March 8th, 2010 by Alex
Some people may scoff at the idea of seasonal depression, thinking that a change in the weather can’t really make a person depressed or that anyone who feels this way just needs to get a grip on their emotions and snap out of it. We all deal with the same weather as our neighbors, so why should some actually suffer from seasonal depression when others are perfectly fine through the worst of winters? There are some reasons why some people have this disorder when others don’t, and there are also some things that any person can do to deal with it.
What Causes Seasonal Depression
Humans react to light just as much as plants do; we may not wither in the shade, but we still need sunlight. Someone who isn’t exposed to natural light on a regular basis can suffer from rickets and other diseases, so to say that a lack of light affecting your mood is all in one’s head just isn’t logical. If it affects you physically of course it can affect you emotionally. A lack of light during wintertime can cause….
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March 30th, 2009 by Alex
Clinical depression is becoming more and more common these days. Whether it’s because doctors are quicker to diagnosis the condition or are becoming more accurate in their diagnosis, or if there is some other reason for the rising numbers of this condition, some believe that up to one in four adults in the U.S. suffer from clinical depression.
It’s important to remember that there is a difference between other types of sadness such as grief over someone’s death or the loss of something else in your life and actual clinical depression, but if you have gotten a diagnosis from a health care professional how can you then deal with this condition?
For one thing it’s important to remember that you don’t want to give in to the disease no matter how tempting it may be. Most with clinical depression lose…
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March 24th, 2009 by Alex
Some people may scoff at the idea of teen depression being an actual physical ailment, as of course all teens may at times seem moody and melodramatic. In truth, more and more cases of actual clinical depression and other mental and emotional ailments are being diagnosed in teens every single year, and this information is from the experts and not from overly protective parents. If you suspect that there is a case of teen depression in your household, what to do?
The first thing you want to remember is that it does no good to jump to any conclusions. As said, teens are often moody, withdrawn, angry, sad, and overly emotional in many ways. This is partly due to the influx of hormones they experience while going through puberty and not necessarily a signal of actual teen depression. It would be a mistake to assume that your angry teenager or the one that gives into crying jags is actually clinically depressed. While these ranges of emotions are….
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March 16th, 2009 by Alex
When you hear or read about clinical depression, how much do you really know about it? You might suspect that you have it or at least something like it, but did you know that there are many different types of depression? Learning about the different types of depression there are is an important part of learning how to cope with it and treat it as well.
After all, depression is a condition just like any other; if you have a digestive disorder you need to know if it’s acid reflux disease or irritable bowel syndrome or bleeding ulcers in order to get proper treatment. The same can be said of depression; you need to understand the difference between postpartum, seasonal, major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and bipolar before you can treat any of these types of depression.
Postpartum of course is something that affects women during pregnancy and after childbirth. It is usually caused by the rush of hormones that a woman experiences, as well as things such as..
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March 12th, 2009 by Alex
Everyone gets depressed every now and again. A friend or family member passing in death, a job loss or financial setback, or a prolonged illness can make even the strongest and most resilient person to feel upset and sad. However, what is meant by the term clinical depression?
How is this different from just feeling sad and blue? And when does clinical depression become a problem so that it’s time to see a doctor? There are a few things to consider about this subject.
The term clinical depression actually refers to an emotional disorder that is not caused by external elements such as a job loss or death in the family, but by a defect in the brain’s ability to regulate certain chemicals in the brain. When these chemicals are not released at an appropriate time or in appropriate amounts, a person feels…
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March 2nd, 2009 by Alex
There can be some debate about the proper depression treatment today. Some people mistakenly think that depression is all in your head and don’t realize that there actually is a physical reason for one’s depression and that the brain is not regulating chemicals properly, causing this condition.
Still others think that depression is just a case of the blues and assume that exercise and proper eating can cure it. In reality, getting the right depression treatment is imperative for anyone that suffers from this disease as ignoring it or dismissing it can have tragic consequences.
Most doctors agree that the right depression treatment is a combination of medications and therapy as well. The reason for this is that while depression is caused by a physical problem in the brain, it does affect the way a person thinks, meaning that they often need to learn new ways of thinking as well as taking their medication. You might liken this to physical therapy when you have a knee injury - you need to….
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February 24th, 2009 by Alex
The first thing to remember is that depression is a disease. It is not a weakness of character or something that a person can just snap out of. It’s also not as simple as a case of the blues or being pessimistic.
When coping with depression a person needs to remember that frustration at the condition, as well as anger and guilt, are part of the disease and part of dealing with how a person is affected by it. Adding to that frustration, anger and guilt by acting as if the person is bringing it on themselves or by reminding them of how other people are suffering is not going to help when coping with depression.
However a person should not assume that because they are coping with depression that this means they are off the hook when it comes to their relationships and responsibilities. Staying in bed, isolating oneself, ignoring those around you is only going to make the situation worse. While being involved with…
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