The latter type, sometimes referred to as ‘clinical depression’, is defined as ‘a persistent exaggeration of the everyday feelings that accompany sadness’.

If you have severe depression you may experience low mood, loss of interest and pleasure as well as feelings of worthlessness and guilt. You may also experience tearfulness, poor concentration, reduced energy, reduced or increased appetite and weight, sleep problems and anxiety. You may even feel that life is not worth living, and plan or attempt suicide.

Depression can affect anyone, of any culture, age or background. About twice as many women as men seek help for depression, though this may reflect the greater readiness of women to discuss their problems.

One thing that may make it hard for doctors to recognise depression is that people with depression often complain of physical problems, commonly headaches, lethargy, stomach upsets or joint pains, rather than low mood, sometimes because these can be significant symptoms, but sometimes because they find it difficult to admit to feeling emotionally distressed for reasons they may not even be able to identify.

Depression is usually related to upsetting life events, such as bereavement, relationship difficulties, physical illness, or job or money worries.

Are there different types of depression?

Bi-polar disorder (manic depression)

Someone with bi-polar affective disorder has both ‘high’ and ‘low’ mood swings, along with changes in thoughts, emotions and physical health.

Post-natal depression (PND)

About 1 in 10 women experience postnatal depression in the first year after having a baby.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Some people describe feeling depressed regularly at certain times of the year. Usually this kind of depression starts in the autumn or winter, when daylight is reduced.

How can you reduce the risk of depression?





Keep in touch with you friends. If you are already depressed you find it very difficult to be sociable, and this can make you feel more depressed. So it is important for you to keep in contact with friends and find someone to talk to when you are feeling low.









Keep active. Being more active is associated with lower levels of depression. Outdoor activity seems to be particularly important in staving off depression in older men.

Review your eating habits. Recent research has suggested that people who are depressed may have low levels of certain essential fatty acids, which are found in fish oils. It has therefore been suggested that people with depression should change their eating habits, for example eating more oily fish such as sardines, or should take fish oil supplements.









Investigate herbal medicine. St John’s Wort ( Hypericum perforatum) can help many people with mild to moderate depression. Before taking St John’s Wort check with your doctor or pharmacist especially if you are taking other kinds of medication, for example for heart disease, epilepsy, asthma or migraine.









Investigate self-help techniques. Some people have reported benefits from various self help techniques such as meditation, listening to music, and acupuncture.









Take control. Some people find it helps if they have some control over what happens. This helps to guard against the kind of ‘hopelessness’ which is associated with depression. Activities that involve making a ‘fresh start’ have been shown to help people recover from long-lasting depression. Similarly, learning to set small or manageable goals can give you a sense of achievement and make you feel better.





There are a number of self-help books, guides, and software programmes which can help you to learn ways of coping with mild to moderate episodes of depression.

What treatments are there for depression?

Drug treatments

Anti-depressant drugs act by increasing the activity of those brain chemicals which affect the way we feel. Anti-depressants are thought to help 2 out of 3 of people with depression.

Tricyclic antidepressants, such as dothiepin, imipramine, and amitryptyline are often prescribed for moderate to severe depression. These usually take up to two weeks to start working and may have side effects.

Newer antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and SNRIs) target specific chemical ‘messengers’ in the brain. The most well-known SSRI is fluoxetine (Prozac) but there are several other brands. These newer drugs are popular because they tend to have fewer side effects than older drugs.

Lithium carbonate is sometimes prescribed to people with severe depression. High levels of lithium in the blood are dangerous so anyone taking lithium must have regular blood tests.

If you are prescribed drugs for depression you will probably be advised to take them for at least six months - or longer if you have a previous history of depression. You may experience withdrawal effects if you stop taking antidepressant drugs, particularly if you stop suddenly. These effects can include headache, nausea, dizziness and even hallucinations. Always consult your doctor before stopping taking anti-depressants. Do not stop taking medication suddenly as the withdrawal effects may be severe.

