Depression Contributions by sshowalter

Anxiety and depression are certainly two sides to the same coin; depression can be considered a symptom of anxiety disorder, and anxiety can be considered a symptom of major depressive disorder. This makes the delineation between the two conditions somewhat tricky, but do not worry, alternating bouts of the two is common.

It would be useful for you to figure out what exactly characterizes your "anxiety" and "depression" in order to find the most effective treatment options. For example, if your anxiety is characterized by obsessive circular thinking, meditation can help calm the mind and exercise can release some of your stress. If your depression is characterized by a lack of energy, taking herbs that work as stimulants might help give you energy.

As you can see, treatments vary depending on the type of symptom being experienced. If you are on some medications for one of the aforementioned conditions, be sure to see if the side effects of them might be causing the other condition. Otherwise, try and figure out the root cause(s) of your conditions and work on treating those!

There are so many dietary regimes that claim to be really great for helping treat depression and other chronic health conditions! Some of these even greatly contradict one another, like vegetarianism/veganism vs. paleo/primal diets. There seems to be evidence that backs up the elimination of meat and an emphasis on grains, as well as evidence that backs up the elimination of grains and an emphasis on meat. With such varying opinions on what might be the healthiest diet, it is important for you start by merely having intention around the foods that you choose to eat. What are you consuming every day? Where does it come from? How was it processed? How does eating it make you feel (in the moment and long after the fact)? The most important thing to remember is that since each and every individual is different, with a personal constitution that is unlike anyone else's, what might be considered an "ideal" diet will vary from person to person.

That being said, there are some staples about diet worth mentioning. For example, it is widely accepted that highly refined foods made of simple carbohydrates and other sugars are considered to be toxic inside the body. Alcohol and caffeine (especially in large doses) have a similar effect. Processed foods that they include ingredients that are unrecognizable and unpronounceable should be avoided as well. And finally, meat products that are laden with hormones and antibiotics aren't good for the human body either; by eating them we ingest these synthetic drugs that were consumed by the animals as well.

Ultimately, ruling out the aforementioned ingredients will definitely help you feel happier and healthier. Once you've shifted to a more whole-foods approach to eating (with a lot of vegetables and fruits at the base) whether or not you eat grains, meat, both or neither is really up to how consuming this substances makes you feel. The greatest determiner of your health is how you feel and though this is a subjective experience, it can sometimes indicate a great deal more than any laboratory test a doctor could administer to you!

Good luck, and remember, bring intention to your eating habits! --

A formal diagnosis will have to be done by a practitioner. However, you can read through the 9 symptoms that doctors rate the presence of to determine a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (a person need have 5 of the 9 symptoms present for at least 2 weeks).

The good news is, you don't need to have a formal diagnosis to begin treating your depression...in fact you don't even need to have 5 of the 9! As you determine which symptoms you have, you can begin to treat each of them in your own way. For example, if you are having trouble sleeping, you can start an exercise regime to help tire out your body and get you ready for sleep. You can change your eating habits to not include spicy or sugary foods before bed. You can drink some chamomile tea to help calm your nerves. You can do some meditation to quiet your mind... you see, the possibilities are endless!

So really take a look at what the symptoms are of your personal depression, and try to make small changes where you can. Remember that there is no "magic bullet" to treating depression, so with or without a diagnosis, (and with or without a prescription antidepressant), you'll probably find that seeking a variety of treatments is what will help you cure your symptoms.

It is so great of you to be sensitive to this matter for your mother's sake as depression in the older persons generation often goes undetected. You're right that medication, 'a normal slowing-down of life' (maybe meaning physical or mental slowing), the loss of loved ones/friends, social isolation, these are all part of the process of aging (the social isolation piece true here in the west more than in other cultures). But, if she is experiencing prolonged periods without enjoying much, periods of severe sleeping changes (too much or too little), increased sadness, increased substance use and/or a fixation on death, she may be depressed.

It might be worth asking her why she's exhibiting the symptoms that you've seen her exhibit; the symptoms that made you ask us a question. For example, 'Mom, you don't seem to have wanted to come to dinner recently, why not?' or 'You used to play cards with friends once a week, but now you say you'd rather watch TV, why is you don't want to go out-we can tape your show(s)!'

