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Causes of Depression in Women

Comparative Account:

Up to the age of 10 years, there is no comparative difference in the rate of depression disease both in boys and girls, but just at the time of puberty there is sudden spurt in the depression setting in more in girls than in boys. By the time the girls reach the age of 15 years the depression rate is twice higher than happening in boys.

During this age of post puberty, there are drastic changes in the roles and expectation made from them, causing severe depression signs in girls as compared to boys of the same age.

There are suddenly stresses, when the identity changes take place with onset of sexuality and seeing a situation of likely getting separated from parents and stepping into phase of decisions with burdens of physical, intellect and hormones induced changes. All these are much different as compared to boys and are initial causes of depression signs in girls.

Adulthood: Relationships and Work Roles for Women:

The stress in women is not to vulnerability, but because of over stress factors of adulthood, new relationships, the different schedules of working at home and place work each combined, becomes a multi role preposition difficult to handle and no choice to ignore.

The list of stresses for women are endless when facing huge responsible roles at home and work, in situation of single parenthood, simultaneously taking care of children and aged parents. Performing all these tasks can lead a woman to depression symptoms appearing on surface.

Rates of major depression figure greatest in separated and divorced both men and women as compared to their married counterparts, who have lowest depression rate, maintaining a greater count for women as compared to men.

The quality of marriage relationships is a contributing factor for presence or absence of depression symptoms. There can be a shortfall in intimate relationship, confidence building relationship, occasional blunt marital upheavals all are responsible to cause depression in women. The rates of depression are reflected to be extremely high in unhappy married women.

Phases of Menstrual Cycle, Pregnancy and Menopause:

A woman is affected by periodical menstrual cycle or absence of it as a disorder, during pregnancy and at onset of menopause marking the end of reproductive phase in the life of woman besides facing the responsibilities caring for first and second generation children.

Woman in between is faced to take measures not to have children by mechanical or oral contraceptives to be taken till the pregnancy is not desired and some times it is forced upon by failure of contraceptive measures or by a negligence. There is an event of unwanted pregnancy all these contribute to disturbance of mood and antagonize the already present depression difficult to cope with.

Influence of Hormonal Changes to Depression:

There are frequent changes in the hormones pattern in the life of woman, which influence her womanhood discharging her role in carrying on progeny function effectively. Any dysfunction the woman is facing for prolonged period carries the risk of her replacement by another woman in her life and she becoming second rated in her primary role. This fear is hanging like swords on her neck not causing a physical injury but the hurt is hard enough to bring in depression driving her to seek religious blessings ignoring the personal privacy.

Premenstrual period in women is marked by tension and marked discomfort followed by irritation and depression together termed as premenstrual syndrome.

Motherhood in Woman:

Postpartum brings in great suffering after child birth incapacitating her to perform her expected basic roles and getting burdened with child rearing. Depending on the economic status there is phase of depression in women with poor finance and inability to earn income and increase in expenses during infant care phase can become a potential source of depression.

Facing the Surgical Knife:

A woman has to undergo many surgical procedures for instance termination of pregnancy, presence of fibroids and tumors in uterus, removal uterus, breasts in their involvement with cancer do contribute towards depression. Finally phase of menopause, when hormones decline and woman does not remain a woman by leading a sterile life, is reflected in her looks and behavior causing depression if already depression is there.

Life of a woman is full of anxieties. There is not a day in her life in her life, when anxiety is not there in the background of all the good and bad events in her life. A woman shall be very brave if anxiety in woman.

The humor is in a saying “behind every successful man there is a woman” the reverse is said like this “every successful woman leaves behind her man”

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March 9, 2010

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Signs of depression

Signs of depression in Women are very often encountered because they have the highest rate of depression, but most of them at most of the times do not get the support they require to tide over their difficult time comfortably leading to a chronic state of breakdown.  In comparison to men women have twice more incidence of depression. Not only that 25 % of women reach the state of major depression uncared and untreated.

Shapes of Depression:

Signs of depression are reflected in the shape of mood swings far from normal. There are very inferiority complexes associated with depression culminating from sadness. One feels helpless, hopeless and worthless related to the degree of depression present initiating from mild to moderate and progressing to severe form if not cared and treated. One feels apathetic and looses appetite also. There is problem in getting normal sleep. The person has low respect, feeling of fatigue overpowers all the times exhibiting low efficiency and poor performance. These signs of depression signal major depression accompanied by weight loss, sleep disorders superimposed by self guilt and thought of death the only remedy by suicide.

The symptoms of depression in women:

Symptoms present in women suffering from depression are as below:

•          Persistence of sadness, over anxiety, or exhibiting Blankness of mood.

•          Losing interest or Pleasure in daily routines even sex.

•           Feeling Restless, great irritation on slight provocation, or bouts of crying.

•           Feeling to be guilty, worthless, helpless and hopeless due to negative thinking.

