Depression Rescue

Depression – Quick Cures
By Jeanne Condon

Depression can be a paralyzing situation. It can last only hours or for days and months.

Depression can sometimes be described as hopeless and despairing, like being in a dark cave with no exit in sight.  The depressed person yearns for a return to ‘normal’ life, and though like being in a pit, cannot put themselves out.

There are several simple techniques to help relief the pain of depression and alleviate the symptoms.

Drink water. Most of the common ailments which hamper us could be reduced by being properly hydrated. Drinking a cup of water every hour on the hour is a method I use so I can be functioning at peak performance, mentally and physically.

Deep breathing. When we are babies we breath from our diaphragm. Sometime as children we transition to shallow breathing from our lungs, which is not as effective for getting oxygen to our brains. Lie down and put your hands on your abdomen. Breathe so that your belly raises and lowers with each inhale and exhale.

Exercise. Regular exercise is so necessary for keeping mind and body fit and healthy. Join a gym, ride a bike, swim, or go for a walk with the dog. Any activity will help perk up the mind of the depressed person. Force yourself to take that first step toward the activity and soon it will become almost automatic.

Nutrition. Eating properly is a very important key to maintaining mental health. Certain foods can cause biochemical reactions in the body which will affect moods. Keep a journal of what you eat and how it affects you. Do your best to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and protein. Today’s produce is deficient of the necessary nutrients for our optimal health and well being. It is necessary to add   vitamins and nutritional supplements to our diets. Included in this should be an endrocrine support supplement which will stabilize and balance hormones. For me, this has been one of the vital keys to my mental health.

Rest and a good night sleep. I think the Latin world with their ’siestas’ have a good thing going. A midday rest gives the mind and body a needed break from the frenetic activity that defines our lives. Getting a solid night’s sleep helps the brain and melatonin restore to healthy levels. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that aids as an anti-oxidant and helps with some forms of depression.

Prayer. Our lives are on constant ‘go-go-go’! Praying to God opens up channels of grace that will aid in the restoration of hope and peace in our lives.

Just do it. If depression is keeping you from taking action on something necessary in your life, force yourself to go and do it. Many times the very action of activity will be the catalyst to help lift the depression.

Friends. Have a couple of friends that you can count on to share with and lean on. Feelings of loneliness can become more acute with depression. Trusted friends will offer wise counsel and patient advice to help and not hurt you.

Professional help. Should the depression last longer than a week or two or symptoms of despair become life threatening, professional help should be sought!! Prescribed medicines can provide the stimulus for healing where the simple home ‘remedies’ outlined above are not working.

Above all, do not be afraid. You are not alone. Your life is a beautiful gift waiting to be unwrapped. Follow the steps and find sunny days once again shining on you!

Jeanne Condon, besides being happily married and raising 8 children, works from home helping people improve the quality of their life and their health. She can be reached at http://www.happyandhealthyfamily.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanne_Condon http://EzineArticles.com/?Depression—Quick-Cures&id=1316516

Tags: anxiety, depression, mental health, worrying

By Alan B. Densky

Congestive heart failure, or CHF, is among the most commonly found chronic health problems in America. Nearly five million people suffer from this condition, and half a million others are diagnosed with it every year. This illness may be mild, or it may become quite severe and impair normal life.

People with CHF undergo many deviations from their usual daily routines. They must take medications to relieve fluid accumulation and to lessen the exertion of their heart tissue. Several of these cause anxiety and fatigue. These medications may also hinder physical intimacy with a spouse or significant other.

One other problem that people with this disease encounter is the requirement for major dietary adjustments. Many must quit eating red meat, avoid foods with a lot of fats or salt, or limit the amount of liquids they consume every day. These people are instructed to diet and exercise to stay as healthy as they can.

The truth is, however, persons with congestive heart failure do not have as much energy for physical activity as before. Rather, they must stand by while friends and relatives play tennis, run, or work out. This causes isolation and inadequacy. Moreover, many victims grieve losing of physical health and wellness.