Sometimes we feel these kind of questions will disempower our parents who, for our entire lives, have been making their own decisions (many of which we'd never dream to question). But at this stage in life, you might be surprised at the answers you receive, and they might just be glad that someone noticed the change.

I'd also advise that you discuss these changes with her Doctor and/or pharmacist as combinations of medication are OFTEN the culprit in mood changes for any person, any age, who is one numerous pharmaceuticals.

Read more about Geriatric Depression.

Natural ups-and-downs are a normal part of life, so in some facet, everyone will experience periods of lows throughout life. (In fact, there are some theories that describe why it was evolutionarily necessary that we as humans become depressed at times.) Luckily however, knowing how to deal with depression can keep it from becoming a debilitating illness that renders you unable to function in your daily life. If you have a clinical depression, hopefully you are working with a practitioner who is prescribing you with many different treatments (maybe medicine in combination with some other therapies like mind, body, and nutrition therapies as well.) If you have a milder form of depression, you can actually begin to self treat it by trying different therapies. Starting to exercise, eliminating excess sugar, alcohol and caffeine, spending regular time with friends, taking up a new hobby... all of these are ways to help your depression and luckily, you don't even need a doctor to begin these treatments! Be sure to be patient as changing your routine takes time and relief may come in waves. You may even want to speak with a health coach, therapist, social worker or loving family member or friend to help you set up a treatment regime. Good luck, but just know, you don't have to live at the depths of your depression forever!

Just like adults, the signs and symptoms of depression can vary person to person. Some people exhibit depression by oversleeping while others have insomnia. Some have outburst of anger and fiery emotion while others become pensive, introverted and quite. In adolescents, girls can tend to doubt their abilities and physical appearance when they become depressed while boys either bottle emotions up showing little difference to their normal state but may be prone to outbursts of anger. Both genders of adolescents (and adults for that matter) can have digestive issues due to depression as well as sleeping problems and problems focusing.

It's true, all of the categories can be really confusing. Basically according to the DSM-IV, the main categories of depression are Major Depression, Bipolar Depression and Dysthymic Depression (also known as minor depression). All other categories of depression are sub-sets of one of these three major categories. So really, there is no difference between atypical depression and major depression because atypical is actually a subset of major depression; it is a type of depression that can accompany the diagnosis of major or minor depression. Part of the reason it is called atypicaldepression is that symptoms can be the opposite of what you might expect; namely over-eating and over-sleeping. Read more at atypical depression.

Studies have shown that low folate levels are present in depressed individuals. Additionally, trials have shown that supplementing folate through diet or folic acid supplements can quicken recovery from a depressive episode and even enhance the effects of antidepressants. Read more at Depression and Folate.

MBSR urges individuals to center their attention moment to moment in a non-judgmental way helping them to cope with the stress that often accompanies depression and other chronic diseases. The key concept of MSBR is to cultivate mindfulness through sitting meditation and through mindful body movement which will then translate into the participants' daily lives. Individuals cultivate an awareness of the unity of the mind with the body through mindful meditation, and begin to see how unconscious thoughts and feelings can undermine both emotional and physical health. Participating in yoga or other forms of martial arts can bring awareness to the movement of their body.

It is said that through these practices, people can benefically effect both their states of emotional arousal as well as physiological symptoms such as blood pressure and heart rate.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is a combination of MBSR and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which focuses on how thinking can impact feeling and is specifically used for treating depression.

There is no one cause for depression and in fact, for most people, depression results from a combination of mental, physical and emotional triggers. You can read more on the FoundHealth Depression Causes page. It is important to treat all of the causes you can identify. An example of a mental trigger would be low self-esteem and a treatment could be self-affirmations or a change in circumstance; physical triggers could be low levels of serotonin in the brain and exercise, diet and/or medical interventions would help this depression component; emotional triggers can be the loss of a loved one and sometimes the best treatment for this is emotional support from groups, friends or family member. If you can identify your own personal causes, you can better treat them. You don't even need a doctor to start doing small things that will help with your depression like diet, exercise and getting out into the sun! (Though you might want to see one if your symptoms are overwhelming, debilitating or you are having suicidal thoughts.)

