It is important that when someone is depressed the care giver hides any drugs in the house that could be dangerous. This is especially the case if the person knows they are there. There is no doubt about the fact that drug overdose is a way which most people use to commit suicide and therefore these should be taken out of the home. It is important that the care givers try and convince the person - especially if they are young -about the futility of the plan when there are thoughts of suicide.
There is information to prove that family involvement in the treatment of depression is very good and effective especially for children and adolescents. There are times when the parents of such people with depression could be depressed or become depressed and therefore need therapy. The treatment that is instituted here would lead to a faster recovery of the sufferer. When the treatment for depression is accompanied by side effects the recovery process for the person then becomes quite difficult. Sometimes it is crucial to take the drugs for a number of weeks so that they will be effective.
When it comes to the medications, those who are given antidepressants within the first weeks of treatment have to be monitored closely for any side effects. One of the antidepressants is fluoxetine which is very powerful in the treatment of depression. This is especially the case when it is prescribed and taken consistently. However sometimes it could take like a week for the treatment to start working. But those who are not treated thereafter stand the risk of suicide which should be taken into account when the antidepressant therapy is started. The therapy should be recommended by a specialist.
The Relationship between Obesity and Depression
Those who are interested in this and have done some research on it will know that it is just like the chicken and egg debate. Even though there has been quite a lot of work done on the issue, it is still not confirmed which of the two out of depression and obesity appeared first. In a nutshell the issue has been widely discussed but there is still no single right answer. However, it is a fact that certain conditions are connected in such a way that one triggers the other and vice versa.
The main point that needs to be discussed here is that people often ignore the issue of obesity-related depression and this should not be the case. It is a medical condition and like any other medical condition it needs to be given proper attention in a similar manner.
One of the biggest reasons for obesity related depression is the overall attitude of society. The general attitude of society is that it considers obese people as unsuccessful, lazy and slow. All such negative notions are attached to them. This is a very stereotypical attitude and a very unhealthy one for that matter. There can be a number of reasons for one’s obesity. So it is not right to judge everyone in the same way. However, no matter how many times we say that this is wrong, it is still happening. This negative attitude is adopted by the majority of the people. This action is what contributes to the low self esteem of those people suffering from obesity. It then leads them into depression.
Depression and considering oneself less worthy compared to others is also related to the social standards that have been set and are followed in this materialistic world. This does not mean that all social standards are bad but one needs to review the artificial ones that have been set.
The depression related to obesity can also be related to hormones as well. Imbalance of hormones is one of the reasons for obesity. This imbalance can also lead to depression. Therefore, one cannot point their finger at any issue as they all are quite interlinked. The best way to handle this issue is to see the doctor, who can help the individual with a combination of medication and therapy. The results have not only been positive but very good. Therefore one should not hesitate to ask for help. It is one’s right and should not be ignored.
The Difference between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist
The simplest explanation to the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist is that to treat depression, the first one takes a medical approach, while the latter does not. Psychologists can help their depressed patients by using counseling and psychotherapy. She or he might hold a recognized doctoral degree or Ph.D. and is usually called a "doctor," but not in the way we call a medical doctor or M.D.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors and as such they might perform psychotherapy. They can prescribe some medications and carry out medical procedures like ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) and/or TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation). There is however, an exception to the above mentioned. There are states – Louisiana and New Mexico – that allow properly trained medical psychologists to legally prescribe medication. Some limitations apply, though.
If the question “What's the Difference between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist?” is asked, most people will feel that this question sounds pretty much like the setup for a joke. However, it is a crucial difference that you should understand. And you need to get the whole idea if you’re an apprentice of psychology or just a typical patient who is looking for a reliable provider of mental health. As a matter of fact, the two terms "psychologist" and "psychiatrist" oftentimes are utilized interchangeably for describing anybody who is offering therapy based services. Even though psychologists and psychiatrists are both experts at conducting psychotherapy and research on it, there are crucial differences lying between these two professions.
The basic difference is in three factors and namely - Education, Training, and Credentials. The simple answer lies within the academic background that is required for every profession. Psychiatrists have a special degree in medicine, whereas psychologists have a doctoral-level degree in psychology. But there are some other distinctions which make these professions pretty unique. Psychologists get graduate level training in psychology. They then pursue a Ph.D. (acronym for Doctor of Philosophy) or a Psy.D. (acronym for Doctor of Psychology) focused on clinical / counseling psychology.
Actually, doctorate programs usually take between five and seven years to complete. Then again, a great majority of the states now require an extra one or two-year long internship for getting licensure. There are other states that require an extra year (maybe two) of highly supervised practice prior to issuing a full licensure. The term "psychologist" can be utilized by somebody who has the above mentioned education, training and state licensure. Actually, informal titles like "counselor" or "therapist" are oftentimes seen too, but many other mental healthcare professionals like licensed social workers could claim such titles as well. In general, psychologists do not necessarily work with people who suffer from some form of mental condition. They often work with perfectly healthy individuals who are going through stressful times.