•          Sleeping Pattern either in excess or least, getting up too early.

•          Swinging of appetite resulting in weight loss or weight gain.

•          Decrease in energy, every activity is at low ebb.

•          Presence of suicide thoughts or attempt.

•          Concentration problems, fading memory and indecisiveness.

•           Unexplained headache, indigestion or hyperacidity and body pains failing to respond to treatments.

Reasons for increased depression in women:

If one looks at pre-adolescent boys and girls the incidence of depression is equal in both the sexes. But after puberty the girls start getting affected with almost twice high incidence of depression, because of cyclical achievement of peak levels and decline of different hormones. The expert opinion confirms the relation between hormone and higher depression in women, which is observed with prominence at puberty, pregnancy, miscarriage, after hysterectomy and menopausal stages in life of a woman. Premenstrual syndrome is very common in young age.

Factors enhancing risk of depression in women:

The apparent factors, which contribute to enhance the risk of depression in women, are multifold comprised of reproductive, genetic, or biological factors, relationship factors, interplaying with psychological and personality characteristics of the individual. The women have diverse responsibilities and roles ranging from bringing up kids and also taking care of other family members. A single parent woman has great economical suffering as well as   taking proper care of the kids single handedly. The depression gets aggravated if any of the following factors is present:

•          Presence of mood disorder in ancestors.

•          Presence of mood disorder in early child bearing age.

•          Losing of a parent in preadolescent age.

•          Absence of social support in family or presence of a threat.

•           Continued psychological and social stresses like losing a job, strained relationship, living separately or getting divorce.

•          Suffering Physical or sexual abuse in childhood.

•          Undergoing infertility treatment.

•          On oral contraceptive therapy.

Women are also prone to have postpartum depression after child birth. There are few women who also suffer from seasonal affective disorder at the onset of winter season.

Signs of Depression present in men:

Men do not feel depression unless they are overpowered by the symptoms of depression to the extent that there is severe interference of signs of depression in their lives. Men usually relate depression with physical effects like fatigue instead of correlating them with depression. This is due to strong and bold behavior and tolerance characteristics of men in comparison with women. They do not have so strong emotional attachment as is present in women.

Effect of depression on the libido:

Presence of depression has it’s lowering effect on the sex desire and performance. This is further deteriorated by the administration of few antidepressants in men. The point is that men openly deny such an effect on their virility by depression or it’s treatment by various antidepressant drugs.

Signs of depression in men:

Signs of depression are not as prominent as in women. Some of depressions present in women are not just apparent in men because of their ability to tackle trivial symptoms like crying. Slight feelings of sadness do not disturb man unless they take a severe turn. In moderate to severe depression man loses interest in activities, which in the past were his favorite. Severe depression triggers the suicide thoughts and attempts. Men usually instead of reflecting depressed mood, they are either very irritated or take recourse to aggression.

If one considers other signs like remaining angry, taking recourse to violence and abuse of alcoholic drinks and substances by men, they do have higher rate of depression than women, the only difference being that women are expressing it openly.

Consequences of untreated depression in men:

Continued untreated depression in men, has devastating consequences. There is a very high rate of suicide in men in comparison to women. In women a large number of suicides are unsuccessful attempts, whereas the men are more successful at suicides, because of their more fatal means like a gun or hanging by neck in contrast to women.

Depression incidence in elderly men:

With advancing age there is increased number of stress effecting causes and calling upon elderly men to compromise with, which include losing source of income and working ability. The phase of retirement has numerous problems, which in the past never existed. They find them just housebound instead of a virtuous husband. They do not have routines and schedules and are engrossed in activities they were never good at. They start losing respect at the hands of sons and their wives. This is a time they start losing the spouse and other near friends and look very lonely and insecure. All these factors culminate into aggravation of depression further worsening health and other diseases starting to dominate.

Signs of depression in men suffering grief:

Grief is a blunt weapon injuring the psyche and mind of person differently in comparison to men, who have more adaptability than men. The apparent signs of depression observed in elderly men suffering from grief phase are shooting up of blood pressure, higher cholesterol levels and body aches. There can be alcohol addiction to escape grief moments.

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March 8, 2010

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Symptoms of Depression

One of the symptoms of depression is presence of sadness although it is ones normal reaction to any loss, futile struggling and loss of respect.  Any situation of sadness, when there is it’s interference in carrying on work by the person, it causes precipitation of Depression in one’s life and requires correction by counseling or medical intervention.

The difference between the mild depression and major is the degree of various symptoms present and their interference in daily activities of a person. These symptoms of depression need to be treated otherwise they have tendency for further aggravation and the person suffers melancholy and if does not find relief on getting fed up one drifts towards suicidal tendencies. To pin point the symptom present as symptom depression is very difficult and hence the symptoms remain untreated and often with the passage of time they regress. The statistics indicate that 10 % of untreated depression symptoms after prolonged struggle for a relief result in a suicide.

