Always feeling under the weather? Always not in the mood to be around others and have a good time? If you’re suffering from prolonged sadness for quite some time now, you should face these bouts of depression and get yourself diagnosed by a psychiatrist, they’re doctors who can actually help you out with your problem.
Depression or prolonged sadness is actually quite common in the United States, around 9.5 percent of the American population actually suffer from this illness, however, not all of them get to be treated, thus, depression and its ill-effects continue to be a burden to some individuals. This illness may seem quite simple to treat but in reality, it takes more than a little cheering up to actually cure depression. Constant visits to a cognitive behavior therapist is a must as well as taking all the prescribed medicines that the doctor will ask the patient to take – none of these exactly come cheap, but the amount of suffering that a person is going through because of depression is enough reason already for others to start taking notice and face depression head on.
Depression oftentimes can easily get in the way of an individual’s daily activities and his or her’s normal functions, one’s zest for life can quickly and easily dissipate due to depression. And in place of an individual’s sunny disposition is more or less a person who hates his or herself, having no self-confidence, trying to isolate one’s self from the world and basically just not caring about living any more. More so, a person suffering from depression isn’t the only one who’s going to suffer from this destructive illness, his or her loved ones are sure to follow suit. By seeing the individual grow through such rough patches, basically not caring about anything or anyone anymore, it’s highly likely that not only will depression one’s relationship with one’s self but with his or her loved ones too.
Fortunately depression can now be cured, especially when diagnosed early, depressed individuals can actually be treated through therapy and medication, although it may be a bit costly, a person’s good mental health is something that shouldn’t be scrimped on. Cognitive behavioral talk or interpersonal talk are just some of the available psychosocial treatments that cognitive behavior therapists can offer to their patients, both actually prove to be able to produce fruitful and positive results.
Still, people tend to not recognize depression even it’s right before their eyes, being honest with one’s self is key to being able to cure such an illness. Never overlook the various symptoms, depressed individuals oftentimes exhibit uncharacteristic behaviors such as suddenly lacking interest in one’s hobbies (or other stuff that he or she usually enjoys), sleeps too much or actually aren’t able to get some shut-eye, suddenly becoming anti-social, talks a lot about death or being a worthless person. There are actually a lot more other symptoms but in case these already fit in your category or of someone that you know of, go to a reputable psychiatrist at once in order to see if the depression is still at an early stage or not. From here you’ll be able to assess how the treatments will actually go.
Depression shouldn’t be something that people fear of, instead, people should just start taking charge of their lives and actually face this illness and fight it. Life is too beautiful a gift to waste and if one will spend the majority of his or her life just moping around about every single little thing then what kind of life would that be? Depression may not kill one’s body but it’ll certainly kills one’s spirit if you’ll let it. Don’t be a victim.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
BLOCKING BEHAVIORS KEEPING YOUR STRESS ALIVE
There are three obsessive behaviors that you are likely to be engaging in that impeded your healing process and stop you from enjoying a stress-free life. Recognizing these barriers can be a great first step toward getting rid of the problems that go with being too stressed.
(1)Obsessive Negativity. When you are obsessively negative, it means that you have a tendency toward being "negative" about people, places, situations, and things in your life.
Perhaps you find yourself saying things like "I can't do this!" or "No one understands!" or "Nothing ever works!", for example. You may be doing this unconsciously, but essentially you have what's known as a "sour grapes" attitude, and it holds you back from knowing what it's like to view life from a positive lens and enjoy the beauty in yourself and people around you! There's a whole world out there for you...with happiness and positive thinking.
(2) Obsessive Perfectionism. When you engage in obsessive perfectionism, you are centered on trying to do everything "just so" to the point of driving yourself into an anxious state of being. You may find yourself making statements such as, "I have to do this right, or I'll be a failure!" or "If I am not precise, people will be mad at me!" Again, this behavior may be totally under the threshold of your awareness, but it interferes greatly with your ability to enjoy things without feeling "uptight" and "stressed."
