Depression Information

Know the Signs of Depression and Improve Your Life


Typical signs of depression actually show a change in the way a person has come to think about himself.

"I just can't get myself to do any work around the house. My marriage is falling apart."

"My hair is thinning. I'm losing my looks. No one will care about me anymore."

These are typical thoughts of people who are depressed and show a change in thinking, feeling and acting.

Here are other signs of depression :

Continual feelings of sadness, emptiness and helplessness that seem to have no cause

Loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary activities

Decreased energy, fatigue

Sleep and/or eating problems

Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness

Irritability, excessive crying

Chronic physical aches and pains that do not go away

Feelings of hopelessness

Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

If a person shows several of the above signs of depression for an extended period (2 weeks or more) he should consult a physician.

Although the change may come on gradually, the depressed person is different from the way he was before the onset of his illness perhaps even the opposite of his usual self. There are many signs of depression confirming this change : the successful businessman who believes he is on the brink of bankruptcy, the devoted mother who wants to abandon her children, the gourmet who can't stand food, the playboy who becomes disgusted with sex. Instead of seeking pleasure, the depressed person avoids it. Instead of caring for himself, he neglects himself and his appearance. His instinct to survive may give way to a desire to end his life. His drive to succeed may be replaced by passivity and withdrawal.

The most obvious and typical signs of depression relate to a sad mood: gloomy, lonely, apathetic. The depressed person may find himself crying even when there seems to be nothing to cry about or may find it impossible to cry when a truly sad event occurs. He may have trouble sleeping or wake early in the morning, unable to return to sleep. On the other hand, feeling constantly tired, he may sleep more than usual. He may lose his appetite and lose weight, or eat more than he does normally and gain weight.

Signs of depression also relate to self-esteem. Typically, the depressed person sees himself in a very negative way. He may believe that he is helpless and alone in the world and often blames himself for trivial faults or shortcomings. He is pessimistic about himself, about the world, and about his future. He loses interest in what is going on around him and doesn't get satisfaction out of activities < he used to enjoy. Often, he has trouble making decisions or getting himself to carry out decisions he has made.

Some people don't show the usual signs of depression. They may complain instead of physical discomfort or suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction. When a person always seems tired or bored with what he is doing, he may actually be depressed. When bright children do poorly in school over a period of time, this too may point to depression. There is even evidence that the overly active child may be compensating for an underlying depression.

Learn more about depression at http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com

Charles E. Donovan

Author

Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Lifescript Launches New Online Depression Center
MarketWatch (press release)
Lifescript.com, a women's health and wellness website headquartered in Mission Viejo, Calif., has launched a new online Depression Health Center to help women recognize and overcome symptoms of depression. MISSION VIEJO, Calif., May 24, ...

and more »


R&D Trends: Depression - Clinical attrition driven by mature market conditions
MarketWatch (press release)
Several drugs have progressed through the pipeline for depression in recent years, including Pristiq (desvenlafaxine; Pfizer), Oleptro (trazodone extended release; Labopharm), and Viibryd (Forest) in the US, and Valdoxan (agomelatine; Servier/Novartis) ...

and more »


Depression Recovery Groups Launches Online Peer-to-Peer Support Groups and ...
PR Web (press release)
Depression and other mental health issues are involved in 90% of these avoidable deaths. Today Depression Recovery Groups announced the launch of a new service expressly for young people; these teenage web conference depression support groups will ...

and more »


The Atlantic Wire

High-Fat Diets Have Pro-Depressive Effects
Food Product Design
"In addition to causing obesity, rich foods can actually cause chemical reactions in the brain in a similar way to illicit drugs, ultimately leading to depression as the 'come-downs' take their toll," says lead researcher, Dr. Stephanie Fulton.
Cheeseburger blues: High-fat foods may be making us depressedVancouver Sun
Cheeseburger blues: could high-fat foods be making us depressed?Ottawa Citizen
A Heart Made of Face Parts; The Eating Depression Cycle ExplainedThe Atlantic Wire
Irish Health
all 53 news articles »


Predicting Postpartum Depression
Wellington Daily News
By Angela Taylor Many studies have been completed to see if there is a way to predict postpartum depression. These studies have determined that iron deficiency and postpartum fatigue are linked to postpartum depression.

and more »


The Economist

Depression through the ages
The Economist
From Melancholia to Prozac: A History of Depression. By Clark Lawlor. Oxford University Press; 265 pages; $24.99 and £14.99. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk WHAT is depression? The ancient Greeks believed it resulted from an imbalance in the body's ...



IMF Chief: World Facing Possibly Worst Economic Insecurity Since Great Depression
Wall Street Journal
"Your generation is facing probably the worst economic insecurity in decades, possibly ever since the Great Depression," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in her commencement speech to the John F. Kennedy School of Government graduates.

and more »


BigPond News

'Cheerful' Corby out of depression as clemency lifts spirits
The Canberra Times
Schapelle Corby is believed to be recovering from depression and bouts of psychosis that have affected her in jail. Kerobokan jail's doctor Agung Hartawan said yesterday that Corby was in good spirits following the news of her clemency.
Corby stages dramatic recoveryBigPond News
man whose love keeps Schapelle Corby saneNEWS.com.au

all 954 news articles »


One-Third of Arthritis Patients Also Experience Anxiety, Depression
PR Web (press release)
Impairments like arthritis can be complicated by other conditions, such as depression, so it's important that patients fully explain all symptoms to their physicians. A new national study finds that one-third of people with arthritis also experience ...

and more »


The many faces of depression
Chicago Tribune
Sadness touches all of our lives at different times, but depression can have enormous depth and staying power. It's more than a passing bout of sadness or dejection, or feeling down in the dumps. It can leave you feeling continuously burdened and can ...
Has depression become a cliché?InjuryBoard.com

all 2 news articles »

Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.