Showing posts with label Bipolar Disorder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bipolar Disorder. Show all posts

Sunday, October 4, 2009

About Bipolar Depression

You may not understand much about some mental disorders, but they are something that can happen to almost anyone. Even those that have gone through most of their lives with no issues what so ever may end up with something wrong. When this happens, they soon learn that there is no way to truly understand a disorder like this without having gone through it. That does not mean someone cannot understand some of it, but it does mean that the patient must do their best to help someone understand at least some of it. Those with bipolar depression may have a hard time doing this because the condition can be very complex.

There are two parts to a bipolar disorder. Someone with this condition has moments of mania and then periods of depression. That is why this disorder is sometimes called ‘manic depressive’. The two states are the total opposites of each other. The mania period is usually short while the bipolar depression state can go on for months at a time. This depression can be very bad, and can lead to thoughts of suicide. These thoughts and this state of mind should never be taken lightly. If someone you know has bipolar depression, you should take everything they say very seriously, even if things don’t make sense. It could be a cry for help.

There are many great medications for those that are suffering from bipolar depression. The problem with these is that some start to feel better and more normal and evened out so they stop taking their medications without talking with their doctors first. Someone with bipolar depression may need to see a doctor/psychiatrist once month for a few years to be sure the medications are working as they should. When the patient feels a shift into depression or mania, they should make yet another appointment for stopping their meds or taking more.

If you have bipolar depression, you can’t expect those around you to understand it completely, but that does not mean they should not learn all that they can. If they make no effort to do so, take the time to give them the resources they need to learn about bipolar depression. The more the can understand, the more they can help you when you need it the most. There may not be much they can do to help, but just knowing they have some understanding and that they are there for you can make all of the difference in the world.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Anger And Depression

When some people get depressed, they simply get extremely withdrawn. They go around in a solitary stupor, not wanting to talk to other people and blaming themselves for everything. For me, however, anger and depression go hand-in-hand. When I am angry and depressed, I feel like the world is out to get me. I don't withdraw from the world. I resent it and hate it and want to fight with it. It is an unpleasant feeling, but one that I can't let go of. The depression and anger spiral out of control until I can't be around anyone without finding them difficult to tolerate in the extreme.

Of course, as a psychology major I have some insight into my own condition. There are a lot of different ways people deal with depression, and I know what purpose mine serves and why I do it. Feeling depressed and hopeless is just too hard for me. I would rather feel angry and depressive, keeping the rage inside of me. It gives me motivation to do things and helps me work my way out of my clinical depression.

The problem is that, in some ways, Anger and depression stop me from seeing the role that I play in my own ongoing problems. When I went in for cognitive psychology counseling, I would often argue in circles with my therapist, debating why I was unhappy. He claims that I couldn't see certain self-destructive patterns in my life because of the anger and depression that I felt, and that that was one of the main reasons that I was miserable all the time. I was more inclined to blame things that were beyond my control as a way to escape from responsibility. I was living a very active life and not sinking into brooding, lethargic misery, but at the same time I was unwilling to change and let go of all of that hatred.

I guess this is the double-edged sword of aggressive psychology. People prone to aggressive thinking have so much fire in their bellies that they can really take on the world. On the other hand, we tend to be our own worst enemies. We are so keyed up to fight for our own rights that we sometimes miss it when we trample on other people and their rights, or even when we get in our own ways. Sometimes, just letting go of all the anger and depression makes a much bigger difference than lashing out will. I've been trying to learn this in depression counseling, but it's a slow process. Hopefully, some day I will finally get it and be able to break the cycle of depression and anger.

Friday, July 3, 2009

What Causes Depression?

If you have never been through depression, you may not understand what is and why happens. When something bad happens in our lives, we are generally sad for a while, but we do get over things and life goes back to normal. Those with depression, however, tend to be sad for no obvious reason, or can’t come out of their funk when something bad happens in their lives. This overwhelming sadness can lead to suicide if is not treated properly. Some argue about what causes depression, but most understand is actually an imbalance in the brain that can be treated.

Someone with moderate depression may not know they even have . They may just assume they feel like everyone else. In this case, what causes depression to deepen to dangerous levels can be a bad or troubling event in their life. It might even be a small annoyance, but might be enough to make someone sink into a deeper depression that needs immediate treatment. When the chemicals in the brain are not working correctly, the feel good hormones that make us happy and optimistic are blocked, and that is one of the major causes of depression that can lead to someone ending their lives.

Some debate about what causes depression, but there is one thing that should never be debated. When someone feels that they have to end their life, they need help immediately. There are many medications and even lifestyle changes that can turn what causes depression around, but they can’t be helped if they will not see a doctor. A psychiatrist is trained to spot depression and other mental health issues, and they can pinpoint what causes depression in each person so the proper medications can be given.

If you think you are suffering from depression, but those around you are telling you to ‘get over ’ or to ‘just move on and forget ,’ you have to ignore what they say. Those dark thoughts that lead to suicide are not anything that anyone asks for, and most would never dream they would have them until they happen. Any talk or thought of ending a life should be taken seriously immediately, and proper treatment should be undertaken as soon as possible. What causes depression may be something people cannot agree upon, but that doesn’t mean each and every case should not be taken seriously.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Depression causes Stress

Regardless of the pain, the dream which has been playing within your head continues with barely any interruption.

