depression

Common depression challenges and what to do about them

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

For people who are depressed it often takes a lot of time (months to years) to feel better. That means, for your depressed loved one they’ll be living with painful symptoms and need to learn what to do about them.

Here’s a list of some of the challenges your loved one could be dealing with right now and ways to help them deal with them powerfully. This article was written for them so feel free to share it after you read it.

Depressed and waiting to get professional help: Common challenges

CHALLENGE: You don’t want to socialize with anyone

Right now, for you, talking could take too much of effort. It can be extremely stressful when you have to explain what you’re dealing with. Or, defend yourself for not wanting to be social. You could also be suffering from feelings of guilt. You might be thinking you’re a burden to others and you don’t want to put them out by letting them know how bad you feel.

Words from someone who’s been there: Don’t put yourself down for not wanting to be social at this point of your life. It’s okay. Give yourself a break. Allow yourself to be alone if you need to.

What is important though, is that you are as honest as possible (as you feel comfortable being) with people who are closest to you. Be straight with them. Teach them how to communicate with you. Tell them how much time you need to be alone. If you tell them what you are going through when you feel better you won’t have to deal with a trail of broken relationships.

CHALLENGE: Your body aches

Physically your body might be in breakdown. If you feel like you are 100 years old it’s because biologically there could be things happening to you that are causing your body to go into slow motion.

The cause could be stress, which leads to inflammation in the body and tension in the muscles. Or, it could be a neurological issue causing you to have difficulties processing information in the brain. You may also have fibromyalgia.

Words from someone who’s been there: Treat your sore body with physical therapies. Take hot baths. Sit in a sauna or hot a tub. Get a massage. Do whatever exercises you can do to loosen up. This could be anything from stretching, walking, or yoga to running. Find what works for you.

CHALLENGE: You can’t stop yourself from eating

If you’ve developed binge eating disorder it’s quite normal during severe depression. When the body is experiencing pain the brain goes into a survival mode seeking pleasure to help it cope and to keep you alive. When you can’t get happy sometimes food is the only thing that provides you with the pleasure you are craving.

At the neurological level, the brain acts before you take action. So, if you feel powerless with your urges, that is because you kind of are. When the brain is starved of the nutrients it needs to create serotonin, your body craves sugar and carbohydrates.

Words from someone who’s been there: Try to control your eating by staying away from food when it’s not meal time. When you do eat, eat in the company of others. Even though it might be embarrassing, ask others for support to keep food away from you by locking cupboards.

Do your best not to blame yourself if you can’t stop eating. It’s a phase that will pass. If you are gaining weight rapidly you can lose it when you are healthy. Weight comes and goes and it’s under your control. I personally gained 30lbs during my depression and lost it within 2 months during my recovery.

During this time, it’s important to eat a well balanced diet as best you can – carbs, protein, vegetables, fruits and dairy. Avoid eating processed foods. They will make the issue worse.

CHALLENGE: You don’t want to eat

If you have no appetite you may not be eating properly. That’s a major issue if you are trying to get healthy. It’s essential that you eat a well balanced healthy, process-free diet.

Words from someone who’s been there: Ask for support from someone close to you to help you eat. Eat with others if you can. If you really can’t bring yourself to eat, get a shake from a health store. It will help you get the nutrients you need to get better and it takes no effort to make or ingest.

CHALLENGE: Your body is weak but your mind is jumpy

You know what I mean if this is happening to you. You feel like a senior citizen but your brain is skipping from one thing to another. Or, you just find it impossible to concentrate on anything.

Words from someone who’s been there: Busying yourself with a basic task like cleaning a room, playing a simple game, or painting a picture can help. Sometimes talking to someone can help stop the mental chatter. Music is another great thing to put in your ear. You may need to walk around with an ipod and a set of ear phones.

Sometimes nothing helps. The important thing to know is that it will get better. It’s just a phase. If it’s really bad, go to the emergency room. Sometimes physicians will prescribe a temporary sedative medicine to get you through a rough time.

