WHAT TYPE OF DEPRESSION ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM?

There are different types of depression each with its own unique features and symptoms. It is important that you know the type of depression you are suffering from so as not to get confused with the treatment option you are going to be taking. And also, so that you can be sure that whatever treatment option you decide to undertake is the right and effective one for your depressive state. Here described are the most common types of depression you might be suffering from;

Bipolar Disorder: This type of depression involves both manic and depressive episodes. It is characterized by an alternation between emotional extremes of intense hyper activity (mania) and devastating lows (depression). The transition from one mood extreme to the other is gradual whit each manic or depressive episode lasting for at least several weeks.  In other words, you might experience symptoms of manic depression when depressed and experience symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour, rapid speech and little or no sleep during mania.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): This type of depression is experienced only in the winter when there is limited sunlight. It is more common in women and younger people. Typical symptoms experienced include; extreme lethargy, low spirits, increased appetite, sleepiness during winter and a craving for carbohydrates. This type of depression can be well managed using light therapy.

Dysthymia:  this is a mild, persistent depression more common in women. If you are suffering from dysthymia, you will be typically morose, introverted, over conscientious, and incapable of fun. In addition, you might also show the low energy level, low self esteem, suicidal ideation and disturbances of eating, sleeping, and thinking that are associated with major depression, though the severity might not be as that experienced with major depression. Dysthymia, like other forms of depression can be well treated.

Cyclothymia:  This type of depression is also chronic and persistent like dysthymia. For years, you might never go longer than a few months without a phase of moderately manic or depressive behaviour. Because the pattern is mild and persistent as in dysthymia, it becomes a way of life. In manic periods, you might find yourself working long hours without fatigue before lapsing back into a normal or depressed state.

Major Depression: This is a recurring type of disorder with no intervening manic episodes. Persons with major depressive disorder usually regard themselves in a negative way and blame themselves for things that have gone wrong. They also have symptoms such as low sex drive, eating disorders, increase in insomnia and self isolation. Major depression is more common in women and also people who are separated or divorced.

Postpartum Depression: This type of depression is experienced by women after birth. Sometimes it occurs in women after conception up to several months or a year. It is characterised with feelings of sadness, sleep problems, anxiety and even irritability.

If indeed you are suffering from depression, chances are that you are probably suffering from any of the type of depression described here. Whatever the type of depression you might be suffering from, you can find help here.

10 most common causes of teenage depression

The Causes of teenage depression usually vary from one teenager to another. In fact, literatures and researches have shown that the list of causes of teenage depression is practically endless. Research has also shown that most types of depression can be treated. In this article I have highlighted below some of the most common causes of teenage depression facing teenagers today;

1. Traumatic or Significant life events such as the death of a family member, close friend or loved one, parents divorce or split, heartbreak from  a boyfriend or girlfriend, or relocating or moving to a new school and area.
2. Emotional and Physical neglect, being separated from a significant others or nurturer, abuse, as well as damage to self esteem can all lead to depression.
3. Many changes happening too quickly can cause depression. For some teens, any major change at one time can trigger symptoms.
4. Stress aggravated by emotional neglect from significant others and loved ones.
5. Past traumatic events, experiences or negative flash backs like sexual abuse, rape, physical abuse which might have happened earlier in a teen’s life can generally resurface as flashbacks later in the teen’s life. When this happens, the teen may experience varying degrees of depression.
6. A teenager can experience depression as a result of growth spurts or changes associated with puberty. This can be easily treated.
7. Misuse, abuse or over use of drugs and other related substances can alter the brain chemistry in a teen causing some types of depression.
8. Some physical or medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and physical disability can affect hormone and mood balance. The stress and chronic Physical pain associated with the treatment of certain health conditions can also trigger depression
9. Depression can be a genetic disorder, and teens with family members with a history of depression have a greater chance themselves of suffering from depression
10. Financial difficulties can also be a cause of teenage depression. This is true especially if one or both parents are unemployed or got laid off.

Whatever the cause of your depression, the good news is that treatment is available for most types of depression. So if you suffer from depression take courage in the fact that your condition can be perfectly treated.

5 Ways to Deal With Depression and Anxiety

By Josef Mack

Depression, anxiety and stress are a normal part of life. Everyone is liable to have a bad day here and there. Few people are always positive and cheerful. If you get through the miserable spots then you are doing fine. But if you get stuck in what seems like a black hole, then it's a problem that has to be first recognized and then treated. Please consult your physician immediately.

