How to Manage Depression Short of Having Octuplets

Nadya Suleman is a 33 year old unemployed single mother who recently gave birth to octuplets, conceived through in vitro fertilization. She grew up as an only child and had always dreamed of having a large family. Reporters, pundits and bloggers have called her irresponsible and selfish, as she already has six children under the age of seven at home. They say it takes more than love to care for eight babies, especially if you don't have a clear source of income or enough support to help raise them.

The doctor who implanted the fertilized eggs is being investigated by the medical board. The risk of such a pregnancy is not only to the mother but also for the babies. There are potential physical problems that will need to be carefully monitored over the coming years. Likely there will be psychological issues to deal with as well. Even though Suleman loves being a mom, there are 14 children and only one of her. She can't do it alone. It's not possible for her to take care of the emotional needs of that many growing children. The potential developmental delays and learning disabilities will require adjunctive therapies. And the long term costs will be significant. Meanwhile, the hospital bill alone will run well over $2 million.

Suleman called her childhood dysfunctional and said she didn't feel that she had much control over her environment. Almost everyone has some identity issues or feelings of powerlessness growing up. If you are depressed or need to take better care of your emotional self, begin by following these tips:

1. Notice if you are in denial about your emotional state of mind. What are you doing that may not be in your best interests? And why? For example, if you're thinking about getting pregnant, it could be a short term solution to help lift your spirits. And this could leave you with other longstanding problems for yourself and your family

2. Honor your body by understanding what makes you feel better, both physically and emotionally. Pay attention to your exercise routine, what you eat, your sleeping habits and what gives you pleasure. Reduce the situations that cause stress and increase the ones that make you feel more relaxed or alive.

3. Forgive others who are important to you for some past wrongdoing. Watch their reaction and see how that makes you feel. That doesn't mean you have to totally forget about it. If you had a dysfunctional upbringing, try to understand the problems it is causing you now. Learn a lesson from the situation and move on, especially for your own good.

4. Practice what you know about resiliency. Recognize how your character strengths support what you do. Integrate your core values and personal ideals into how you view the world. Notice the effect your attitudes and behavior have on other people in your life. Release tension through laughter and watch yourself begin to bounce back.

5. Knowledge is power. Use it to your advantage. Get information about ways to deal with how you're feeling - explore the Internet or the self-help section of bookstores. Think about the natural and logical consequences of the decisions you are making. Talk about how you are feeling with friends and family whose opinions you respect.

6. Support is a valuable tool - connect often. Accept the changes in your family, whatever they are, even if you feel caught in the crossfire. Find a class or workshop through your local university extension program or mental health center. Join an ongoing group or attend a weekend retreat to share concerns and gain new perspective.

7. You may be confused about what to do next. Don't be afraid to seek out a parenting coach or a family therapist. Although you may see yourself as a natural, this is a unique situation. Learning skills and techniques from experts can make a big difference and talking with someone outside of the family about your concerns and frustrations can be a lifesaver.

All Suleman ever wanted was to be a mom: "I longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up." She thinks that motherhood cured her depression. But child birth should not be used as a form of self- medication.

If your feelings of depression stem from a hunger inside that needs to be satisfied or a serious emotional problem, take the time to examine your own life. That will give you the chance to focus on greater personal awareness and your own emotional growth without jeopardizing the well being of others.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Manage-Depression-Short-of-Having-Octuplets&id=1972643

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Top Ten Non-Drug Treatments For Depression

Many of my patients do not want to take medication and I support their efforts to find a holistic solution. Here are my top recommendations:

1) Exercise: Believe it or not, exercise has been found to be the most effective treatment for depression. Of course, that's the last thing you feel like doing when you're feeling down. The minimum recommendation is 3 times per week for 20 minutes. More is better.

2) Weekly Psychotherapy: Long standing issues, family and cultural programming, habits of mind - these are just some of the issues that might be at cause. Depression is a sign that something in your life is not right. Get some help to deal with it.

3) Check your pleasures: Coffee, alcohol, sugar, and recreational drugs can lead to mood disorders. Even moderate use can be too much for depressed persons. Observe how your moods go up and down with use.

