired BDNF receptors, Pillai also wants to know whether giving BDNF to the depressed animal model improves depression. He's using a viral particle to directly activate the BDNF receptor. And he's also giving the TG2 inhibitor cysteamine to an animal model developed by administering stress hormones. He recently published in the journal PLoS ONE findings that the inhibitor appears effective in normalizing depressive behavior and BDNF levels in that model. Mental stress is a major factor in numerous psychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia and anxiety, he noted.

Some antidepressants, such as Prozac, were designed to interfere with a natural recycling of serotonin called reuptake so more serotonin is available where needed to enable cell communication. Pillai said it's not yet clear if serotonin reuptake is the same thing as its conversion to Rac-1.

"We need to learn more about how all these pieces fit to ultimately design new therapies for depression and related psychiatric disorders," he said. Dr. Alvin V. Terry Jr., MCG pharmacologist, is co-investigator on the studies.

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in Americans age 15-44, affects about 14.8 million adults and is more prevalent in women, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

View drug information on Prozac Weekly.

Additional

References

Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our depression section for the latest news on this subject.

Common Parasite Linked To Suicide Risk

Common Parasite Linked To Suicide Risk

Article opinions:

 2 posts

Testing positive for a common parasite that lives in the bodies of 10 - 20% of Americans is linked to a sevenfold higher risk of attempted suicide according to new research.

This was the main finding of a study appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry that supports growing evidence linking infection by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts.

A Common Parasite

T. gondii is a common protozoa (parasite) that once ingested travels to the brain, where it can cause subtle changes over time. It reproduces in the cells of its primary host, which is any member of the cat family.

Human sources of infection include any food or water contaminated with eggs from the parasite. Cat litter is another source, hence why it is often referrred to as the "cat litter parasite". T. gondii can also be picked up from eating undercooked food or raw meat from animals that carry the parasite.

Inflammation in the Brain

Lena Brundin, of Michigan State University, co-led the new study. She told the press that between one in ten and one in five people in the US carry the parasite, and while it was thought to lie dormant, it in fact appears to cause inflammation that produces metabolites that accumulate over time and can harm the brain.

"Previous research has found signs of inflammation in the brains of suicide victims and people battling depression, and there also are previous reports linking Toxoplasma gondii to suicide attempts," said Brundin, an associate professor of experimental psychiatry in the College of Human Medicine at MSU.

For example, last month saw the publication of a study that linked higher suicide risk in new mothers to T. gondii.

What the New Study Found

The study is the first to use a suicide assessment scale to assess risk in people infected with the parasite, including 54 who had attempted suicide and 30 controls. All patients were adults and were recruited between 2006 and 2010, and were tested for signs of the parasite. The 54 who had attempted suicide were inpatients at Lund University Hospital in Sweden, and the controls were randomly selected from the municipal population register in Lund.

The results showed testing positive for the parasite was significantly tied to higher scores on the scale, which would indicate a higher risk of a future suicide attempt.

"... we found that if you are positive for the parasite, you are seven times more likely to attempt suicide," said Brundin.

However, Brundin emphasized that most people infected with the parasite are unlikely to attempt suicide:

"Some individuals may for some reason be more susceptible to develop symptoms," she explained.

Implications

Estimates for the US in 2009 suggest one death every 14 minutes, nearly 37,000 in the year, was due to suicide.

These figures highlight what Brundin describes as a "major health problem" where nine out of ten people who attempt suicide have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

"If we could identify those people infected with this parasite, it could help us predict who is at a higher risk," she urged.

Could Reduced Serotonin Be a Symptom, Not a Cause of Depression?

Brundin is no newcomer to looking at how inflammation in the brain might be linked to symptoms of depression, a major factor in suicide.

About ten years ago, after working on Parkinson's disease, she began investigating the role of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which have been the preferred treatment for depression.

SSRIs are thought to increase serotonin in the brain, but this only works in about half of patients with depression.

Through her work, Brundin is coming round to the view that reduction in serotonin in the brain is more of a symptom than a root cause of depression.

A plausible explanation could be that depression results from changes in brain chemistry produced by inflammation caused by an infection or a parasite.

Scope for New Treatments

"I think it's very positive that we are finding biological changes in suicidal patients," says Brundin, because "It means we can develop new treatments to prevent suicides, and patients can feel hope that maybe we can help them."

Studies like this one open up the scope for developing new treatments that target specific biological mechanisms, she adds.

Several organizations funded the research, including the Swedish Research Council and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Visit our psychology / psychiatry section for the latest news on this subject.

"Toxoplasma gondii Immunoglobulin G Antibodies and Nonfatal Suicidal Self-Directed Violence"; Yuanfen Zhang, Lil Trskman-Bendz, Shorena Janelidze, Patricia Langenberg, Ahmed Saleh, Niel Constantine, Olaoluwa Okusaga, Cecilie Bay-Richter, Lena Brundin, and Teodor T. Postolache; J Clin Psychiatry, 2012;73(8):1069–1076; DOI:10.4088/JCP.11m07532
Additional

Common Parasite Linked To Suicide Risk

Common Parasite Linked To Suicide Risk

Testing positive for a common parasite that lives in the bodies of 10 - 20% of Americans is linked to a sevenfold higher risk of attempted suicide according to new research.

This was the main finding of a study appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry that supports growing evidence linking infection by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts.

A Common Parasite

T. gondii is a common protozoa (parasite) that once ingested travels to the brain, where it can cause subtle changes over time. It reproduces in the cells of its primary host, which is any member of the cat family.

Human sources of infection include any food or water contaminated with eggs from the parasite. Cat litter is another source, hence why it is often referrred to as the "cat litter parasite". T. gondii can also be picked up from eating undercooked food or raw meat from animals that carry the parasite.

Inflammation in the Brain

Lena Brundin, of Michigan State University, co-led the new study. She told the press that between one in ten and one in five people in the US carry the parasite, and while it was thought to lie dormant, it in fact appears to cause inflammation that produces metabolites that accumulate over time and can harm the brain.

