Depression - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment options

Depression is a complex of psychological and physical symptoms. Low mood level or sadness is often the most prominent symptom. The common property of these symptoms is a decreased activity level in parts of the brain.

THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

Depression may give one or more of these symptoms: Read more

Warning Signs Of Suicide

Every suicide has a distinct sad story behind it. Most suicides are caused as a result of depression, ill-health, or due to some stressful event in life that the person is not in a position to handle and therefore decides to end his life. However, a suicide is usually accompanied by certain warning signs. The most common warning signs of suicide as listed below. Read more

Depression Medication Part I - What YOU Need to Know

Some common types of medications for depression:
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors  (MAOIs):  these depression medications have been around for years. They aren’t used as often as the newer medications, but still have a place in the treatment of resistant depression. They are generally inexpensive as they are generic. There are new forms of these medications such as skin patches that are available as brand name drugs. The use of MAOIs requires dietary restrictions and overdose can be deadly. They interact with many over-the-counter preparations, causing dangerous increases in blood pressure. Reversible MAOIs are now available with less need for dietary restrictions and less concern for drug interactions. Read more

Bipolar Disorder - A Cyclic Illness

Bipolar disorder is a cyclic illness where people periodically exhibit manic (elevated) and depressive episodes.  Categories of Bipolar disorder include; Type I, where an individual experiences full-blown mania, or Bipolar Type II, in which the “highs” do not go to the extremes.  Bipolar disorder will generally manifest in late adolescence or early adulthood.  However, case of bipolar disorder manifesting in late life are well documented.

Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder which consists of shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function.  Due to the complex nature of the disorder it is often difficult to diagnose.  Although the exact cause of bipolar disorder is not apparent, it is known to run in families and it is believed that genetics play a significant role. Read more

How To Live Better With Manic Depression Using A Support System

Having diagnosed with bipolar disorder can be one of the most stressful and difficult experiences of a person’s life. To learn to manage bipolar disorder better, whether yourself, with families or friends, it is important to build and maintain a strong support system.

A support system is a group of people who come together to offer unconditional emotional support to the person with bipolar disorder, these people must have the desire to understand the struggle and difficulties of living with bipolar disorder. They can consist of families, friends, support groups, therapists, mental health caseworkers, and even doctors.

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How Journaling can Heal your Body and Soul

Work deadlines, bills to pay, health concerns, financial trouble, erring relationships with loved ones — problems surround our small universe every day. We come up with various solutions to these problems, from decorating our work area with Post-its and adding reminders to our pocket organizers to making personal amends, because we want order in our lives. But there is more to life than finishing work on time, popping vitamins, relying on digital assistants, and preserving camaraderie. Our inner lives are as complicated as the big world out there, and that is why we must make an effort to understand our selves more and make better choices in the future.

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Meditations Effects On Bipolar Depression

Meditation is a well-known alternative therapy that is used by many people throughout the world for its calming and balancing effects, not to mention promoting a feeling of well being, and self-awareness. However, what many people don’t know is that meditation is also a very effective and a natural approach to treating bipolar depression symptoms in sufferers of the disorder.

For those who are suffering from bipolar disorder, and want a natural remedy, or a complimentary therapy to help lower their dependency, or dosage of medications, meditation can be very effective, and costs next to nothing to participate in. To get the best effect from meditation, bipolar sufferers must create a regular daily routine, and stay committed to it, in order to get to the root of what has caused the depression symptoms in the first place. Meditation does not produce instantaneous results, but will produce noticeable results in sufferers if used daily over a reasonable period of time.
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A Look at the Different Depression and Anxiety Medications

While it may be easy to recite the various brand names and generalize their benefits enough to know they put us (or are supposed to put us) in a better mood, for lack of a better term, the drugs themselves can all be categorized individually, each working in a slightly different way.

The following is a list and very brief description, by category, of depression and anxiety medications currently prescribed by physicians.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

SSRIs, which are fairly new to the arsenal of depression and anxiety medications, have gained immense popularity among prescribing psychiatrists within the past 10 years. They are usually prescribed during the early stages of depression, if a person has sought help and behavioral and/or psychotherapy has not proven effective enough. With appropriate dosage, SSRIs can “catch” depression before it becomes severe. Although they do not work for 20% to 40% of people who try them, their ability to work for people with minor (and even major) Read more

Common Symptons of Clinical Depression

Clinical Depression is a catch all phrase for any number of depressive disorders. The symptoms of clinical depression affect everyone who suffers from it in different ways. Depression affects people across all age ranges, genders, ethnicities, cultures and religions. According to the American Psychiatric Association over 17 million men and women in the U.S. suffer from some form of clinical depression every year.

Clinical depression is very different then the normal “blue” moods most people go through during their lives. Most people react to major let downs and traumatic experiences in their lives such as breakups of relationships or deaths of family or friends the same way. They have a period of mourning or just feeling in the dumps but after a few days to a week they start to return to their normal selves. Read more

Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Depression Help

Many people feel that depression is their own problem suffering alone, and often feeling isolated. Getting depression help can be hard when you are in a state of mind, where you feel no one will understand you. Getting depression help can mean the difference between having a slight or mild case of depression, or lapsing into a severe heavy state of depression which could require long term antidepressant use or even hospitalization. Understanding Depression can be the first step to recovery. Once you understand your depression and realize you are not alone, getting depression help will be much easier. Read more

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