The Cardinal “symptoms of depression”:

The National Institute of Mental Health; has listed following symptoms of depression:

•          Inability to concentrate, faulty memory function and indecisiveness.

•          Presence of fatigue and low energy levels.

•          Guilty conscious, worthless feelings and helpless state.

•          Experiencing hopelessness and negative thoughts.

•          Sleeplessness, waking up too early or extensive sleep.

•          Irritation and restless.

•          Losing interest in previously enjoyed activity or hobby even no interest in sex life.

•          Excessive eating or loss of appetite.

•          Persistence of body aching with pain, frequent headache, cramping of muscles or digestion disturbances not responding to medicines.

•          Persistently looking sad, over-anxiety, or Purposeless living.

•          Thinking of suicide o even attempting.

Symptoms of Teenage Depression:

The depression in teens is a common occurrence facing unhappy situations, and the persistent state of unhappiness for more than 2 weeks, the teenagers starts feeling other symptoms of depression leading to adolescent depression. Almost 3 % of the children and around 12% adolescents suffer from depression. In case if one suspects that the child is suffering from depressions, one should take medical advice and start treatment if necessary

Depression Incidence in Women:

The incidence of depression is twice more than men, which basically is due to influence of peak level and decline phases of hormones in their lives, causing tensions, upsetting of their perception and behavior. It can be categorized into Premenstrual Syndrome, post partum depression and peri-menopausal depression.

The symptoms of depression observed in women is higher degree of guilt, sleeping and overeating with corresponding increase in weight. Women depression symptoms are affected by the change of season also.

After childbirth new mothers encounters postpartum depression due to phase of hormone changes. There is likelihood of new mother suffering from depression within a period of 6 months after child delivery.

Depression can be encountered exhibiting variety of symptoms and sufferings with uniquely different symptoms and causing factors. Identifying the depression causes helps in managing symptoms with treatment,

Major depression:

The characteristics of major depression are related to finding difficulty to enjoy one’s life and also spoil pleasure moments of self and others in the family. If there is no treatment after lapse of 6 months normalcy returns. It may occur just for once only or having repetitive occurrence. Support by others in the family can help in keeping the mood right and reduction in the associated risks.

Atypical Depression Symptoms:

It is a subcategory of very common major depression. The symptoms of Atypical Depression follow a particular regimen. Any positive outcome is enough to elevate the mood of the affected person momentarily. The person feels pleasure in company of friends, but recoils back to the original state of depression.

Other symptoms of atypical depression are characterized by overweight, increase in appetite, sleeping long hours, feeling heaviness in arms and legs and more sensitive to rejection. The satisfactory relief is achieved with medications. The necessity is of identifying it and resuming the treatment.

Symptoms of Dysthymia:

It is a mild in natures and reoccurs frequently and lasts for many days with an in between period of normalcy. The symptoms are not very disturbing in comparison to major depression, but the duration of their remaining active is very long lasting around 2 years.

The effect of long duration of symptoms; is some times is unbearable to tolerate and sufficiently cause disturbances in life. Some persons also get bouts of major depression symptoms and suffer combined complications. The better part is that there is effective treatment for Dysthmia depression of old origin.

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

Few persons are affected by (SAD) with the change of season encountered more in winters by young persons predominantly present in northern climatic conditions. It has effective treatment options with medicines and responds better with exposure to intense artificial light source.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder:

Bipolar Depression is termed as manic depression also, exhibiting cyclical alteration of mood. The episode of depression some times takes the shape of a manic. There is impulsive behavior during manic phase, accompanied by hyperactivity, very high pitch in speech and sleep disturbance. Characterized by switching from one mood to extremely different, which is a gradual process, accompanied with every manic or depressive activity having effect lasting many weeks and symptoms are just like Major Depression.

Diagnosing Depression:

Diagnosis of depression is initiated with recording of case personal history as well as particulars of some other in the family who suffered depression by the physician besides physical observations made considering the fact that few previous medications can also be responsible for the onset of depression.

There are no tests, which can conclude presence of depression. By enquiring into the patient’s history the physician looks for certain features, which distinguish depression from just any other similar symptom. If the physician is not in a position to arrive at diagnosis with physical examination, a reference is made to the Psychiatrist for specialized diagnosis and treatment.

The treatment is commenced by administering antidepressants, psychotherapy, or combining both of them. Psychotherapy may consist of  electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), which is used for treating symptoms of depression.

ECT is the decisive therapy option in persons having symptoms of depression and they are having difficulty in taking antidepressants or in persons having extremely great disturbances with their depression.

In conclusion depression is a complex condition created by many factors in combination like biological, psychological and social environment. The life style expectations, changes in relationships and art of adjustment plays a crucial role of getting affected with depression or just moving on with life as it comes.