CHALLENGE: Your thinking about killing yourself but you don’t want to have to

When the pain of life is unbearable and you can’t see an end, it’s easy to get hopeless. If can’t stop thinking about suicide you are in an emergency situation. If the thoughts are going as far as to how you would take your life, you are not in a state to even trust yourself.

Words from someone who’s been there: If you are having suicidal thoughts that are persistent and constant the best thing to do is to let someone know. Choose someone you can feel comfortable talking to and who will be able to deal with what you say to them.

Call a crisis line for support. Call 911 for immediate assistance. Don’t think you can wait it out.

How art therapy can help relieve depression

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

Art is an incredible tool to help ease symptoms of depression. It is a way to divert thoughts about pain temporarily to get some relief. It can also encourage the feelings of pleasure, during bouts of depression.. It can include watching a form of entertainment, listening to music, or even creating a piece of visual art.

When I was in the hospital being treated for depression, there was great emphasis on art as a tool to escape and ease symptoms of mental and physical pain.

Share this article with your loved one and help them to try art as a hobby to relieve symptoms.

How art therapy can help relieve depression

Here are some of the art activities I used as therapeutic tools:

I listened to music and was able to get some enjoyment from life. The words helped me focus my thoughts. I listened to songs that reminded me that life would get better.

I watched funny shows. Even when I couldn’t laugh I could appreciate that these shows were funny. I remembered what it was like to enjoy the shows when I was healthy. I remembered how pleasurable they were.

Visual art projects helped me escape from negative thoughts. I created art pieces that made me feel as sense of a accomplishment at a time in my life where my body and energy levels restrained my actions.

Using visual art therapy:

I found visual art projects to be the most helpful for depression. Though, there are times that using art as a therapeutic tool can be frustrating. Here are some rules to help you using art to relieve symptoms of depression:

Here are the rules for using art as therapy:

Choose a simple art task: Don’t try to create a masterpiece if you are not a regularly practiced artist, and especially if you think you have no artistic skill. That’s not what this is about. It’s about losing yourself in a project that requires you to focus on something beautiful and inspiring. Choose an art project that a Grade 3 student would do such as: Coloring a picture, painting with your fingers, or painting a piece of clay.
Keep it to yourself unless you feel like sharing. Creating a piece of art for the purpose of therapy and enjoyment can be personal. You don’t need to make something you think other people will love. It’s more about exploration. You don’t need to share your piece. If you want to go for it. But make sure you are comfortable with constructive criticism.
Stop if you get frustrated. If the project you chose is making you irritable, angry, or mad at yourself, it’s time to stop. Clearly this isn’t a relaxing process. Stop. Throw away the piece you are working on (or come back to it another time) and start again later.

If you’re interested in losing your mind in art, here is list of suggested projects. It’s hard to go wrong with these art projects:

Paint ceramics. Go an art supply store and purchase a piece of clay that inspires you. Buy some acrylic paints and clear glaze.
Get a coloring book and color in a pictures.
Purchase a paint by numbers kit.
Use acrylic paints on a canvas, and props, like plastic forks and knives, to make paint an abstract picture.
Learn how to Zentangle. It’s very relaxing design technique. Anyone can create a beautiful picture.

How doctors diagnose depression

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

The most common diagnostic tool used by doctors to help them decide if a patient with symptoms of depression is actually suffering from the full on illness (and not just a passing state of feeling sad that’s caused by a life event) is a questionnaire.

How do doctors diagnose depression? Here are the common tests they use:

Currently the most common ones are:

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD)
Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
Beck Depression Inventory
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

Your doctor will likely used one of these tests to assess you. Questions are similar in nature for each. They ask you about symptoms your experiencing – such as: Sleep disturbances, issues with fatigue, suicidal thoughts, feeling uninspired or hopeless, loss of motivation, loss of pleasure. They will also ask you questions to help them understand the severity of your symptoms.

Here are some examples of the types of questions you may be asked:

Have you lost interest in activities you used to find pleasurable?
Ae you experiencing changes in appetite such as eating too much or not feeling like you want to eat?
Are you having difficulty concentrating?
Having you been experiencing thoughts of suicide, death, or wanting to die?