"Previous research has found signs of inflammation in the brains of suicide victims and people battling depression, and there also are previous reports linking Toxoplasma gondii to suicide attempts," said Brundin, an associate professor of experimental psychiatry in the College of Human Medicine at MSU.

For example, last month saw the publication of a study that linked higher suicide risk in new mothers to T. gondii.

What the New Study Found

The study is the first to use a suicide assessment scale to assess risk in people infected with the parasite, including 54 who had attempted suicide and 30 controls. All patients were adults and were recruited between 2006 and 2010, and were tested for signs of the parasite. The 54 who had attempted suicide were inpatients at Lund University Hospital in Sweden, and the controls were randomly selected from the municipal population register in Lund.

The results showed testing positive for the parasite was significantly tied to higher scores on the scale, which would indicate a higher risk of a future suicide attempt.

"... we found that if you are positive for the parasite, you are seven times more likely to attempt suicide," said Brundin.

However, Brundin emphasized that most people infected with the parasite are unlikely to attempt suicide:

"Some individuals may for some reason be more susceptible to develop symptoms," she explained.

Implications

Estimates for the US in 2009 suggest one death every 14 minutes, nearly 37,000 in the year, was due to suicide.

These figures highlight what Brundin describes as a "major health problem" where nine out of ten people who attempt suicide have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

"If we could identify those people infected with this parasite, it could help us predict who is at a higher risk," she urged.

Could Reduced Serotonin Be a Symptom, Not a Cause of Depression?

Brundin is no newcomer to looking at how inflammation in the brain might be linked to symptoms of depression, a major factor in suicide.

About ten years ago, after working on Parkinson's disease, she began investigating the role of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which have been the preferred treatment for depression.

SSRIs are thought to increase serotonin in the brain, but this only works in about half of patients with depression.

Through her work, Brundin is coming round to the view that reduction in serotonin in the brain is more of a symptom than a root cause of depression.

A plausible explanation could be that depression results from changes in brain chemistry produced by inflammation caused by an infection or a parasite.

Scope for New Treatments

"I think it's very positive that we are finding biological changes in suicidal patients," says Brundin, because "It means we can develop new treatments to prevent suicides, and patients can feel hope that maybe we can help them."

Studies like this one open up the scope for developing new treatments that target specific biological mechanisms, she adds.

Several organizations funded the research, including the Swedish Research Council and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Visit our psychology / psychiatry section for the latest news on this subject.

"Toxoplasma gondii Immunoglobulin G Antibodies and Nonfatal Suicidal Self-Directed Violence"; Yuanfen Zhang, Lil Trskman-Bendz, Shorena Janelidze, Patricia Langenberg, Ahmed Saleh, Niel Constantine, Olaoluwa Okusaga, Cecilie Bay-Richter, Lena Brundin, and Teodor T. Postolache; J Clin Psychiatry, 2012;73(8):1069–1076; DOI:10.4088/JCP.11m07532
Additional

Is Your Emotional Foundation Shaky?

Fortifying or rebuilding your foundation starts with assessing how solid or shaky it is

Our emotional foundation is the personality structure we operate from, much of it formed in childhood. Some of us are fortunate-born into families that shower love on their children, protect them, provide opportunity, and model solid character, citizenship, and relationship attributes. I am always appreciative when I run into people with solid foundations who are thriving, passing on their love, building great intimate relationships, families, and networks of friends, and contributing to the world in positive ways. It's what we all wish for our children, friends, and associates. And while all lives have their challenges and pains, those fortunate people provide a good balance and hopeful models for those in constant struggle.

Unfortunately, many of us grapple not just with difficult problems of the present, but with foundations made shaky by childhood traumas, a lack of consistent love and good role models within our early family life, and sometimes child abuse. Those disadvantages are analogous to serious nutritional deficiencies in early physical development. They present people who have not had a strong foundation with lifelong challenges.

But there is a way to build, rebuild, or fortify your foundation. It starts with recognizing what your strengths and weaknesses are and then building a life that takes advantage of your strengths and minimizes or fortifies your weaknesses. To start this process, first take a look at the components of your foundation. Let's start with events that shake the foundation.

Loss or abandonment. The death of a parent, sibling, or grandparent. These events shake a child to the core and require a long period of mourning, as well as understanding and love from those who remain, in order to help a child through. If those things do not happen, a child can carry the shock, pain, and numbness for a long time and grow up with a shaky foundation. In addition to the shock of the loss, children can take on guilt at the death of someone they are close to-however irrational that may seem to us as adults.

Abuse. Child abuse-mental, physical, or sexual-can have the most soul-destroying effect of any childhood experience. Children naturally look to parents for love, affection, caring, and a model for appropriate behavior. When all of those are shattered in one or a series of cruel acts, children often retreat into a numbed mental state. These acts are impossible to process or emotionally resolve for a child, so the damage can linger a lifetime.

Trauma. A bad accident. Witnessing a violent act. These things can shake a child's foundation at any age. Yes, children are resilient and can recover from many difficult experiences. But they do not do that on their own. If a child receives little or no understanding, support, or guidance after a trauma, the effects can linger into adulthood, even through a lifetime, leading to both anxiety and depression.

Alcoholism and drug addiction. Substance abuse or addiction take many of the other experiences mentioned here and add chronic irrational behavior, unpredictability, and extreme emotion. The result can lead to a life of anxiety, low self-esteem, and substance abuse.

Cold parenting. There are parents around who are not drug addicts, who provide all the right physical comforts, who do not physically or sexually abuse their children and who keep a stable household-yet do not offer any degree of warmth or affection that a child can use as a model for future relationships. Cold, unemotional parents can communicate a profound message that expressing a feeling is inappropriate or unsafe. And that message, internalized, can result in an inability to form or maintain intimate relationships.

Parental incompetence. Some parents do very little that appears to be abusive to a child, yet still confer a lifelong disadvantage. These parents simply do very little right, from being self-absorbed rather than nurturing, to having little perspective on child rearing and making wrong decisions and mistakes at every turn, to not reading to or cooking for their children. Unfortunately, sometimes such poor parenting is simply passed down from one generation to the next.

