1. How to Identify and Manage Depression and Anxiety

    December 12, 2013

    Manage Depression and Anxiety

    by Vickie Parker, LMFT

    In the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, # IV) there are three stages of depression; mild, moderate, and severe. There are nine criteria used to diagnose Major Depressive Disorder (MDD);   

     

    –  Depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities for more than two weeks.

    –  Mood represents a change from the person’s baseline.

    –  Impaired function: social, occupational, educational.

    –  Specific symptoms, at least 5 of these, present nearly every day:

    1.  Depressed mood or irritable most of the day, nearly everyday, as indicated by either  subjective

    report: (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful).

    2.  Decreased interest or pleasure in most activities, most of each day

    3.  Significant weight change (5%) or change in appetite

    4.  Change in sleep: Insomnia or hypersomnia

    5.  Change in activity: Psychomotor agitation or retardation

    6.  Fatigue or loss of energy

    7.  Guilt/worthlessness: Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt

    8.  Concentration: diminished ability to think or concentrate, or more indecisiveness

    9.  Suicidality: Thoughts of death or suicide, or a suicide plan

    Depression can be caused from unfortunate circumstances in our life, like loss of a loved one, losing a job, or moving to a different location.  There are many other examples, but these are just a few.  When depression is caused from a situation it is called situational depression and the depression should pass in a reasonable amount of time.

    If the depression continues for more that 6 months it could turn into clinical depression, which means the brain is not producing enough neurotransmitters for us to work through our depression and a lot of times antidepressants need to be prescribed from a physician to help us think better, thereby helping to alleviate the depression.

    Depression is usually treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  One book that helps to deal with depression is “Feeling Good” by Dr. David Burns.  This book discusses the exercises that help with identifying destructive thought patterns, so we can change them and start looking at things differently and “feel better”.

    Depression can also be cause from a lack of connection with others.  We isolate ourselves when we start feeling depressed or we feel isolated from others and that leads to depression.  It is important to always stay connected to others through some sort of social activities.  Could be through your church, volunteer groups, or social clubs.

    If we do not have a good balance in our life, depression usually only gets worse.  It is important to get at least 7 to 8 hours of good sleep every night and have a routine of going to bed and getting up at a regular time each day.

    Exercising helps us sleep and feel better. Without some form of exercise in our life we are much more prone to depression.  Just taking a 30 minute walk daily can make the difference in how we feel. Work on getting a walking partner and that will help you stay connected to someone.

    Eating a balanced diet and keeping our weight down is also essential in feeling good and not getting depressed. There is good information on eating a good balanced diet on the web and creating a healthy lifestyle. Make a plan and find an accountability partner to help make the changes. Discipline and a desire to change and do the work makes the difference in our success.  It will not happen over night so be patient with yourself.  The secret is commitment and consistency.

    Anxiety that escalates to the level of clinical condition is called Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and the symptoms are;

    • Irrational worry
    • Preoccupation with unpleasant worries
    • Trouble relaxing
    • Feeling tense
    • Fear that something awful might happen

    Anxiety is also treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and relaxation exercises help with relieving the intensity of the anxiety.  Practicing the relaxation exercises daily trains our brain to know what it feels like to relax.  Deep breathing and visualizing a peaceful place is where it starts.  Don’t get discouraged if your brain has a hard time staying focused and slowing down, just keep practicing.  It works. Create a quiet, peaceful environment with some soft music and low lights to practice every day at least three times.

    Often anxiety can lead to clinical depression, if not treated properly. When we are anxious our bodies are in a constant “Fight or Flight” mode. This puts a great deal of stress on our bodies and eventually we crash and go into depression. Feeling “Burned Out” is a term we use when we are feeling exhausted and have no energy for an extended amount of time.

    If you think you are depressed or have anxiety, seek professional help. It can make the difference in overcoming the sadness or anxiety.  Depression and anxiety are not fun and it can suck the life right out of us. It is important for you to know that you are not alone in how you are feeling, but there is hope. It takes courage to seek help and make the changes, but it is worth it.

    Author Bio: Vickie Parker, is a therapist licensed in Marriage and Family Therapy. To read more of Mrs. Parker’s blogs visit her web site vickiemft.com

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  2. Positive Thinking – Stopping Anxious Thoughts

    December 4, 2013

    Positive Thinking – Stopping Anxious Thoughts

    Positive thinking is a great way to combat anxiety and the anxious thoughts that go along with it. Although positive thinking may be hard for several people with anxiety, but it will help to take your mind off of the situation that causes you to be anxious, which will obviously reduce your anxiety.

    Reassurance To Your Body

    One of the biggest ways that positive thinking helps  is by providing reassurance to your body. This works by telling your body that everything will be okay. Knowing that everything will be okay causes anxiety being lifted from the body. This helps your body build confidence in yourself, which will help you in your current situation as well as future situations.

