Tips on Communicating with Those with Depression

Clinical depression remains one of the least understood conditions all around the world. Not having the appropriate knowledge on the condition often causes a strain on relationships, making communications with loved ones increasingly difficult. Chances are we all know someone who is struggling with depression, yet we may not know it or know how to properly communicate with them. Recognize the Signs of Depression Before you can truly help a loved one who has depression, you must first recognize the signs. There are multiple different clues in a person who is suffering alone, and in order for you to help them, you have to be able to pick up on these signs: Feelings of sadness and hopelessness Angry outbursts Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much Weight loss or weight gain Loss of interest in everyday activities Restlessness Fatigue or lack of energy Recurring thoughts of suicide Isolation There are many different symptoms for those with depression. No one case is the same. Everyone reacts to depression and suffers in their own way, but it remains important for you to recognize the symptoms. How to Effectively Communicate For many people with depression, their symptoms can cause problems with their daily lives,…

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How to deal with Holiday depression?

While the holidays are often a very joyous time, they can also be a very stressful time. All the planning, organizing, spending, and group events can become very overwhelming very quickly. It isn’t uncommon for the stress of the holidays to trigger feelings of sadness and depression even. While it is the holiday season, people are often expected to uphold a certain cheerful exterior. This pressure to be happy can often cause the feelings that are quite the opposite. There are multiple contributing factors to holiday depression, but luckily there are also ways to cope with these feelings. Be aware of underlying expectations Often holidays can lead to disappointment. Why is that? Many times, we get our hopes up about how things will play out over the holidays, whether it is expectations of other people or of ourselves. Try to keep your expectations in a balanced state to avoid getting let down or letting others down. Remember that things going wrong is a part of life, don’t expect everything to be perfect or you are bound to end up disappointed. Stay positive, but don’t build up your expectations. Don’t overdo it Many people tend to overdo it during the holidays….

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The Numbers are Rising in Children Attempting Suicide

Over the past ten years or so, there has been a significant increase in children and young teens having suicidal thoughts. Doctors are seeing more and more of these children and young teenagers in emergency rooms showing up for anxiety attacks, depressive episodes, and suicidal thoughts, feelings, and attempts. This is even more common during the school year as the kids are feeling the pressure of school as well as suffering from issues related to social anxiety, bullying, peer pressure, and more. There was a study recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that from 2008 to 2015 children ages 5 years old to 17 years old are being admitted to children’s hospitals for reasons relating to suicide, either suicidal thoughts, feelings, or attempts. It was found by researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt that girls are more often attempting suicide than boys are. It was also found that the suicide numbers were higher during the school year and lower during the summer months. Depression in children should never be taken lightly or dismissed One of the issues that kids face is that many parents don’t take depression and anxiety in their children seriously. They…

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Celebrities suffer from depression too: A look into the recent celebrity suicides of Avicii, Kate Spade, and Anthony Bourdain

Any suicide is tragic and draws us to feel immense sadness. However, something about a celebrity. Suicide seems to really draw focus and peek our interest, as well as affect many of our emotions. There could be various reasoning to this. A Reason could also be that we are shocked as that celebrity seemed to have it all, and to have it all together, so we question how they could possibly be unhappy. Another reason is simply that it is a sad occurrence, and people who suffer from depression seem to be hit the hardest by such sad occurrences. However, it is all subjective and rarely will an onlooker be able to fully understand why that celebrity, or any person rather, made the decision to take their own life. The impact celebrity suicides have on us Not only do so many find interest, but a good amount of people grieves when a celebrity passes away, especially when they take their own life. It is interesting how we as people can feel so much for and about someone whom we didn’t know personally. People see celebrities as sources of entertainment, as well as measures of success against them. When it comes…

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Can Food Affect your Mood?  

What we put into our bodies has a lot to do with our health, how we look, and how we feel. But can it affect our mood? The answer is yes. If you have ever eaten a candy bar or had a milkshake, and then felt a sudden and intense wave of energy, you know that food can affect how you feel. However, there are other conditions in which food can impact your mood, from the specific foods you eat to your eating schedule and habits. The chemistry of various foods can chemically and physiologically alter changes in our brain’s structure, which can lead to significant influence of mood and behavior: #1 Unhealthy diet and depression Research has indicated that having an unhealthy diet for an extended period can put you at risk for increasing symptoms of depression. Although there isn’t really proof that an unhealthy diet causes depression, it has been found that the two things are correlated. #2 Sugar & stress When you feel stressed out or overcome by anxiety, it is natural for the body to crave sugar; sugar helps to energize the body while it is trying to cope with negative feelings. However, if you feel…

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Is summer depression a thing?