4) Supplements: All people suffering from depression should be taking Fish Oil for Omega-3 Fatty Acids daily. There is also compelling research on the use of Amino Acids, Sam-E, St. John's Wort, DHEA, and B vitamins. Read up and experiment.

5) Sunlight: It helps to get direct sun exposure every day if possible. If not available, a light box can bring a lot of relief. You can easily get your dose of light by sitting in front of one for 15 minutes a day. Light boxes are great.

6) Regular human contact: Many people are depressed because they are too isolated. We are social animals. Go to Meet-Up.com and find some people who enjoy the same things you do.

7) Challenge your thinking: Depressed people have depressed thoughts. A book that can be really helpful with this is Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns

8) Good nutrition: The way we eat may have a lot to do with fostering depression. Check out The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, Potatoes Not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, and Seven Weeks to Sobriety by Joan Matthews Larson.

9) Yoga and Meditation: These are recommended for mild to moderate depression only. Severely depressed people need to become more active and outer focused.

10) Are you living your right life? Sometimes depression is an indication that things need changing. Sometimes drastically. Do an inventory of your life.

If these treatments have been tried and there is no change in a month, it is recommended get a full evaluation by a healthcare provider. It is important to rule out a medical condition such as low thyroid which would cause depressive symptoms.

Many people consider taking antidepressants a sign of weakness. It is not, any more than it is weak for a diabetic to take insulin. Depression is one of the most debilitating illnesses, with many people dying from it each year. It does not make you a better person to endure needless suffering.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Ten-Non-Drug-Treatments-For-Depression&id=1920138

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Natural Supplements to Fight Depression - 4 Supplements to Try

Depression is a common affliction that affects many people at some point or another in their lives. Symptoms can include persistent sadness, hopelessness, dread or anxiety about the future, loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities, lethargy, and changes in eating or sleep habits. While some cases of depression may be serious enough to merit a pharmacological approach, many milder cases can be managed using natural means. One natural approach that can help alleviate depression symptoms is the use of supplementation. Here are 4 supplements that can help ease depression:

1. Try a good food based multivitamin. This may seem obvious, but it is important to remember that the mind and body are closely connected, and the health of one impacts the health of the other. Addressing basic physical health provides a foundation for addressing mood and mental well being. If you do not eat a lot of calcium rich foods, consider supplementing additional calcium as well.

2. Take fish oil. Fish oil has a variety of physical benefits, including cardiovascular benefit, anti-inflammatory properties, and improved brain health. The fatty acids in fish oil have been shown to be important to maintaining emotional well being.

3. Try 5 HTP (hydroxytryptophan). This natural supplement is derived from tryptophan, which is the compound found in turkey that results in feelings of "turkey bliss' at Thanksgiving. Hydroxytryptophan breaks down into serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation. It is often found in capsule form.

4. Often taken in conjunction with 5 HTP, L-Theanine is a natural supplement that helps to ease anxiety levels. Available in capsule form as well as a more immediate relief spray form, L-Theanine can lower anxiety without causing drowsiness.

Are you interested in addressing your life challenges from a holistic standpoint, assessing the physical, emotional, and relationship components?

For a free copy of my ebook, "Natural Methods To Fight Depression", click here: http://www.stoptoxicrelationships.com/gifts-naturalmethodstofightdepression.html

Shannon Cook is a personal growth and relationship expert who has written a number of informative articles and ebooks on the topic of toxic relationships and holistic personal growth, including physical, emotional and relationship health.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Natural-Supplements-to-Fight-Depression---4-Supplements-to-Try&id=1915307

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Seven Ways to Energize Yourself on Gray Winter Days

Gray wintry days seem to generate their own style of sluggish feelings, as if our moods want to match the skies. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) accompanied with depression is the most severe form of such winter blues. It may feel fine just to cuddle up with a good book on a gray day, but most of us also want to be able to find brighter emotions and participate in community life. This can be difficult when a low mood lingers on like a dark cloud.

