..
WHAT
IS DEPRESSION?
What
depression is not - Depression is not simply "the blues"
or a "bad hair day".
What
depression is - Depression is a mental cloud over the
brain, a Chemical Imbalance, "messing up" the logic it (the brain) receives
and disperses. Depression can cause indecision and dysfunction within
every balance of life, spiritual, mental, physical, financial, family relationships
and in society.
Technical/Physical
- The Pituitary Gland, which controls all the other glands in your body,
also controls the adrenals. The Adrenal Glands sit on the back of your
kidneys and puts out a stimulant / adrenaline, which is the fight or flight
mechanism. It is the thing that gets you tensed up and excited, it
makes all your muscles ready to respond quickly to you. It speeds up your
heart rate so that it will supply blood (prepares quickly). The problem
is that if you build up too much adrenaline it begins to attack your
body. It's a very powerful hormone and it uses up energy quickly.
If you are under stress and you get tense, you get tired.
You are using up blood sugar to keep your muscles tense and to keep the
heart beating.
(See
Food Therapy
for Depression for some help with this problem)
Having
a Balance of Healthy Spirit, Mind, Body, Family, Finances and
Society is essential to every human being. Take one of these balances out
of you life and you'll be traveling on a broken wheel. As an example: Healthy
body - What happens when you are depressed for a long period of time, failing
to exercise or eat properly? You may begin to gain weight or, as
your immune system gets low, you get sick. Soon, your family will
suffer, your work, play, and volunteer activities. Before long the
world seems to fall apart and "stinkin thinkin" begins to take over your
mind, and possible thoughts of suicide.
Interesting
Notes:
People with depression are 20 times
more likely to have an accident on the road because of the characteristics
of depression, i.e., can't concentrate, can't focus, the mind wanders,
etc.
Road Rage is a Stress incident
related to the Pituitary gland which kicks up the adrenals, then your body
goes to "ready" and tensed up mode.
An Experimental treatment is being
researched at B.Y.U., and in Europe, using a "transcranial magnetic
stimulator" for treating serious clinical depression.
The difference between a Psychologist
and a Psychiatrist - A Psychologist is a "talk/listen" Therapist and a
Psychiatrist is a Medical Doctor.
The number one cause of suicide
is UNTREATED DEPRESSION.
WHAT
CAUSES DEPRESSION?
Triggers
cause depression! -
Definition: Depression
Triggers - "Anything that happens physically or emotionally, such as an
injury or bad learning experience, that can cause an imbalance within the
normal brain function."
Watch for events in the child's
or adults life that might trigger depression. Depression triggers
are more likely to be, 'sudden' triggers, or the unexpected events of life.
When the event happens most people do not think of the long term effects
of the trigger. It may be as soon as a day to several months before
depression can be diagnosed because of the trigger event.
Here are a few examples:
Being bullied or hazed in school
A death of a family member or close
friend.
An assault, car accident or painful
physical event.
A painful mental, or emotional
event.
Marriage breakup, or love lost
suddenly.
Constant physical, mental, or emotional
pain that goes on for a length of time (like bullying).
Developing a disease or illness
that will not get better.
Major Financial setback.
Something "embarrassing" happens.
Failing an important exam a school.
A best friend moves out of town.
Consistently bad eating habits
(carbonation, white flour & sugar)
Substance abuse.
A Rape, or sexual attack, by a
known or unknown person.
Consistent lack of exercise which
can cause weight gain.
Weight gain.
WHAT ARE THE
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION?
It can be very hard to diagnose
depression. There are many different kinds of depression. Within
the Depression family there are many disorders, some unpronounceable, and
some not, as yet, researched. Some of the more well known related
depression disorders are; Anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
..
Not
all people will have the same symptoms, or have them to the
same degree. Here are some symptoms to watch for:
Persistent sad or "empty" mood.
Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless.
Pessimistic and or guilty attitude.
Fatigued or loss of interest in
ordinary activities.
Disturbances in eating and sleeping
patterns.
Irritability, increased crying,
anxiety, PTSD, and panic attacks.
Nervous behavior, heavy breathing
or stomach aches appear when stressed.
Difficulty concentrating, remembering
or making decisions.
Thoughts of suicide; suicide plans
or attempts.
Persistent physical symptoms or
pains that do not respond to treatment.
If any of these symptoms last more
than a few weeks, especially after a known trigger event, a doctor or psychiatrist
should be consulted.
DEPRESSION
CAN LEAD TO SUICIDE!
Definition:
Suicidal Behavior - "Anything that happens to the thinking within the brain,
such as injury or bad learning experiences that can interfere with serotonins
ability to keep basic instincts in line." Cardell Smith
The
statistics show that that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of
death among those 15 to 25 years of age and the 6th leading cause of death
among those 5 to 14 years of age. Can you believe that 5 year olds
are killing themselves! Are these isolated incidents? Not so.
Its estimated that 500,000
teenagers
try
to kill themselves every year, and about 5000 succeed.
..
It is unknown
how many senior citizens are killing
themselves today but statistics are being gathered that show that the older
senior, (65 yrs.+), rate of suicide is climbing. The difference between
this type of suicide and teen suicide seems to be mostly related to the
"love lost" trigger. Seniors who have lost a spouse are at
a high risk for depression and suicide.
When Depression has spiraled
out of control, look for these...
DANGER
SIGNS OF SUICIDE:
Talking about suicide, or killing
oneself, even in a joking manner.
Statements about hopelessness,
helplessness, or worthlessness.
Preoccupation with death.
Suddenly happier, calmer.
Loss of interest in things one
cares about.
Visiting or calling people one
cares about when out of character.
Making arrangements; setting one's
affairs in order.
Giving things away.
If a person has four
or more of the symptoms of depression
get help FAST!
T
A L K about
DEPRESSION
TRIGGERS, DEPRESSION, & SUICIDE!
Some people think that by talking
about suicide, the attention might encourage others to die by suicide.
Actually, the opposite is true. Studies have shown that as many as
fifty percent of the general public have seriously considered suicide as
a solution to their problems. I would dare say that at some time
in everyone's life, everyone has had, at least, a passing thought of the
suicide option. Talking about suicide gives thought to the consequences
and victims left behind. And with a little help and time, almost
anyone can be helped with depression and suicidal feelings. But it
has to be talked about first! Suicide is the forbidden
word, the most uncomfortable subject in the modern world. The
only time you hear about it on television is in a joking manner or some
bad person kills someone then themselves. This lack of communication
needs to change so lives can be saved.
A good book to read for someone
dealing with thoughts of suicide is, SUICIDE, The
Forever Decision, by Dr. Paul Quinnett. This is also a good
book for the victims left behind because of suicide. It will answer
many "Why?" questions and give understanding to what happens to the mind
of a suicidal and depressed person.
This article is the intellectual property of Brenda
L. High, author of JaredStory.com
and mother of Jared High who died by suicide on Sept. 29th, 1998 at the
age of 13 years and 6 days old.
About
Depression