While all of the above experiences damage a child's foundation or prevent it from being fully formed, the real question for you as an adult is: What can you do about it now? Thankfully, the answer is: A great deal. Here are some of the top strategies for building or fortifying a strong foundation for the rest of your life:

Find good models. Be clear about your lack of an early foundation. Then look for solid people to bring into your life who can share your experiences as you build a stronger foundation. Make friends who are understanding, reliable, and affectionate without being inappropriate. Form intimate relationships with people who are likely to sustain a commitment in the long run.

Stay clear of toxic people. Listen to and hone your instincts. Does an interaction with a person often result in anger, depression, or other debilitating feelings? Find a way, any way that works, to end that relationship. Your job in life is to move on, not to be stuck in the past. Unfortunately, the list of toxic people can sometimes include family.

Get connected, move forward. Get involved with forward-moving work and after-hours activities. Join a meetup of foreign film lovers or hikers to augment your mind or body. Take an evening course so you can take on a greater challenge at work.

Commit to long-term change. If one or more of the difficult experiences above is familiar to you, seeking professional help can be one of the biggest steps you ever take toward a healthy life. A counselor can help you assess your foundation and set you on a growth path. Longer-term therapy has the advantage of building a deeper relationship with a therapist, in which you partner to build a better foundation for the future.

5 Common Myths About Suicide Exploded

Suicide. Most of us know little to nothing about this tragedy. What we think we know is also probably wrong. More than a million people all over the world die by suicide each year. Suicide risk is partly genetic and often accompanies agonizing mental problems.

Suicide isn't cowardly, vengeful, or selfish. It's not about "suppressed rage". Many threats of suicide are eventually followed by successful attempts.

A few problems with some common myths about suicide:

Suicidal people are crazy: Actually, they're just in a lot of pain. You don't have to be drunk, psychotic, demented, or delirious to be suicidal.

It's only a cry for help: People who talk about suicide often do kill themselves. It's pretty useless as a risk indicator.

People who want to kill themselves are just trying to manipulate others: These people really need help. They're unwell. Saying they're "just trying to get something out of it" is ignorant and insensitive.

It happens without any warning signs: There are almost always warning signs.

Kids never think about doing it: Does a child of 10 count? Suicide's the 3rd leading cause of death for youth aged 15-24.

What I hope for is a more balanced, compassionate view. Let's foster empathy and education instead of ignorance and judgement.

Why learning the facts helps others and even saves lives:

Wanting to die means you're in pain: People who think death is their only option are suffering terribly. They're deeply troubled and deserve help.

Take the talk seriously: If you believe someone is suicidal, urge them to call 911 or go to their local emergency room. Encourage them to call a suicide hotline like 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

View them with compassion: Wanting to die is burden enough for these poor people. They shouldn't carry the weight of our combined judgement as well.

Look for red flags: There are almost always signs that someone is suicidal. We often just don't see them. Warning signs include talking or writing about killing or harming yourself, talking a lot about / obsessed with death, and seeking out dangerous pastimes like drugs or guns.

Educate your children: Young people should be taught that feeling suicidal isn't shameful. They should be encouraged to talk about these feelings, as much for our own well-being as for theirs.

Unbearable suffering is what suicide tries to escape. A suicidal person can't imagine relief except through death, yet most suicidal people are conflicted about ending their lives. They may not really want to die, but to have the painful feelings stop. They want an alternative they often just can't see.

The Best of Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is a kind of orientation involving a conversation between an analyst and a person suffering from a certain condition. The conversation is no ordinary conversation as it is well handled and guided to ensure that at the end of the day the person comes to terms with the condition and is eventually treated without taking any form of drugs. Even though the treatment is not immediate and cannot be guaranteed, it has helped many people out of their situations.

Some of the most common issues which are possible to treat with the help of psychoanalysis include anxiety, trauma, panic attacks, loss of motivation and depression. Others include sexual problems, confusion, addiction and even self harm among many others. These issues are normally as a result of thing people have to deal with in their lives some of which could be loves and hates or even uncertainties. They can be quite serious and hence there is a need to get over them.

Psychoanalysis does not involve any kind of drug to deal with the conditions but it has managed to treat many people by giving them the chance and the perfect kind of setting to open up. The analysts help the individuals to dig deep into what the root cause of their situations could be hence they are put in a better position to handle the issues eventually treating the condition. The orientation can differ in terms of how long it takes to successfully help an individual. This is because different people react differently and these issues do not match in terms of the level of damage they cause.

It also means that the fees one gets to pay for the psychoanalysis can be determined by the period it takes for the treatment to work. This is however something that will have to be discussed and agreed between the analyst and the patient depending on the issue at hand and before the session even starts. Most of the centers offering psychoanalysis make it easy for people to book appointments and also find all the information they need by designing well detailed websites. You can easily therefore tell which center has the potential of helping you out even before you even contact any analyst.

When going into this kind of treatment, it is important to be open-minded and realistic with everything. The only time you will manage to see positive results from the treatment is when you believe that it can indeed help you out of your situation.

How To Manage Your Depression

Depression is not to be messed around with. If you are feeling depressed, you should get help immediately. There are many treatment options available to you to help with your symptoms. Do not be embarrassed to seek help with your issues. There are millions of Americans who are suffering just like you. Your illness is something that you don't need to deal with alone.

Seek Professional Counseling

When you are depressed, you may not feel like talking about your issues. However, you should seek out someone to talk to. If you don't want to talk to a therapist, you should talk to a friend or relative who will be able to understand your problems. The upside of talking to a therapist is that this person will be able to prescribe medications that may be able to help you. Remember that you will be in a room where no one is going to judge you.

Get Medical Attention For Your Illness

Your depressed state is more than just getting the blues after a bad day. A depressed state has been labeled as a chemical imbalance in your brain that causes you to act the way that you do. Your doctor will be more than happy to work out a therapy program that will work to correct the imbalance. Over the course of a couple of weeks, you should be able to see improvement in your condition.