Talking treatments

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of ‘talking’ treatment. It is based on the fact that the way we feel is partly dependent on the way we think about events (cognition). It also stresses the importance of behaving in ways which challenge negative thoughts - for example being active to challenge feelings of hopelessness.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) focuses on people’s relationships and on problems such as difficulties in communication, or coping with bereavement. There is some evidence that IPT can be as effective as medication or CBT but more research is needed.

Counselling is a form of therapy in which counsellors help people think about the problems they are experiencing in their lives and find new ways of coping with difficulties. They give support and help people find their own solutions, rather than offering advice or treatment.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

ECT is a controversial treatment which is intended only to be used for people with severe depression who have not responded well to medication or other treatments. The person receiving ECT is given an anaesthetic and drugs to relax their muscles. They then receive an electrical ’shock’ to the brain, through electrodes placed on the head. Most people are given a series of ECT sessions. Some people say that ECT is very helpful in relieving their depression, although others have reported unpleasant experiences, including memory problems.

For free advice on Depression or for a free consultation over the phone or in person ring 0151 678 3358 or 07714853 524 or visit http://www.clairehegarty.co.uk

Visit out site to read all the latest health news. Visit http://www.in2town.co.uk



Thanks to diane walker for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

Treating Bipolar Depression

Depression

Monika Nigam

Introduction:

Human nature varies throughout the world. The perception and understanding of the situation by an individual depends upon diverse issues. Grasping and tackling these matters require intellect and prior experiences, but occasionally situation turn out to be beyond the controls and this leads to hopelessness, despair and anguish called depression. The condition if ignored becomes devastating. Depression is severe medical condition that engrosses the body, mood and thoughts. It can affect person’s outlook, routine activities, behaviour and conduct. It can change the overall personality. Individual(s) with such illness cannot simply “put themselves together” and get better

Reasons that sow the seed of depression:

In this competitive epoch and demanding life, stress cannot be evaded. Every single person is striving to meet the challenges and prove one’s worth; unable to do so germinates the seed of depression. As a result, depression is becoming prevalent, affecting 1 in 8 people in a population. It is irrespective of colour, caste, creed, economy, age etc; studies show that it affects females more than males. It is a multifactorial condition, contributed by genetics, environment, events in life, socio-economic reasons, any medical condition(s) and the reaction of an individual to situation

Genetics: Some individual get this in their inheritance although it doesn’t always hold true as some individuals even though they receive in their genes, show no signs of the same while others despite of no family history show severe symptoms of depression.

Environment: the phenotypic characteristics of an individual are the implications of environment. Reaction to a particular situation and taking hold on the same not only demands intelligent but also exposure that environment provides.

Life events: the demise of a close member either in a family or a friend or separation of parents, changing school of kids all these can be the contributing factors for depression.

Family and Social Environment: the family atmosphere is the vital part of life, after facing the stress outside; the cosy, comfortable and motivating atmosphere puts together all the lost energy to face out all the defies. Any compromised living condition like poverty, homelessness and violence, may affect the self-esteem of a person and can build up the situation of depression.

Medical Conditions: Numerous medical conditions, especially that affecting hormone balance and alter mood can cause depression e.g. hypothyroidism. Treatment of these medical conditions relieves depression. At teens hormonal changes affect the school performance and cause depression.

How the brain responds to depression:

Brain is a complex network of nerve cells. The message between these nerve cells is communicated by the chemicals called neurotransmitters. Some of these neurotransmitters regulate mood and their decreased or inhibited level (or interruption of anatomical pathways in brain or as a consequence of treatment with certain drugs) bring anxiety, stress and depression. In such cases depression may be referred as an organic mood disorder. Balance of neurotransmitters is affected by stress.

Organic Affective Disorder: These are the diseases that may cause affective disorders by direct action on the brain.

1.Neurological: Cerebrovascular disease, Cerebral tumour, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s 

    disease, Huntington’s chorea, Alzheimer’s disease, Epilepsy.

2.Endocrine: Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, Addison’s disease,

    Hyperparathyroidism.