     

    Providing your body with reassurance to lift anxiety by positive thinking is extremely hard, especially in cases of severe anxiety. Positive thinking is always a hard thing to do. It gets even harder if you don’t have confidence in yourself or you feel like there is no way you will make it through. It may also be hard if you feel like something could go wrong that will mess everything up. However, you must try your hardest to look at the positives in any situation.

     

    A Wish Has The Possibility of Coming True

    “Wishful thinking” is usually a term used to define a wish that will never come true. However, this is usually not the case when it comes to positive thinking to help anxiety. Positive thinking to help anxiety is usually reassuring your body that things will not go wrong (as stated above). Positive thinking may often be put of as “wishful thinking” to those who struggle with anxiety. Many people that try to reassure themselves that everything will turn out okay begin to think that things will not be okay, and that it is only a wish that things will be okay. However, you should combat this feeling and remember that your mind is tricking you into worrying. You should try your hardest to convince your brain that everything will turn out okay.

     

    Studies have shown that those people who think positively tend to go through life in a happier mood. People tend to be happier if they think positively. This simply means that if you think positively about situations, you will be happier in life as well as combat your anxiety. Thinking positively will help you be a better person in life altogether. It will help you go through life in a happier mood, and you may feel like walking around and smiling at people as you’re walking through the grocery store. This is simply because it is a great feeling to be happy, and when you’re happy and care-free, you want to spread the happiness to all of the other people in your life – whether you know them or not.

     

    In conclusion, it is a great idea to think positively. Not only will it help you combat your anxiety and provide reassurance to yourself, but it will also help you be happier in life. If you are happy, you probably will want to spread the love with everybody else. The world will be a happier place if people would think positively more often. Not only does positive thinking help to improve your anxiety, but it also helps to improve your mood. It will make you a happier person and allow you to control your anxiety at the same time. It is a great idea to try your hardest to think positively, as it will improve yourself as a person, and it may even have an effect on others around you.

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  3. What Does Social Anxiety Feel Like?

    December 2, 2013

    What Does Social Anxiety Feel Like?

    Social anxiety is a growing problem in the United States. More and more people are becoming diagnosed with this disorder. It is definitely not a made-up disorder. Many people may think it’s “no big deal,” but it is a huge deal to those that are diagnosed with it. It is no mild feeling of uncomfort like many people think of it as. It is extremely stressful to the person that is diagnosed with it, and it can have a huge impact on their daily lives. Social anxiety is something that needs to be addressed and taken seriously.

     

    Variable Between People

    First of all, social anxiety is extremely variable between people. For some people, social anxiety could only occur when there is a large group of people (50+ people). Others may notice panic attacks when going to the grocery store to pick up groceries. For others, it could be when having a conversation with a couple people. Others could even have anxious or nervous thoughts about picking up the telephone and calling the mechanics shop to see if their car is fixed. Social anxiety varies in types and severities from person to person, but it provides a great amount of stress to all of the people that have it.

     

    Daily Struggle

    People with social anxiety struggle with their feelings every day. These feelings can take control over their lives. They can seemingly smother their lives by affecting their feelings every single day. People with social anxiety have super strong feelings that can hurt their ability to contact with people.

     

    Social anxiety can affect a person’s ability to connect with people. People who can’t connect with others on a social level can’t make friends themselves. Thus, people with social anxiety are usually the quiet people that don’t have much to say. They also have a tendency to be a “loner.”

     

    People with social anxiety always struggle with worry. They worry about being in social situations. They fret over the least things. If they say or do something wrong, they think that the people around them will hold the thought in their head for a long time. Many think that others will never forget their embarrassing words or actions. In reality, others actually let things go pretty easily, but people with social anxiety have trouble grasping that idea. People who struggle with social anxiety have trouble being in social situations, and they always worry about what others will think of them. It is thought that their worry about what others think about them is the cause for their worry of being in social situations.

     

    Children and teens with social anxiety tend to be the quiet people in school. They have a tendency to be the people who sit in the back of the classroom and don’t say much. They obviously struggle with oral reports. Many even have trouble raising their hand to answer a question. This can occur even if they know the answer. They usually get embarrassed easily.

     

    Adults with social anxiety struggle with being in social situations also. They usually have anxious thoughts about going to work, and they almost always worry about their boss will think of them. They feel like they’re going to mess up somehow. They also have anxious thoughts about their co-workers and other equivalent employees. Many have anxious thoughts about eating in a restaurant. They usually feel like they are going to drop their plate and get embarrassed. They may even struggle with getting their plate filled. They can feel like they will spill food when filling their plate and everybody will look at them with disgust.

     

    In conclusion, the people who have social anxiety struggle with their anxiety every single day. They have trouble communicating efficiently and struggle with making friends. They live their lives with constant worry and fear of embarrassment. The above situations are just a few of the many struggles that people with social anxiety deal with on a daily basis. Social anxiety affects a surprising number of people. These people become overwhelmed by daily life, but they somehow deal with it. Often, people hide their anxiety. Many people never even get diagnosed with their anxiety. Cognitive behavior therapy and sometimes even anti-anxiety medications are used to treat the people who struggle with social anxiety. This type of treatment can be of great help to people who struggle with social anxiety.