If you are not quite down the black hole yet, here are five simple tips on how you can treat your depression. Please consider that we all self-diagnose to be healthier than we really may be, so be honest with yourself:

Tip 1: Pet Therapy

One of the simplest, most effective and the cuddliest option is getting a pet, specifically a dog or a cat. Reason being, they give unconditional love and spoil you with never ending attention. It's hard to get a fish to lick you, or wag its tail like a dog does. It's also proven that petting a cat or dog lowers blood pressure.

Tip 2: Fitness Workout

Get enrolled in a fitness workout program. The physical activity energizes the body and helps treat anxiety. When you get your body moving you release endorphins. Endorphins are the body's happy chemicals; they make you feel better and are good for your health.

Tip 3: Hobby Time

Pause and take a break. Explore your hobby and give yourself time. You can even join a charity or do volunteer work. This is a natural therapy, helping others gives you inner peace and satisfaction. You will also feel empathy and realize the good things you do have in your life. You might even consider your problems to be petty compared to those of others.

Tip 4: Sleep Quality

How well you sleep will determine the peacefulness in your life. In order to ensure a better rest period, the following steps should be taken into consideration:


 Get a comfortable bed and pillow(s)
 Set the room temperature to a cooler level
 Use aromatherapy and mist your pillow with lavender
 Avoid alcohol and caffeine before going to bed
 Do not watch horror movies before going to bed
If it's not possible to do all of these, do as many as you can to insure a good sound sleep.

Tip 5: Recognize the Reason(s)

This happens to be the most vital tip of all. You need to know the reason behind the depression. When you recognize the cause, you can then find a way to deal with it, or treat it.

Depression and anxiety are serious issues and have consequences on our health. They should not be taken lightly. Remember that life happens to us and it is how we act or react to it that makes the difference. Get help to uncover your own natural positive attitude and start living a happier life. Don't wait - start now!

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Top Six Tips To Cure Teenage Depression



  By Emmanuel Heart

There are various treatments for depression. However, a treatment option depends largely on the symptoms and severity of the depression experienced by you. For instance, while some depression sufferers might benefit from medical treatments, others might only require the love and care showered by family and friends to recover. Whatever the type of depression and symptoms exhibited by you, you can benefit from any of the treatment options discussed in this article;

Medical Treatments: This practically involves the administration of an effective medication by a doctor or specialist. The doctor might prescribe antidepressant medication or recommend some other form of assistance. Medical treatment can greatly relieve depression especially when a chemical imbalance is involved. In this case, the prescribed drug restores your body chemistry to its proper balance and this will in effect help you regain a measure of joy and stability. However, the use of antidepressants usually comes with serious side effects. Hence, usage should be monitored carefully as usage might even cause suicidal thoughts. There is also the problem of addiction caused by prolonged use of antidepressants.

Social Support: Teenagers who suffer from clinical depression need all the support they can get because ignoring depression especially by significant others might be risky. In fact, untreated depression can be life threatening. Thus, many depressed teenagers have benefited from the love constant love of their family members and friends. Family and friends can help you by providing social facilitation and also prevent you from self isolation that is characteristics of depressed teenagers.

Dietary adjustments: There might also be need for you to make some necessary adjustments with what you eat. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine are all psychoactive. Alcohol for instance is a depressant that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) slowing down its functioning. Therefore care should be taken when consuming any of this. You should also consider taking vitamin B-6 supplements every day. This is because vitamin B-6 increases serotonin levels in your body. You should also avoid skipping meals so that your body can produce the right amount of energy needed. Generally speaking, you need to eat healthy and avoid alcohol and excessive use of drugs. Some teenagers have greatly benefited from having to eat healthy as this has greatly helped improve their depressive state.

Herbal remedies: Herbal remedies unlike medical antidepressants are safer and with little or no side effects. For this reason, you might also consider this as an option in treating depression. However, the right herbal supplement should be used and care should be taken when using other drugs with herbal supplements. this is because herbal supplements usually render other medications ineffective, hence there might be need to discontinue other treatments when using herbal remedies. 

Psychotherapy: with the help of a therapist you can be thought the basic technique of bringing about a positive change in your behavior or personality. Psychotherapy will help you replace negative and depressive thoughts with more positive and uplifting ones thereby making you lead a normal healthy life that is depression free.

Exercises: Exercises are very important and is also a way of alleviating depression in teenagers. Exercises can make you active and prevent you from being withdrawn. Apart from this, physical exertion releases endorphins in your body and helps you feel positive and happier. Therefore, I suggest you choose a routine for an exercise you are comfortable with. The psychological benefits of exercises are also broad, and most studies suggest a positive relationship between physical fitness, mental achievement and general well being.



