Some people say that depression feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. Many people feel like they have no energy and can't concentrate. Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel "down" for more than two weeks, and these feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be clinically depressed.
Most people who have gone through one episode of depression will, sooner or later, have another one. You may begin to feel some of the symptoms of depression several weeks before you develop a full-blown episode of depression. Learning to recognize these early triggers or symptoms and working with your doctor will help to keep the depression from worsening.
Most people with depression never seek help, even though the majority will respond to treatment. Treating depression is especially important because it affects you, your family, and your work. Some people with depression try to harm themselves in the mistaken belief that how they are feeling will never change. Depression is a treatable illness.
Life with depression
Working with your doctor, you can learn to manage depression. You may have to try a few different medications to find the one that works best for you. Your doctor may also recommend that you see a therapist and/or make certain lifestyle changes.
Change won't come overnight—but with the right treatment, you can keep depression from overshadowing your life.
Depression-Related Mood Disorders
Major depressive disorder, commonly referred to as "depression," can severely disrupt your life, affecting your appetite, sleep, work, and relationships.
The symptoms that help a doctor identify depression include:
- constant feelings of sadness, irritability, or tension
- decreased interest or pleasure in usual activities or hobbies
- loss of energy, feeling tired despite lack of activity
- a change in appetite, with significant weight loss or weight gain
- a change in sleeping patterns, such as difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much
- restlessness or feeling slowed down
- decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate
- feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt
- thoughts of suicide or death
If you are experiencing any or several of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor about whether you are suffering from depression.
If you are in an immediate serious crisis please contact your doctor or go to your local hospital or emergency room.
Dysthymia is another mood disorder. People who have it may feel mildly depressed on most days over a period of at least two years. They have many symptoms resembling major depression, but with less severity.
Symptoms of depression may surface with other mood disorders. They include seasonal major depression (also known as seasonal affective disorder), postpartum depression, and bipolar disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder has symptoms that are seen with any major depressive episode. It is the recurrence of the symptoms during certain seasons that is the hallmark of this type of depression.
Postpartum Depression is a type of depression that can occur in women who have recently given birth. It typically occurs in the first few months after delivery, but can happen within the first year after giving birth. The symptoms are those seen with any major depressive episode. Often, postpartum depression interferes with the mother's ability to bond with her newborn. It is very important to seek help if you are experiencing postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is different from the "Baby Blues", which tend to occur the first few days after delivery and resolve spontaneously.
Bipolar disorder, another mood disorder, is different than major depressive disorder and has different treatments.
Causes of Depression
Depression has no single cause; often, it results from a combination of things. You may have no idea why depression has struck you.
Whatever its cause, depression is not just a state of mind. It is related to physical changes in the brain, and connected to an imbalance of a type of chemical that carries signals in your brain and nerves. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.
Some of the more common factors involved in depression are:
- Family history. Genetics play an important part in depression. It can run in families for generations.
- Trauma and stress. Things like financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a loved one can bring on depression. You can become depressed after changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, or getting married.
- Pessimistic personality. People who have low self-esteem and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by low-level depression (called dysthymia).
- Physical conditions. Serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and HIV can contribute to depression, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression can make medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make pain harder to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.
- Other psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and (especially) substance abuse often appear along with depression.
Who Gets Depression?
Although depression can make you feel alone, 16% of Americans will have it during their lifetime. While depression can affect anyone, its effect may vary depending on your age and gender.
- Women are almost twice as likely to become depressed as men. The higher risk may be due partly to hormonal changes brought on by puberty, menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy.
- Men. Although their risk for depression is lower, men are more likely to go undiagnosed and less likely to seek help. They may show the typical symptoms of depression, but are more likely to be angry and hostile or to mask their condition with alcohol or drug abuse. Suicide is an especially serious risk for men with depression, who are four times more likely than women to kill themselves.
- Elderly. Older people may lose loved ones and have to adjust to living alone. They may become physically ill and unable to be as active as they once were. These changes can all contribute to depression. Loved ones may attribute the signs of depression to the normal results of aging, and many older people are reluctant to talk about their symptoms. As a result, older people may not receive treatment for their depression.
Depression Cure or How to be Happy!
Curing depression is not easy but have hope because there is a lot that can help you if you will accept that help. This website aims to be one source of help and information. If you are moderately depressed you cannot cure yourself but must seek support.
Want to cure your depression and be happy?
The possible steps in your cure are:
1. Medication - for severe and moderate depression. It normalizes chemical activity in your brain and helps you feel better so that you can begin to help yourself to heal.
2. Therapy - may be helpful to you however bad the problem is. Please be open to this one and consider it. Read about online counseling and how this can help you.
3. Natural Cures - there are some natural cures such as St. John's Wort (be careful as new reports show this may interefere with other medication, consult a doctor if in doubt).
4. Self Help - always useful and can actually cure or prevent depression. If you are on medication don't rely on it. It is temporary and you need to get at the problem and cause to cure it. Self help books, courses and research can all help you help yourself. This website is full of useful advice and information to help you in this area. Please look around the site and make use of it. Find out more about treatments here
Depression could be defined as an illness whose main symptom is extreme unhappiness. There are of course other symptoms but this is the main one. If you are happy you cannot be depressed! Simple! So how can you be happy? ...
What is the secret of Happiness?
You want to be happy? Want to understand what to do and how to think yourself happier? First a word about depression.
Medication is not a permanent solution for most people. The solution to a depression free life is to use all the tools available and let others help where they can. The cure for your depression is simple - therapy, self help, books, changed attitude, improved self esteem, friends
Depression is for most an illness whose cause lies in the mind and therefore the cure and prevention lies in your mind. Medication can help but is not a cure.
How to become happier and less depressed
Visit how to be happy for more steps you can take now.
Depression cure - these factors affect how happy you feel:
- Your mood
- Your perceived situation
- Your self confidence - get a free email course
- Your thinking
- Your motivation
- Your faith
- Your purpose
- Your self esteem
Ask yourself this question and think about it now.
Thought about it?
You may have given some of the following answers:
- I am unhappy because ......
- How can I be happy when ....
- I will be happy when.....
Putting conditions on your happiness means you cannot be happy now and you won't be happy at least until your conditions are met. Most people are like this but the mistake is that even if the conditions are reached they set new ones again and again. This is why so many people are never happy!
Decide to be happy now while you are working to achieve what you want and need. Enjoy the journey!
Depression cure tip two: Maybe you answered like this:
- you make me unhappy!
- If it wasn't for him I'd be happy
- How can I be happy after what he did to me?
If you answered with any of these you are blaming others for your lack of happiness.
Depression begins and lives in your mind. You are in charge of your mind and what you think! How can you blame others for making you unhappy? You choose your thoughts and your feelings. You choose to be happy or not.
Depression cure summary: Here are some changes you can make now to become a happier person:
- Be true to yourself
- Look to the present, drop the future worry and the past regret
- Focus on positives not negatives
- Give yourself permission to move forward
- Work on your self confidence and self esteem.
- Make a list of everything that you are thankful for now in your life
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