Psychiatrists are actually the physicians who have particular training in the appraisal, diagnoses, treatment and prevention of different types of mental illnesses. Psychiatrists nowadays attend medical schools to get their M.D. When they are done with their clinical training, they’ll also be able to complete an additional 4 years of residency training focused on mental health. Besides this, there are some people out there who receive extra training in a particular area of interest like geriatric psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addictions or other areas. Prescribing medications is also an important area of difference.
This is the second vital distinction that lies between these two lines of careers. Psychiatrists are able to prescribe medications, whereas in a great majority of the states psychologists can’t. However, there’s been a fresh push to grant prescribing powers to psychologists. Some states like New Mexico or Louisiana currently grant prescribing privileges to today’s medical psychologists who hold a post-doctoral degree (or maybe the equivalent) in medical psychopharmacology.
Kevin McGuinness, who is serving as the chairman of the Commissioned Corps Mental Health Functional Advisory Group, recently clarified the things for people who are fond of a career path in psychology – especially as a prescriber. It’s crucial that every future psychologist is aware of the fact that some federal employees or uniformed commissioned officers (e.g. Army, Air Force, Public Health Service, Navy officers) who are licensed in any state as clinical psychologists have the legal right to prescribe medications in any other state that they’re assigned to by the federal government.
Symptoms of Severe Depression
Do you know how major depression tends to differ from depression? Well, major depression could be classified with 5 or even more types of symptoms experienced in two weeks. And these are coupled with changes in your sleeping and/or eating habits. For the other symptoms, please read further. If you want to scrutinize the symptoms in details, you should know that there are some special kinds of screening tests you can do for further concluding the diagnosis of severe or major depression.
No one is immune to this form of depression, but it’s reported that ladies are comparatively more vulnerable to getting this type of depression compared to men. However, the 3 main symptoms that you should watch out for are fatigue or low energy, sleep trouble or too much sleep and finally withdrawal from social activities that the person once loved doing. There isn’t any need to explain these symptoms, as they’re self explanatory. However, the main causes could range anywhere from negligible incidents triggering tremendous responses to a severe chemical imbalance triggering extreme behavioral changes. No matter what the cause is, it always remains a pretty serious condition calling for your attention.
The most extreme avenue of relief that people seek out is suicide. Just as we all know, there are many people out there suffering from depression who have undertaken this destructive route. True, you can find temporary relief with pills or drugs, however in the long run the drugs could in fact turn out to be much more harmful. What is further complicating the issue is the fact today’s health plans are gradually trimming back the underlying benefits.
They are overloaded as well and cannot always provide individuals with the care required for depressive conditions. If you just rule out the case of some sort of chemical imbalance causing the problem, you could take a good look at this problem’s emotional side. Somewhere in the horizon, hope and optimism go away from the mind of the patient. Depression is the opposite to hope. When somebody loses hope it is called depression. And the longer such a condition is allowed to persist, the deeper the roots of it will go, making it harder to treat and cure.
It’s imperative that you focus on this problem early on. Doing this as early as you can is vital. Millions of people get caught with depression every single day because of their modern, stressful lifestyle. While some are rather prone to depression problems due to heredity factors, hormonal imbalance can also affect the bodily system as well as the mental disposition. Often women who have given birth may undergo post-partum depression resulting from a sudden plunge of hormonal levels. After some months, the hormones stabilize and the new mom can slowly adjust to the newborn and recommence her normal lifestyle.
Sudden changes in your life could also trigger depression as people generally resist change. When economic downturn happens in life, many people become gravely depressed because they end up losing their jobs and because they also face higher mortgage loans, which they must repay. Usually, when a great depression period sets in, many income generating people (mostly husbands) actually commit suicide, while others end up abandoning their family, since they want to react to the troubled times, but they find themselves helpless.
Then again, changes in your life (e.g. divorce, demise of the spouse) turn out to be demanding events. Individuals experiencing such kind of situations find it hard to cope with their issues. Nevertheless, depression could also result from some sort of chemical imbalance within the brain because of the lack of neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin, epinephrine). But regardless of what the prime causes of depression are, it’s crucial that you treat it as soon as possible, particularly when there are different symptoms of intense depression present.
Cases of major depression are always characterized by poor self-esteem and lack of interest in many types of things, which were once pleasurable as a hobby. There could be problems in eating and/or sleeping patterns, which could be coupled with chronic sadness and mood swings. It’s possible that the individual talks about imminent death. The person may also want to commit suicide. As such traits are obvious, the individual becomes severely depressed.
Symptoms of Mild Depression
Imagine a person who started feeling sad often. The patient realized finally that it was not very easy to step out of the 'blues' anymore. May be she started feeling symptoms of mild depression early on. While many us end up going through the instances in life which give us the feeling of lowness and depression, we don’t call that a case of depression every time. Depression might come in various degrees and can range from mild to severe. It is absolutely crucial that you spot such mild depression symptoms before they develop into full blown ones.
