depression

[janka]

depression

I suspect that 99% of alcohol abusers are depressed and/or anxious

[stella123]

depression

Janka I think thats a very good point, most people do lift a drink to combat the lows I know I certainly have.

Chill Girl book had been you mentioned a book had been recommended would you mind sharing the name of it with me i'm always interested in new material that may help with this issue. I hope your mood lifts soon, I completely understand how your feeling and like everyone else here if I can do anything to help I would be very happy to x

[nancy]

depression

black clouds

Sorry you are feeling bad as soon as you wake up Chill Girl! Sounds like you are coping with something in particular at the moment? I have felt that way before but not now, during periods when I was going through something, like a breakup. Looking back on it, I was sometimes overestimating an event due to over-sensitivity or inability to cope with rejection or unnecessary self-blame. Sometimes depression results from being too hard on ourselves and having unrealistically negative thoughts. A great book for this is Mindful Way Through Depression by Jon Kabatt Zinn. When you are depressed, you can't trust your internal dialogue.

[Chillgirl]

depression

Nancy - Im a fan of John Kabatt Zinn's meditation and found this great full seminar by him on youtube on the subject of stress.
http://youtu.be/KZEy3Liz3ks[/video]]Mindfulness Stress Reduction And Healing - YouTube

Yes, i am going through what i would call "situational depression" as Im going to have to leave where I'm living as I can no longer afford to pay the rent and I'm not sure where I'm going yet, so I understand where the depression is coming from.

However right now i need my brain working on solutions instead of being in this black abyss which is not going to help me solve my problems. You are absolutely right that we cannot trust our internal dialogue when we get into this state of mind. Im probably convincing myself things are more hopeless than they are. Im determined to completely tackle this holistically and follow all the suggested methods.

[nancy]

depression

situations

I know what you mean about situational depression. The catch is that if you are prone to depression or negative thinking, it's easy to make a situation much worse than it is. So a breakup for example becomes evidence that you are worthless and the pain lasts for months. I think some of the Buddhist thinkers point out that it's not just an experience that causes suffering, but all of the false interpretations we place around that experience. A therapist once pointed out to me something simple, it's important to see the glass as half full. And importantly, there are always options. That last part really stuck with me. Anyway, it sounds like you are doing all the right things.

Edit: I am adding something in after reflecting on this thread a bit more. It's true that life can be sad and we need to accept that, not have unrealistic expectations. But when I look back at depression I suffered from in the past, I see some genuinely tough things, but I also see things that were just a figment of my imagination/sensitivity/low self-esteem. Change that and you correct what some people suppose is a chemical imbalance treated by drugs.

[Supercrew]

depression

Chillgirl if you get a chance watch this video regarding happiness. I have been studying happiness versus depression recently and I found this very interesting. It's about 20 minutes long, but I found it worth while in my search for ultimate happiness and what happiness really is and why we feel the way we do.

Dan Gilbert asks, Why are we happy? | Video on TED.com

[Chillgirl]

depression

Thanks Supercrew, I really enjoyed that. What he seems to be saying is that too much choice can actually make us less happy and a huge part of being happy is acceptance of our circumstances.

It's back to what resists persists, and how going against the flow is always going to be a battle. When we argue with reality we loose 100% of the time.

[Chillgirl]

depression

Nancy - I totally agree that circumstances do not cause suffering, out thinking causes suffering. I'm a huge believer in the power of our thinking and our ability to change our thoughts. My frustration with these feelings of depression is that my usual method of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones doesn't seem to be working right now. It's as if I've gone too deep into the negative. At the moment I'm holding onto "this too shall pass".

One of the problems is that trying to solve problems in a depressed state of mind is pointless and only compounds the depression, I'm trying to accept that until I deal with the depression I'm not in the right place to tackle the issues I'm facing. This seems to be working as by letting go temporarily of problem solving is lessening the feeling of panic.

[allswell]

depression

I am a firm believer in rational emotive behavior therapy which addresses how we think about a situation as the source for negative consequence. I see similarities between REBT and the serenity prayer actually because both point to a differentiation between things and circumstances we can change and acceptance for the things in life we can not. It took me some practice with REBT but I now only concentrate on the battles in life I can win and accept the rest and don't let it get me down. Each of us is different and there is not a one size fits all when it comes to depression but this method has helped me greatly.

[Nelz]

depression

Man,

this was such good info, I got all kinds of excited and started telling wifey about it. I guess its like being an AL, ya cant help someone that doesnt want help.

I was merely telling her the positive things that might come about by diet change, quitting sugar, and I just got the complete shut down.

Am I wrong in my assesment? She just seems sooooo against anything I say....Im being very diplomatic about it...I feel kinda lost.

Guess I should just let it die

[Chillgirl]

depression

Nelz I so feel for you, im a problem solver and even although I dont know your Wife, im frustrated she shot down the ideas without giving them a go.

When I quit drinking I threw my life and soul into it and thats kinda what im like with most things. Im actually getting angry with this depression which I see as I really good pro active emotion to be feeling.