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March 2, 2010

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Depression & Role of Medication

Depression & its Impacts

In the modern times the pace of life is so fast, any one is likely to face Depression disorder. Effective treatment can be given eight patients out of ten. The treatment is combination of Psychotherapy and Medication. If the person’s depression has progressed too far making him silent to speak out about the feelings and causes administration of anti-depressant medication in due course makes him to start responding to the Psychiatrist’s queries enabling him to interact with the patient and advise a solution.

Depression & Its Effects:

Generally Depression persons experience sadness deficiency of interest in his surroundings. He may have trouble eating and lose weight although some people eat more and gain weight when depressed). He may sleep too much or too little, have difficulty going to sleep, sleep restlessly, or awaken very early in the morning. He may internally feel guilt, useless, lost hopes and may also have suicidal thoughts. Few persons experience delusions.

Depression & Medication:

Treating Depression Patient with medications requires basic information how a particular medicine acts. The information given is general information needed to be checked up with doctor before commencing treatment. Self medication has potential of serious dangers. Medicines are prescribed considering the gravity of the symptoms, which cannot be determined by a lay person.

It is to be kept in mind that the anti-depressant medications provide symptomatic relief and are not cure for depression. It can make the person accept the life the way it is and move forward instead of stagnating at one place. Quantitatively the degree of relief obtained with medication depends on a number of variable factors present in the individual.

Duration of antidepressant Medication:

Some patients require medication for just few months, whereas other patients have to take the medication for an indefinite period or stoppage of medication for a short period and again to be resumed, when necessary.

Anti-depressants do not act uniformly on all the patients. The response can be better in few patients than others and dosage variation is also present, some patients have intolerable side effect, whereas others tolerate comfortably. Many factors like age, sex, body weight, body chemistry etc are responsible for the variations in dosage and response.

There are different types of Depression, which makes a person sad with loss of interest in matters which were of his liking some time back. The work becomes difficult to do in the changed circumstances. Such patients are likely to be benefited by antidepressant medication.

The use of antidepressant medication is restricted to persons of deep depressions. Antidepressants can be used in mild depressions patients under regular follow with the physician.

Antidepressants do not act for stimulation. These drugs actually reduce the impact of depression and find use in disorders presenting mainly anxiety. Antidepressants have potential of blocking the panic causing triggers, checking palpitation of heartbeat, terrorized feeling and a host of other associated problems.

The choice of particular antidepressant to be used is in the domain of the physician treating the person.

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February 28, 2010

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Symptoms and Signs of Depression

Symptoms and signs of depression are witnessed, when one is seized by emptiness in life and there is no visible hope, which is much different from normal life. The ups and downs in life do happen, but they are soon left behind and one can move forward and recover back. Depression sets in if for prolonged period of mental suffering, one enters a phase of life, when nothing is enjoyed even favorite hobbies and friends are meaningless. One feels exhausted at doing a slightest activity. It is difficult to spend the entire day.

At this stage an external emotional support and help, goes a long way to relieve the depression of a person. To make the help useful it is necessary to know what are the signs and symptoms of depression, what are causes of depression and what is the treatment? This is the first and foremost action in caring for depression.

Feeling sad as a reaction to unending struggle, not achieving desired results is disappointing, but it is not depression, because the struggle is continued and one in active mode.  Although the mood has temporary setback, but it is forgotten because the big hope is in sight.

Depression is living in a black hole, with no end in sight and one is lost in wilderness not seeing any direction, and anticipates doom at any time and all the times. They do not find any one to share their views and sympathize with them. One feels engulfed with some thing, preventing them to work and continuous interference in normal activities like eating, sleeping and fun loving activity has disappeared from their life. The life gets filled with abundance of helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness, with no relief in sight.

Symptoms and signs of depression:

Following are the cardinals signs and symptoms of depression:

  • Any of the two conditions exist either one does not get sleep or experiences extensive sleep and sleepy feeling all the time.
  • Inability to concentrate or any work looks difficult with no desire to work.
  • Feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.
  • Negative thoughts are always there permanently and one succumbs to them.
  • Either there is loss of appetite or one goes on eating without satisfaction of appetite.
  • There are bouts of irritability with short-temper display.
  • When there are aches and pains without any apparent cause. One faces all kinds of pains i.e. headache, Low back pain, muscular fatigue and aches and abdominal pain.
  • The Extreme is having thoughts of life is not worth living. Having reached this state one requires external help and support to identify the malady and rectify. Are you depressed?

The degree of depression and presented symptoms vary individually, there are very common symptoms to be observed and taken care of. These symptoms are often found in normal life also, when the going gets difficult. It is how these symptoms interfere to bring a halt to normal life, determine presence of depression. In increasing disability caused to lead a normal life, one requires external support and help.