The majority of individuals who experience this but are not yet of retirement age also have to quit working. As well as creating financial stress and depression, this can increase feelings of separation and seclusion. They are completely alone. Rather than of bantering with the worker at the neighboring workspace, they watch the television while everyone else continues living.

Occasionally, patients take anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications to manage these issues. Others opt for counseling or group treatment to help them with meeting belongingness needs and working through the mourning induced through their freshly restricted lifestyles.

A better method of dealing with this type of depression, however, has gained recent attention and achieved almost instant popularity among patients who have trialed it. Additionally, unlike medications or counseling therapies, this technique is quite economical. People can learn to use it without experiencing additional financial hardship.

This technique, which utilizes a combination of Ericksonian hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), assists individuals to begin to become calm and seek harmony and tranquility in the midst of daily life. These therapies teach individuals to acknowledge the new limitations of life with CHF while guiding them to continue living life to the fullest extent that they are able. Even depressed moods that result from drugs can be easily lessened with the proper use of the methods utilized by hypnosis and NLP. Two of these strategies are anchoring and the Flash.

Ericksonian Hypnosis is often known as conversational hypnosis. It includes methods for supplying post-hypnotic suggestions embedded in a discussion or figure of speech. The benefit of this technique is that it eliminates the resistance to directly suggested actions that is almost always included in the use of more traditional forms of hypnotherapy.

With anchoring, hypnotherapists and NLP Practitioners instruct clients to concentrate on positive thoughts and memories where they felt calm and in control. As the individual is progressively absorbed by these recollections, they are able to re-experience those positive feelings. The client then learns to make a physical anchor for these emotions by touching two fingers in contact with one another. The subconscious mind makes a connection between the actual touch of these two fingers, and the positive emotions. Later, upon encountering an anxiety-producing or upsetting moment, an anchor is elicited by touching together the two fingers, re-creating feelings of peace and calm.

The Flash technique is also quite helpful to people who are struggling to conquer depression. This approach programs the brain to automatically utilize the destructive thoughts that are creating anxiety and depression, as triggers for beneficial perspectives that stimulate calm and happiness. Over time, people soon find themselves almost unable to think negative thoughts!

Summary: People with congestive heart failure often experience depression because of grieving over loss of their physical health and well-being. Other components that sometimes help cause depression include medicines and money worries. Both Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP provide superior strategies for assisting individuals to cope with depression without being forced to spend huge amounts of time and money.

Alan B. Densky, CH is a certified hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. He’s helped thousands of clients since 1978. He offers CDs for [http://www.neuro-vision.us/Products/DepressionTreatmentHypnosisCD.htm]hypnotic therapy for depression. Visit his Neuro-VISION self-hypnosis website for the hypnosis article index, or watch his free videos on hypnosis. http://www.neuro-vision.us/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_B._Densky http://EzineArticles.com/?CHF-and-Depression—Successful-Treatments&id=1316355

Tags: Clinical Depression, depressed, depression, depression symptoms, manic depression, symptoms of depressio

by Greg Katz

We always associate peer pressure with negative attributes. The myth of peer pressure is that it drives us to do things that are not in our best interest. Let’s reframe peer pressure and see how it can serve you in improving your health and help you develop your inner illness warrior. Recent research by David Spiegel at Stanford University shows that although support groups don’t increase longevity, they do increase the quality of life of participants.

The most likely place to engage peer pressure following an illness diagnosis is a support group. Most organizations have disease specific groups so that the members have a common ground and language. One of the aspects of a support group is that its admission is rolling so people leave and new people enter the group so you have varying levels of experience with the illness. Here’s some ways that peer pressure in the group can improve your health.

Creating Options and Alternatives

No matter how much research we do we won’t be able to discover every treatment option, alternative therapies or allied health resources related to our illness. Everyone’s interests will differ so if you’re more inclined to research natural remedies, someone else in group may be looking at clinical trials for new allopathic treatments. It’s this opportunity to create a treatment buffet that broadens your options in planning for treatment. There is an increased likelihood that we’ll follow through on treatment when we have more information about options and alternatives. Having the power of choice that is instigated by members of the group is empowering.