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  4. Using EMDR to Treat Anxiety

    November 30, 2013

    Using EMDR to Treat Anxiety

    by Dr. Wilfried Busse, PhD

    Your pulse is racing and your palms are sweaty. You are having trouble keeping your breathing steady. Your brain is misfiring, making you think that you may be having a heart attack. The chances are, if you have not experienced this for yourself, someone close to you has. Did you know that there are an alarming number of people who reach out to emergency officials for what is commonly known as an anxiety, not a heart, attack?

    Anxiety is a culmination of emotions usually associated with worry, fear and/or feeling severely uncomfortable in certain situations. Some people freeze, while others panic. However, only a select few experience an entire breakdown that requires medication to ease their nerves. Anxiety is now a major epidemic in today’s society. It makes one question what kinds of triggers set off an anxiety attack, and what kinds of methods of relief outside of medication?

    Take some time to reflect on your life where your body reacted with any of the above symptoms. Perhaps it was when you had to give an oral presentation at school or work. How many of us have experienced test anxiety where our minds went blank or were preoccupied with fear with worry? Other anxiety triggers involve social settings or feeling overwhelmed with financial hardship or medical processes.

    Anxiety can be crippling for many people. Those with academic or work-related anxiety frequently find themselves suffering from failing grades or a decreased work performance, even though they are good students or valuable employees. Some people with severe anxiety cannot hold down a job or successfully complete school. Anxiety has the potential to destroy lives, rendering them unable to function in everyday life activities. Simply put, anxiety is a form of trauma.

    Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers is a book that came out a few years ago.  The main plot explored how zebras have finely tuned brains that allow them to sniff out danger in the wild and to get a jump start on evading a predator.  Their brains, however, are not complex enough to “remember” the event and “interpret” its “meaning.”  Therefore, they do not worry about it once the danger is past.  What we can take away from this is since they do not worry, they do not get ulcers.

    With many of us, it is different.  We remember a dangerous or traumatic event and may develop anticipatory anxiety about it happening again.  Our nervous systems become overly sensitized to “expecting the worst,” and we may “see” the worst when there is no real threat.  Our brains become like an overly sensitive motion detector installed over the front entrance to our house. Just like how a light breeze or the motion of a fine rain drizzle can set off the motion detector, our bodies may react in similar ways even when in both scenarios, there is not a real intruder. When expecting and worrying about the “worst happening,” our brains go into a state of “fight or flight.”  In this state, a cascade of physiological responses is set off to protect us from danger.  Blood flow goes directly to the muscles to prepare an individual for “fight or flight” and away from the front part of their brain, which allow them to make a more calm and objective assessment of the perceived threat.  When fight or flight is set off prematurely, the body may feel like it is spinning out of control. It may feel like a panic or anxiety attack.

    Psychiatrists and trauma therapists have been trying to find the most effective treatments for anxiety.  One of the types of therapy becoming more common with anxiety treatment is known as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).  A body of research continues to confirm its effectiveness.  EMDR is typically used with patients who suffer from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) as well as other types of trauma. It has also been found to be effective in addressing anxiety or panic episodes, especially those that were precipitated by a traumatic event.

    How does EMDR work to address the debilitating effects of panic or anxiety?  At the risk of oversimplifying, EMDR calms the nervous system by desensitizing the fight or flight response.  In fight or flight, the front part of the brain is “hijacked.”  Remember that the front part of the brain allows us to analyze a situation objectively and realistically and to take appropriate action.  When “hijacked” by the fear center of our brains (fight or flight), the frontal lobes tend to be biased by distorted perceptions by sensing danger when none is present.  EMDR calms the fear center and allows more realistic perceptions to take hold and allows more access to positive memories of how we acted in past stressful situations without going into a panic state.

    Therapists using EMDR may solely use this technique or combine it with other forms of therapy to help people, at the very least, cope with anxiety. Any tools that anxiety-sufferers utilize will help them regain control over their lives because the concept of control is highly important to them. If you are ready to stop the health-limiting effects of anxiety, you can regain control of your life by seeking assistance from a licensed psychiatrist or trauma-specialized therapist.

    Author Bio: Psychologist Dr. Wilfried Busse is driven by evidence-based therapy methods and integrates these methods into his practice for new or current patients dealing with trauma, PTSD, depression, grief and ADHD.

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  5. Understanding Causes of Anxiety In Children

    November 28, 2013

    Anxiety In Children

    Anxiety affects all different types of people in the world – different sexes, races, and, of course, ages. This means that adults aren’t the only ones that are affected by anxiety. Although they may feel anxiety in different ways, children are affected just as often and as severe as adults. However, anxiety in children is often downplayed and not taken seriously. Many adults think that children simply don’t worry, or that a child’s problems aren’t anywhere near adults’ problems. This, however, is very untrue. Although us adults may have big problems in our lives, children also have worries, and their worries can be very severe.