Depression can be encountered by all persons irrespective of age and sex of the person, due to feeling of getting trapped in the present circumstances in relation to behavior of other person or persons towards the person suffering from depression. Different person categories are given below:

Depression in Elder Persons:

The difficult changes that many older adults face are in respect of  bereavement the companion or some one dear in the family, losing self independence, and increase of old age diseases difficult to manage personal hygiene properly. All these are sufficient to trigger depression in the elderly person.

Elderly persons have complaints of physical difficulties coupled with disturbed emotions as symptoms and signs of depression. The problems are not recognized and even ignored by once loving sons and daughters. There is always poor health, indigestion, immobility all body aching and rotting. There are certain personalities, who can not tolerate such an existence and on the thresh hold of suicide. To avoid the suicidal tendencies they need care, personal sympathy and above all treatment of various symptoms, which are agonizing.

Men in the Grip of Depression:

Depression is misunderstood word by the normal persons. One may think it as a kind of weakness or un-necessarily worrying about some thing. Men are more likely to suffer depression in comparison to women. Men suffer depression, but are reluctant to admit. The symptoms and signs of depression presented by men are just fatigue, irritation, sleep disturbance, no interest in work and neglect of hobbies.

The signs of advanced depression relate to remaining angry, indulgence in violence, substance addiction in extreme cases suicidal incidences are high in men rather than women.

Women Shackled by Depression:

Women exhibit a high rate of depression, primarily under influence of their hormonal changes during various periods of life like premenstrual syndrome, postpartum depression after child birth, peri-menopausal, which occurs around menopause.

Many women after marriage suffer adjustment problems, with the in-laws, there is no practical solution visible and have to pull on with reluctance cursing the fate and a sense of hatred remains in built, which can drive the women to depression if there is no solution of the maladjustment problem.  Women under depression have more guilty feelings and are having excessive sleep with gain in weight.

Relation of Depression with Suicide:

Presence of prolonged uncared depression has associated strong risk factor leading to suicide. Initially the depression is marked with suicidal thoughts and tendencies. The very thought of suicide is a very serious symptom, and reflects that the depressed person can not manage one’s situation and is seeking some one’s help very badly to stop in his intentions of suicide. The depressed person does not find any solution to his problems and feels that suicide will be the end of the problem.

Symptoms and Signs of Depression When Suicide Thought Haunts:

  • Verbal expression of Suicide.
  • Strong Expression of hopeless situation or thinking trapped.
  • Indifferent expressions of un-natural death.
  • Display of reckless behavior, escaping death narrowly many ties.
  • More than appropriate use of final goodbye.
  • Repeated expression “My departure shall not affect others”.
  • Abruptly feeling calm after suffering extreme depression.

Posted in Depression, Signs of depression, Symptoms of depression. Tagged with , , , , , .

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February 24, 2010

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Exercise and depression – Start doing exercise as a daily routine

Exercise and depression is just like lock and key relation of the human mind. When the original key is lost or does not work, one can open the lock with a duplicate key. Similarly human mind is a multi lever lock and presence of depression alters the coordination between the various levers of the mind resulting into a lock out. All efforts to make the mind to open up fail. If the person starts doing physical exercise as a daily routine, it works like the duplicate key to the faulty lock and in few days the condition of the depressed person improves.

Basis behind the role of exercise in making the symptoms of depression loosened or weakened can be determined by following tips.

  • The only condition to be followed is to maintain the motivation of exercise performance. The improvement of the depressive condition becomes visible due to it’s secondary effect of general improvement in health like control of blood pressure, arthritis and diabetes.
  • There are clinical studies supporting the link between exercise and depression. The role of exercise in alleviating anxiety and depression disorders can be verified by improvement in physical health in turn affecting psychology and mood of the person in a positive manner.
  • Unfortunately, when there is depression, desire to do physical exercise vanishes. The trick is just getting motivated either by self or some one who really cares for the affected person.
  • Although the relation between anxiety, exercise and depression is not understood as mentioned in the above analogy, but it does exist and demonstrative results can be seen. The other aspect of exercise is, when one starts feeling better anxiety and depression are drifted far away not to be seen again as long as one is regular in exercise.