Have you ever reached a stage in life during which you felt that you could just not move on any longer? Do you feel desperate about the current situation you are faced with? The whole thing seems like this - the more you’re thinking about such questions or issues, the tougher it is for you get the answers. Now, just imagine your life as if you’re happy yet again and trying to live your life just as you were living it before. Suppose there’s a good cure for your depression within less than six weeks. Say it is a process that can aid you in breaking the seemingly endless cycle of depression. You would feel interested, right?
The most common aftermath of mild depression is denial. If the patient is faced with the truth that she’s got a case of mild depression, chances are high that she will not want to look at reality in the eye. The patient might become depressed and willing to cover up her condition and may try to find her way out by leading an injurious lifestyle. You can decide for yourself if this works for coping with the symptoms of mild depression. The most common problems are overeating, overworking, and working overtime, alcoholism and uncontrolled drug abuse.
Mild depression is characterized by remaining detached from the haunting thoughts or feelings. People usually do not wish to be aware of the present altered state. The patient might become upset regarding this feeling of inability to reinstate things and make them just the way they were before. Even though she is willing to change the whole thing, she might feel too exhausted to make such changes and might fall much deeper into the spiral of depression.
Development of mild depression might lead to a much more severe state. Such symptoms might be experienced for many days and even for several months. The problem gradually soars to more radical changes. The most common problems include ignoring personal hygiene, inability to concentrate on work or studies, avoiding significant relationships, vague thought patterns or even hallucinations. Symptoms of depression can vary a lot from one person to another. The patient might want to acknowledge the fact that she’s depressed and also that she’s got to look for the root causes of her depression. Do not extend your anguish and live despondently!
You should get your lifestyle back on track and in order before it’s too late. One of the fastest and simplest ways for you to battle these mild depression symptoms involves one important thing – a good pair of comfy shoes! Yeah! We are not joking here. Just half an hour of mild to moderate exercise can make a difference. Walk 3 to 5 times every week, as this could improve the creation of serotonin and endorphins. These are the good chemicals that are naturally created within your body, which works diligently to reduce your depression and nervousness.
If you do not like to exercise, you can just take a pill, which makes the miserable depression symptoms go away. However, you will most likely feel uncomfortable about this. Secondly, utilizing medications might take somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks before you’ll see relief symptoms. Along with the relief of symptoms you might experience some fresh symptoms pertaining to the unwanted effects of medicines that could include weight gain/loss, insomnia/sleepiness, anxiety, restlessness, reduced sex drive, exhaustion, dried mouth, dizziness and nausea.
Along with such negative effects, there’s a risk of triggering an upsurge instead of a reduction in depression. When taking medication, the patient might be at greater risk of suicide. While that is usually true with children or young adults when it comes to the use of antidepressant medication, anybody using antidepressants should be very closely watched for some sorts of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This type of suicide risk is greatest in the first month or two of taking antidepressant medications.
Overcoming Depression Naturally
Depression is a state in which a person shows different signs of abnormal behavior such as anxiety, sadness, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness and insomnia. There are many reasons why a person falls prey to the state of depression. It is necessary for a person to understand the changes in their life at an early stage to find the best treatment available to help them get back to normal. The treatment will completely depend on the individual’s problem. Hence, it is necessary that they discuss the problem with a doctor in detail. They should talk about their experience and the doctor should check their medical history to get a good insight into the real cause of the problem.
Depression may be caused by changes in the brain chemical balance. According to a recent survey, there are as many as 121 million individuals across America suffering from different types of depression. Pharmaceutical companies produce anti-depressant medicines aiming to satisfy the increasing demand for the same. Though these medications do have some effect on the body, they tend to have some side effects in the long run which at times can be serious.
In order to overcome a depressive disorder, a person can use a natural remedy, which will not only improve the total quality of life, but also help them return back to the state of normalcy without the need to use medicines. An anti-inflammatory diet and a balanced lifestyle are the main solutions that one can implement in order to achieve their goal of attaining normalcy. The nutrients found in food help improve the functioning of the brain and of the immune system and at the same time suppress the development of depressant chemicals in the brain.
Healthy physical exercises help the enhancement of brain activity, correcting the mood swinging disorder. It is advised to do physical exercises daily to improve your fitness and overall health and also maintain the chemical balance in the brain. It is important that a person follows the complete schedule in order to overcome their depressive state without any side effects. Apart from these factors, it is also advised for the patients to indulge in activities which they like and which will keep them busy.
This increases the concentration levels and brings back the normalcy that one would like to have in their life. It is important for patients suffering from depression to use various mind and body techniques for relaxation such as deep breathing, meditation and guided imagery.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Reduce Depression
Depression is defined as the state of low mood which drastically changes the behavior of a person. The usual symptoms of a person who is in a depressive state are anxiety, helplessness, sadness, guilt, hopelessness, irritability and fast changing thoughts. Addictions to alcohol, drugs may also be found in depressed persons. As every person has their own reasons to be depressed,