     

    Examples Of A Child’s Worries

    Children often have worries that seem very realistic to them. Most of their worries include situations that could cause embarrassment to a high degree. Others worry about what other people may think about them. A few even worry about causing trouble to adults. Below are a few examples of worries that children might have if they suffer from anxiety.

     

    Jenny and the School Play

    A nine-year-old girl named Jenny has been awarded a part in a school play. The play may not be too big or overly crowded – just the parents of some of the children performing – but Jenny is extremely nervous about it. Jenny feels like she will mess up in the play. She feels that if she makes one wrong move, the whole audience will see it and look at her. She feels like if that happened, all of the children will be angry with her for messing up, and the parents of the children will remember her as “the child that messed up during the school play.” She is extremely nervous about making one wrong action, and she is trying to talk her mother out of making her go.

     

    The above situation may seem silly to an adult, but the feelings are all too real for Jenny, who suffers from anxiety and is a constant worrier. She always feels like she will mess up in some way, or that other people will remember her for one of her mistakes. She is very nervous about the school play, and it is eating her up inside. She gets butterflies whenever someone mentions the play, and she has spent many sleepless nights worrying about messing up during the play. Her worries may seem mediocre to the average adult, but to Jenny, the situation is extremely nerve-racking. This would be in comparison to an adult that is nervous about making a public speech to represent his business or some sort. Although some adults could do this with no struggle or worry at all, other adults may struggle and worry about this quite a bit. This goes for children too: some may worry about it, while others will do fine with it. The ones who worry about the play are usually the people who suffer with anxiety, specifically social anxiety.

     

    Billy Not Having a Ride

    Billy, a ten-year-old boy that just got dropped off at his soccer practice, has begun to think that his mother will be late coming to pick him back up. His coach always stays at the game until all of the players have been picked up from the practice. He always worries about him being the last person being picked up from practice. He always feels like he will be of trouble to the coach because of him being picked up last, thus making the coach irritated with him because of him being picked up late. This worry sticks with Billy throughout his whole practice. It even affects his ability to play soccer well. He begins to make mistakes in his soccer workouts, which makes him feel even worse.

     

    The situation about Billy seems quite rare, but this is mostly because children tend to hold their worries in for a long time. Their worries often go unrecognized for an extended period of time. This is simply because many children think that their feelings of worry is of common occurrence among all children. They don’t understand that their thoughts of worry differ from any other child. Children tend to think that it is normal to worry about simply things, and they don’t realize that their thoughts of worry are actually a disorder known as anxiety. Usually, the thoughts of worry in a child tends to go unnoticed unless the child, for some reason, begins seeing a psychologist. Fortunately, many children do go see a psychologist sometime within their childhood years. This is when the psychologist begins to see that they have anxiety. In Billy’s situation, he seems to undergo generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), along with a possibility to have social anxiety.

     

    Anxiety In Children Is All Too Real

    Adults tend to think that a child’s worries are pointless. They may also think that their worries are silly, and they may also think that the period of childhood is a lot easier and “carefree” compared to that of adulthood. However, this is not the case. Children do go through hard times, with or without anxiety. However, those children that have anxiety tend to have a harder life, as the constant stress and worry associated with everyday life begins to take a toll on their body. This is very unfortunate, but luckily, most cases of anxiety in children can be controlled with cognitive behavior therapy. In other words, a psychologist will often be able to give children techniques to handle their anxiety. In the most extreme cases of anxiety (when a child’s anxiety is preventing him/her from completing their daily routine, or their anxiety is putting an extreme strain on their everyday life), medication may be prescribed to control their anxiety. However, most psychologists try to help the child handle their anxiety by simply by allowing the child to talk out their feelings and giving them strategies to help them in stressful situations. In short, adults need to realize that children have a hard life, and they need to help their child if they have some form of anxiety. They can’t simply push off their child’s feelings as “pointless,” or tell them how much harder adulthood is than childhood. Adults should understand that children with anxiety suffer greatly from their disorder, and they should always be there to help the child in any and all ways possible – even if that means getting them to a psychologist.

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  6. How To Get Over Anxiety and Get My Life Back?

    November 13, 2013

    How To Get Over Anxiety and Get My Life Back?

    Once you discover that you suffer from anxiety, it is imperative to figure out what the best course of treatment will be. It can be difficult to discern whether your anxiety is something that can be overcome on your own or whether you need to seek professional help. When you ask “How to get over anxiety?” question, here are a few basic steps that you can take that can assist in determining the level of severity of anxiety you may suffer from.