The possible explanation, how exercise is helpful in opening the mysteries of depression is as given below:

  • There is release of feeling good chemicals synthesized by the brain, commonly known as neurotransmitters and endorphins, and making them available to act liberally.
  • Reduction in the chemicals generated by immune system, which otherwise can play a havoc in the living conditions of an affected person.
  • Feeling of increased body temperature while doing exercise, which calms down the over excited person. With exercise one experiences benefits psychologically as well as emotionally. It establishes positively the relation between exercise and depression.
  • There is relative increase in the confidence, when one takes exercise as a challenge and sets goals and achieves them. The apparent benefit is that the shape and looks of the person are improved, which is a pride to possess.
  • It helps in dispelling worries from the overburdened mind. Exercise acts as a distraction of the mind from negative thinking habits. Negative thinking acts as fuel for anxiety and depression to over power the mind of a person. When the fuel is cut by exercise performance, anxiety and depression vanish.
  • Now one becomes more social, having more active interactions with people by a smiling look with an uplifted mood and habit of greeting people and enquiring about them, while moving in the neighborhood. Thus good relation between exercise and depression gets established.
  • One starts coping with the situations in a better way. By involving oneself in a positive activity to keep anxiety under control is strategically better. Instead if one starts drinking to feel better in slightly adverse circumstances, or believing that the depression and anxiety shall of it’s own shall drift away, with the passage of time, leads to anxiety and depression symptoms taking a worse turn in intensity.

Exercising is useful in reducing stress, keeping away anxiety and depression, boosting self image and improvement in sleep.

Thinking about the Best Exercise:

The exercise does not mean a visit to the gym. It can be any thing like playing an out door game including running or lifting of weights, which can make the heart to pump more blood. Even doing some work involved in gardening or washing one’s vehicle are good starting points. The objective is to leave the couch for a moment. All these activities affect the mood.

One is not required to do all the exercises. One can include a small exercise activity in one’s routine working like climbing of stairs. Prefer to climb stairs instead of availing the elevator. One can park the vehicle little and walk some distance, while going to and coming from office.

Duration of Exercise:

One can begin with just devoting 15 to 20 minutes every day both in the morning and evening or half an hour at a stretch for five days a week can be the starting points for feeling the improvement in mood, which is certainly going to happen. One can go for cycling, thus one does more exercise in a short time.

Sticking to one’s Exercise Schedule:

It is a challenge one has to accept and get involved instead of taking a back turn, what one has started. There is a belief if any activity is done for 3 weeks or more without a break, it becomes a habit and doing one’s exercise is a good habit to be developed.

For starting vigorous exercises, it is advisable to take a doctors advice, whether it is safe for one’s health to do such an exercise.

One should start an exercise activity, which has an element of enjoyment while doing it. It can be gardening or jogging in early morning hours. Playing ball with children also has a moderate amount of exercise. The objective is to do easily and daily in stead of some thing hard once only.

The Goal And it’s Achievement:

One needs to make a goal, howsoever little and ensure it’s continuity. One should not feel discouraged about of the thought of spending one hour daily in walking. That is why one is advised to make small goal and see it through. The goal should be made should take care one’s need and ability, rather than an unrealistic approach difficult to carry it through.

The exercise should be treated as a part of therapy rather than doing it by compulsion.

If one is not in a position to make a decision to do exercise, one should have a look what are the hindrances in doing the exercise. Try to resolve the obstacles and set up the schedule of doing exercise or any physical activity, in which the person has an interest.

One should be ready to meet the challenges coming in the way of exercise schedule and one should rejoice and feel great in carrying on the schedule putting aside the challenge and moving forward on schedule. This is an excellent way to personally feel relation between exercise and depression.

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February 22, 2010

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Helping Yourself in Getting Rid of Depression

Help for Depression Patients:

Patient of depression progresses in phases and ultimately loses lost hope of coming back to normal. In the initial stages or any time before reaching its ultimate phase of lost hope, the patient requires a helping hand to build new confidence in him by a close person interacting with him in a friendly manner. The Negative view, which is the nucleus of depression, has to be replaced with a sense of self confidence, which had reached at its negative ebb.

Once a help is offered and reinforced, the patient is on the way to recovery and depression shall be a thing of the past. Once again the person shall start living as a normal individual.

Goals Setting:

An exercise of Goal setting should be undertaken. The Goal should be split in smaller identifiable and achievable goals and need to be recognized on achievement in which the close friends of the person join to congratulate him and reassure him he shall be normal soon.

Day by day with the progress the habit of going back to negative feeling is replaced with fresh positive thoughts.

Helping Efforts viz-a-viz Expectations:

One should not expect that miracles shall happen overnight like magic wand. One should never keep the expectations very high. All the improvements are to be achieved on a time based plan, which is basically split into many small achievement posts.

One person in the family or friend circle should always remain in company of the depression patient to interact with him and make corrective suggestions as and when needed.

The Depression Patient should encourage himself in doing activities, which are liked by him and include such activities in daily routine. There should be a daily routine of things one likes, mild exercises, viewing a game of interest, a movie and also participating in meditations in the religious group of choice.  

Avoid Over doing any activity:

The activities should be restricted to, what you can conveniently do, instead of attempting at things for, which you are not ready and not within reach.

Postponing Major Decisions:

Any major decision concerning your present job change, marital status either getting married or undergoing divorce should be postponed and should be pursued only after consulting a trustworthy person for seeking advice, which you yourself are not in a position to think and act properly.