In most cases, if you have felt hopeless for a least two weeks or more and it’s so bad it’s affecting your life – you’re having trouble going to work, socializing, enjoying activities you once thought were pleasurable etc. – these are high indications you have depression.

The diagnostic criteria for depression appears in a medical text for mental illness called the DSM-IV. (Read the diagnostic criteria here).

Your doctor will also likely run some basic biological tests to rule out other potential issues that cause depression. The most common ones are the:

Physical exam. Your doctor will likely examine your body to ensure there is nothing notable wrong with your physiology that could be causing depression symptoms.
Blood tests : A blood sample may be taken and a complete blood count (CBC) will be performed. This helps the doctor find out if you have any hormonal issues or a vitamin deficiency.

How doctors “fix depression”: Antidepressants

If your doctor rules out all other medical issues that could be causing your depressed mood and suggests a diagnosis of major depression they’ll likely treat you by prescribing an antidepressant medication. Doctors are trained to fix medical problems and this is how they do cure depression. It’s the only tool available to them, aside from referring you to a different type of specialist.

You need to be aware that the problem with this route is that they may skip identifying other potential causes for your depression. They will treat the symptoms without curing them. So, you need to investigate therapeutic forms of treatment that teach you how to proactively deal with negative and uncomfortable emotions.

What you need to understand about antidepressant medications:

Finding the right antidepressant for you is like finding the perfect wedding dress. You have to “try on” many to find what works for you. This is because the current diagnostic criteria that doctors use is based on asking you a line of questions, ruling out other illnesses with basic physical tests, and then making an educated assumption.

They don’t do a brain scan to see what’s really going on and here’s why:

It would put too much pressure on the medical system to do these tests for the number of people who end up in their office with symptoms of depression. There are too many people that treating everyone would cause a dramatic back up. This would lead to longer treatment wait times, and possibly more deaths. So, prescribing an antidepressant is the fastest way to treat depression.
Even if they could see what brain regions were affected it still wouldn’t tell them anything about how the condition was caused and thus what treatment to use. So, brain scans would help to identify the problem but hast nothing to do with treating it. Therefore, it’s a lot of fuss for no reason.

So, they test you on a medication for 4-6 weeks and if it doesn’t work, they try something else. If you get worse, well, the sad truth is, sometimes that’s part of the process.

As you can see, this is hardly an effective treatment. But for now, it’s all doctors have. A questionnaire, some basic tests and a lot of trial and error with antidepressants.

But, don’t blame the doctor, it’s the system that’s flawed. We don’t know enough. And because we don’t know our treatment options are unfortunately somewhat limited right now. That is why it’s important to do what you can to help speed up your recovery process.

Medical illnesses where depression is a symptom

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

Here’s a list of medical and mental illnesses (in alphabetical order) where depression occurs as a symptom. If you’re feeling depressed or suicidal you may have another issue you may not have considered. This is why it is always important to see a General Practitioner/Family Doctor. They will be able to rule out any other underlying medical concerns that could be related to your depressed mood.

This list has basic descriptions. If you are concerned you may have one of these illnesses you’ll want to do more of your own research, as well as, consult a trained medical professional.

Medical and mental illnesses where depression is a symptom:

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is characterized by having extreme mood swings that fluctuate between depression and mania. When you feel depressed you have low energy, you feel hopeless and unhappy and have difficulty with daily activities. This depressed mood fluctuates with mania. During mania you may feel completely euphoric. You’re likely highly productive, and full of energy. Or, you may be completely impulsive and do things like gamble, party and have a lot of sex. There are different types of bipolar and each has different characteristics.

Borderline personality disorder

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image and emotions. They are commonly considered unstable by friends and family members. Their moods fluctuate often and they have a tendency to say things that hurt people’s feelings. They often have a unhealthy self-image, which is related to unhealthy social interactions early in life. Some people with BPD exhibit impulsive and destructive self-injurious behaviors, like: Cutting themselves, attempting suicide and have lots of casual sex.

Brain tumor

Depending on where a brain tumor is situated it may affect an individual’s mood and personality. An individual with a brain tumor will often start to act completely different from their past behaviors.