Understand What Causes Your Symptoms

People can get depressed because of things that have happened in their lives. A poor childhood, the death of a pet or a friend or another traumatic event could have set your illness into motion. The trick is to figure out what the root cause of your situation is. Figuring that out can help you get over your illness quicker. This is why talking to someone is such a great idea whenever you are feeling bad.

Don't Be Ashamed Of Your Emotions

It is important to recognize your emotions as they happen. Trying to ignore or deny how you are feeling is only going to make things worse. You cannot get help if you are unwilling to admit that you have a problem. Your family and friends are willing to work with you for as long as it takes to get you past this dark period in your life. However, you have to be willing to overcome the demons in your head that are telling you that life isn't worth living. Getting the courage to admit your issues is the only way that you can face them head on.

Find Something That Inspires You

Find something that will help you carry on when you are feeling especially depressed. A song, poem or TV show can be just what you need to get up in the morning. It will give you the strength and motivation to live this day to the best of your ability. Discovering things that are right with the world can allow you to focus on positive thoughts instead of negative ones.

Light Can Help You Overcome

Many people suffer from a seasonal form of depression. It generally has to do with a lack of sunlight during the winter months. Therefore, it would be a good idea to put some lamps in your room as well as opening blinds in the morning. Letting in as much natural light as possible can make your feel better.

Feeling like your world is crumbing all around you is no way to go through life. There are a lot of people who can help you through your problems. Medicine is also available to help regulate your brain. Take advantage of these options that are available to you. Don't do anything that will cause you or family permanent pain and suffering.

Copyright (c) 2012 Embracing Depression

The Benefits of Lacanian Psychoanalysis

Contrary to what many people might think, lacanian psychoanalysis is not a technique, it is basically an orientation that engages language and speech to treat various conditions that people suffer from. Professional analysists handle the sessions and they know exactly how to help individuals speak about their worries and dig deep into the issues till the real cause of their worries is known. As they talk about these issues, they become more aware of their situations and with the help of the analysts, they begin to work with the issues over working against them.

Continued sessions of Lacanian psychoanalysis have helped treat people from their conditions most of which are panic attacks, depression, trauma and anxiety among various other issues that humans go through in their daily lives as a result of things they dread, love or hate. Even though the analysis does not promise to offer quick treatment, it does work effectively especially for those who have already accepted the fact that they are dealing with certain issues in their lives.

One of the benefits that come with Lacanian psychoanalysis is that you will be privately dealt with. You will be given all the attention you need within a setting which helps you relax and open up speaking about your worries.

The analyst will make the session easy for you by beginning with the question of what is worrying you. At this juncture, you will manage to begin with what you feel and hence manage to go into the conversation head on. The analyst will analyze the talk and will intervene and offer your cues whenever the need arises. In the long run, you will start managing your issues better with the professional help. As they talk about these issues, they become more aware of their situations and with the help of the analysts, they begin to work with the issues over working against them.

The analysis is very affordable and with commitment and patience, it does treat the conditions effectively. It is nothing compared to a thing such as taking anti depressants which still fail to work since the individual has not come to terms with the real issues behind the condition he or she is suffering from. It is always easier to handle issues when we accept that we are suffering.

Depending on the issues at hand, the Lacanian psychoanalysis is not standard in length. You could however benefit greatly after a few sessions. It can therefore be a very quick and effective way of dealing with the issues you are facing in your life.

Depression in Teens: They Don't Want to Be Things

Depression in teens is on the rise, and looks set to continue increasing. According to Mental Health America, the rate of suicide amongst teenagers and young people has nearly tripled since 1960. Girls, aged 12 to 17, experiencing major depressive episodes are also now included within this number.

Mental health is becoming an issue for adults too. The consumption of psychotropic drugs is sky-rocketing.

Do we need better drugs?

Do we need to make drugs part of our daily diet?

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley, in his famous book 'Brave New World', foresaw this happening. He portrayed a society where drugs are used to create meaningless lives for all of Earth's inhabitants.

His Brave New World is a world where human dignity is lost. Any attempt to use the peculiar powers of human nature is regarded with suspicion, and any subconscious suffering derived from this loss of humanity is disguised by the use of drugs.

Aldous Huxley had quite a talent at foreseeing the future, and his Brave New World is exactly where we are heading. Many teens don't want to be part of such an inhuman way of living, and with good reason. The solution is not suicide, however, but rather it's about bringing an awareness to all, and rebuilding a more human society.

A more human society

A more human society is one which respects human nature, and here is where our difficulties begin.

What is in favour of human nature, and what is acting against it?

This is hard to say because ideas of human nature have been created throughout human history in order to justify forms of social organization. We could begin our personal investigation into human nature in many ways. My favoured method, however, is self-observation.

Although we can imagine many other ways to perform such an investigation, personally, I learned to be suspicious of any definition of human nature proposed by people who:

* Want you to accept their definition without allowing you to check its validity by yourself

* Have an egotistical stake in having you believe in this definition

* Are in position of power, and could lose it if you don't believe in their way of thinking

Unfortunately, we have to be very determined in our search if we want to find any unbiased source regarding human nature. A lot of biased sources will put themselves in the way, and the good ones are difficult to find.

My vision of the true human nature

I'm going to offer a glimpse to my vision of true human nature. I have been developing it over the last few years, convinced that real change will only happen when each and every one of us starts to see the truth about human nature on their own, rather than relying on existing learned definitions.

Paradoxically, children are among the best teachers of human nature, because they are unbiased.

Depression in teens is, in my opinion, as a result of the conflict between the human nature of teenagers, which is still unbiased, and the external pressure applied on them to be moulded by the sick and artificial form of human nature society proposes.

Modern man is a thing

One aspect of modern man is that he is more of a thing than a true human being. He sells himself. He makes himself attractive in the same way apples may be polished to attract consumers. He studies for years, learns languages, and polishes his manners all to increase his value, so he can sell himself at a higher price, like the apples.