3. Infections: Glandular fever, Herpes simplex, Brucellosis, Typhoid, Toxoplasmosis.

4. Connective tissue disease: Systemic lupus erythematosus

5. Malignant disease

6.  Drugs: Reserpine, Phenothiazines, Phenylbutazone, Corticosteroids, oral contraceptives,

    Interferon

7.  Organic cause for Psychiatric Disorder

 Types of Depression: three main depressive disorders are-

Major Depression: also called as major depressive disorder (MDD). One of the major reasons for suicide and disability is depression. The result could be either due to medical illness or due to unexplained symptoms. The day-to-day activities are affected especially the capability to work, sleep, eat and take pleasure in any kind of entertainment. It can occur only once but is episodic. Chronic condition may necessitate indefinite treatment. Dysthymia: also called as dysthymic disorder. It could be enduring, though not disabling but protect the proper functioning and to sense good. Individuals suffering from Dysthymia may also experience major depressive disorders during their lives. Bipolar disorder: also called as maniac-depressive illness. The major symptoms are cycling mood changes like a wave. There could be severe highs called as mania and lows called as depression, flanked by intermittent normal mood. When the individual is in depressed mood then it depicts all the symptoms of depression on the contrary when in the manic cycle, the individual may be overactive, overwhelming with energy, over- talkative. It is because of this behaviour the thinking ability, judgement for a particular situation and also social deeds are badly influenced. This brings serious inconveniences and embarrassment.

Symptoms of Depression: There is a disparity in the symptoms among the individuals and also there is a discrepancy between the sexes. Depression is present in quarter to half of all medical patients (Davidson’s principle and Practice of Medicine). They can be categorized as:

Psychological

Importunate sad, worried or empty mood Reduced self-esteem Feeling of hopeless, pessimism Feeling of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed (anhedonia) Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts

Somatic

Decreased energy, fatigue, being “slowed down”  Difficulty concentrating, remembering and making decisions                                                                                                                                                          Trouble sleeping, early morning awakening or over sleeping Appetite and /or weight changes Restlessness, retardation and irritability Persistent headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain that do not respond to routine treatment. Loss of libido Bowel disturbance

Management & Treatment: Depression is treatable. First step is realization (find out patient’s concerns and also provide an appropriate explanation and reassurance) and physical examination to prevent the onset of other symptoms. Secondly, a differential diagnosis is important as depression is outcome of adverse circumstances in vulnerable persons. The imperative part is differentiation of an adjustment disorder with depressed mood from depressive disorder. Adjustment disorders are transient reactions to adversity. Whereas, depressive disorders are characterised by more severe and persistent mood disturbance.

Medication and short-term psychotherapies including “talking” therapies are effective for the treatment of depression. Severe and recurrent conditions of illness require a combination of treatment for best outcome. The treatment may have to be continued once a person starts feeling better.

 Depression has some correlation with the ageing; it could be implicated with the illness, loss of memory and forgetfulness, feeling lonely or may be other psychological reasons. The psychotherapy of the patients and creating positivity in them help them to come out of depression and suicidal tendency.

It is my personal experience that if the factors causing depression in the person are not reminded to him rather reminding all the positive things what he has and what he is worth for brings lost confidence and zeal to live a great life! The close members’ understanding plays a very crucial role, as constant feeding of positivity and maintaining a joyful and encouraging atmosphere can keep the patient away from depression and suicidal thoughts and he will understand the significance he has in others life and how important he is for the society!



Thanks to Monika Nigam for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

Depression Anxiety In Children

Millions of people suffer from Depression each year. Depression is made up of different emotions, most people get feelings of loss, frustration, sadness, and disappointment, just to name a few. Someone who has depression doesn’t have a lot of interest in life and has a hard time focusing on tasks at hand. Sometimes they may not want to get out of bed and they don’t want to partake in normal daily activities like going to work or participating in a hobby of theirs.

Two main categories of depression are situational and clinical. Clinical depression symptoms are having thoughts of suicide, uncontrollable negative thoughts, very easily becomes irritated or angry, feelings of hopelessness, sleeping to much or not at all, and loss of appetite, or overeating. Situational depression is pretty normal feelings of sadness that occur when someone goes though a major loss, or the not so lucky things that just happen in life that nothing can change. So you can see here that there is a huge difference between the two.