It is not possible to get rid of depression all at once. One has to slowly work upon it with the self help suggested above. There is a very appropriate saying ‘Idle Brain is Devil’s Workshop’ Negative thinking process is to be arrested by shifting your mind attention to small creative jobs preoccupying your mind in an activity, instead of it finding way into emptiness from which negative thoughts begin.

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February 19, 2010

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Depressions in Children & Seniors

Depression takes a mild to severe turn, with the progression of time. It is very difficult to handle by the suffering individual irrespective of the fact whether the person is a child, a senior or in between.

In children depressions tends to persist with recurrence and continuance even in the adulthood and by and large remains untreated. An episode of depression in childhood is precursor of severe diseases in adulthood. Therefore it must be properly attended to with necessary treatment.

Depression in Children:

A child suffering from depression is often observed as pretending to be sick, because the symptoms are difficult to understand. The child often refuses to go to school, firmly grasps the parent and has many fears, which require that the confidence of the child is restored.

Grown up children show a bad temper, have a troublesome time at school. They develop a negative attitude with high irritation, because no one bothers to look into his problem. Although there is depression, but it is ignored as a mood swing pertaining to children of this age, who also behave this way, while they are developing. Often it is difficult to differentiate and diagnose the symptoms presented for they are on borderline and any variation is seen as normal for their age group.

Differentiating Depression in Boys & Girls:

Before puberty both boys and girls have equal tendencies to suffer from depression. After onset of puberty in girls around 13 years of age the rate of depression and behavior problems shoot up almost twice more than boys of the same age group.

Depression in adolescents is felt, when they are on the thresh hold of tremendous personal changes and are going to establish their identity of boy or girl, which is not like their parents, who have weathered many upheavals  in their lives and have become mature. There are often disagreements with parents. The boys and girls have different likings for clothes and appearance copied from the glamour world for which they have great affinity. They are either making their decisions or influence the decisions of other persons in the family.

Depression in Adolescents:

Depression in adolescents is often accompanied by anxiety and behavior problems. Their eating patterns are also disturbed and there is a tendency for substance abuse as an experimentation, which subsequently becomes a habit difficult to get rid off. Any intolerable situation can lead to a suicide attempt in which they see the end of their problems, without a second thought about others.

A study comprised of 439 adolescents, suffering with severe depression concluded that psychotherapy was highly effective treatment for adolescent’s depression. Caught up with the grave problem of suicides by adolescents, researchers are developing and testing plans for early detection of depression and finding methods for solving the problems before they reach critical stage leading to suicide.

Depression Felt by Seniors:

It is not necessary that depression shall set in with aging on the contrary few seniors feel very satisfied as they age, even in spite of physical discomforts and other age related ailments. Often the depression in seniors is ignored because of their different symptoms not pointing towards depression. Their way of expression of sad feelings is different.

Seniors are having varying degree of depressions besides some serious problems of the heart, cancer, diabetes, hypertension etc. requiring continued medication. These serious ailments add to the depression already present in them. The medicines taken by them are also causing some side effects including depression. Seniors also have vascular depression, also known as arterio-sclerotic depression or sub-cortical ischemic depression. This happens, when the blood vessels have loss of flexibility. They become very hard causing a constriction in blood vessels. There is considerable prevention in normal flow of blood and carry a potential risk of stroke.

Posted in Children, Depression, Elderly. Tagged with , , , .

By admin
December 13, 2009

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Getting Rid of Depression For Ever

Getting Depression:

Depression is a reaction of a number undesirable events happening in life, making the squeeze of material as well as non material expectations to a level, which is not acceptable to the person and had never imagined such stage can  come so soon. As a consequence the mood plunges to a point of no recovery, without self analysis and corrective measures to bring back the things to near normal situation.

Symptoms of Depression:

If any the following Symptoms are experienced by a person for a period of 2 weeks or more, it reflects onset of depression, which can be corrected very easily to start with instead of allowing them to over power the person completely.

  • Insomniac Tendencies.
  • Presence of Negative Attitude without any apparent reason.
  • Significant Shortfall in Energetic Activities and lacking Ambitions.
  • Shattered Confidence.
  • Complaining attitude.
  • State of Confusion and Nervous Breakdown.
  • Indecisive & Poor Concentration Problem
  • Physical Discomfort  due to aching.
  • Suicide Tendencies

Flexibilities at Work:

Nature has provided lot of flexibility provisions in the operative systems of the body to respond to variations and adjust the performance to the affected changes. Once for a while the body does give a jolt to the person for responding. A no response produces a state of confusion, which goes on increasing with the passage of time. All this gets noticed by Close friends and family members and they come to the rescue of the depressed person

Essentials of Getting Rid of Depression For Ever:

To have a endurable Getting Rid of Depression for good, besides acting upon various self help measures in addition the person requires administration of antidepressant medicines under the supervision of a Psychologist.