Here are seven proven ways from the new field of Energy Psychology to shift your body's energies and your mood:

1) Look around your house at all the beauty there is. It may be the shiny leaf of a plant, a picture of a flower, a photo of a loved one.

2) Give thanks for what you have and for what works in your life. Make a list of the positives that come your way each day.

3) Tap on the thymus gland area located below the sternum in your upper mid-chest. This area relates to the master gland, the thymus, of the immune system. Allow yourself to laugh out loud while tapping with the sound "Ha Ha Ha!"

4) Face the area where the sun would be at a given time of day by standing at a window or outside. Even though you may not be able to see it, the sun is always there.

5) Bring in the energy of the sun to your heart center by stretching back as far as you comfortably can and then bring armloads of sunlight energy to the chest.

6) Imagine beams of sunlight in your internal core from head to toe. Note how you can create your own inner light.

7) Affirm, "I feel my sunlight...I create my light with my intentions." Skip, dance, move to music that you can hear within. Bless the day!

Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., RN, CNS, D.CEP has been a psychotherapist in private practice for over 30 years and combines her career as a psychologist with a background as a clinical nurse specialist. She co-founded the International Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP), served as past president and was instrumental in designing and implementing its certification program. She is now a designated diplomate in comprehensive energy psychology (D.CEP).

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Ways-to-Energize-Yourself-on-Gray-Winter-Days&id=1898016

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How to Speed Up Your Recovery From Depression

The most powerful plan for recovery from depression focuses on not just one method such as antidepressants. That's merely a step. If that was the case, then there would not be millions of Americans still on antidepressants. You must think of your antidepressants as the crutch to support you while you dig deeper into what is truly causing your depression. The true answer is found in a complete approach. Here are a few powerful steps you can implement for your recovery from depression.

What are you eating these days? A diet high in Omega 6 fatty acids (a junk food diet) is usually the first problem. Omega-6 fatty acids, found in everything from margarine and ice cream to snack foods such as potato chips, have replaced the healthy omega-3 fats. As a result, you can damage your levels of happy brain chemicals - serotonin and dopamine. (Low serotonin is linked to depression, the risk of suicide, and violent and impulsive behaviors. Dopamine is crucial to decision-making.) ((Dr. Hibbiln, National Institutes of Health, 2001)). Your recovery from depression often begins with looking at what you are eating.

After looking at your diet, your recovery from depression requires focusing in on your thoughts. You can easily get into negative thinking habits if you suffer from depression. Rather than coming up with a solution to a problem and acting on it, you may often find yourself allowing your negative thoughts to spiral out of control. It is important to recognize negative thinking patterns and put a stop to it immediately. One powerful exercise is to journal your thoughts to help you recognize this.

A third powerful step to speed up your recovery from depression is to get out in the sunshine or use a specialized light box. Several studies have documented the advantage of specialized light for depression. Patients responded to light within a week verses several weeks for medication, and light posed no long-term negative side effects. A review of light therapy in Archives of General Psychiatry concluded the following:

"The evidence is in that light is an active neurobiological agent. Light therapy is easy to administer in outpatient settings, lacks major side effects, and, importantly, is cost-effective." - Archives of General Psychiatry, October 1998

So remember that recovery from depression requires you to look at a complete approach beyond any medication your doctor prescribes. Ask your doctor about a complete approach to recovery from depression.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Speed-Up-Your-Recovery-From-Depression&id=1830669

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Vitamin D and Your Brain

As you probably know, Vitamin D deficiency is common and - as you may not know - is associated with many psychiatric and neurological imbalances. Awareness of the Vitamin D crisis is growing as more and more associations are made to Vitamin D deficiency.

Does Vitamin D cure depression?

Prevent depression?

Other Mood Disorders and Mental Health Problems?

Well, it's too early to tell because there are simply not enough good studies. Most of the studies have encountered several shortcomings such as:

- Using a very low amount of vitamin D (many past studies have used only 400-800 IU which we now know is like using a homeopathic dose of Vitamin D)

- Measuring the wrong Vitamin D metabolite -1,25(OH)2D3 instead of 25(OH)D. (It's true -and these are our scientists we depend on. I mean, really - that difference may be gibberish to you, but they should know better.)