(3) obsessive analysis. When you are obsessed about analyzing things, you find yourself wanting to re-hash a task or an issue over and over again. For instance, you might find yourself making statements such as, "I need to look this over, study it, and know it inside and out...or else I can't relax!" or "If I relax and let things go without looking them over repeatedly, things go wrong!"
While analytical thinking is an excellent trait, if it's done in excess you never get to stop and smell the roses because you're too busy trying to analyze everything and everyone around you. Gaining insight into this type of behavior is one of the most important keys to letting go of stress, and getting complete power over your anxiety.
If you find yourself engaging in any of the above "Blocking Behaviors", there are two things you can do to help yourself. First, ask the people you know, love, and trust, "Am I negative about things?", "Do I complain a lot?", and "Am I difficult to be around?"
This may be hard for you to listen to, as the truth sometimes hurts a great deal. But the insight you will get from others' assessment of you is invaluable, and you'll know precisely how others see you. Accept their comments as helpful info, and know that you will gain amazing insights from what you hear.
Second, keep a journal to write down and establish patterns of when you are using "blocking behaviors." Even if you are not thrilled with the idea of writing, you can make little entries into a note book or journal each day. The great part is that you'll begin to see patterns in your behavior that reveal exactly what you're doing to prevent yourself from curing your anxiety.
(1)Obsessive Negativity. When you are obsessively negative, it means that you have a tendency toward being "negative" about people, places, situations, and things in your life.
Perhaps you find yourself saying things like "I can't do this!" or "No one understands!" or "Nothing ever works!", for example. You may be doing this unconsciously, but essentially you have what's known as a "sour grapes" attitude, and it holds you back from knowing what it's like to view life from a positive lens and enjoy the beauty in yourself and people around you! There's a whole world out there for you...with happiness and positive thinking.
(2) Obsessive Perfectionism. When you engage in obsessive perfectionism, you are centered on trying to do everything "just so" to the point of driving yourself into an anxious state of being. You may find yourself making statements such as, "I have to do this right, or I'll be a failure!" or "If I am not precise, people will be mad at me!" Again, this behavior may be totally under the threshold of your awareness, but it interferes greatly with your ability to enjoy things without feeling "uptight" and "stressed."
(3) obsessive analysis. When you are obsessed about analyzing things, you find yourself wanting to re-hash a task or an issue over and over again. For instance, you might find yourself making statements such as, "I need to look this over, study it, and know it inside and out...or else I can't relax!" or "If I relax and let things go without looking them over repeatedly, things go wrong!"
While analytical thinking is an excellent trait, if it's done in excess you never get to stop and smell the roses because you're too busy trying to analyze everything and everyone around you. Gaining insight into this type of behavior is one of the most important keys to letting go of stress, and getting complete power over your anxiety.
If you find yourself engaging in any of the above "Blocking Behaviors", there are two things you can do to help yourself. First, ask the people you know, love, and trust, "Am I negative about things?", "Do I complain a lot?", and "Am I difficult to be around?"
This may be hard for you to listen to, as the truth sometimes hurts a great deal. But the insight you will get from others' assessment of you is invaluable, and you'll know precisely how others see you. Accept their comments as helpful info, and know that you will gain amazing insights from what you hear.
Second, keep a journal to write down and establish patterns of when you are using "blocking behaviors." Even if you are not thrilled with the idea of writing, you can make little entries into a note book or journal each day. The great part is that you'll begin to see patterns in your behavior that reveal exactly what you're doing to prevent yourself from curing your anxiety.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
what is anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal, pathological anxiety, fears, phobias. It describes nervous system disorders as irrational or illogical worry not based on fact.