The first official day of summer is nearing, and with it comes intense summer heat, backyard BBQ’s, and fun vacations; it’s safe to assert that summer is a time of happiness. However, if you are suffering from summer depression, it probably isn’t. Many people believe that seasonal affective disorder is only prominent in the winter, but the sad reality is that so many are also affected in the warm, summer months. Symptoms of summer depression Difficulty sleeping Loss of appetite Anxiety Weight loss Unexplained stress or feelings of sadness Agitation Isolation What causes summer depression? There are different possibilities in terms of why people suffer from summer depression. While for some people it stems from environmental stressors like intense heat, vacation envy, being “out-of-shape”, or a lack of structure and responsibility, for others it actually has to do with their biological structure. For those who have this innate biological influencer, it is called summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, or summertime SAD. #1 Summer-onset Seasonal Affective Disorder First, let’s discuss the biologically related reason behind summer depression. You may have heard about SAD (seasonal affective disorder) from the opposing end, where people experience depression in the colder winter months. Unfortunately, a small…

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Why Do I Feel So Lonely?

It is completely normal to feel lonely from time to time, but if you are plagued by these feeling all the time, it may be a good idea to seek help. Feelings of loneliness can plague anyone at any time, including teenagers, the elderly, and those who suffer from depression. While symptoms range from person to person, people often experience sadness, isolation, and withdrawal from loved ones. Whether you live by yourself, with your family members, or with loved ones, loneliness can strike. Although not all cases of loneliness occur because of depression, there is a strong link between the two. In fact, feeling lonely is quite often a predictor of depression and sadness. It is important to note that loneliness is an extremely complex mental and emotional condition that can be extremely powerful. It is safe to say that every single person has experienced some degree of abandonment and isolation at one point or another, even if only for a short period of time. Remembering how you felt during this time can be both painful and scary, but it is important to learn different strategies and coping mechanisms for fighting depression and these other feelings. Persistent loneliness can be…

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How Social Media Can Affect Us

Social media is everywhere these days. Not only is it a way to stay connected with long lost college roommates and friends from another era, but it has become a marketing tool for businesses and brands. There is simply no escaping it in our society today. Many people find themselves aimlessly scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter throughout the day and evening – this has become a common scene in our society that we just can’t seem to break away from. While this may seem harmless enough, social media can actually have a negative effect on us in many different ways. Social media is filled with birth announcements, engagements, beach vacations, job promotions, relationships, breakups, political viewpoints, and so on. All of this can be overwhelming and cause us to get sucked into a wide array of emotions, from jealousy and competitiveness to depression and anxiety. The fact that a large majority of our population (both young and old) choose to spend the few spare minutes they have a day mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds is a problem and leading to issues with our collective psychology. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, our kids and teenagers are at…

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How to Help Your Teen with Depression

A person’s teenage years are some of the most trying and difficult. It is no wonder that many teens experience mood swings and depression, especially in today’s society where social media and the internet play such an instrumental role. As hormones change and puberty hits, teens go through a roller coaster of emotions and upheaval within their own bodies. Unfortunately, many teens become depressed and feel as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel. While some are able to get through this difficult time with the love and support of their family and friends, for others depression is just too much. This is where therapy comes in. It is becoming increasingly popular for parents and teens to seek counseling help to get through these difficult years. Teenage depression isn’t just a phase, it is a serious health concern that causes a wide range of emotions, including sadness, isolation, loss, and lack of hope. There is no exact formula for preventing teenage depression, but there are a handful of things you can do as parents and adults to help them get through this trying time. As kids get older, their problems become more complex and it becomes…

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Can a person be cured of depression?

Suffering from depression can encompass quite a hopeless feeling. It may seem you are never going to feel better or normal again. And sometimes, as soon as you start feeling better, you start anticipating for the overwhelming feeling to once again come over you. It is quite common for depression to be a reoccurring disorder, but it is also possible for it to diminish, and every so often, it is possible for it to be completely absent. Depression isn’t something to be taken lightly, as it can have a very large impact on one’s life. It can make you feel like you just can’t do anything. Depression can make it so that it is just a hard task to get out of bed in the morning. Many people think they are alone when it comes to suffering from depression, but depression is a more common occurrence than most people know. In 2012, 16 million U.S. adults suffered from at least one major depressive episode, while 350 million people worldwide are reported to suffer from depression. The numbers have actually only continued to increase as well over time. And one of the biggest problems, is that many people are failing to…

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