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Depression Part III – How to Prevent and Treat Depression with Common Sense Appoach

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 7:36 pm

As we mentioned in previous articles depression is a normal response as part of our daily lives, such as the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or illness. Over 30 million Americans suffer from depression and the amount is increasing in an alarming rate. Depression may be a mental health disorder that can affect the way you eat and sleep, and the way you feel about yourself. In this article, we will discuss how to treat depression with common sense approach.

1. Reduce intake of saturated and trans fats
Saturates and trans fats cause the increase of levels of bad cholesterol in the blood stream, blocking the circulation of blood and reducing the levels of oxygen that are essential for brain cells resulting in mood change and low interest for daily function.

2. Reduce intake of fat food, simple carbohydrates, and artificial sweetener
The above food causes chemical and nutritional imbalances and contribute to depression.

3. Be careful with conventional prescription side effects
Conventional medication while common can produce negative side effects and tends to treat the symptoms rather than the cause of depression. Some prescription medication may cause side effects to only some patients but not others. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have some depression side effect.

4. Moderate exercise
Exercise helps to increase the circulation and oxygen level in the bloodstream, gives body energy and produces feelings of revitalization and accomplishment triggering the release of certain hormones that help to boost your mood.

5. Join a social group or club
Joining a social group or club is the best way to climb out and learn something new. It is the proven way to keep your brain active and increase your confidence and self esteem.

6. Get enough sleep
Over half of people with sleep disorders are found to have some mental disorder such as depression. In fact, study shows that insomnia may be the cause of depression.

7. Light therapy
If you have season affective disorder, the body chemistry is thrown off by a decrease in the amount of day light. Light therapy will help to increase energy levels and overcome difficulty in getting out of bed.

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Article Source: Depression Part III – How to Prevent and Treat Depression with Common Sense Appoach

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How To Interpret Depression Signs

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 7:36 pm

There is no cure for depression! Did you know that when depressed people take antidepressants these will only work completely in about 35% of cases? That means there are a lot of people who will only get partial relief and that the condition will linger on for years. That figure compares very unfavourably with the effect of a placebo which relieves signs of depression in about 20%. Another figure which is quite shocking is that about 5% of cases have a worsening of symptoms when they are on these depression meds. Experts are now looking at changes in lifestyle which can make a positive impact on depression but will certainly not cure the condition. How can we interpret depression signs and realise that we may have a problem or that a loved one may be depressed?

It seems that genetics, chemical imbalances in the brain and the environment all play a role in the cause of depression but nobody is quite sure. Signs of depression will be noticed when they persist for quite a long period and we are certainly talking about a period of two weeks to a month here. We might also notice that the depression signs seem to be preventing us from functioning at work or at home like we used to.

Depression signs are evident when there is a loss of energy to do things and a lack of concentration too. There may be a problems with indigestion and or problems with eating which can manifest itself in a loss of appetite or an increase in appetite for no apparent reason. Add to that weepiness (usually present in women) and a loss of interest in any sexual activity. Other depression signs which are even more alarming are talk of suicide or constantly thinking about death in an obsessive way. There may be a tendency to self mutilate which could be a precursor of suicide. If only some of these are present, we should seek medical help and also have other conditions ruled out which could and sometimes do have similar symptoms.

We now know that depression is such a common disorder that there is less stigma attached to it nowadays, fortunately. Experts tell us that Americans are ten times more likely to suffer from a depressive disorder of some sort than our grandparents were, sixty years ago. These disorders can range from bipolar to SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Once signs of depression have been spotted and diagnosis has been carried out, we can start thinking about treatment. Antidepressants are one choice but as we have seen above, there is no guarantee that they will work and some people favour herbal remedies such as St. John’s Wort and the Passion Flower which have much fewer side effects and will be more effective than the antidepressants in some patients.

Want to learn how to treat depression naturally ? Robert Locke has written extensively on Mental Health for many years.

Article Source: How To Interpret Depression Signs

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Depression Alternatives – We Are On High Alert For Depression

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 7:36 pm

I bet you didn’t know that of all the Americans suffering from some kind of depressive disorder, only about 33% seek or receive treatment! That leaves a big black hole in every sense of the word as the ravages caused by depression are an enormous cost to the economy, society and individuals like you and me. Depression, if left untreated can lead to violence, shoplifting and of course suicide. Yet depression alternatives have received little attention in the medical press simply because there are too many vested interests in maintaining the grip that big pharma has on our society and they have brainwashed us into accepting medications which are questionable in many ways.

Depression is one of the main causes of suicides in this country. Army suicides are increasing and recently the spotlight has been turned on military personnel to find out the possible reasons for this. One of the main reasons cited for the cause of depression is problems in relationships. But this does not just affect the Army, it goes right across society as the difficulties in finding a loving caring partner and maintaining that relationship in the long term can present enormous problems to individuals. This is another reason why looking at depression alternatives such as finding a depression help group, can be a great help.

Diet and its role in our moods and its effects on our brains has largely been ignored or simply relegated to the weight loss industry, rather than seeing it as one of the alternative treatments for depression. What a mistake! There is a mountain of research which has been done by scientists and nutritionists which shows that a simple Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to depression and other mental disorders. Dementia is another one in that category which is at the top of the list. They have shown that the B group of vitamins are vital in producing of SAM-e which is a natural anti-depressant element which is present in every cell in our bodies. Other depression alternatives include EFT (Emotional Freedom Therapy) which concentrates on our feelings which in turn affect our thoughts. Most therapy starts with the thoughts rather than our feelings. This form of therapy has not received enough attention as one of the alternative treatments for depression.

Herbal remedies have been shown to be just as effective as one of the best depression alternatives in various studies, and in Germany, St John’s Wort was shown to be also effective in treating MDD (major depressive disorder). The NIMH is now preparing trials to see if this herb can indeed be effective and safe in mild to moderate depression. Discover more in the link below.

Want to learn more about depression alternatives ? Robert Locke has written extensively on Mental Health for many years.

Article Source: Depression Alternatives – We Are On High Alert For Depression

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