This is a tough question to answer. First off, I think most 'alternative' practitioners would agree that there is no 'right' or 'best' way to treat depression (or any other condition for that matter) and that treatment is highly individualized depending on the person.

That being said, I think that many TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioners, who give herbs and acupuncture treatments, would say that they have had success in treating some of the symptoms as well as the underlying energetic imbalance (qi) that can cause depression.

Ayurveda practitioners can also offer herbs to help the dosha (personal constitutions) imbalances that might be causing depression symptoms.

Herbalists can also offer herbal treatments that can aid in treating the symptoms (like insomnia, mood swings, eating/digestive issues, muscle tension and general malaise).

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained just like MDs (and can prescribe pharmaceutical drugs should this be necessary) but will often opt for more natural treatments (including a discussion around diet) first.

Also, physical therapists, message therapists, energetic workers (like reiki practitioners), psychotherapists and many other people can help in your treatment of depression even if they don't fall into your idea of a practitioner. The best thing to do is to seek help, and be self-reflective in how the process and treatments are or are not working for you. No one can tell you the right answer or what is the best treatment; its up to you to figure out what works for YOU. How empowering eh?

When people talk about 'lifestyle changes' they often mean diet, exercise and maybe even social outlets or outlooks on life.

I'd say that it is good to change up your routine if you've been depressed because your old routine is probably contributing to your depression in some way. And which one is the best to start with? Well, that's up to whatever speaks to you; there's no 'right' way to begin!

If you are in need of some new (more positive maybe) people in your life, I might start by suggesting that you get involved in some new circles of people. Maybe get out, go to some new places and make some new connections. Do some volunteer work that will allow you to interact with others; join a gym and take some classes; get involved in neighborhood book group; take a class at a local community college etc.

If your diet is out of whack, this is another great place to start as what you eat (or don't eat) can have a profound effect on how you feel (and your brain chemistry as well!) Try to cut out too much alcohol, caffeine, refined carbohydrates and sugars. Make sure you're getting a lot of varied fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread products and non-processed/frozen but fresh meats.

If you don't get out of the house a lot, exercising can be great for feeling better in your body and producing the endorphins needed to help you feel good! It is suggested that everyone get their heart rate up and going 30+ minutes 5 times a week. You can start this by walking swiftly, jogging, biking, swimming, lifting weights, dancing or myriad other activities. Pick one that feels good for you!

Finally, adjusting your outlook can help as well! Find a new project for which there is an incentive to complete by a certain date. Take up meditation or some other form of breathing exercises that can help keep you cool, calm and collected throughout your day!

Any and all of these are 'lifestyle changes' but the most important thing to change is whatever YOU think will be the best in helping you treat your depression!

Hope that helps!

Read more on Depression and Exercise

Depression and Nutrition

Depression and Stress Reduction

Meditation can absolutely help in fighting depression! It seems that often a contributing factor to our depression in the west (I know that is a generalization, but it is often true) is our persistent and circular thinking. Some, especially ancient cultures, have a way of slowing the mind so as not to get so caught up in the mind (the use of which is after-all, only one way of 'knowing').

Most of us use our minds at work (and not our bodies), we never let our minds rest (since we feel that 'haste makes waste'), we 'relax' by watching TV (which actually drains us of mental energy instead of building us up after a day of constant thinking), we move our bodies much less than our ancestors, we find it uncomfortable to just 'be' with someone without 'doing' something, and then - to top it all off - we try to THINK our way out of our sadness through so-called 'rationalization'.

It takes work - in the form of mental-training - to help our minds stop thinking 'way too much.' This is where meditation comes in. Many people find that a daily yoga, meditation, tai chi, or qi gong practice often helps them to 'quiet the mind.'