 Some of the treatment options for treating teenage depression includes, psychotherapy, exercises, herbal remedies, medical treatments, and dietary adjustments. If you don't respond to any of the treatment discused here, you might need to consider other treatment options.

Four ProvenTips to Overcome Teenage Depression

By Emmanuel Heart

Teenage depression is a condition most parents have experienced at some point or the other while growing up. Little wonder it is not surprising to find that many teenagers have fought this emotional and mental illness which makes them feel worthless to the extent of negatively affecting their daily activities. Whatever the case, it is my opinion that parents can simply help their depressed teenagers by promoting a peaceful and conducive home that will positively bolster their teenager’s depressive mood. They can do this by paying attention to the following tips provided in this article;

Spend More Time with them; it may be wise and rewarding for parents to spend more time with their depressed teen. This is because research has shown that depressed teens usually prefer to isolate themselves. They might leave the house completely or even prefer to confine themselves to their rooms. Under such circumstance, it might be best if parents spend more time with their affected teen as confinement on the teen’s part will only aggravate their depressive state. Parents can even make the atmosphere more exciting by organizing games and other collaborative activities. The goal here is to involve the depressed teen socially while also providing some sort of social support.

Take Note of Depressive Stimuli; Did I hear you say the above strategy didn’t work for your depressed teen? In that case, you might have to go further by diligently observing your teen’s sleeping and eating habits as well as medication usage as these could be prospective triggers of depressive episodes. Therefore as a parent, it might be wise that you keep records of what you observe are triggers of your teen’s depressive episodes as well as any corresponding observable behavior. The goal here is that if parents have an understanding of the underlying causes of their teen’s depression then they might be better able to promote an environment that supports positively stimulating behaviors thereby suppressing or totally preventing depressive episodes before they occur.

Make Them Stay Healthy; it is important that you encourage your depressed teen to lead a healthy and active life, characterized by regular exercises, wise choices of food as well as moderate use of drugs and alcohol. The goal here is that, staying healthy, busy or active can lead to decreased depression or totally prevent depression.

Show Them Love; don’t ever forget that your depressed teen needs all the support and care he can get. Hence, do not deny your depressed teen the support and constant love that he needs. If you have tried the strategies covered so far in this article, and your teen continues to experience or show signs of depression or teenage depression, do not hesitate to seek professional help.

Top Ten Signs Of Teenage Depression

By Emmanuel Heart  

Is your teen suffering from teenage depression? Teenage depression is an occurrence that is more common than we can imagine. So if your teen is a victim, you are not alone. However, what are some common signs of teenage depression?

• Poor academic performance; your depressed teen might find it difficult coping with school work, assignments, teachers and peers and these results in unexpected and sudden drop in grades. Eventually, the teen might feel reluctant to go to school at all.
   
• Behavioral problems; your depressed teen might experience clear changes in mood and behavior. Confrontational and rebellious behaviors even to the extent of running away from home could also be a possibility.
   
• Self isolation; most of the time, your depressed teen might withdraw himself from family, friends and relatives. He prefers to be left alone and not disturbed.
   
• Changes in sleep pattern; your depressed teen might experience confused sleep patterns. He might either be sleeping all day and staying up all night or sleeping too little or too much.
   
• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt; Your teen might constantly feel like a failure and also becomes negatively critical of himself even though this may not be true.
   
• Loss of interest in extracurricular activities; Your teen might suddenly become uninterested in hobbies and activities that were once intriguing to him. He now suddenly becomes unexpectedly passive.
   
• Substance abuse; you may observe an excessive or overuse of drugs and alcohol. In extreme cases, there might even be some form of substance addiction.
   
• Changes in eating habit; your teen might develop several eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia nervosa, and even compulsive overeating.
   
• Psychosomatic symptoms; your depressed teen might constantly complain of illnesses without any clear physical causes. Headaches, back pain, stomach aches are just few examples of the various illnesses that your teen might complain of.
   
• Death or suicide thoughts; in extreme cases of teenage depression, depression intensifies to the extent that your teen might become more preoccupied with feelings of death or suicide. He might constantly consider ‘ending it all’.

If you think your teen displays some or all of the symptoms described in this article, it might be a clear indication that your teen is suffering from teenage depression. It might therefore be wise for you to seriously consider seeking professional advice.