     

    Clearly Identify the Source of Anxiety

    Anxiety is detrimental for your health and it crushes your potential. It is important to identify where the source of your anxiety is coming from. The source could be from something in your environment, from a specific incident or because of an impending event, meeting or activity. It is much easier to face fear and anxiety if you are clear about what it is. Often times, not knowing exactly what is causing your anxiety can add to the anxiety that you already feel. As difficult as it may seem to learn what is causing your worry, the fear of the unknown can be detrimental on its own.

     

    Determine If Your Anxiety Can Be Solved On Your Own

                Once you know what is causing your anxiety, you can start to determine whether it is something that can be dealt with. Ask yourself these questions: What can I do to lessen my anxiety? Is it a long-term or short-term fix? What steps can I take to prevent the anxiety from happening again?

     

    Consider Worse Case Scenario

                If you feel as if your anxiety is consuming your every thought, take some time to really think about the honest and absolute worst thing that could happen as a result of your anxiety. If you can manage to think critically about your situation, you may come to realize that there are very few situations that cannot be handled in a reasonable manner.

     

    Accept Uncertainty

    At this point, it is best to simply accept the uncertainty. Worrying about the unknown is counterproductive and an unnecessary source of fear that we sometimes fall victim to. If you can learn to accept the concept of chance, many aspects of your anxiety can become less prominent. This is probably the most difficult step for anyone.

     

    If working through these steps is impossible or seemingly unhelpful to you, then you should seek help from a professional. Some people are not able to answer the question “How do I get over anxiety?” on their own. Some anxiety is a normal part of everyday life. If, however, your anxiety has become a debilitating and disruptive condition in your life, affecting relationships, work, school and/or sleep, it is recommended that you seek help. You should consult your doctor if you find that your anxiety overwhelms you to the point of not being able to think straight or rationalize normally. Be honest with yourself about how you are feeling and what your symptoms are. It is imperative to seek help immediately for anxiety disorders because, if left untreated, they can lead to very serious medical issues.

     

     

    Other Practical Recommendations

     

    *Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – This is a psychotherapeutic approach that aims to treat certain dysfunctional emotions and cognitive processes using goal-oriented and organized procedures. It is considered to be successful in treating a variety of condition including anxiety. CBT was created by integrating a combination of behavioral therapy and cognitive psychology.

     

    *Moodkit is a mood improvement tool for mobile devices that can help to give you the guidance and wisdom to become your own expert on your moods.

     

    *Stress is often a big factor with anxiety issues. Taking steps to alleviate your everyday stress can help to improve your overall mood and ability to handle potentially anxiety-ridden situations. Mindful meditation has been shown in recent studies to help reduce anxiety. This form of meditation focuses on breath and body sensations as well as objectively evaluating your anxious thoughts and emotions. There has been significant research to suggest that surrounding yourself with nature can be a powerful stress reliever. Outdoor exercise can be more anxiety and stress reducing than exercising inside of a gym.

     

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  7. What is a Nervous Breakdown? The Cause and the Symptoms.

    November 7, 2013

    What is a Nervous Breakdown? The Cause and the Symptoms.

    We live in a modern world and enjoy an easier and more pleasurable life than our ancestors, yet the thought of losing our lifestyle and place in the society turns out to be our greatest fear. We live to acquire things. The race to get more possessions than the person next to you causes cravings and creates conflicts among us. The attachment to a materialistic lifestyle has blurred the prominence of family and the importance of building healthy relationships. This race is unsustainable and eventually leads to a nervous breakdown.

    So, what is a nervous breakdown?  It has no real medical definition, and it is the term typically used by a lay person to refer to symptoms related to one or more of frustration, stress, anxiety and depression. It helps to explain the condition of a person who can’t participate normally in their day-to-day life. They may lose interest in their life, get anxious easily, suffer from panic attacks and severe headaches, and may act irritably.  People affected by nervous breakdowns don’t experience chronic episodes, but they still require attention and care.

    If we lived in the middle ages, we would have seen a practice of labeling any mentally ill person as possessed by demons. They would be tortured and burned as witches. In a modern world we have a little bit more knowledge about the mental illnesses, so the person who is suffering from some form of psychological or psychiatric condition can count on at least some understanding of people around him. While some people may still attribute nervous breakdowns to demons possessing the person, most of us understand that nervous breakdowns are the result of some unfavorable external events and internal conflicts caused by these events or circumstances. If you feel you are suffering from nervous breakdowns, you need to immediately seek help. Get yourself out of the blues as soon as possible because the condition becomes more problematic when it persists and you can end-up with full blown depression.
    Intensity of nervous breakdowns can vary from person to person. Look for the common symptoms of nervous breakdown if you or your loved ones seem to be suffering.  The sufferers may isolate themselves because they want to recover from an upsetting situation, but their social withdrawal is just an indication that they are in need of help. They lack excitement and lose interest in things and people. Life loses its charm and flavor for them. Lack of sleep makes them dizzy and they can’t concentrate on work. They can get extremely anxious and display mood swings. They feel like crying most of the time and want to run far away from everything. In severe cases, they may suffer from delusions or hallucinations. They can also show physical symptoms of nervous breakdown like difficulty in breathing, headaches, upset stomach, trembling, dizziness, irregular or fast heartbeat or high blood pressure.

