Now-a-days how common depression is? So common that it is thought of as the common cold of mental illnesses. However, this is not to understate the severity of depression which is one of the leading indicators of suicide. One in six of us will experience a major depressive episode in our lives. Causes of Depression: There are a number of factors and causes that may increase the chance of depression and make your life's live unhappily... Read Full Story
I've been thinking about doing a post like this for a while but a recent post by Ace and a furore over someone attributing depression to a lack of salvation have spurred me on. I alluded in my testimony to a time when I was very unhappy but in that post I did not go into any further detail. In recent weeks however I have felt like God has been "prodding" me to write more about it and I hope that in doing so I can be a help to others. Although I do have happy memories of times during my... Read Full Story
When discussing depression as a symptom, a feeling of hopelessness is the most often described sensation.
Depression is a common psychiatric disorder in the modern world and a growing cause of concern for health agencies worldwide due to the high social and economic costs involved.
Symptoms of depression, like the disorder itself, vary in degree of severity, and contribute to mild to severe mood disturbances.
Mood disturbances may range from a sudden transitory decrease in motivation and... Read Full Story
I take medication for chronic depression, but endorse consideration of other treatment modalities that can offer symptom reduction. In fact, many of the following tips, I do regularly. Blog-colleague, Dr. Steve Ilardi at Psych Pundit , says that lifestyle change can help bring us to a greater emotional and physical balance. Ilardi’s treatment calls back the habits of our hunting and gathering ancestory and argues that our brains and bodies aren’t designed for our 21st century lifestyles. "We... Read Full Story
Depression hits people in different ways. Although there are several symptoms that most of us are aware of, it's difficult to see the impact when we're the ones suffering from an emotional or psychological disorder. I've had a long history of depression and fought it for many years, self-medicating with alcohol and drugs, which only made things worse, of course. Never was my depression so apparent then when I was dealing with the new stresses and pressures of being a new mom, trying to... Read Full Story
Depression has always been difficult to diagnose and only a visit to your GP can truly determine if you’re depressed. However, researchers from the UK have developed an online universal test to find out if you’re at risk of suffering with major depression.
Using a special risk algorithm, a team from the University College London (UCL) tested around 9,000 people across Europe and in Chile, South America to determine its accuracy. The test was based on similar risk assessment for heart... Read Full Story
A form of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) that uses Buddhist meditation methods is just as effective as medications when treating people who are suffering with depression, according to a new study.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) concentrates on a person’s ability to focus on the present rather than making plans for the future or dwelling on past events.
The trial carried out over an eight week period involved over 120 people suffering with chronic depression . 60% of those... Read Full Story
As the nights begin to draw in and we all retreat into our homes to escape the bleak weather, scientists have discovered a seasonal change in brain chemistry that may well be the cause of the 'winter blues'. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a debilitating condition and a form of depression. Seasonal affective disorder is attributed to lack of daylight particularly over the winter months. The new study from the University of Toronto suggests that a lack of light might make proteins which... Read Full Story
The right to bear arms ..... unless you have a history of mental illness. Illinois shooter had history of mental illness but was sold guns anyway Why Was the Illinois Shooter Allowed to Buy a Gun? Armed And Dangerous Law Bans Sale Of Firearms To People With A History Of Severe Mental Illness ("mentally ill" apparently = dangerous) "He never wanted to identify with being mentally ill," This was "part of the problem", and I'm sure it was for him! But I love how in none of these stories do I... Read Full Story
The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs by Dr. Stephen S. Ilardi presents a set of practices that can prevent and heal depression. His TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Change) has six components. They're all common sense measures, each helpful in itself. The power of the program comes from doing them all at once. The first thing to do is to get enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Then make sure you're keeping busy with activities that keep you from brooding... Read Full Story