Depending upon condition, a depressed person requires admission to a Psychology Treatment Centre of the area, where counseling sessions with the Psychologist are planned and scheduled along with the treatment based on the gravity of Depression Symptoms. Progress can be monitored under professional personal care.

Self Help Measures:

Self help measures play a very important role to bring back the Depressed Person to a situation of normalcy besides the support of specific medications under the supervision of a Professional Psychiatrist.

Talking to close person in friend circle or in the family who has an understanding the way your feelings and comes forward providing you support and advice to get rid of depression for ever.

Make an evaluation of your situation and find out possible causes of your depression along with the modifications you can make for improvement in your feelings.

Replace positive attitude with the negative thoughts on a continued basis in your life. Self affirmations play a very significant role in making changes in the way you are leading your life.

Avoid taking harmful habit forming substances like alcohol, opiates and other similar preparations just to provide you a temporary relief causing calming down or sedation with deteriorating after effects.

A Professional Medical advice and care plays an important place in your attempt getting Rid of Depression for ever.

Medical Treatment:

The medications presently available have made very easy treatment of the Depression and it is necessary to receive Psychiatric therapy to resolve the issues that caused the downfall.

Posted in Depression, Symptoms of depression. Tagged with , , , , , , , .

By admin
December 3, 2009

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Depression Signs, Disease and Symptoms

Categories of Depression:

The Clinical depression has a number of names like “depression”, “the blues”, biological depression, major depression etc. All of them mean the same problems faced by mankind the centre point of which is reflected by discontent and sad feelings, which continues to remain unresolved months for and years resulting into loss of hope, diminishing energy and loss of interest. Some thing was a source of pleasure some time back, now has become a meaningless event.

Disorders related to depression, which are encountered belong to very diverse forms, every form of depression has typically unique depression signs, which help in their identification and treatment.

Major depression:

It is very common condition and has mixed display of symptoms. These symptoms are so severe that they cause lot of interference in one’s capacity to perform a job, which some time back seemed very easy.

There is disturbance in every activity like sleeping, taking food, studying etc. The person suffering from Major Depression, some time back was perfect in all the activities and took interest and enjoyed doing them, suddenly finds nothing interests him any more.

Such a depressive state may occur once in life time or may show up repeatedly. Physicians and Doctors specializing in mental health study the symptoms and duration of the diseases based on which degree of the disease is categorized as mild, moderate or severe in the backdrop of checklist of symptoms and treatment is advised considering status of the disease.

Other Depression Conditions:

If the depression disease falls in between the category of moderate to severe and the person does not feel disability to do his routine work the condition is called dysthymia which has a very old history of occurrence, having occasional major depressive symptoms re-surfacing and subsiding of its own.

Bipolar Depression:

Some persons experience bipolar depression commonly termed as high or low manic-depression, which exhibits periodical mood swings. There is an element of uncertainty cause mood changes very fast or slowly. Under the influence of manic attacks one can be over talkative displaying extreme energy and over action.

Such person has improper thoughts, inability to judge a situation and improper behavior in the social circle, causing undesired rifts.  Under such an influence one is liable to make wrong business operations and romantic encounters. Initiation of the proper treatment can be beneficial in keeping the disease under control.

Need of Treatment:

It is possible to treat depression effectively taking the help of new generation antidepressants along with practical psychotherapies, focused to achieve positive results in short period.

One should go for a consultation with the physician, instead of postponing it reading, what was written about depression in the past. With the advancement in lifestyles and related stresses, depression is of common occurrence. Too much knowing about depression and not acting to resolve the issues is the cause of the problems of depression.

Depression Signs:

The depression signs present have lot of variations from person to person based on the degree of depression present from mild to severe and duration period from chronic to recently occurred depression.

It is not necessary that all the persons who feel depressed or having manic disease, should have every symptom. Presence of various symptoms varies individual to individual and in relation to periodicity of depression.

Symptoms of Depression:

  • Continued sadness, anxiety or Uncertainty of mood.
  • Lost Hope Condition and negative feelings.
  • Guilty feeling, useless, can not manage routines.
  • Losing interest in jobs, which were a matter of enjoyment in the past even sex or displeasure in hobbies.
  • There is diminishing of vigor, feeling fatigued, and exhibiting general slowing performance.
  • Not in a position to concentrate, memorizing inability, indecisive, sleeplessness, getting up very early, or some times excessive sleep,
  • Irregular appetite causing weight loss or gaining weight by over eating.
  • Extreme depression can cause to thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts.
  • Feeling Restless and irritated.
  • Presence of continuing physical discomforts like headache, digestion problems and body ache.

Depression can be treated with a number of new generation antidepressants prescribed by physicians after studying the patient history and depression signs present.

Posted in Signs of depression, Symptoms of depression. Tagged with , , , , , .

By admin
October 22, 2009

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