    A paper “Responses to nervous breakdowns in America over a 40-year period,” published in American Psychologist, shows that 19% of respondents had experienced an impending nervous breakdown in 1957, but in 1996 the number increased to 26%. I am sure with recession, unemployment, and constantly escalating work stress the numbers today will be even more alarming. We see exponentially increasing number of people suffering from stress-related anxiety and depression and our mental health system is simply unable to deal with this increase.

    Nervous breakdowns are especially dangerous in teenagers. They see life in black and white color and, being already at the verge of their emotions, they reach a depressive state very easily. They can become depressed and suicidal after failing their exams, after breaking up with their partners, and  being rejected or bullied by peers. Most often the cause is not the failure itself but the inability to handle insults and criticisms form the family, friends and society.

    Nervous breakdowns are often attributed to ‘burned out’ effect, especially in executives and people suffering from perfectionism (in fact, “perfectionism” is a DSM5 listed mental condition). Being exhausted by the lengthy and brain-busting work, they feel miserable and useless, and everything seems bleak to them.  Divorce can be a precipitating factor as well.  Stressed out people do not bend easily to changes in their life, and adjusting your life without your partner can be challenging and difficult. Traumatic events including death of loved one and losing your possessions in some natural catastrophe can be really testing as well. Investment losses, loss of job, or other financial difficulties often lead to nervous breakdowns. Inflation, poverty and low socioeconomic status give way to tension and frustration.

    Modifying our lifestyles to avoid or minimize stress, using relaxation techniques, and psychological treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help remedy nervous breakdowns. CBT can help you change the way of thinking about life circumstances – everyone knows that it is not the stress that tortures us, but our perception of life under stress.  We are the ones responsible for regulating and modifying our thoughts.

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  8. Beating the Blues: Natural Ways to Improve Your Mental Health

    November 1, 2013

    Natural Ways to Improve Your Mental Health

    by Lisa Coleman

    Depression is a serious illness, but even those with relatively happy lives can still come down with the blues once in a while. Everyone feels this at some point, and often throughout their lives. However, there are natural steps and remedies that a person can take to help aid in beating the blues without turning to prescription medications. If this sounds like something you’re currently going through, you might be interested in following natural ways to lift your spirits.

    1. Eat Right

    Eating and maintaining a healthy diet that includes all the appropriate nutrients that a body requires is very important to a person’s health and mood. Deficiencies of nutrients in a diet such as omega-3 fatty acids, the B vitamins folic acid and B12, chromium, selenium, vitamin D, and zinc can all be contributing factors of depressive symptoms. Eating a well-balanced diet is a vital key to increasing your mood and to experiencing less of the blues. Including more fish and flaxseed in your diet can help with their mood boosting properties and health benefits. Taking an organic multi-vitamin may help ensure you are getting some of these deficiencies back into your diet.

    2. Get into Exercise

    You’ve likely heard this before, but exercise can work wonders when it comes to easing depression. Studies have shown that getting regular exercise can lift your mood, create a better outlook on life, help you achieve deeper sleep and give you higher self-esteem. It helps ease the beginning signs of depression and anxiety by improving blood flow to the brain. Of course, these are only the mental effects of exercise. The many positive physical effects, such as weight loss and increased immunity, will help you better deal with the stress of your everyday life. Michael Babyak, professor of medical psychology at the Duke University Medical Center, performed a study with a team of researchers that revealed doing a mild aerobic physical activity three times a week was equivalent to a standard treatment of antidepressant medications.

    Studies have shown that participating in yoga can help encourage relaxation, and remove stress and anxiety for your daily life. Studies have also revealed that the breathing exercises that accompany yoga can help lower levels of cortisol, an adrenal hormone linked to stress.

    3. Spend Time with Friends

    One of the best cures for the blues is to spend time around people who you have fun with. Often, people suffering from depression begin to isolate themselves from the world, but this only makes the problem worse in the long run. Even if you’re feeling bummed, try to force yourself out the door for that coffee date with a friend. Once you get there and begin chatting, you’re likely to feel a lift in your mood.

    If talking with someone is not an option, try keeping a journal. This is a way to “talk” without involving others, whether it is due to shyness or privacy. Jotting things down and releasing your feelings is a great way to gain perspective on how to let go of negative emotions.

    Another option is to reach out to your mother. From birth, the bond between a child and their mother is one of wholeness and purity of love. If you have a solid relationship with your mother, just hearing her soothing voice, and her words of support and wisdom can help.

    4. Revamp your Appearance

    Changing up your appearance can do a lot to help your emotions. Even if you like your appearance, there is something exciting about looking in the mirror and seeing a new version of yourself. Consider dying your hair, exploring some different outfits or even getting that tattoo you always dreamed of. If you’re a little phobic of needles, don’t worry: There are many online tattoo distributors who sell customizable and cool temporary tattoos in a variety of designs. Getting dolled up like a rock star and going out dancing for the evening might be the ticket to pulling yourself out of your slump.