Anxiety and fear are ubiquitous emotions. The terms anxiety and fear have specific scientific meanings, but common usage has made them interchangeable. For example, a phobia is a kind of anxiety that is also defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) as a "persistent or irrational fear." Fear is defined as an emotional and physiological response to a recognized external threat (eg, a runaway car or an impending crash in an airplane). Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state, the sources of which are less readily identified. It is frequently accompanied by physiological symptoms that may lead to fatigue or even exhaustion. Because fear of recognized threats causes similar unpleasant mental and physical changes, patients use the terms fear and anxiety interchangeably. Thus, there is little need to strive to differentiate anxiety from fear. However, distinguishing among different anxiety disorders is important, since accurate diagnosis is more likely to result in effective treatment and a better prognosis.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is a common chronic disorder that affects twice as many women as men and can lead to considerable impairment
Panic disorder
In panic disorder, a person suffers brief attacks of intense terror and apprehension that cause trembling and shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing, and feelings of impending doom or a situation that would be embarrassing. One who is often plagued by sudden bouts of intense anxiety might be said to be afflicted by this disorder
Anxiety and fear are ubiquitous emotions. The terms anxiety and fear have specific scientific meanings, but common usage has made them interchangeable. For example, a phobia is a kind of anxiety that is also defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) as a "persistent or irrational fear." Fear is defined as an emotional and physiological response to a recognized external threat (eg, a runaway car or an impending crash in an airplane). Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state, the sources of which are less readily identified. It is frequently accompanied by physiological symptoms that may lead to fatigue or even exhaustion. Because fear of recognized threats causes similar unpleasant mental and physical changes, patients use the terms fear and anxiety interchangeably. Thus, there is little need to strive to differentiate anxiety from fear. However, distinguishing among different anxiety disorders is important, since accurate diagnosis is more likely to result in effective treatment and a better prognosis.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is a common chronic disorder that affects twice as many women as men and can lead to considerable impairment
Panic disorder
In panic disorder, a person suffers brief attacks of intense terror and apprehension that cause trembling and shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing, and feelings of impending doom or a situation that would be embarrassing. One who is often plagued by sudden bouts of intense anxiety might be said to be afflicted by this disorder
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tips for Getting Your Daily Dose of Sleep even in your times of stress
(1)Give yourself “permission” to go to bed. As hard as it may be to put away your “to do” list, make sleep a priority. You’ll thank yourself in the morning.
(2) Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.
(3) Develop a sleep ritual. Doing the same things each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night
(4) Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in check by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up close to the same time each morning -- even on weekends.
(5) Create a restful sleep environment. Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room.
(6) Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It’s difficult to sleep on a bed that’s too small, too soft, too hard, or too old.
(7) Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress -- but don’t exercise too close to bedtime or you may have trouble falling asleep.
(8) Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
(9) Don’t smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night.
(10) Reduce alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep.
(2) Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.
(3) Develop a sleep ritual. Doing the same things each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night
(4) Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in check by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up close to the same time each morning -- even on weekends.
(5) Create a restful sleep environment. Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room.
(6) Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It’s difficult to sleep on a bed that’s too small, too soft, too hard, or too old.
(7) Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress -- but don’t exercise too close to bedtime or you may have trouble falling asleep.
(8) Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
(9) Don’t smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night.
(10) Reduce alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Ten Ways to know if you are stress
Do you have trouble sleeping?
Do you never have enough time at work?
Do you hate your work?
Are you irritable? Do you over-react when something goes wrong?
Are you more bad-tempered than you used to be?
Are you listless?
Do you ever suffer from heart burn or indigestion? Have you ever had ulcers?
Do you get migraine headaches?
Do you have high blood pressure?
Do you get every cough or cold going?
If you answered Yes to any one of these questions ...
... you are suffering from stress.
Do you never have enough time at work?
Do you hate your work?
Are you irritable? Do you over-react when something goes wrong?
Are you more bad-tempered than you used to be?
Are you listless?
Do you ever suffer from heart burn or indigestion? Have you ever had ulcers?
Do you get migraine headaches?
Do you have high blood pressure?
Do you get every cough or cold going?
If you answered Yes to any one of these questions ...
... you are suffering from stress.
Tips For Stress Relief
If you feel tense, make sure you consciously breathe in and out slowly and steadily to combat the shallow breathing and breath holding we tend towards when anxious.
Maintain good posture. You spend most of your day sitting or standing. If your spine isn't’ in proper alignment, you will strain your back and neck. If you slouch while sitting you will compress your insides, including your diaphragm, and will breath shallowly.