As your dreams approach their climax, the discomfort escalates further. Are you depressed? Typically , you can address mild stress headaches with the common OTC agony killers. Necessary oils will help you overcome depression in your life, and it can offer you a lift in perspective and a total overhaul in how you view your life. These drugs have unknown complications, and they can often become a negative effect on the mind. Aromatherapy is totally natural and it's a safe way to fight depression that has been used for millenia. Depression is also cause stress and stress is a famous killer for folks who keep feelings within. It can be the root of a loss of appetite, mood swings, and you can lose your job over serious depression. Fancy oils in aromatherapy can help, but joined with the above activities you will find your depression slowly fading. The important oils may be employed separately for their individual benefits to help fight depression.

Jasmine Jasmine is a sensuous necessary oil that helps you are saying yourself. But if your headache has now begun to interrupt your life, occurring for days at a time and striking even in your sleep that you are intensely awakened by the draining agony, then your headache can already be a healing quandary caused by an underlying depression. As in most situations, the presence of depression is hardly obvious that patients remain undiagnosed.

It's only thru determined observation whereby the worried individual exhibits other symptoms related to depression that medical mavens ultimately pay attention to their status.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

No better time to talk to your kids about money

While your preschooler may remain happily oblivious, your interested teen may be a little different. It is best for them to learn something from you than to leave it up to the negative and depressing illustrations in media. So when you sit your kids down to talk, what do you say?

Here are some suggestions: You can start by teaching them that everything in life is cyclical — and that goes for financial markets also. Things go up and things go down. And then they go up again and down again. You can liken it to a wave which goes up and down, or to a glass of water you set down on a flat surface. If you knock the glass, the water is disturbed but, in time, it will once again level out. A good way to illustrate this is to enlist a grandparent to talk to your child about growing up during the Great Depression.

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Monday, December 15, 2008

Teen suicide attempts can stem from wanting to ‘escape’

Depression, bipolar disorder or other psychological disorders, as well as alcohol and drug use. • Feeling of distress, irritability or agitation.• Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness.• A previous suicide attempt.• A family history of depression or suicide.• Physical or sexual abuse.• Lack of a support network, poor relationships with parents or peers, and feelings of social isolation.• Dealing with homosexuality in a non-supportive family or community or hostile school environment.Suicide among teens often occurs following a stressful life event, such as a perceived failure at school, a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a major family conflict.A teen who is thinking about suicide might:• Talk about suicide or death in general.• Talk about "going away."• Talk about feeling hopeless or feeling guilty.• Pull away from friends or family.• Lose the desire to take part in favorite things or activities.• Have trouble concentrating or thinking clearly.• Experience changes in eating or sleeping habits.• Self-destructive behavior (drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or driving too fast, for example).For parents, it’s important to know the warning signs, to keep your eyes and ears open, and to keep the lines of communication with your teen open.

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

How Reader Girl Got Her Groove Back

Eventually I had to admit that I was going through a literary depression. But I trudged along dutifully until the day I had one of them there Joycean epiphanies—I couldn't remember the last time I had stayed up reading into the squeaky hours of the night because I couldn't bear to put the book down.

How had that happened? I searched my memory for the last time reading had been a pleasure: age 15. Fantasy had been my favorite genre back then, so I checked out a few fantasies from my library. On the sly, of course. I read them huddled in my bed, nightlight and all. And felt punched in the gut. I'd been spoiled by all that fine literature and couldn't read past the sometimes unpolished and awkward writing enough to enjoy the story.

Well then, I thought, pulling myself up by my boot straps (oh, for genuine boot straps!), if your ideal book isn't out there, then go write it.

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Forum to focus on teen suicides

Although youth suicide is the topic of the workshop, Bowles prefers to focus on suicide as a product of depression, an illness that can be treated successfully. Bowles said he's been invited by schools to talk to students in the wake of a suicide.

"I talk mostly about depression because you don't know which one of those people are going to kill themselves," Bowles explained. "There is a lot of emphasis on suicide, but it should be on depression."

Everyone goes through bouts of depression, but red flags should go up if the depression lasts beyond two weeks, he said.

Individuals can try to overcome depression by talking to friends, exercising, eating healthy, getting sufficient rest, avoiding drugs or alcohol (which is a depressant), problem solving, doing something for others, not striving to be perfect ("nobody is," he said), laughing or taking a break from the sadness by deciding to "feel sorry for myself for (only) a half-hour today," he suggested.

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Friday, November 14, 2008

MNI researchers locate neurological basis of depression following sports concussion

Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University have identified the neurological basis of depression in male athletes with persisting post-concussion symptoms. The study, published in this weeks issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, has important clinical implications for the treatment of individuals who have suffered a cerebral concussion.

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Watching With Kids in Mind

Lily makes friends with Zach (Tristan Wilds), a brainy teen who works for the sisters and aims to be a lawyer.

Eventually, a truth emerges about Lily's mother, for whom she still pines. Memories of her mother's violent death haunt her. What could be sickly sweet instead has enough tartness to stay interesting. The film is fine for teens, but it does include some violence, death, racial epithets, profanity, sexual innuendo, drinking and a depression theme.

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8 and Older

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" (PG). Stereotypical ethnic humor and trite doggie-poop jokes intermingle with genuinely funny bits in this uneven live-action (well, mostly) family comedy. Real dogs "talk" to one another, thanks to computer animation.

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