His value is determined by the market. If the market prefers extroverted people, he will make himself an extrovert. If introverts are reappraised, he will make himself introverted. If the market wants happy people, then he will smile even if inside he feels anguish.

Huge attention is given to figure out what sells on the market, and the apple, sorry, the human being is polished accordingly. Any change in the market, and your value can evaporate overnight. This is a source of insecurity and anxiety.

Depressed teens don't want to be things

What has all of this got to do with depression in teens?

Depressed teens unconsciously refuse to see themselves as objects to be consumed. If they could freely express this refusal, they would tell us: "What is the point in living if I have to become an object to be consumed?"

I suggest we should allow them to express consciously this refusal, and learn from them how to make our society more human.

Studies Seek Better Understanding And Treatment Of Depression

Studies Seek Better Understanding And Treatment Of Depression

Connecting the dots between two molecules whose levels are decreased in depression and increased by current antidepressants could yield new therapies, researchers say.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that enables brain cells to communicate and brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF, is a brain-nourishing molecule that also aids connectivity. Popular antidepressants such as Prozac, developed to increase levels of serotonin, have recently been found to also increase BDNF levels, said Dr. Anilkumar Pillai, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University.

"We don't know how the molecule, serotonin, which is well-studied in depression, regulates BDNF signaling," Pillai said. He's principal investigator on a five year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to help him make the connection.

He suspects a critical piece is the protein transglutaminase 2, or TG2, expressed by brain cells and most other cell types. TG2 plays a role in natural serotonin recycling and potentially is a factor in the serotonin deficiency associated with depression. It also may help explain why levels of serotonin and BDNF seem to rise and fall in sync, Pillai said.

TG2 coverts serotonin to Rac1, a protein that helps rejuvenate BDNF receptors, which typically sit on the surface of brain cells but must periodically move inside to reinvigorate. Depression appears to upset the balance of these complex, critical inner workings. Pillai hypothesizes that the high levels he has found in depression, likely result in too much serotonin conversion leaving too little of the neurotransmitter to properly support brain cell communication. Instead, more Rac1 is produced but - inexplicably - its degradation also increases ultimately decreasing BDNF signaling as well.

Pillai has seen the unfortunate chain of events play out in an animal model with increased levels of TG2 and clear signs of depression. "If you can fix problems with the receptor, you should be able to reverse depressive symptoms in these mice," he said.

One of the many questions he wants to answer is whether existing antidepressants impact TG2. To help clarify the role of the impaired BDNF receptors, Pillai also wants to know whether giving BDNF to the depressed animal model improves depression. He's using a viral particle to directly activate the BDNF receptor. And he's also giving the TG2 inhibitor cysteamine to an animal model developed by administering stress hormones. He recently published in the journal PLoS ONE findings that the inhibitor appears effective in normalizing depressive behavior and BDNF levels in that model. Mental stress is a major factor in numerous psychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia and anxiety, he noted.

Some antidepressants, such as Prozac, were designed to interfere with a natural recycling of serotonin called reuptake so more serotonin is available where needed to enable cell communication. Pillai said it's not yet clear if serotonin reuptake is the same thing as its conversion to Rac-1.

"We need to learn more about how all these pieces fit to ultimately design new therapies for depression and related psychiatric disorders," he said. Dr. Alvin V. Terry Jr., MCG pharmacologist, is co-investigator on the studies.

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in Americans age 15-44, affects about 14.8 million adults and is more prevalent in women, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

View drug information on Prozac Weekly.

Additional

References

Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our depression section for the latest news on this subject.

The Crying Games

The celebration of the London Olympic Games are now over. The winners, some crying with tears of elation, will return home with their medals to enjoy their newly acquired national status. They are the ones who will have worked tirelessly for many years to finally enjoy the results of their achievements. There were also, believe it or not, some tears from journalists, caught up in the emotion of the winners - and also the losers who just failed to make the grade who feel they have let down their country.

Although we are told that it is the competing that is the most important, and not necessarily the winning, we must not underestimate the impact that disappointment will have on each competitor.

Managing Disappointment

Of course, we know that everyone manages disappointment differently. Some athletes may feel that their failure to win a medal is to have absolutely failed their friends, family and trainers whilst for others it may merely increase their determination to do better next time.

Those who fail to win may feel angry and cross at their lack of concentration or physical ability to be the best, and while they congratulate the winners, they are secretly having to manage not only their pain but also their feelings of disappointment for themselves and for those that have supported them over so many months and years of training.

These are the people that I think of at this time. Of course, for every winner there is a loser and we cannot all be champions: life is full of disappointments which we have to manage whether we are Olympic competitors or corporate managers. We all have dreams and aspirations not yet realised. Illness, in ourselves or our family, may get in the way of us achieving our full potential. Hopes are often dashed and life, at times, just seems so unfair.

Life is not a straight line - there will always be ups and downs along the way. We cannot always sail on the crest of a wave. Situations do not always work out; our vision does not always become a reality and too often, we don't come home with the gold, or even the bronze!

We are not all Olympic competitors, but in one form or another, we will have had to manage disappointment and the powerful emotions that it releases. It happens to all of us, rich or poor, old or young, man or woman. It is a fact of life that will happen to you and although it cannot be avoided, how you deal with it will determine the effect it has on your life and the extent to which you can control that effect. Disappointment is a combination of two things: your expectations and perceptions of an event and its actual resolution.

Here are some ways to help you to move on:

Treat the event as a moment to consider what you can learn about yourself from the situation. Reflect and take the learning out of the situation so that you can use it for another time.

Allow yourself space to grieve and sufficient time to manage the loss. It is important to acknowledge that it did happen, to acknowledge the disappointment and to move on.

Take responsibility for your own actions and don't blame others. Whilst, other people or factors may have influenced how a particular situation unfolded, there will be ways in which you can modify those influences, next time.

Accept that change is an integral part of life, both in business and in the home. Do your best to believe in the fact that how you manage change will determine the type of person that you are.