Every case of depression is going to vary from case to case, every person is different . Some people who have depression say that they don’t feel sad, they feel worthless, blank, empty, almost like the living dead just lifeless. They are incapable of feeling happiness and enjoying anything.

Suicide is a major factor in Depression. Many people that are depressed end up committing or attempting to commit suicide. Depressed people think that sometimes it’s the only way to end the pain and get rid of the feelings they are experiencing. Suicide is a symptom of severe clinical depression and you can not take it seriously enough if someone you know is talking about suicide. There are many hotlines available for help you or someone you know wants to hurt themselves. Most often suicidal persons will give a clue or warning to theirs feelings and theirs intentions. So if you notice any signs that someone you know might be suicidal speak up! Helping them cope with there depression or even just showing that you care may just save their lives.

Some other types of depression involve Dysthymia, maniac depression, postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Dysthymia’s symptoms are not as strong as major clinical depression, however, the may last as long as 2 years or more. It has small ups and downs to it. For a few days you may be mildly depressed and then the next few days you may feel better and happier. However, the may last as long as 2 years or more. It has small ups and downs to it. For a few days you may be mildly depressed and then the next few days you may feel better and happier. Maniac depression is another name for bipolar.

A Person with maniac depression usually will have the same symptoms as someone who has severe clinical depression except they have other major mood swings that can last days to weeks and can switch in a matter of days or hours even. Postpartum depression is a very normal depression that happens after a woman has given childbirth. New mothers tend to be very sleep deprived, going through a major lifestyle change and that might be a major cause of it. It can happen up to a year after child birth and sometimes it can get so extreme that a mother may want to hurt her new child or want to ignore and neglect it. Seasonal affective disorder happens in the winter months when the weather is cloudy and gloomy. It is a very normal depression as well.

Depression can actually be very hard to treat. Sometimes, what seems like symptoms of depression are often the same symptoms of something else. It can be hard to tell if the depression is situational or if it really is clinical. In a situational case the treatment can be as easy as changing the situation, but with clinical depression it can be a number of things. Things like a childhood trauma, a social problem loneliness, substance abuse, genetics, a health problems that is very troublesome or a more recent traumatic happening.

But no matter how depressed one person should get, there is always a way to recover. There is so many different treatments and therapies for depression patients the amount of help is endless. There a prescription medications to help, hotlines, therapies, and lots of natural ways to overcome depression. Alternative health supplements some safe and natural products that will help with depression and changing ones mood. The best way to overcome depression is to use a couple methods of treatment together. Talk to a professional to see whether making a life style change would be the answer or try taking a natural herbal supplement. Which ever method may be right for you the first step is to ask for help and know that it is out there and its everywhere.



Thanks to Steven A Johnson for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

List Of Antidepressants

There are many different types of depression. Depression can take many forms, and so many healthcare professionals use a number of different terms when referring to depression. Seasonal affective disorder, clinical depression, and bipolar depression are all commonly diagnosed types of depression. What really causes a lot of confusion when someone is diagnosed with depression is that it can very often overlap with another illness. Conditions such as substance abuse or an eating disorder may be confused with depression, and can make any form of depression rather hard to diagnose. The following are some very common forms of depression.

You will hear the term major depression when you are experiencing one of the depressive disorders that are severe enough to require treatment. For example, say you are very active at your local gym but have experienced some type of severe emotional trauma and start to avoid the gym at all costs. It is very likely that you could be experiencing a bout with major depression.

Another one of the major types of depression is bipolar depression (also known as manic depressive illness). Bipolar depression is commonly recognized as someone experiencing being overly happy, then suddenly becoming horribly depressed. Many doctors believe that bipolar depression is an imbalance in the brain that can often be successfully treated with medications.