    5. Try Herbal Remedies

    The extract, hypericum perforatum, from the herb found in St. John’s wort has been used for many years to treat mild to moderate depression. However, this natural herb can interfere with some anti-depressant medications so it is vital not to use without consulting with a doctor first. It is always wise to consult with a doctor or medical professional before using any nutritional supplement.

    6. Take Time for Yourself

    Sometimes, a change of scenery is all that is required to lift your mood. If it’s been a while since you got away and had some fun, now is the time to do so. Go camping with family, spend the weekend at the beach with your girlfriends or visit an amusement park with your kids. If lack of time is an issue, try a trip to a local day spa for a few hours. Get rejuvenated by a professional masseuse. This is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety currently apart of your life. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that you need a lot of money or vacation time to take a nice trip. Much can be accomplished in a weekend, or in a few hours, and by the time you get back home, you will likely feel refreshed and ready to face your problems.

    Life can be tough, and it’s natural to get depressed from time to time. However, if you find yourself unable to enjoy activities that you previously loved, you experience your mood getting worse over time or you begin having dark thoughts about hurting yourself, you should consider talking to your doctor. Sometimes, depression can be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain and not anything in your lifestyle. If that’s the case, a doctor can help you figure out a proper treatment plan.

    Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytudut/5180386049

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  9. Escaping Depression: A Middle Class Kid’s Guide

    October 11, 2013

    dealing with depression

    by Tyler Fleck

    I feel like a ton of people have this kind of story, the success story that is supposed to be uplifting, and drag how many readers out of a dark hole just on the merit of its ideals and noble notions. But, though I truly hope this can help, this is more of a story of how I dealt with a very dark time in my life, rather than a cure all. I hold no illusions of grandeur, no misappropriated ideals of myself—I know I’m no psychologist or therapist—but, I do know what worked for me, and maybe it can help some of you who might be dealing with a similar issue to work through it. At the least, perhaps it can give you another angle to work from. Anyways, here’s my story of how I was able to defeat depression.

    Background

    When I was younger, I went through a period of time where I felt literally nothing can go right. My friends had all moved away—save a loyal few—I couldn’t catch a break in the dating world, and my family life was crumbling as my favorite relatives left one by one, and my parents divorced. Waking up in the mornings was harder and harder every day, and it came to a point—after one of my best friends and mentors died in a car crash—that I started feeling like the darkness was never going to end.

    I felt depressed, lonely, and sometimes I just wondered what the point was. It was hard, to say the least.

    And yet, at the time, I had this strange dichotomy underscoring my life. It wasn’t really apparent at the time, but I was doing well in school, the bullies—who had marred my life before this difficult time—had all moved on to different targets (or different schools) and I still had those aforementioned loyal friends who always seemed to be there for me, even when we had our differences. But, still, I had my problems, and I had to deal with them, which I did in the only way I knew how—by throwing myself into my passions.

    Escaping the Darkness

    I remember, as a younger kid, when things got really bad, I would retreat into my books and my video games to get away from it all. With all the news as of late, many of you might think that’s wrong, that this would just open up a path for me to become some psycho serial-killer; but, for me, I truly needed the escape. Video games and movies and books gave me a whole separate land to go to that I could be king. Nothing was truly impossible, and I had a chance to get out of my head for a while, and just enjoy life. It’s strange to hear, but I think these fantasy lands actually gave me a strange sort of self-confidence; it was just easier to be me while I was playing/reading, and that transferred into the real world after a while. Even more importantly, I started gaining new friends just through common interests in these medias, which really helped me throughout Jr. High and High school, the period of time when I was rebuilding my life.

    Friends and Therapy

    But, with all this said, I don’t want to promote escapism as the only way to fix your problems. I loved playing video games, reading, and throwing myself into projects that would take my mind off of everything else, but that was only part of what I did to save my mental health. I talked to the people close to me (though there weren’t many), pried the minds of whoever would listen (of which there were even fewer), and did the same for others who needed it. Yeah, at the end of the day, those conversations only lasted a few minutes—and sometimes I would go weeks without anyone to talk about where I was in life—but, those few, fleeting moments of true human connection kept me feeling happy, alive even. It was in those moments that I knew I wasn’t completely alone, and I clung to those as hard as I could. I allowed them to drag me out of the dark place I lived in, and it got me where I am today; a perfectly functioning, outgoing individual.