Even though you may have experienced disappointment, don't forget to say 'Thank you!' to those who were there for you and supported you onyour journey. Be grateful for what you have and for those whom you have around you: your family, friends and colleagues.

Life is a journey for all of us. Tears of joy and sometimes of disappointment will happen. The sooner, you come to terms with the pain, the sooner you can move on. These disappointments will have been yesterday but today, and everyday, is a new beginning!

Key Points

Disappointments happen to all of us

Learn and profit from your mistakes

Life is about looking forwards not back

[Written by Carole Spiers and reprinted with the kind permission of Gulf News]

Understanding Depression As A Mental Illness

Depression is characterized as a neurological disorder that directly affects mental, emotional and physical health. It can range from mild to severe and affect both children and adults. Although signs such as withdrawal and despair may be apparent in some people, there are many other ways that people express their feelings of sadness. Excessive or irrational anger is often an overlooked sign of sadness that many people may mistake for an inability to control emotions. If left untreated, sadness and despair can lead to extreme physical health problems and thoughts of suicide.

Untreated mental conditions can lead to problems with sleep patterns and lead to eating disorders. Individuals may suffer from insomnia or excessive sleep and may experience a lack of energy as a result. Difficulty with concentration and the inability to make clear, rational decisions are a major side effect of irregular sleep patterns. Sadness is often associated with extreme weight loss; however, excessive weight gain can be an indication of unhappiness or feelings of despair. Some people turn to food as a source of comfort while others obtain no pleasure in eating. People that use food for comfort and gain a significant amount of weight may develop more feelings of sadness as a result of the weight gain.

Feelings of anxiety and hopelessness can cause serious problems in every aspect of life including personal relationships and work life. These feelings can lead to violent behavior or exclusion. Children of parents with mental disorders may become neglected and develop feelings of rejection or abandonment. Depressive illnesses are often the result of biological factors such as family history. This is important to consider as many children of parents with mental disorders have a higher chance of developing a neurological disorder than children that come from a family with no history.

Children with psychological disorders may display their emotions of sadness differently. Severe behavioral problems are the most prominent indication of unhappiness. They may often get into trouble at school, become involved with alcohol or drugs and withdraw from family and friends. They often display irritability rather than sadness. Treating a mental illness in an adolescent is essential to their growth and well-being. Teenagers are more often at risk of committing suicide than adults are due to the underdeveloped brain and the inability to rationalize sensibly under stressful situations.

Mental disorders are not always hereditary. Stress-related factors such as a death of a loved one, loss of job, financial conditions, divorce and an illness or disability can cause despair and sadness. Recognizing the symptoms early on can help those who are suffering from a mental disorder get the treatment they need to feel better. Depressive episodes may occur without any obvious stress-related triggers. Most people experience brief feelings of sadness; however, recurring episodes are not normal and considered the best indication of a mental illness.

The symptoms of a mental illness may vary among men and women. Men may experience irritability, sleeplessness or have a loss of interest in activities they once found pleasurable. Depressive feelings in women tend to be more noticeable while men find activities such as work to avoid their feelings or having to talk about it. Men may indulge in reckless behavior such as drugs or alcohol and may become verbally or physically abusive to others.

Depression is a very serious condition but is also very treatable through a variety of treatment options. Medication, psychotherapy and support groups are effective in treating mental illnesses. An antidepressant used in conjunction with counseling or support groups is the most common method of treatment and can reduce the risk of any recurring depressive episodes. A mental health professional can help a patient learn coping techniques to deal with the illness effectively. Therapy may also be helpful with recognizing the things that may be contributing to the depressing feelings and discovering new behaviors to avoid these triggers.

Copyright (c) 2012 Embracing Depression

3 Surprising Ways To Deal With Depression

Therapy and medication are two well-known ways to treat depression, but you might be surprised to learn about a few simple methods that can give you a lift without involving a professional. Try one or more of these natural methods to get relief from depression symptoms whenever you need it.

Take A Quick Walk

It may seem too simple to be true, but just a brisk walk a few times around the block can do many positive things for your mood. First, it can be a good way to distract yourself from your depression and the things that trigger it. When you get yourself moving, you are likely to get a little distance from the environment where you were feeling low. The world also looks a little different when you are whizzing by it at a quicker pace.

When your blood starts to pump and your breath quickens, it gets tougher to ruminate and focus on specific things in your mind. If you have to pay more attention to your walking path and keeping your balance, your mind doesn't have the ability to also focus on your negative thoughts or feelings.

Despite what busy people try to do, they really aren't keeping track of two things at once because the brain simply can't do it. Sometimes all it takes is a small interruption in your thoughts to disrupt the momentum of a depressed mood. It's also widely understood that brisk exercise, even a small amount, releases the natural feel-good chemicals in your body called endorphins.

Write A Letter To Or About Your Depression

Don't worry if you don't write as a hobby or for your job. You won't be sending this written work out to anyone to judge. Imagine your depression as some kind of creature or being that has a life of its own. Consider your feelings, your thoughts, the actions you take or avoid, and your entire demeanor when you are depressed. When you've had some time to let this sink in, write your letter. This can be directly to your depression, or you can write to a loved one about it. Remember, this isn't a letter meant for anyone else to read so you can be free with your expression.

Tell your depression what you think of it, or describe it to another person. Just write whatever comes out as your natural expression. Offer no judgment about whether your writing is good or bad. People often become so overcome with their depression that it seems to be part of them. After writing, you might feel more empowered to take back your life. This powerful technique, sometimes used in depression counseling, may give you a new understanding of the reasons and depth of your illness.

Do Something For Someone Else

When you're depressed, perhaps the last thing you'd think about is going out of your way for someone else. After all, you're the one hurting and dealing with daily misery. Remember how your mind can't focus on two things at once? This also comes into play when you do something for others. Step into another person's shoes for a moment and see what could make their day better.

Is there something thoughtful you could say? Could you offer help with a task they need to finish? Is there something kind you could do that this person would truly appreciate? If just for a moment, you've focused on someone else more than yourself. Doing this can bring a surprising amount of meaning and satisfaction in your life. It's a very effective way to distract yourself from your depression while creating something positive in your own life.