To loosen up the neck, where many people carry their stress - Stand or sit up straight with the bottom of your spine turned under. (Do not arch your back) Let your head fall forward, keeping the neck and shoulders relaxed. Slowly swing your head to one side, then let it drop and swing to the other side.
While doing stationary exercises such as riding a stationary bike or an elliptical trainer, watching TV can make exercise more fun.
For non-stationary exercises such as walking, listening to music or listening to audiobooks may help pass the time.
Maintain good posture. You spend most of your day sitting or standing. If your spine isn't’ in proper alignment, you will strain your back and neck. If you slouch while sitting you will compress your insides, including your diaphragm, and will breath shallowly.
To loosen up the neck, where many people carry their stress - Stand or sit up straight with the bottom of your spine turned under. (Do not arch your back) Let your head fall forward, keeping the neck and shoulders relaxed. Slowly swing your head to one side, then let it drop and swing to the other side.
While doing stationary exercises such as riding a stationary bike or an elliptical trainer, watching TV can make exercise more fun.
For non-stationary exercises such as walking, listening to music or listening to audiobooks may help pass the time.
5 effective exercises for stress relief
Aerobics
Aerobics exercises are popular stress relief exercises. Doing aerobic exercises help the heart to pump faster causing the body to release endorphins that relieve stress. Getting your heart to pump a little faster at least 15 minutes a day is good for reliving stress. However, it is best to consult a doctor prior to starting any exercise program to ensure that is suited for you.
Walking
Walking every morning for at least 30 minutes is a good way to manage stress. It causes the heart to pump faster and also helps in releasing toxins through perspiration. Also, exposure to the sun brings constructive effects on your mood.
Stretching
Stretching activities help stimulate receptors in the nervous system that reduces stress. It also helps relax and loosen tight muscles for a better blood flow.
Strength Exercises
Although strength exercises are not as effective as aerobics and stretching in relieving stress, a lot of individuals find that engaging in strengthening exercises can help alleviate stress. Strength exercises help muscles become stronger for preventing injuries. Also, a well-toned body can contribute to both physical and mental wellness.
Yoga Exercises
Yoga is probably the best among stress relief exercises because it involves the body, the mind and the spirit. Yoga exercises help improve body strength and flexibility and include breathing methods that help the body relax.
Stress relief exercises that involve mind, body, meditation and deep breathing exercises help reduce high blood pressure that also causes stress. Different activities like getting a massage or undergoing aroma therapy can be a very effective way to relieve stress. The important thing is that you should make fitness your priority because regularly exercising can relieve both depression and anxiety.
Aerobics exercises are popular stress relief exercises. Doing aerobic exercises help the heart to pump faster causing the body to release endorphins that relieve stress. Getting your heart to pump a little faster at least 15 minutes a day is good for reliving stress. However, it is best to consult a doctor prior to starting any exercise program to ensure that is suited for you.
Walking
Walking every morning for at least 30 minutes is a good way to manage stress. It causes the heart to pump faster and also helps in releasing toxins through perspiration. Also, exposure to the sun brings constructive effects on your mood.
Stretching
Stretching activities help stimulate receptors in the nervous system that reduces stress. It also helps relax and loosen tight muscles for a better blood flow.
Strength Exercises
Although strength exercises are not as effective as aerobics and stretching in relieving stress, a lot of individuals find that engaging in strengthening exercises can help alleviate stress. Strength exercises help muscles become stronger for preventing injuries. Also, a well-toned body can contribute to both physical and mental wellness.
Yoga Exercises
Yoga is probably the best among stress relief exercises because it involves the body, the mind and the spirit. Yoga exercises help improve body strength and flexibility and include breathing methods that help the body relax.
Stress relief exercises that involve mind, body, meditation and deep breathing exercises help reduce high blood pressure that also causes stress. Different activities like getting a massage or undergoing aroma therapy can be a very effective way to relieve stress. The important thing is that you should make fitness your priority because regularly exercising can relieve both depression and anxiety.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)