Someone once explained it to me like this when I first began learning to meditate. They said, 'Thoughts will come into your mind, this is inevitable. But you can choose not to dwell on them. It's kind of like when a plane goes overhead; you know that it's there because you hear it, but it doesn't necessarily cause you to stop whatever you're doing and you don't have to look up at it. The same is true of your thoughts. When a thought comes up and you may get a little lost in it, just remember to focus on your breath and not on the thought.' - Easier said than done, I know.

But helping train your mind to be less 'chatty' as I call it, can help calm your soul as well. It's helped me with my depression (specifically my circular-thinking), but it takes time to find a practice that works well for you. And once you find one, only then does the journey actually begin.

There are innumerable other illnesses that might co-exist with depression. A diagnosis of Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder are often found in the same person as there are many similar symptoms and mental illnesses can often overlap. But, it is not uncommon to find people with other illnesses while having depression such as type-2 diabetes, cancer, fibromyalgia, migraines, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, cystic fibrosis, arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases and many more.

To read more on Depression and Anxiety, click that link!

Some studies are being done on the direct effects of hypnosis on certain conditions including depression. The results seems promising. Working with a hypnotherapist and using cognitive hypnotherapy (a form of hypnotherapy specifically being used for the treatment of depression) can help to lessen symptoms like anxiety, stress and insomnia. It is important to remember that, like almost all treatments, this is not a one-stop answer to treating your depression. One treatment will not cure anyone of anything. Hypnotherapy is a process just like talk therapy and any other treatment regime. The great thing is that there are few, if any, known side effects to using hypnotherapy and there are potential benefits to be had.

Check out more on Depression and Hypnotherapy.

It's true that flaxseed is high in omega 3s which are important for everyone to get enough of, especially if you are feeling depressed.

There is some discussion around if/how well flaxseed oil is absorbed into one's system. It is a popular choice for vegetarians looking for an alternative to fish oil supplements which are also high in omega 3s.

When choosing supplements, be sure to look for high quality products; not all supplements are created equal! Get as much omega 3s from your diet as you can! (Many people who work with a practitioner when taking supplements find that taking them can boost the initial levels of omega 3s and then diet can sustain this level over time.)

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own, and must be supplemented through diet. Many studies have found that the body's normal functions, including producing the right balance of hormones in the brain, are aided by omega-3s. Therefore, it is thought that lacking adequate amounts of these good fats (derived from foods such as avocados, fish, flaxseeds, eggs and more) alters the hormonal balance in the brain.

Since depression is often due to a hormonal imbalance in the brain, making sure you eat enough omega-3s can help some people greatly improve their depression symptoms.

Read more on Depression and Omega 3s.

I was lucky enough to try some St. John's Wort right out of a garden last summer. I wasn't in the depths of my depression at the time, but chewing and then consuming this flower had an immediate effect on my mental state. I can't speak to the supplement, but it seems like a powerful substance with clear healing properties!

I happen to think that psychotherapy is extremely useful for treating not only depression, but for dealing with life in general. There are cognitive insights to be had, but perhaps more useful is creating a healthy relationship with the practitioner in which you can express your emotions without judgment. Good therapists (and good life or wellness coaches too for that matter) can give you support that is often difficult to find in the real world.

If this is similar to meditation for depression, then I've tried mindfulness based stress reduction....it seems there are a lot of overlaps between the two. And I certainly LOVE meditating for depression...it's helped me tremendously!

Meditation

Meditation has absolutely helped me in fighting depression! It seems that often a contributing factor to our depression in the west (I know that is a generalization, but it is often true) is our persistent and circular thinking patterns...we never let ourselves have a moment's rest. Some, especially ancient, cultures have a way of slowing the mind so as not to get so caught up in the mind (the use of which is after-all, only one way of "knowing").

Most of us use our minds at work (and not our bodies), we never let our minds rest (since we feel that "haste makes waste"), we "relax" by watching TV (which actually drains us of mental energy instead of building us up after a day of constant thinking), we move our bodies much less than our ancestors, we find it uncomfortable to just "be" with someone without "doing" something, and then - to top it all off - we try to THINK our way out of our sadness through so-called "rationalization".