Making Decisions

Having others in a group who are ahead of you in the treatment process is a gift. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel. You don’t have blaze any new trails. All you have to do is get the information both factual and anecdotal and make informed decisions. The members of your group will offer their input but it’s not a prescription, it’s only their experience. The members of the group are like a living pro and con list offering you the triumphs and tragedies that come with specific treatments. Take the information and use it to make treatment choices that fit your life and your end goal correlating with your definition of wellness or health.

Keeping You On Track

One of the great assets of belong to a support group is that once you make a decision and announce it to the world you have group that will hold accountable for your actions. You will be asked about how your implementing the treatment plan and how it’s impacting your day-to-day life. They aren’t trying to bully you, but the simple truth is that compliance with treatment regimens increases your chances at recovery. You don’t get to pick and choose the days you take your medication, it’s non-negotiable.

By joining a support group you enlist your own illness army. The information available to you is priceless. You can cut a lot of time off your learning curve about coping with illness from those who are ahead of you on their own journey to wellness.

Looking for other ways to shorten your learning curve on coping with illness? Get your FREE copy of our special report “The 5 Pillars of Health and Healing” and as a special gift you’ll receive our audiovisual program “Instilling Hope for Health”. It’s available right now and it’s FREE at http://www.survivingstrong.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Katz http://EzineArticles.com/?Health-Crisis?–3-Reasons-to-Join-a-Support-Group&id=1324798

Tags: Illness and Depression, Support Groups

By Lisa Fyfe

Can what we eat help our depression? I believe it can.

Did you know that during the time period of 1983-2008, outpatient treatment of depression increased by 300%? During that period of time, there was a push to get Americans to lower their fat intake in order to gain greater heart health. While we haven’t seen the great reduction in heart disease that we’ve hoped for, food producers have profited from this new market with lots of “healthy” foods like imitation eggs, low fat milk, and margarine instead of butter.

Now, I know that it’s counter-intuitive to believe that eating foods that are higher-fat diet might be good for you, but I just want you to entertain a few points on this issue:

1. Foods like butter and whole milk contain much more of vitamins A and D than found in the standard American diet. In fact, both of these vitamins are important to brain health, and vitamin D deficiency is linked to depression. Natural vitamin D is found in seafood, in foods like cod liver oil, and in eggs. All of these foods have become out of vogue in the last few decades, especially egg yolks, which contain most of the nutrients in the egg.

2. The brain and neurological system are very dependent on cholesterol. In fact, cholesterol is responsible for the production of serotonin, the “feel-good” chemical that balances our mood. This means that low cholesterol may lead to depression.

3. If we don’t eat fat, then what is there left to eat? Well, lots of grains, processed foods, and protein. Eating a diet high in “whole grains” (in fact, very few of the grains we eat are truly whole, and are in actuality, refined white flour with nutrients added) can cause a cycle of hypoglycemia – low blood sugar – which can cause the mood to shift from jittery, short bursts of energy, to very low, lethargic moods – a.k.a. “sugar crash.” Processed foods are hard to digest, and contain lots of additives and preservatives which are relatively new to our bodies and we don’t know the long term effects they may have on us. And, finally, while protein is crucial to the health of our bodies, a low-fat, high-protein diet depletes us of vitamin A, an extremely important nutrient for health of all tissues, including the brain.

So, what do I eat? Lots of delicious leafy green and seasonal vegetables, some brown rice and some natural true whole-grain breads. I also eat meats that haven’t been treated with hormones or pesticides and have come from animals eating their natural diets – pasture, or grass, mostly. I also eat fish from the cold waters of the Arctic like wild salmon, free range eggs, whole milk from grass-fed cows, and real butter. This keeps me satisfied, and all the nutrients and fats I’m eating, I’ve found, help to keep my mood balanced.

The best part is that I’ve regained my love for food. I no longer have the cravings I used to have when eating low-fat, and, surprisingly, I haven’t paid for all this indulgence with extra weight, either.