- Using the less potent form of Vitamin D (ergocalciferol - D2 instead of the more potent and naturally occurring form of Vitamin D - cholecalciferol - D3)

- Not getting the vitamin D3 levels to optimal (50-80 ng/mL) and many studies not even getting the D3 levels up to the minimum of 35 ng/mL over several months.

But evidence is mounting:

One major study done with depressed subjects during Canada's long winter showed a profound increase in vitamin D levels with supplementation of 4000 IU of vitamin D - and a corresponding dramatic increase in the subjects' sense of well-being.

In some research done in 2007, it was found that vitamin D deficiency correlates with depression and anxiety in fibromyalgia sufferers. And mice with abnormal Vitamin D brain receptors (leading to low vitamin D levels) have increased incidence of anxiety, aggression, poor grooming habits, maternal pup neglect, and cannibalism.

Having optimal Vitamin D levels has even been implicated in the prevention of schizophrenia. Male infants who are not supplemented with vitamin D are 12 times more likely to develop schizophrenia than those who receive vitamin D supplementation.

Research shows that the elderly who are vitamin D deficient have 12 times the increase in depression risk. Elderly people with low vitamin D levels are three and a half times as likely to be admitted to a nursing home.

There are a several studies showing that Vitamin D can positively affect seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Some even say that up to 75% of SAD sufferers can reduce their depression with the use of Vitamin D.

And We Do Know that Vitamin D Has Major Effects On the Brain and Neurotransmitters.

It appears that Vitamin D may have a positive effect on the synthesis of excitatory neurotransmitters.

Summer sunlight - which is necessary for Vitamin D production in the body - also increases brain serotonin levels twice as much as winter sunlight.

There are receptors for Vitamin D in neurons and glial cells in the brain.

The biological effects of Vitamin D appear to play a role in the brain's detoxification pathways.

The genes for important enzymes that are involved in Vitamin D metabolism are found in the brain.

Vitamin D has been shown to profoundly affect the brain's neurotransmitters that are involved with depression.

Several studies have now shown that prenatal vitamin D deficiency in animals and humans has important ramifications for developing brains. Some even suggesting that low prenatal Vitamin D levels can negatively and permanently affect brain development in children.

Vitamin D is needed for the inducement of what is called nerve-growth factor (NGF) in the brain. NGF is a protein that is essential for the development of nerve cells in the brain and elsewhere. Without enough Vitamin D there is not the proper production of NGF, which can negatively effect nerve cell growth in the brain and the central nervous system.

The Power of Association

There is enough evidence to say that low Vitamin D levels are associated with major depression and that low vitamin D levels and major depression have substantially increased in the last century. Coincidence? Cause?

Many diseases associated with Vitamin D deficiency like

* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Cancer
* Diabetes
* Hypertension
* Decreased bone density
* Heart Disease

...are also strongly associated with depression - and apparently also on the increase in the last century.

Will Vitamin D Cure Depression- And Other Mood Disorders?

Just like the diseases listed above depression and mood disorders are a multifactorial disease. It is unlikely that you will see a total resolution to any multifactorial disease from any one remedy.

But research suggests and logical thinking will tell you the only one wise course: If you experience depression or other mood disorder, get your 25(OH)D blood levels checked and work with a knowledgeable health care practitioner who is familiar with the new vitamin D guidelines and get your vitamin D levels up to optimal (50-80 ng/mL) - and keep them there.

If you are not depressed or don't have any mood disorder - do the same!

Remember, Vitamin D is not a medication and for most people does not require monitoring by a physician. But it does require that you be guided by a knowledgeable health care practitioner who is up to date on the new Vitamin D research.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamin-D-and-Your-Brain&id=1983857

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3 Ways You Can Cope With Depression Without Medication

I cannot take medicine for my Bipolar Disorder as every medication that they give me gets me high (ie. brings me into mania). I have had to come with other ways to cope with my depression and do life with it in my life. This is how I cope.

ONE I have people to ring or to visit me.