Knowing What To Do If You Are Depressed

As depression is so common around the world today, it is useful to have some ideas of what you can do if you are depressed. The fact is that it is possible to use your brain and mindset to work your way out of depression if you are prepared to put in the work to do so.

Perhaps you went for a promotion and didn't succeed or your partner has sent you an email saying that they want 'out' of the relationship. Whatever the cause, you are feeling down in the dumps and all you want to do is eat junk food and do nothing all day. Depression can have you feeling like a worthless loser, but changing your view on what is happening is the best way to manage your emotions.

Discover What to Do When Depressed By Thinking Differently

The cause of your depression might be the way you constantly repeat self-defeating, negative thoughts in your mind. Therefore, the best way to pull yourself out of depression is to change the way that you think.

It is highly likely that as you are feeling down, you unconsciously berate yourself with exaggerated, self-depreciating, negative thoughts and have no idea what to do to manage your resultant depression. Your depression is getting more and more fuel by the way you are talking to yourself. For example, getting passed over for a promotion at work will make you think, "I did not get the job so I must be a total loser and I will never get anywhere in life." This extreme all-or-nothing frame of mind can lead to severe depression.

Challenge Your Irrational Ideas

Wondering what to do when depressed and negative thoughts are running rampant in your mind? The solution is to challenge your irrational ideas and replace them with ideas that are more constructive. For example, it may be unfortunate that you did not get this promotion, but because of your hard work, you will one day get the promotion that you deserve. You would also have learnt a lot whilst going through the process of applying for a promotion that will help you in the future.

By changing the way that you think, you will change the way that you act.

People who have a fixed mindset will often be fearful of asking someone out on a date as they are afraid of rejection. But once you develop a growth mindset you realise that even if you are rejected, that is not the end of the world. Instead of feeling as if you are worthless because you were rejected, you understand that you have learnt something and will be more successful in the future.

Having these skills when you are depressed and not allowing it to take over your life will allow you to grow as an individual. You will be more focused on the present, on what you have control over, and you will see light at the end of the tunnel where you will get the promotion you want. Your relationships will improve because you will understand that when a person says 'no' to date, they are not saying they don't like you as a person, rather it is 'no' to the invitation. There is a big difference between the too. By working on developing a growth mindset you are able to better manage your depression and this ultimately leads to a happier and healthier life.

Poor Mental Health Linked To Higher Death Risk

Poor Mental Health Linked To Higher Death Risk

Article opinions:

 3 posts

A large study of English households finds that people who experience symptoms of psychological distress like anxiety, depression, or even minor mental health problems, have a lower life expectancy than people who do not.

Since the link remained when they adjusted for lifestyle factors, the researchers say the effect is more likely due to biological changes resulting from psychological distress rather than because people with poor mental health have less healthy lifestyles.

The Wellcome Trust funded study is expected to trigger more research into how doctors treat people with even mild mental psychological problems.

The team, from University College London (UCL) and the University of Edinburgh, write about their work in the 31 July issue of BMJ.

Senior author David Batty, from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UCL, told the press:

"These associations also remained after we did our best to take into account other factors such as weight, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes. Therefore, this increased mortality is not simply due to people with higher levels of psychological distress having poorer health behaviours."

Previous research into the association between mental health and life expectancy has consisted mainly of small studies with samples that are not big enough to produce statistically robust results.

For the BMJ study, the largest to address this problem to date, Batty and colleagues analyzed data from more than 68,000 people aged 35 and older who took part in the Health Survey for England from 1994 to 2004.

As part of the survey, the participants had filled in the General Health Questionnaire GHQ-12, a recognized measure that assesses mental health on a 12-item scale. The range extends from no symptoms to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The participants were followed for an average of 8 years. From National Health Service mortality data, the researchers were able to determine which participants died over the study period and what from, and correlate this information with the mental health scores.

The results showed that participants who experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression had a lower life expectancy than those who did not.

Even having minor symptoms of psychological distress, which applied to about a quarter of the participants in this study, was linked to a higher risk of premature death from several major causes, including heart disease.

People with minor symptoms of depression or anxiety often don't seek medical help, and the researchers say their findings could have implications for how these minor mental health issues are treated by the health system.

It could be that treating these minor symptoms could reduce the increased risk of premature death.

John Williams, Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust, said the findings show we need to make sure people with mental health problems can access the care and advice they need.

"People with mental health problems are among the most vulnerable in society," said Williams.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Visit our mental health section for the latest news on this subject.

"Association between psychological distress and mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies"; Tom C Russ, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Mark Hamer, John M Starr, Mika Kivimki, G David Batty; BMJ 2012;345:e4933, published online 31 July 2012; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e4933; Link to Article
Additional

Poor Mental Health Linked To Premature Death

Poor Mental Health Linked To Premature Death

Article opinions:

 1 posts

A large study of English households finds that people who experience symptoms of psychological distress like anxiety, depression, or even minor mental health problems, have a lower life expectancy than people who do not.

Since the link remained when they adjusted for lifestyle factors, the researchers say the effect is more likely due to biological changes resulting from psychological distress rather than because people with poor mental health have less healthy lifestyles.

The Wellcome Trust funded study is expected to trigger more research into how doctors treat people with even mild mental psychological problems.

The team, from University College London (UCL) and the University of Edinburgh, write about their work in the 31 July issue of BMJ.

Senior author David Batty, from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UCL, told the press:

"These associations also remained after we did our best to take into account other factors such as weight, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes. Therefore, this increased mortality is not simply due to people with higher levels of psychological distress having poorer health behaviours."

Previous research into the association between mental health and life expectancy has consisted mainly of small studies with samples that are not big enough to produce statistically robust results.

For the BMJ study, the largest to address this problem to date, Batty and colleagues analyzed data from more than 68,000 people aged 35 and older who took part in the Health Survey for England from 1994 to 2004.