One of the major types of depression that women are known to suffer from is postpartum depression. Healthcare professionals have determined that many women suffering from postpartum depression have already suffered from some form of depression previously. Most women that go through giving birth feel badly the first few days afterward. However, those that are not able to snap out of the depressive feelings can experience them for months, if not years, if not properly treated.

Of the many types of depression, a common subtype of depression is seasonal affective disorder. This form of depression seems to be tied to the way people react to the amount of sunlight that is available to them each day. Light therapy by use of special lamps is a common treatment for those suffering from seasonal affective disorder.

A very serious form of the many types of depression is psychotic depression. Those that suffer from psychotic depression very often hear voices in their head in addition to having visual delusions. Individuals that are suffering from this need to have someone help them seek treatment as soon as possible. Most sufferers are not able to think rationally, and therefore are likely to hurt themselves or others. Psychotic depression strikes about 15% of individuals suffering from major depression.

People that seem to be suffering constantly from a mild form of depression are likely to be suffering from dysthymia. People that are suffering from dysthymia can also be hit with a bout of major depression, the more severe form of depression that results in necessary close medical monitoring and aggressive treatment.

Another of the many types of depression that are very commonly suffered by women is atypical depression. This form of depression is commonly marked by experiencing things like panic attacks, overeating, and sleeping disturbances. Someone with atypical depression will feel depressed for a period of time, feel better, and then feel worse again. Atypical depression is very common in a person’s younger years, and if gone untreated will follow them into adulthood.

No matter which one of the many types of depression you might be suffering from, knowing the difference between them is the best way to get the best possible treatment. Once you know which is the best course of treatment you will know the best way to battle whichever of the many different types of depression that you might be suffering from.



Thanks to Ryan King for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

Why Am I Depressed

I am feeling depressed! It actually started at work. Everything was fine. I had been fine for weeks, maybe even happy. But something happened. Actually nothing happened! I was ignored! If someone had insulted me verbally, or assaulted me Physically, I could have reacted immediately either verbally or physically, but I was ignored and it played on my mind so much I became depressed about it.

Now you might be thinking “Oh my God! What’s the matter with you? You are not depressed, you are sulking like a two year old! And yes, I agree, it is a really incredibly stupid thing to become depressed about, I know that, honestly, I REALLY know that!

But that is often how my depression starts. Something pointless, something stupid, something which I should be able to ignore or just shrug off, suddenly takes on a life of its’ own and takes over my mind and switches off the light of happiness, only to replace it with long dark lingering shadows of doom, gloom and despair.

Chemical or Physical. What is the cause?

If the problem with depression is a chemical thing like hormones in the brain, why would it be triggered by something as stupid as being ignored?

If it is a chemical problem then surely all depression would happen at odd moments like while you were watching a really funny film. One minute you would be laughing your head off and then the next minute trying to jump out of the window and wanting to end it all.

I have no doubt that there are chemicals involved. All emotions are chemical by nature. Happiness, sadness, love, lust. These are all made possible by chemicals / hormones in our brains being switched on at certain moments as a result of external influence, such as seeing a beautiful woman in a short skirt walking by….POW…Instant Lust Chemicals flood the brain!

So I suppose the “Cause” is a combination of physical outside influences, causing an internal response which switches on related chemicals to prepare the body for whatever might come next.

And maybe sometimes it works the other way around. Our body clocks may decide that spring and summer are perfect times to get lustful and start looking for that special boy or girl!

Why does it affect some more than others?

My present bout of depression was set off, I think, by simply being ignored by a certain person, maybe at a certain moment in time when I was feeling vulnerable.

Someone else might think that I am just being a wimp. Perhaps they, and maybe you too, would not be the slightest bit affected by such an incident. You might, if you are a depression sufferer, even think that what I am feeling does not deserve to even be called depression!

You might even think that I should re-name this article “Living With a Demon Called Sulking!”

It is a matter of personal opinion.

Whether or not my depression is better or worse than maybe your depression or someone elses, doesn’t really matter. It certainly doesn’t matter to me. As far as I am concerned, I am depressed and nothing that you or anyone else thinks is going to change that.