Having friends in your life is a very important way to cope with depression. People who ring you each day to check on how you are doing can be very important to your mental health. I know sometimes it may be hard to have friends when you are mentally ill, that is why it is very important to put some effort and time into the friendships that you have.

Often friends can be short of money, in these times picking up the bill for the coffee and cake that you are having are well worth it. I have a very good friend that has Bipolar Disorder and sometimes I like to stay up all night and watch DVD's with him or to simply chat, and the money I spend on him, or the money he spends on me is never counted.

It's important to have someone that you can ring when you just need to have a chat to when you are not tracking right. It's good to have someone that you can just tell it like it is instead of putting on a brave face for.

TWO Have regular places to go to that you will have a good time at when you go.

I have a place that I can go each day if I stay up the night before so I can get out of bed in time. It's a community centre run by the Salvation Army and inside it, it has a soup kitchen where I work and prepare and serve meals. For the past three years it's been hard for me to get out of bed before the afternoon such is my depression, so if I stay up one night, the next day I can go in and have a day of fun at the soup kitchen. I know and love many of the staff there and they are fun to speak to during my day.

On a Friday night I go to church and when there I have a good time catching up with people that I love. At church it is good to spend time singing to God and letting Him know how much I love him. Most weeks after church I go out for coffee with a friend and I enjoy that also.

THREE Escape into fiction

I enjoy escaping my life into the pages of a book or into a story at the movies for a couple of hours. A book can take you a whole night to ring and can be a good friend for the time I takes to read. Books are great fun.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this short article about what I do to cope with my depression. I have many other articles on many subjects if you want to check them out.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Ways-You-Can-Cope-With-Depression-Without-Medication&id=1977835

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6 Different Depression Types

There are several types that varies in symptoms and diagnosis, yet they all have a profound affect on the patients' life. It needs a mental health care professional in order to distinguish between them, since some of them share the same symptoms and signs.

Severe depression
this disorder is, as the name suggests, the most serious. It affects all life aspects. A person that suffers this disorder looses his ability to live a normal life. Working, studying, sleeping and also appetite are all impaired. It is also prevents people from enjoying their hobbies and activities they used to enjoy. They loose their self-worth and they feel guilty and hopeless. Patients can also suffer from suicide thoughts and plans and they are more exposed to often recurrences than the other types' patients.

Dysthymia
This type considered to be a less severe, yet chronic version of severe depression. People with dysthymia live their lives with a constant sense of sadness and melancholy, low energy and lack of enjoyment.

Bipolar Disorder
Also known as manic-depressive disorder, this disorder is one of the easiest to diagnose of all the other types, since it has a set of unique set of symptoms. The main symptom is having dramatic changes in mood. Bipolar disorder patient can suffer a low level of energy and sadness and in fact can show any of the major depression disorder symptoms, including desire to hurt themselves (the depressive polar), and than, after a short period time that can be days, weeks or months, show an excitable behavior (the manic polar) that can manifest in excessive money spending on shopping and gambling.

Cyclothymia
This disorder is another type of bipolar disorder, yet it considered to be less severe and more chronic. In this disorder the person suffers milder manifestations of both manic and depressive symptoms. The changes from one polar to the opposite one can be performed in just a short time.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
This type typically manifests during a course of a season. All symptoms are eliminated once the specific season ends. This is also one of the depression types that are easy to diagnose and it is more common in winter.

Postpartum Depression
This rare type can, of course, only manifest in women, after giving birth to a new baby. Those mothers suffer symptoms of a depressive disorder that can manifest anytime after delivery, sometimes even months after. The symptoms of this disorder are the same as other types symptoms, But Without proper diagnosis and treatment, it can also be dangerous for both the mother and the baby, since symptoms also include lack of ability to take proper care of the baby or lack of motherly feelings towards the baby and even resentment and hate. Without help, some of the patients can harm themselves as well as the baby.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?6-Different-Depression-Types&id=1824163

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Signs of Depression in Men

Depression is something that most people face at some time in their lives. We all deal with it differently and it affects different people in different ways. It could be brought on by the loss of a job, a break up, gaining weight or several other different reasons. Oddly enough though, the signs of depression in men are somewhat different in men than women and you have to be aware of exactly what they are if you are concerned that you or a loved one may be falling into a depression.

