Methods Of Dealing With Depression
By Penny | July 30, 2008
Depression can affect anyone, having a profound and negative impact on their lives. Some people are more prone to it, though stressful periods, medical problems, and any number of conditions can increase a person’s susceptibility to the disorder. The consequences of suffering from depression can be far-reaching affecting your job, or even leading to suicide. As a result, there are plenty of good reasons to eliminate depression. There are some things that you can do to eliminate depression, and to help you know where to seek these methods, let’s talk about them a little.
Exercise And Diet
It seems like exercise and a proper diet are old tricks of the medical industry to get people to exercise, but the fact is that it works when dealing with depression. The main benefit to exercise and a good diet is that it gives you more energy, which in turn helps to fight the exhausted feelings that depression sufferers often have. A better diet and exercise will also ultimately lead to better self-esteem and body image, which is sometimes a source of depression for some. Exercise also has the benefit of producing a natural high, once that can bolster people against further problems with depression.
Therapy
One tactic that many take when dealing with depression is to turn to psychotherapy, in which the patient spends some time talking to a licensed therapist about their life. While this may seem embarrassing or like it won’t work, a therapist is trained to examine the things that people do, why they do them, and to make an objective evaluation of how you do things and what you can change to make improvements in your life. This counseling can help people to make changes that eliminate the causes of their depression.
Medicine
Many people deal with depression by taking doctor-prescribed medications. This is not the same as self-medicating with alcohol or drugs to help the process of dealing with depression, but something prescribed as part of a diagnosis and treatment plan. Though there is a certain stigma that’s been cast upon those on antidepressants through television and the movies, the fact is that these medicines can work, and if a doctor suggests that you take them, then you should. Keep in mind that the medicine may only pay a small part in dealing with depression, and your treatment may include just this, or may include all of the other options. Whether alone or in concert, these tactics of dealing with depression can help you to get over a tough time.
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Coping with Long-Term Depression
By Penny | July 23, 2008
Although depression is no longer considered as a “woman’s disease,” it is true that more women than men suffer from depression due to hormone changes. It is essential for those coping with depression that if a person has had one episode, he or she should stay on an SSRI for a full year, until the depression goes into full, sustained remission. Then the patient will be gradually weaned off the medication; if symptoms begin to return, the medication is reinstated.
Many people have one episode of depression and never have another one after medication is discontinued. However, for middle-aged menopausal women who have two episodes that resolve with medication, they have at least an 80% chance of having another episode. A large part of coping with depression is accepting that it could be a life-long problem requiring continuous medication. This is no different from taking daily hypertension medication or a multi-vitamin.
Along with medications, coping with depression is made much easier with psychotherapy. In therapy, patients have the opportunity to discuss life events that may contribute to their depression or impede their recovery. Physicians recommend that medication be combined with therapy for the best results possible.
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What You Should Know About Childhood Depression
By Penny | July 16, 2008
If your teenager is suffering from childhood depression, then he may be lolling around doing very little constructive activity throughout the day. He may even complain of having headaches, stomach aches or simply feeling sick. Then he may stay up really early into the morning watching TV, playing video games or endlessly chatting online with someone. They may also resent being asked anything about their lives, replying with an odd grunt and nothing much more. Of course, teenagers are all going to wrestle with some form of childhood depression at some point in time.
The Causes Of Childhood Depression
Childhood depression can be caused by such things as hormones, spots, first love, social acceptance or any of the other stuff that suddenly seems so important at this time in a child’s life. Of course, there may be times that these issues could cause your teenager to become surly, sullen and uncommunicative for a short period of time. However, you do need to look at this closely because if your teenager is acting like this most of the time, then it may be childhood depression.
This is not something that is uncommon for teenagers to suffer from. After all they are suffering from a combination of common stressors, which can compound upon them and send them spiraling downwards into childhood depression.
Coping With Childhood Depression
Most teenagers find it difficult to cope with childhood depression. They may even turn to drugs or alcohol in order to try to alleviate these feelings of depression. In some extreme cases, this depression can lead a teenager to harm themselves or they may even attempt suicide. This is not something that you should take lightly as there are lots of families that are devastated when their teenager uses suicide as a cry for help that has resulted in fatal consequences.
Conclusion
Today childhood depression is on the rise, especially in Western societies that are more developed. These countries include the United States, the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. So, as a responsible and caring parent you need to become familiar with what the signs and symptoms of childhood depression are. This is the only way in which you will be able to tell if your teenager is suffering from more than just the occasional ups-and-downs that are a normal part of the teenage years. Of course, by no means do you want to become an over-concerned parent. You also do not want to over-react every time that you think something may not be right. However, at the same time you do not want to ignore what may be a case of childhood depression.