Last night I felt terrible. I mean REALLY bloody awful. I hated the world, I hated people…yes, even you! And I hated myself. I hated myself because of all the things mentioned above.

When you are depressed, or at least when I am depressed, I start by blaming the person or people, or the event, which I think is the cause of my present depression. But soon, once I have finished ranting and raving, or sometimes just sitting quietly (as if sulking), I start to blame myself. I blame myself for not reacting more positively. I blame myself for not speaking my mind. I blame myself for not sticking up for myself. I blame myself for putting myself in a stupid situation. I blame myself for not learning lessons from similar past events. I blame myself for blaming myself and not punching the person responsible for my depression on the nose.

The more I think about it, the more depressed I become. Until very soon, what was possibly a very small event which triggered a mild depression, becomes greatly exaggerated in my mind and the mild depression expands like a huge dark storm cloud stretching over the horizon casting its’ shadow over everything I see and know.

Is there a cure?

How do you drag yourself out of a depression? (Perhaps we should ask the government! :-)) Well, it aint easy! Today I dragged myself out of bed early. I went shopping. I didn’t really need anything but I ended up with several packets of biscuits. Now, you see, I am a few pounds over weight. But I have managed to lose over a stone in less than three months, which is excellent! However, I have found that doing something naughty is a great way to distract the mind long enough to clear the clouds of depression. It isn’t easy, it isn’t straightforward by any means, and it could take several packets of biscuits and chocolate chip muffins with copious amounts of tea, before I start to get better.

I don’t recommend it for everyone, especially if you have a weight problem. If you are on a diet and think that eating five packets of biscuits might actually make you more depressed, then I suggest that you do something else naughty instead.

You might find that going into a secluded wooded area, taking off all of your clothes, then running around shouting “I hate the world but I love my fat arse!” might just be enough to start to clear your depression.

Always be aware that things WILL get better!

I know it is not easy. But you must keep in mind that no matter how bad things seem to be right now, that they can not stay this bad for ever!

This is something which I constantly keep telling myself when I get depressed, or just a little fed up with the world.

EVERYTHING is temporary. Even mountains get reduced over time. Your problems, my problems, the countries problems, are all temporary.

If there is absolutely nothing you can do right now to ease your situation, if there is absolutely no action you can take to ease your dark feelings, if running around naked shouting that you hate the world but love your fat arse has had no positive effect on you at all….then all you have to do is have patience and wait….long enough…and I promise that whatever the problem is that you have right now….barring cancer or some other terminal illness….it will pass.

But ofcourse, if there is some action you can take, like maybe making an apology to someone, or talking to someone who has upset you, or any action at all that will help to solve your present problem, or at least bring the problem out into the open so you can deal with it physically or verbally, then that is far better than sitting in a dark room festering over it.

Writing this article has done me some good. I don’t feel as bad now as when I started it. I certainly don’t feel all happy and cheerful, yet. But I am in recovery. And I hope, I really hope that at least one sentence has made you smile or given you some idea as to how to start your recovery. I am sorry there is nothing scientifically proven in this article. It is just a load of stuff from my depressed mind. Maybe I will read through it in a few days and decide to delete it, I don’t know.

So, is there an answer? Can depression be cured without stuffing yourself with dangerous tranquilizers, or munching on figure destroying biscuits? Is it possible to just laugh yourself out of depression?

I honestly and obviously have no idea. Once this depression leaves me I will most likely be OK for some time to come. I don’t suffer from depression regularly. It just happens sometimes. Sometimes there doesn’t seem to be a reason for it…it just takes over. And then, just as suddenly, it can be gone and I am left wondering what all the fuss was about.

Maybe I am a wimp. Maybe your depressions are far worse than mine. Maybe you thought this article was useless because it was written by a self centered, vain, useless, fat, sulking nobody! Well, at the moment, I would have to agree with you. But hopefully tomorrow, or maybe next week, I won’t give a damn what you think, unless you have been helped by it in some way, in which case, my depression will have been worth it.

Thanks to Tony Cordingley for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

How To Deal With Depression