As part of the survey, the participants had filled in the General Health Questionnaire GHQ-12, a recognized measure that assesses mental health on a 12-item scale. The range extends from no symptoms to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The participants were followed for an average of 8 years. From National Health Service mortality data, the researchers were able to determine which participants died over the study period and what from, and correlate this information with the mental health scores.

The results showed that participants who experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression had a lower life expectancy than those who did not.

Even having minor symptoms of psychological distress, which applied to about a quarter of the participants in this study, was linked to a higher risk of premature death from several major causes, including heart disease.

People with minor symptoms of depression or anxiety often don't seek medical help, and the researchers say their findings could have implications for how these minor mental health issues are treated by the health system.

It could be that treating these minor symptoms could reduce the increased risk of premature death.

John Williams, Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust, said the findings show we need to make sure people with mental health problems can access the care and advice they need.

"People with mental health problems are among the most vulnerable in society," said Williams.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Visit our mental health section for the latest news on this subject.

"Association between psychological distress and mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies"; Tom C Russ, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Mark Hamer, John M Starr, Mika Kivimki, G David Batty; BMJ 2012;345:e4933, published online 31 July 2012; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e4933; Link to Article
Additional

Natural Depression Treatment Based on Dream Interpretation - Finding Authentic Happiness

The psychotherapy of the unconscious mind in dream messages is the most effective treatment you could ever find, and it is a natural treatment; send to you in dream images. This psychological treatment helps you learn how to be satisfied with your life by transforming your personality and your life in a positive way.

You stop being depressed, and you learn how to find happiness in life by transforming your personality. You can become a genius through dream interpretation according to the scientific method because it works like mind development. This process also works like spiritual purification. You get rid of the sins of the past and you begin a new life. You learn how to forgive all mistakes and show compassion to all human beings.

You never become angry for any reason. You always solve all problems with wisdom.

Your life depends on your personality for many reasons. Depending on the way you react before various difficulties of life, you will do what is good, or you will do what is bad for you. The way you judge your reality defines your personality. The way you behave also defines your personality.

If you'll do what is negative for you, you can only face unpleasant and dangerous consequences. Your life depends on your actions.

You will follow the negative destiny traced by your wild side if you'll do what is bad, what can only make you sad. You must learn how to do only what is positive for you. This is not a simple matter. You cannot easily discern the truth behind the camouflage of hypocrisy and superficially of the world.

The unconscious mind works like a natural psychotherapist and spiritual guide, helping you solve all types of problems, because you don't know how to find out the truth and how to achieve your goals.

The generous unconscious mind that produces your dreams is God's mind. The extraordinary unconscious wisdom answers all questions and finds solutions to all problems because you need help in order to discern the truth and understand what is good or bad. The knowledge you have about this matter is far from the real truth. The ignorant and materialistic mindset of the absurd modern civilization makes you think like a robot.

The scientific method of dream interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by me gives you new alternatives for numerous reasons. You are not using your capacities. You are wasting your time instead of developing your intelligence and finding completion.

The unconscious mind speaks with you through dream messages. A dream about an old friend from school will show you that you still have the behavior you used to have when you were a child. You must understand that you have to be mature and responsible because everything in life is very dangerous.

An important and powerful person in a dream represents an important part of your personality with extraordinary capacities. You have to let the positive parts of your personality shine.

You will stop being depressed and find authentic happiness after eliminating the negative side of your conscience. You will also develop the positive characteristics of your personality.

The natural depression treatment provided to you by the divine unconscious mind helps you eliminate the negative characteristics of the wild side of your conscience (anti-conscience), which works in parallel with your human conscience.

The elimination of your anti-conscience through dream therapy is your guarantee that:

* You will acquire sound mental health that lasts forever

* You will acquire complete consciousness and use all of your brain power in a positive way

* You will attain spiritual perfection

The transformation you'll pass through dream therapy is the best and safest psychological treatment you could find, the best and safest mind empowerment program, and the best evolutionary process you could follow in order to acquire perfect spiritual health.

TMS Therapy for Depression: How Does It Work?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy, or TMS therapy, is an FDA approved treatment for depression that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate certain parts of the brain which are linked to depression and other kinds of mood disorders. Because it is non-invasive and non-pharmacological, TMS offers an alternative for patients whose depression has not improved with other types of antidepressant treatments. These traditional antidepressant treatments, such as antidepressant medications and alternative methods of depression treatments are not for everyone and can affect everyone in a different way.

Depression

Depression has been called the "common cold" of mental health. An estimated 50 million Americans experience symptoms of depression, with consequences in all areas of life. Although a number of antidepressant medications are available, not all depression sufferers respond to these treatments. Because it acts directly on the brain itself, TMS therapy can target specific areas related to mood and energy while bypassing the side effects of typical antidepressant medications, such as weight gain, memory loss, low libido, insomnia, and dry mouth. TMS specifically targets the problem area, whereas general antidepressant medications come with more side effects.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy

During Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy, rhythmic, repetitive magnetic pulses are directed to the brain, usually in the prefrontal cortex. These pulses stimulate nerve cells in that area, regulating the firing of mood-regulating neurons that may be under-active causing depression.

TMS therapy benefits most people with chronic depression, not just those who fail to respond to antidepressants. Outcomes of TMS therapy include improved mood, greater energy, and a more positive outlook. TMS is an excellent alternative to electro convulsive therapy (ECT), as it is non-invasive and does not cause memory loss.

TMS treatment sessions typically last less than an hour. TMS therapists recommend a course of five sessions per week for four to six weeks for maximum improvement.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of TMS therapy for use primarily in treating depression in adults whose condition did not improve after the use of one prior antidepressant. TMS is safe, but those with implanted medical devices near the head, such as pacemakers, stents and shunts, may not be candidates for TMS therapy.

TMS has few side effects. Some patients report a mild headache or scalp irritation and tenderness. It requires no sedation, no muscle relaxants, and no anesthesia. Performed at specialized centers and clinics, TMS therapy uses magnetic energy to offer another powerful weapon in the fight against depression.