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Exact Causes of depression Are Still Not Known
By Penny | July 9, 2008
You should not expect depression to have any favorites as it can strike anyone at any time, and there have also been many famous people throughout history that have been victims of depression. One of the most famous of these personalities was none other than Abraham Lincoln who fought with depression as well as with suicidal thoughts during his life, which at one point caused his friends to closely keep watch over him since he was seriously affected by his depression.
Environmental Factors Combined With Chemical Imbalances In The Brain
With depression affecting so many people, it becomes necessary to know what the causes of depression are if we want to be able to find a cure for such a debilitating condition. However, there seems to be no known causes of depression and it could be, according to scientists, the result of a number of different reasons. The cause of depression could be attributed to when environmental factors combine with chemical imbalances within the brain to produce such a depressed mood that lasts for longer than necessary.
And, the causes of depression are also not the same for every individual as they are known to vary from one person to the other. However, whatever the cause of depression may be, it is essential that it be treated and that too promptly so that the condition does not deteriorate further and lead to serious consequences. Another interesting point regarding depression is that it occurs twice as frequently in women than it does with men.
The reason behind the higher incidences of depression in women could be that hormones in a woman will generally go up and down like a yo-yo, which could cause changes in her body that in turn are controlled by the hormones, which explains why women get depressed a lot more easily than men. And since a woman has to play a number of different roles, she can get stressed much faster, which explains why she can feel depressed so easily.
Another possible explanation about what the causes of depression are is genetics. If you are a part of a family having depression running in other family members, the chances of your developing depression are considerably greater than if there were no incidence of depression in your family. Even in the case of twins, if one twin suffers from depression there is a fifty percent chance that the other twin will also suffer from depression.
However, depression is not the same as feeling low or blue for just a few days. It is more like a clinical case that lasts from weeks to months on end, and can even cause the person to be unable to function normally.
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What You Should Know About Bipolar Depression
By Penny | July 2, 2008
Bipolar depression is also known as manic depression or bipolar affective disorder. This is a highly complex and very serious mood disorder. It is characterized by extreme highs, which are known as a manic episode, followed by severe lows, which are known as depressive episodes. Bipolar depression usually begins whenever a person is a young adult and then continues for the remainder of the person’s life. In fact, it is believed that 1 in 10 people actually suffer from Bipolar depression. Unfortunately nobody knows what causes Bipolar depression but it is believed to be at least somewhat genetic.
Types Of Bipolar Depression
Each episode will vary in frequency and severity. The time between each episode will also vary significantly from 1 person to the next. Unfortunately, there is no clear pattern in this. During the in between stages, there is moderate to mild depression and some normal moods as well. Of course, it is also possible for a person to experience either extreme depressive or extreme manic episodes with only the occasional opposite occurring. This is why there is both type 1 and type 2 Bipolar depression.
If you have Bipolar 1 you will have recurrent manic and depressive episodes with stable periods in between. You may also go directly from depression to mania, or vice versa. On the other hand Bipolar 2 involves mild manic periods, or no mania at all. However, there are a lot of depressive episodes.
The Symptoms Of Bipolar Depression
This form of depression includes 2 different moods: depressive and manic. A depressive episode will last for at least 2 weeks. The person will then enter into a manic episode. During a manic episode a person will have an elevated mood that will last for at least 1 week. This is in no way related to alcohol or substance abuse. However, during this time a person who suffers from Bipolar depression will believe that they can do anything and they may not sleep for several days at a time.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, each person’s experience with Bipolar depression is unique. Plus, since this type of depression occurs in episodes, it is also possible for the person to behaves perfectly normal at some points in time as well. This is what makes Bipolar depression so difficult to diagnose. Nevertheless, if a person is suffering by this type of depression it is very important for them to get a proper diagnosis as soon as possible. Only then can it be treated so that a person can live a somewhat normal life.
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Tips on How Creative Writing Can Make You Earn Loads Of Money
By Penny | June 24, 2008
Creative writing can make you earn loads of money but how! It is true that there are still people around who think that writers do not make much of a living, but have they considered the many authors, screenplay writers, poets and lyricists who have amassed amazing fortunes and still continue to do so.
Learn How Creative Writing Can Make You Earn Loads Of Money
Many aspiring writers are lured by the business aspect of writing as well as the love they have for the language. For amateur writers there are plenty of chances of making money by writing creatively. They may seek work as freelancers who contribute web content or take up writing poems for the many e-greeting card portals. The writers get paid well for their contributions, helping them earn some cash by using their talents.
Then there are more talented writers who have proved that creative writing can help to earn loads of money by writing and selling e-books online. Some people wait for a good publisher to give them a break others choose to publish their own work. If the content is original, of good quality and well presented they are sure to make a profit.