It takes work - in the form of mental-training - to help our minds stop thinking "way too much." This is where meditation comes in. Many people find that a daily yoga, meditation, tai chi, or qi gong practice often helps them to "quiet the mind." I have ABSOLUTELY found this to be the case. A simple yoga practice that focuses on the breath and ends in a meditation has changed my depressed state immensely. This is not to say that I am never depressed anymore, but they come less frequently, and I am more able to accept them as part of the normal ups-and-downs of life. (This sounds cliche until you try it and know how profound it really is.)

Someone once explained it to me like this when I first began learning to meditate; They said, "Thoughts will come when you're sitting in meditaiton - it is inevitable. But you can choose not to dwell on these thoughts that arise. It's kind of like when a plane goes overhead; you know that it's there because you hear it, but it doesn't necessarily cause you to stop whatever you're doing and you don't have to look up at it, and eventually it passes. The same is true with your thoughts. When a thought comes up and you may get a little lost in it, just remember to focus on your breath and not on the thought. Practicing this in meditation will make it easier not to focus on negative thoughts in your real life." - Easier said than done, I know. Practice!

But helping train your mind to be less "chatty" as I call it, can help calm your soul as well. It's helped me with my depression (specifically my circular-thinking), but it takes time to find a practice that works well for you. And once you find one, only then does the journey actually begin.

I started doing yoga to help calm my mind - to help stop the over-analytic and circular loops that perpetually took up my energy. I started to see profound effects pretty quickly - within about 2 weeks. Working with a practitioner one-on-one, we created a 20 minute personal practice that focused on simple moves that were guided by my breath and a period of meditation in a seated lotus position (the stereotypical "meditation" looking pose.)

I'm convinced yoga can work for people in different ways, but people need to be specific about what they're looking for. Going to yoga classes at the gym can be a great physical exercise, but might not include the breathing and meditation components that you want. Likewise, a yoga practice with simple poses may not physically stretch your muscles and get your heart pumping, so if this is what you're looking for, seek a more strenuous yoga practice.

In the end, finding effective treatments is all about self-reflection... no one treatment works for everybody, and really, you're the only one who knows what works for you.

Acupuncture

I started doing acupuncture for some acute back pain I was experiencing, but it wasn't long before I realize the back pain was really a symptom of my severe depression. Acupuncture not only helped with the immediate spastic pain I was experiencing, but I continued to work with my acupuncturist, and eventually correct many of the underlying imbalances contributing to my depression.

I think being in somesort of formal therapeutic relationship is critical for helping treat your depression. Find a therapist that you feel gels with you and your style - don't be afraid to go for a few sessions and then try someone else. If you're going to delve into really personally stuff, you'll want to be with someone you really trust can help you. I finally found someone I love, and they have helped me tremendously work through some issues that contributed to my depression.

I've never taken a supplement, but I believe we are all supposed to be exposed to the sun each day. Our bodies need the sun for vitamin D, and people seem to be so afraid of skin cancer they lather up in sunscreen every day, even in the winter (mostly on the face via a moisturizer) but the body needs some sun exposure. I'm lucky that I live in California, so can feasibly spend time in the sun a few times a week. I have found that getting out in the sun not only feels great on my skin (thus giving me vitamin d) but also gets me out of the house - both of these things have helped with my depression... (it's hard to site just 1 thing as the thing that "treated" my depression...after all, it's an on-going treatment, and multi-faceted at that!)

Vegan Meal

Since there isn't yet a section on vegetarianism, I'll vote for veganism for depression (something I have tried in spurts). I find that by eliminating meat from my diet, I am not ingesting additional hormones that might be altering my brain chemistry and contributing to my depression. Honestly, I think veganism is merely taking this one step further, to include the elimination of all animal products.

Frankly, I think that any dietary change that causes an individual to opt for higher quality foods and causes them to be more deliberate with their food choices, is a useful and helpful treatment for depression, or any other mood disorder.

I would certainly recommend taking the time to critically think about what you eat and reflect on how your body feels depending on what you eat. If you feel lighter and better without meat products, then eliminate them; if, on the contrary, eliminating meat causes you to be tired and left without energy, then keep it in...either way, be deliberate about what you eat, and eat what makes you feel good. In my opinion, no one diet will work for everyone.