Did I mention that I’ve regained my love for food?

Lisa Fyfe, M.S., is a former high school English teacher turned stay-at-home-mom. Her interests include natural health, nutrition, and parenting as a path to spiritual growth. She is a Reiki Master, essential oil healer, and also runs a website that documents her natural recovery from depression, at http://www.holistic-treatment-for-depression.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Fyfe http://EzineArticles.com/?Ease-Depression-by-Eating-Delicious,-Satisfying-Foods&id=1305414

Tags: depression, depression nutrition

by Franchis

Mental health problems are common with around 25% of the population believed to be suffering from some form of mental health problem at any point in time. Anyone suffering from a mental health problem can access proper treatment and most who do seek help will make a complete recovery but unfortunately, there are still people who are afraid of admitting that they cannot cope or that they need help and will suffer unnecessary mental distress due to lack of understanding about their illness or awareness of what help is available. So what mental health services are available to anyone suffering from mental illness?

Doctor

The first point of contact is your doctor. They will be able to make a full assessment of your symptoms and your physical and mental health in general as well as take into consideration any other factors involved including any family history of mental illness in order to make an accurate diagnosis because an accurate diagnosis is essential if the right help and assistance is to be offered. For most people, a simple visit to the doctor may be all that is required to put them on the road to recovery.

However, your doctor might feel that you could also benefit from other mental health services so once he or she has made a diagnosis they will be able to start you on a suitable treatment programme which could include medication and/or referral to other professionals or specialists in the community mental health team as required, for example, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, various types of counsellors or therapists and so on.

The Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)

It may be that you require specialist skills in order to help you cope with your mental illness and as one person couldn’t conceivably be an expert in every single area, you could be referred to someone in the community mental health team. The community mental health team will vary depending on which area that you live, some may be attached to a hospital or work from a doctors surgery and others could possibly have their own clinic in a separate building but typically, they consist of professionals such as psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses who may also be trained to deal with specific problems or behaviours, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and various other therapists and counsellors.

It is quite likely that one person will be appointed as your key worker and will be liaising with you on a regular basis and visiting you at home. This person could be a social worker, a nurse, some type of therapist or quite commonly, a community psychiatric nurse or CPN.

The CPN will assess your progress on a regular basis, will identify and help you deal with any problems you might have and put you in touch with others who can help, they will monitor your mediation and any effects of that medication and will generally offer support. They will work closely with other professionals in the team so that everyone is aware of any particular issues or challenges that need to be dealt with. The CMHT will also regularly inform your doctor about your progress, your medication and any other issues involved in your case.

It might be that you need help from other professionals. For example, an occupational therapist can help you regain some independence in your life if you are suffering from any disabilities, they can help you to do things for yourself and improve your confidence in areas such as dressing, washing and other practical skills. Social workers can help with many social problems such as housing needs, financial issues and maybe parenting or child care challenges. Basically, the Community Mental Health Team enables you to access the right kind of help from professionals who are trained in a specific area.

Hospital

It might be that you need to spend some time in hospital to get over a particularly difficult episode of mental illness or where it is considered appropriate but this decision is not taken lightly. Hospitals can offer safety and protection and many people will voluntarily admit themselves to hospital in order to get the right assistance and support. However, there are also compulsory admissions made under the Mental Health Act in order to protect the person themselves or those around them. For some people, the thought of admission to hospital can be frightening but it is important to remember that a stay in hospital can be a lifesaver and hospitals are there to help and are better equipped to deal with particularly severe cases of mental illness.

More support

Family and friends can be instrumental in helping someone who is suffering from mental health problems to progress and regain control of their lives and as such are an extremely important part of any support network. There are also numerous other agencies, support organisations, and charities offering help to people suffering from various mental health problems. Some will also tackle issues related to mental health by raising awareness in the community and others can provide information, advice and support to people who are affected by mental health problems in their family. You can ask your doctor or mental health professional what other assistance is available in your area.

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Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Mental-Health-Services—Internet-Mental-Health/311183

Tags: mental health services