    I also gained a major appreciation for therapy out of this period of time, as I found a wonderful therapist—a family friend—who was really able to connect to me on an emotional level, and kind of help me through all the bad parts of my life. Honestly, I was really lucky in finding someone who could, in conjunction with my friends, help me see the things that I wasn’t seeing, which I now think is probably the hardest part of getting out of a depressed state. It really was so difficult to appreciate the better parts of my life, when everything else seemed so bad. This is kind of why I have such a high appreciation for therapy now, and is precisely why I it makes me happy to see therapy becoming a much more integral part of our society. I really think that, though it doesn’t work for everyone, just having someone to talk to is the key to getting around the darkness in your life, and a therapist gives you that person if you don’t really have anyone else.

    No Regrets

    The strange thing is, I don’t look back on those moments of darkness and wish they never happened—not anymore at least. I mean, I have no doubt life would have been better then without them, and who knows, maybe it would be better now. But, I honestly feel stronger now because of it. I can see my weaknesses for what they were, and I can push myself as far away from them as possible, which has garnered me a rather large social circle, and an even closer relationship with my friends and family, who stuck with me through thick and thin.

    I know that my story probably isn’t as sad, or as hardship-filled, as many who share here on this blog; but I also know that there are a lot of people out there who do have it good, who have loving friends and family and yet cannot see how great things are because of an unnamed inner turmoil. This story is for you, because sometimes it’s hardest to see that light when it’s everywhere but right in front of you. Just take it from me, someone who has also gone through what you have; you just have to look around a bit to find it.

    Image Credit: Daniel Horacio Agostini at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhammza/94194086

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  10. Understanding Personality Disorders

    October 3, 2013

    by Jessica Galbraith

    Personality disorders are widely misunderstood by the general public. Although an estimated 10% of people have some type of personality disorder (Mental Health Foundation), the negative stigma that is attached to them makes diagnosing and follow-up treatment difficult. There are ten major types of personality disorders, which cover a wide range of personality spectrum.

    Getting diagnosed can be a challenge in itself, and usually includes psychological testing by a registered psychologist or psychiatrist, extensive interviews, and meeting strict criteria specified by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association. Let us explore what exactly constitutes a personality disorder, the diagnostic process, and the treatment options available to those who have been diagnosed.

    Getting diagnosed with a personality disorder can be scary, but also brings relief.

    What is a personality disorder?

    Each of us has our own unique personality which determines how we behave, process, and feel. We each react to situations differently, from social engagements to trauma. As we go through life, we learn to cope with these experiences. For someone with a personality disorder, this becomes much more difficult. They may feel isolated, misunderstood, and have a generally hard time in every aspect of life. The illness affects their relationships and how they process their feelings.

    What types of personality disorders are there?

    There are ten officially recognized personality disorders, which are categorized into three groups.

    •  Suspicious Disorders: paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder.
    •  Emotional and Impulsive Disorders: anti-social personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder
    •  Anxious Disorders: avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, obsessive compulsive personality disorder

    Depression and anxiety are often present with a personality disorder, however the severity can range from mild to unmanageable. In addition, many sufferers deal with issues such as self-harm, eating disorders, panic attacks, and substance abuse.

     on the edge of suicide

    90% of people who commit suicide have a diagnosable personality disorder.

    Diagnosing and Treatment

    Getting diagnosed is often the biggest issue in mental health. Most people don’t seek help until they are forced to by family or friends, or until their illness escalates into a serious situation. Once a healthcare professional is able to assess what the person is dealing with, they will check if they meet enough criteria to be officially diagnosed with a disorder. A large majority of people who suffer from a mental health disorder, meet the criteria for two or even three others. There is usually multiple interviews to determine if the issues are constant or only related to a recent life changing event such as a divorce or loss. Once it has been established that they are dealing with a personality disorder, a treatment plan is devised. For many years, the general consensus was that there was no cure for mental illness. This is changing rapidly however, as research and mental illness education is becoming more accepted and prevalent. Those who have been diagnosed with a personality disorder, more often than not, face a lifetime struggle trying to find a balance through medication and therapy. The goal is usually to manage the disorder as much as possible rather than fix it. Medication can help side issues such as anxiety and depression, and psychotherapy is effective in addressing feelings and concerns as they arise.

    Common Misconceptions

    Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths out there on mental illness. One of the most common is that personality disorders are not treatable. While treatment is never expected to ‘fix’ the person, it does make life manageable; many people live normal lives with families, jobs, and a functional day-to-day. Another common myth is that mental illness isn’t a real condition. This of course, just isn’t the case. Mental illness is as real as any physical illness and has been linked to genetics and other neurological factors. Mental illness is also commonly believed to be a weakness in a person, and that it is something they should be able to snap out of. These types of misconceptions do tremendous harm to those who suffer with personality disorders. It can deter them in seeking help and creates feelings of shame.

    The misconceptions about mental illness are immense, but education initiatives are slowly making their mark.  As the general public becomes more informed, hopefully the myths and stigmas attached to mental illness will fade. There is still very limited research on the long-term benefits of various treatment options, but more and more research is being done. The future for those who suffer with mental illness has never looked better; but there is still a long way to go.

    Image Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytudut/5180391961 and http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3685379062/

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