Eating disorders

The types of eating disorders are:

Anorexia – starvation behaviors
Bullemia – cycles of eating and purging the body of food
Binge eating – starving and then consuming large amounts of food in a short amount of time

While each type of eating disorder has different behaviors associated, they are all connected to unhealthy perceptions and relationships with food, weight and body image.

Fibromyalgia

Doctors don’t have a clear understanding of what causes fibromyalgia. Though, many researchers believe it’s a problem with the way the brain deals with pain signals. Individuals who suffer from it deal with widespread pain that can occur in the neck, shins, elbows, lower back, hips and knees. Pain and stiffness can be worse in the morning. Individuals with fibromyalgia often experience fatigue, trouble sleeping or concentrating, or have frequent headaches.

Hypopituitarism

Hypopituitarism is a rare disorder where the pituitary glands (an gland found in the brain that secretes hormones into the blood) don’t make enough hormones that are necessary in bodily functions of: Growth, metabolism, and sexual development. It’s often caused by brain tumors, head injuries, or infections.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland can’t produce enough thyroid hormone. The thyrod gland affects how the body produces energy. The result of low thyroid is a slowing of body processes. Weight gain, fatigue and low mood.

Lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease (that doctors do not completely understand). The body attacks healthy tissue in different ways. Symptoms are: Severe exhaustion, joint pain, and a “butterfly rash” on the cheeks and the bridge of the nose. Individuals with lupus may have mild symptoms, while some will develop life-threatening versions of the disease that attack the the kidneys and other organs. Symptoms come and go frequently. They can clear up entirely, disappear from months to years and return again.

Obesity

Individuals with excess weight often suffer from depression. What is less clear whether it’s depression or weight gain that happens first. Eitherway, depression and weight gain go hand-in-hand. Trouble managing food and urges, increased appetite coupled with reduced activity and weight gain can lead to depression and thoughts of suicide. One recent study found that overall, obese individuals have a 20 percent elevated risk of depression.

Pick’s disease

Pick’s disease is a rare type of dementia that affects areas of the brain. It is similar in nature to Alzhiemers. Though, it has a more major affect on mood and behavior. It often runs in families. It starts between the ages of 40-60. Once symptoms start it takes usually 2-10 years for an individual with Pick’s to become fully disabled.

Porphyria

Porphyria is a rare genetic condition that affects the skin and nerves. It’s caused by low enzyme levels that prevent the body from making an essential protein in red blood cells. Without it, destructive chemicals build up in the blood and cause damage.

Postpartum

Many new mothers experience the “baby blues” within the first two weeks-four weeks after giving birth. Doctors suggest that all mothers are susceptible to it anytime within the first year of the baby’s life. New mothers deal with major life changes, sometimes loneliness, dealing with new fears, and changes in hormone and lack of sleep. But, postpartum depression is more severe and long-lasting. It occurs when the depression last longer than two weeks. Symptoms are: Sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, loss of interest in things, guilt, changes in appetite, and insomnia. Sometimes a woman may experience negative feelings about her baby or thoughts of harming her child. In rare cases, postpartum psychosis can occur and the woman will experience delusions of hallucinations. Symptoms that last for more than two weeks or even up to a week should be addressed immediately to prevent unnecessary harm to the mother or baby from occurring.

PTSD

Post traumatic stress disorder is delayed anxiety disorder that occurs 6 months to one year after an event. It can happens commonly to individuals who suffer from a dangerous or traumatic experiences, such as a war, natural disaster, abuse, assault, or accident. Many individuals who have PTSD experience flashbacks, bad dreams about the event or have difficulty sleeping. They may also feel agitated, guilty, depressed, or emotionally numb. Individuals with PTSD may avoid people or things that remind them of the event.

Premenstral Dysphoric Disorder

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome where a woman experience major mood fluctuations that interfere with her ability to do regular activities. It occurs immediately before menstruation and often goes away during her period. It can cause a women to be severely depressed, or irritable. The causes are not fully known, but hormonal changes and fluctuation of the brain chemical serotonin may play a part.