Since my "rock bottom" last week when I scared myself with the intensity of my suicidal thoughts, I have made huge progress. Lots of course, are purely psychological but I have drastically cut my sugar intake and increased my water consumption. I have also drenched myself in reading and listening to positive material. Does you Wife's depression fluctuate and does she have times when she feels happy for no reason?

[janka]

depression

Depression is scary ... but it will pass. No one can expect to be content all of the time. We must accept discomfort temporarily ... we must.

[Doggygirl]

depression

Chill, what great information. Thank you for sharing it! I hope you find the key to getting out from under the depression.
DG

[Chillgirl]

depression

Which Natural Cures for Depression are most Popular and do they work?

I can believe how little publicity some of this vital information gets, most of it was completely unknown to me and Im sure the same goes for many sufferers......
(I think Beatle may have posted before about the benefits of Vit-B)

Food:
low-fat dairy products, bananas, turkey and soy foods help boost serotonin in your brain which improves your mood.

Omega-3 oils - tuna, fish, purslane, salmon, nut oils.

If you lack omega-3 fats in your diet you may suffer from tiredness (fatigue), poor memory, dry skin, heart problems,
mood swings, depression, and poor circulation. Various studies have found a link between Omega-3 oils and bipolar disorder and depression.

Depression can result from the body taking in too many refined carbohydrates. Too many man-made unnatural foods is not healthy and sugar is so addictive!
Sugar can help cause mental illness, because it causes insulin resistance, unstable blood sugar levels and raised stress hormones.

One solution to depression is better nutrition, less drugs or psychotherapy, but acceptance of this idea needs a change of thinking.

Herbal treatments:
St. John's Wort - alters brain chemistry and improves your mood and depression. Although natural it is so strong it should not be used alongside medication.
Consult a doctor before doing so. Generally confirmed as quite effective in treating depression. I have tried this and it worked for me.

Recent studies indicate that a specific extract of Hypericum perforatum was as effective as prescription antidepressants and had far fewer side effects
(thus available without a prescription for the treatment of mild to moderate depression) and costs a lot less - about 25 cents a day.
In Germany, more than fifty percent of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders are treated with St. John's Wort. Prozac is just two percent.

Exercise:
Exercise improves sleep, and improves your energy level. Exercise maintains physical health and controls weight,
it also helps you to look and feel good which improves your self-esteem.
It also helps increase endorphins in your brain which actually give you a boost in happiness.

A few small studies even hint that, in cases of mild to moderate depression, exercise may be as effective as standard therapies.
Doctors caution that exercise is not a substitute for good medical care, however, but should be used in addition to other treatment.

Supplements:
Omega 3 fish oils -The Inuits have a very low rate of heart disease. Why? Simple, they eat fish.
The American Heart Association advises everyone to eat at least two 3-ounce servings of fatty fish every week.
Doctors can confim the connection between Omega - 3 oils and depression.

B- Vitamins
The B-complex vitamins are essential to mental and emotional well-being. B vitamins are destroyed by alcohol,
refined sugars, nicotine, and caffeine so it is likely that many people may be lacking in these.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine):
The brain uses this vitamin to help convert glucose, or blood sugar, into fuel, and without it the brain rapidly runs out of energy.
This can lead to fatigue, depression, irritability, anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide. Memory problems, loss of appetite,
insomnia, and gastrointestinal disorders are some of the problems caused by a deficiency of B1. Eating refined carbohydrates,
like simple sugars, drains the body's B1 supply.

Vitamin B3 (niacin): A deficiency of this vitamin can cause Pellagra-resulting in psychosis and dementia.
Deficiencies of vitamin B3 can also cause agitation and anxiety, as well as mental and physical slowness.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Symptoms of deficiency include fatigue, chronic stress, and depression.
Vitamin B5 is vital for hormone formation and the uptake of amino acids and the brain chemical acetylcholine,
which combine to prevent certain types of depression.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): This vitamin is necessary in the manufacture of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine.
Vitamin B6 deficiencies are very rare but can cause damaged immunity,
skin lesions, and mental confusion. Alcoholics, patients with kidney failure, and women using oral contraceptives are at risk of such a deficiency.
MAOIs may also lead to a shortage of this vitamin. Many doctors believe that most diets do not contain enough of this vitamin.

Vitamin B12: deficiency leads to a problem known as pernicious anemia. This disorder can cause mood swings, paranoia,
irritability, confusion, dementia, hallucinations, or mania, eventually followed by appetite loss, dizziness, weakness,
shortage of breath, heart palpitations, diarrhea, and tingling sensations in the extremities.
Deficiencies develop slowly,
because the body stores a three- to five-year supply in the liver. Older people are more at risk of B12 deficiencies.

There are many other natural cures for depression and these include:
Meditation
Yoga
Exposure to sunshine
Homeopathy
Aromatherapy

[allswell]

depression

Let's not forget one of the easiest holistic remedies and that's taking a break and getting away from it all whether it be a day, week, an hour - whatever. Burn out can wear us down and removing ourselves from the situation can allow us to come back to whatever the problem is with a whole new attitude and focus.