Men who are depresses will often find themselves in a rut that they just don't seem to be able to get out of. They are hopeless and helpless and feel as though their life has no value whatsoever. They will often feel as though there is simply no way that their life will get better.

As these feelings fester, you will find that they will also lose all interest in their daily life and activities. They may stop working out or hanging out with the guys. Any hobby that they had when life seemed good to them suddenly becomes non-existent to them.

All of this inactivity will usually lead to a sudden gain in weight or even perhaps a weight loss as they many not even get out of bed to feed themselves. They are in bed all the time because they feel as though they have no reason to get out of bed, yet somehow they are also always tired.

As all of this is going on, their opinion of themselves starts to digress and they think that they are just totally useless on the face of the earth. You can see how this emotion can quickly get out of control and can lead to suicidal thoughts and the demise of someone's attitude toward life. This something that absolutely must be treated in the early stages or it can quickly get out of hand and lead them down a very ugly and destructive path.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Signs-of-Depression-in-Men&id=2058793

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5 Tips to Reduce Depression

While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people all over the world, more and more people suffer with depression. The more we focus on news events and the business climate, the more we are depressed. Whatever the reason you feel is the cause of your depression, the following five simple tips guarantee you reduce it significantly.

1. Do not read newspapers.

Newspapers publish negative stories most of the time. Even in peaceful periods, newspapers will find the worst in humanity and place negative stories on display in order to promote sales and subscribers. Stories focused on War, rebellion, death, destruction, doom and despair abound in the newspapers.

You will not miss any news. Friends, family, and your local air raid siren will keep you informed if your attention is needed. Only pay attention to the things you can control in your life.

Stop reading the newspaper and reduce the negative input to your brain.

2. Turn off your television.

Watching and listening about the horrible economy and the losses associated with War will add to depression. In fact, you guarantee the feeling of helplessness. Helplessness allows depression to nurture. If you really need to watch or listen to these kinds of news stories, promise yourself you will bury yourself in the documentaries that are sure to follow in the next 5 or 10 years. A way you can eliminate most of the negative input to your brain is by setting it aside for a date somewhere in the future. I guarantee in the future, you will not find it very interesting.

When visitors come to your home, make sure you turn off your television and keep it off. News television broadcasters are fighting for your guests' attention as they promote despair, war, death, and destruction with many headline news interruptions. Those little banners that run across the bottom of the screen achieve your attention and they take hold of your consciousness. Television will diminish your positive spirit.

3. Say good things about others

My Mother always says, "if you can't say anything nice about others, don't say anything at all." However, when you find yourself in a conversation and a relative says, "Remember Uncle Phil?" " He was an alcoholic" Respond with " yes, Uncle Phil was an alcoholic and he was the most charitable person, I have ever met."

Connect your friend's negative statement about Phil with a positive one. Set yourself up to find the positive in anyone's statement and you will keep negative thoughts and depression from overtaking your life.

Og Mandino, a great motivator once said, "treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight." "Your life will never be the same again."

4. Get physical exercise

Adults forget about exercise when suffering from depression. Make sure you are exercising daily and sending more oxygen to your brain cells. The result of exercise will improve your health as well as your attitude.

5. Breathe deep and relax.

Practice the following breathing exercise to relax your body and mind.

Breathe deeply and relax. For 2 or 3 minutes each hour, take a short mental vacation.

You can engage in this exercise while you are standing in the checkout line at the supermarket or when listening to others while talking on a telephone. You can complete the exercise at home or at work.

Take three deep breathes and relax. As you inhale, concentrate on calm and peaceful thoughts. You may think about relaxing by a mountain, by the ocean or comfortably in your favorite room at home.

As you exhale, concentrate on pushing any tension out of your lungs.

Focus on positive images in your life. Focus on laughter, love, excitement, and hope.

Keep breathing in and out in this pattern until you feel better. If you practice the exercise often, you will notice wonderful changes in your outlook and in other aspects of your life.

Reduce your depression now! Enjoy your family, your friends, and your life.

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