Premenstral syndrome (PMS)

PMS is a common condition that affects many women during the two weeks prior to their period. Symptoms vary from woman to woman. Generally, they include such things as bloating, irritability, fatigue, breast swelling and tenderness, and depressed mood. The mood may be slightly distressing but will not interfere with a woman’s ability to carry out regular activities.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental illness. People who have schizophrenia often hear voices, see things that aren’t there, or believe that the world is plotting against them. It can occur between the teen years and age 40. Doctors don’t understand exactly what causes schizophrenia, but it can run in families. It can also be brought on through regular substance abuse that over time causes changes in brain chemistry. There is no cure for schizophrenia. Therapy and medications can help treat symptoms and many people can live happy lives with this illness.

Substance Abuse

Mood is highly affected mental drinking alcohol or taking drugs, (including some prescription drugs). While a substance will bring a mood up and make an individual feel better immediately after taking in, it also brings their mood down further as the substance wheres off. The symptoms are the same as depression or mania: depressed mood, lack of interest in activities, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, sleep problems, talkativeness, distractedness, or suicidal thoughts.

SAD

Seasonal depression, or SAD, is depression that occurs every year during a change of season. SAD can cause problems ranging from sadness and sleep problems to anxiety and moodiness. SAD is most common in fall and winter when the weather turns cold, people spend more time indoors and they weather can be grey and rainy. In this case, symptoms will improve during spring and summer months. In rare cases, people have SAD in spring and summer and their symptoms improve in the fall. Doctors are unclear what causes said. It could be related to light, hormones, lack of vitamin D from the sun or changes in body temperature. SAD is treated with light therapy, antidepressants, and psychotherapy.

If you feel depressed your first step is to get a diagnosis and rule out all other issues that could be affecting your mood. And, most importantly, make sure you take small daily actions to live a great life that you love to wake up.

Understanding the difference between depression and sadness

February 24, 2016 By Kay Walker

The word “depression” is one of the most commonly misused words in the english language. People use it incorrectly when they are trying to explain feeling sad. But sadness and depression are two very different things. Below, each is defined and key differences are highlighted to help illustrate how sadness and depression differ.

Understanding the difference between depression and sadness

Sadness defined:

SADNESS is a normal human emotion that is characterized by a state (or states) of feeling unhappy. It is not constant, meaning it comes and goes. One moment you can feel sad, an hour later after being with a friend you may feel happy.

Being sad is a healthy response to unpleasant life events. It’s valuable because it can help you decipher what you want or don’t want. It also helps you feel and understand the reverse emotional state, which is happiness.

Sadness occurs in frequency on a scale that ranges from brief and fleeting moments of sad feelings to severe lengthy periods related to major life traumas. For example, the death of a loved one can make you feel sad for months.

Depression defined:

DEPRESSION is a medical condition that affects mood. It’s unclear what specifically causes it, though experts agree it is a physical issue where a variety of factors related to both internal and external processes lead to a neurological chemical imbalance. The most current research suggests that individuals with depression have a 25% smaller brain region for regulating emotion (called the hippocampus).

It is often difficult for individuals who have not experienced depression to understand it, because it’s not something that can be seen or measured. It’s not like other physical ailments, like a broken leg.

Characterizing someone with depression as “sad”, suggests they have the ability to control their mood. That is not the case. They are physically unable to be happy.

Key differences:

Depression is debilitating. The low mood is so pervasive that it interferes with an individual’s ability to do normal things like: Go to work, concentrate on basic activities like watching a movie, take care of themselves or their family, or want to get out of bed. When you’re sad you can still do basic tasks even if you don’t feel happy.
Sadness fluctuates. Depression is constant.
People with depression feel sad. People who are sad do not necessary get depression.
Individuals with depression have no ability to change their mood. No matter what actions they take, they often still feeling an underlying feeling of emptiness and their mental processes feel slowed.
Depression makes you feel like you don’t want to live. Sadness makes you feel low but still hopeful. You can recognize that you have a life to live for.
Sadness doesn’t produce significant weight changes or prolonged periods of sleep changes.
Sadness does not involve psychotic events like delusions or hallucinations.
Depression requires multiple forms of treatment that involve nutrition, exercise, self care and many times, medication.