The fact that creative writing can make you earn loads of money is proved beyond a doubt by the unprecedented success of authors such as Stephen King, J.K. Rowling to name just a few. From being just another face in the crowd they have achieved unparalleled success on account of their creative writing prowess.
Many enterprising writers have gone on to reap profits by writing “how to” books such as how to make money, how to win friends etc. There are many successful journalists who write for magazines and newspapers, providing readers with news and entertainment while proving that creative writing can make you earn loads of money!
Many screenplay writers have gone on to write academy award winning stories and have even acted in the movies produced from their screenplays! Go to the Oscars, walk the red carpet and get the coveted award plus the huge profit that the movie made, is that not enough proof that creative writing can make you earn loads of money as well as fame!
But success does not come easy. Hard work and determination are some pre-requisites. It will also be helpful if a course in creative writing was taken up. Creative writing strategies may be adopted and utilized to spur you on the path of success. If the right strategies were adopted, creative writing can make you earn loads of money indeed.
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Dreaded Creative Writing Fears And Tips To Overcome Them
By Penny | June 17, 2008
Creative writing can be a very emotionally fulfilling activity, yet it can also bring on creative writing fears such as running out of ideas, having a writer’s block, etc. Here are a few tips on the dreaded creative writing fears and how to overcome them.
Creative Writing Fears
Running Out Of Ideas: One of the most common creative writing fears is to run out of ideas. You have the peace and quiet that you desire; you have the computer ready with a blinking cursor and realize that you have no idea what you want to write! It may be that you are exhausted, so just relax and do something that you enjoy may be listening to music or read a good book. You may read the newspaper or a magazine, look out of the window or get inspired by a song you are listening to. You may start looking at things from a different perspective than the one presented to you, when you do that your mind becomes alert and creates various new ideas, start recording them and use them to write a piece of work that brings out your creative best.
Writer’s Block: There are times when the number of unfinished manuscripts stored in the shelf starts multiplying on account of a writer’s block. This kind of creative writing fear is associated with a more deep rooted fear of being unsure if the work produced will be of good quality and if it will be liked. The fact is that we do not fail until we quit, so the best way to overcome such creative writing fears is to continue writing. Use different versions, edit them and you may find that you have created a better piece of work than imagined possible.
Dreading To Waste Time: Many talented creative writers are plagued with the fear of wasting time on a piece of work that nobody appreciates. Creative writing fears such as these can be overcome by ensuring you select a topic or a theme that is acceptable, stay focused, and write in a grammatically correct and error free manner. The more you re-write and edit, the better the quality of your work.
Inability To Accept Criticism/Failure: A creative writing fear that most writers have is to face criticism and failure. Having devoted a significant portion of our time and energy on a piece of work and having to face rejection and criticism may be hard to digest, but it should not bog us down, it should in fact give us the fire necessary to succeed. It may help if we had a positive attitude and learn from our mistakes.
These are a few creative writing fears and tips on how to overcome them.
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A Few Creative Writing Strategies To Help You
By Penny | June 10, 2008
Creative writers can benefit by adopting a few useful strategies. Writing can be a pleasure when we can write without any distractions and when the ideas flow faster than we can type or write, but it can be bothersome when we face a writer’s block or run out of ideas. This situation can be helped if we utilize creative writing strategies.
Useful Creative Writing Strategies
Use a computer/typewriter or a notebook depending on what makes you comfortable. It may help if you have broadband Internet access to conduct research and if you use the latest software such as Microsoft Word.
It is also recommended that you have a quiet, peaceful place to retreat to and work. Make sure that the room and the place you select to work in is comfortable. Set aside a time each day to devote to writing a certain number of pages or a certain number of stories etc. Ensure that you are working each day.
Avoid giving in to temptations such as watching your favorite program on TV or browsing the web and checking your email or playing games on the computer etc. Instead use them as rewards to tempt yourself to do the set number of words, pages or stories.
Many authors use a book to note down their ideas and use those ideas to develop their creative writing talents. This is also one way of ensuring that writers never run out of ideas. Reading is also a strategy that will help you as it improves your vocabulary as well as your knowledge and help you become more prolific.
Having a positive attitude and do not paying any heed to any negative feelings such as self-doubt can easily eliminate chances of a writer’s block. A manuscript awaits completion. Ensure that your writings are focused, informative and interesting. Before developing the ideas, think about the kind of work that you have an aptitude for and your target audience. Edit your writings as much as is needed to satisfy yourself about the quality of the work.
Some writers are unable to write well when they are exhausted where as others can excel when they are tired, if you are the kind of writer that cannot perform when tired, take time off and relax a bit. Worry about correcting errors if any after you have completed the work, let it not interrupt the flow.
Have the right attitude towards rejection and take it as a motivating factor to succeed. These few creative writing strategies can help you become a better writer.
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The Language of Flowers: Orchid
By Penny | June 3, 2008
Orchids are elegant and long-lasting flowers that draw immediate attention. This exotic and unusual flower evokes a sense of refinement and innocence.
25,000 different types of orchid are known and more are being discovered each year, orchids are of the largest flowering plant families. .
Orchids can impart a wide variety of messages, but historica
lly the meanings of orchids have included wealth, love, and beauty.
To the ancient Greeks, orchids suggested virility, and after the rise in popularity of orchid collections in Victorian England, the meaning of orchids moved towards being symbolic of luxury. Orchids have also been believed to carry various healing and protective properties, allowing them to ward off disease.
The Aztecs were said to drink a mixture of the vanilla orchid and chocolate to give them power and strength, and the Chinese believe orchids can help cure lung illnesses and coughs.
Today, the meanings of orchids are generally regarded as a symbolic of rare and delicate beauty.
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Fear & Creativity
By Penny | May 27, 2008
My fears are most powerful when they’re simmering just under the surface of my awareness. I’m resistant to a new idea, I’m defensive about holding on to my old ways, I feel excited and panicked at the same time – these are sure-fire signs that there’s some fear under there.
Shining a spotlight on my fear has been the best (and only) way to get to the other side of it.
“Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love” - Ranier Maria Rilke
My fear is there for a good reason – to protect me. If I can have compassion for my fear, and understand what it’s looking for, I’ll be more ready to let it go.
I’ve been thinking about how fear and creativity often go hand in hand. As creative artists, what is our fear looking for? What does it think it’s protecting us from? In exploring these questions I decided to brush up on Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”.
Abraham Maslow suggested that all human beings have the same basic needs, and that we spend our lives striving to meet them. His famous hierarchy of needs explains that at the basest level we need protection from the elements, food, water and other physiological needs.
Then, we need to feel safety and security within our family, our home and in our place in the world around us. We need to feel that we fit in and understand where we fit in and how everything works.
Next, we need to feel love and belonging - that we’re accepted and appreciated.
We need to feel competent and masterful and that we’re being recognized for our talents.
Finally, when all of those needs are met, we strive for the “top” level, “Self-Actualization” - to really live up to our highest potential, to feel a oneness with God, the universe and all of our fellow travelers on this Earth.
For some of us, long after the needs HAVE been met, we still fear losing them and having to meet them all over again.
Maybe that’s why creating our art can evoke so much fear. Creativity is a direct form of self-actualization. When you’re feeling fear about putting your creative ideas into motion, which of Maslow’s needs are you concerned about meeting or losing?
* If I commit fully to my art then I won’t be able to support myself financially – I could lose everything and be penniless and homeless
* If I put my creations out into the world, people may not like them – that means they won’t like me, they may laugh at me, I won’t fit in
* If no one likes my work, I won’t fit in. No one loves, understands or knows me. I’m not fulfilling a need in the world – no one needs me. I’m not serving a purpose.
* If I try to create, I could make a mistake. I’ll feel stupid and no one will like me.
To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. - Joseph Chilton Pearce
* If I go another year without trying to get my creative projects off the ground, I may never break free of my limitations, and I may live the rest of my life with unrealized potential. I may die with my creativity still inside of me.
Even the fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of not having lived authentically and fully. - Frances Moore Lappe
Have I missed any? Probably. Of course each of us have our own unique fears – and these are more universal ones that relate to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and to our creative hopes and dreams.
A well-known acronym for fear is: FEAR = False evidence appearing real
In other words, even though what we’re fearful of seems very real to us, it’s usually something we’ve made up in our heads, as opposed to something we’re facing in physical form. Studies on the stress hormone cortisol show that our bodies react to our thoughts regardless of what is actually in front of us. Our fears feel VERY real. And……they’re not.
SARK, author of Make Your Creative Dreams Real suggests you to try this acronym on instead:
Fill yourself up creatively – Julia Cameron advocates something similar with her “Artists’s Date” assignment in The Artist’s Way. What sparks your creativity? A long drive in the country? Making a vegetable soup? Meditation? Prayer?
Explore what stops you – looking at your own unique methods of self-sabotage is a cornerstone of the Everyday Self-Care Workbook (http://www.genuinecoaching.com/esc-workbook.html), and of my upcoming book just for creative artists.
Accelerate movement – Do something, anything, to combat the inertia of staying still. SARK advocates “micro movements” that take anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes to complete. Those micro movements are the building blocks for our creative dreams and most importantly, get us moving!!
Repeat – luckily for us, this process continues as long as we’re up for it!
Courage is fear that has said its prayers. - Dorothy Bernard
(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.
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Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Dessau |
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