Depression

Diana, Princess of Wales. V.I.P. Depression

2009-01-14T00:45:00Z

Born The Lady Diana Frances Spencer, the world came to know her as simply Lady Di when she began dating Charles, Prince of Wales. Although popularly referred to as Princess Diana after their 1981 marriage, she was actually styled Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. Following their divorce in 1996, she received the title Diana, Princess of Wales.

Family:

Diana was the youngest daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Althorp. She became Lady Diana Spencer when her father succeeded to the earldom in 1975 and became the 8th Earl Spencer. She married Charles, Prince of Wales in 1981. They had two sons, Prince William (Arthur Philip Louis) (1982– ) and Prince Henry (Charles Albert David) (1984– ), known as Prince Harry. Charles and Diana divorced on Febuary 28th, 1996.

Education:

Lady Diana was educated at the preparatory school Riddlesworth Hall at Diss, Norfolk and later attended the boarding school West Heath, near Sevenoaks, Kent. At school, she showed a particular interest in music and dancing. After West Heath, she went to finishing school at the Institut Alpin Videmanette in Rougemont, Switzerland.

Career:

Upon leaving school, Diana first worked looking after the child of an American couple and then as a kindergarten teacher at the Young England School in Pimlico. She is best known, however, for her charity work with AIDS and land mine awareness efforts that she conducted during and after her marriage to Prince Charles.

Depression:

For years, the public believed that Diana was living a fairy tale life, married to her real life Prince Charming. However, this was far from the truth. According to "Diana: The Last Word" by Simone Simmons, late in her first pregnancy Diana threw herself down a staircase trying to draw attention to her pain. She said of the incident, "I wanted Charles to put his arms around me and say he loved me, but all he ever did was give me a pat on the back." In a 1995 interview conducted by the BBC, Diana revealed that she had suffered from post-natal depression after her first son, Prince William was born. She admitted to self-injuring due to the pressure she felt trying to adapt to her role as Princess of Wales, but said it backfired since rather than getting her the help she needed, it made people believe she was attention-seeking and unstable. She also confessed to secret binging and purging of food to help her deal with her marriage problems, including the fact that her husband was still in love with a former girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles.

Terry Bradshaw. V.I.P. Depression

2009-01-14T00:37:00Z

Name: Terry Paxton Bradshaw

Born: September 2, 1948, Shreveport, Louisiana.

Family:

Bradshaw has been married three times. He was married to Melissa Babich from 1972-73, to ice skater JoJo Starbuck from 1976-83, and to Charlotte Hopkins from 1983-99. Hopkins is the mother of his two daughters, Rachael and Erin. He has been divorced three times.

Education:
Bradshaw attended Woodlawn High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was also a student at Louisiana Tech, where in 1969 he was considered by most pro scouts to be the most outstanding college football player. He was the first player selected in the 1970 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1996, Bradshaw was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Career:
Terry Bradshaw is a former star quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team. During the 1970s, Bradshaw led the Steelers to four Super Bowl wins over six seasons and was twice a Super Bowl MVP. After retiring in 1983, he became a sports commentator working for both the CBS and FOX networks.

Depression:
After his NFL career ended, Bradshaw admitted that he had frequently experienced anxiety attacks after games. The problem became worse in the late 1990s after his third divorce when he says he "could not bounce back" as he had in the past. He began to experience weight loss, crying and insomnia in addition to the anxiety and was diagnosed with clinical depression. Since then he has become a champion for removing the stigma of depression and urging people to get the help they need. During 2004 he travelled around the U.S. speaking about his depression and his use of the antidepressant Paxil CR.

Top 8 Tips for Living with Depression

2009-01-14T00:19:00Z

When you're depressed it can feel like you are barely existing. By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, however, you can not only live with depression, but live well. The following are some tips that can help improve your quality of life.

1. Join a Support Group
Having a caring group of people who can be there to listen to you and support you is perhaps the most important thing you can do outside of medical treatment to help you with your depression. There are numerous groups, both online and in your community, dedicated to supporting those with depression and other mental illnesses.

2. Reduce Your Stress
When the body is under stress, the adrenal gland increases secretion of cortisol. Short-term, this hormone can help aid in survival. Long-term elevation of cortisol, however, can have detrimental effects. Although the exact mechanism that causes depression is uncertain, clinical studies suggest that chronically elevated cortisol may induce clinical depression by somehow affecting the neurotransmitter serotonin. Learning stress reduction techniques may be helpful in reducing depression.

3. Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Sleep and mood are intimately related. In fact, some studies seem to show that rather than being only a symptom of depression, insomnia may in fact be a cause of depression. Learning how to get a good night's sleep could improve your mood.

4. Improve Your Eating Habits
A poor diet can affect both your physical and mental well-being. Eat better to feel better.

5. Learn How to Stop Negative Thoughts
Did you know that habitual negative thinking can lead to depression? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy which works to alter common patterns of negative thinking called cognitive distortions in order to eliminate depression. Numerous studies have shown that CBT is an effective treatment for both depression and anxiety. The best results are obtained by using CBT in conjunction with medication.

6. Beat Procrastination
The symptoms that we experience when depressed, such as fatigue and hopelessness, make it easy to fall into a habit of putting things off until we feel better. When important deadlines draw near, however, procrastination creates anxiety and guilt that further feeds our depression. It's a vicious cycle, but it can be stopped by learning how to break through the habit of procrastination.

7. Get a Handle on Your Household Chores
Depression destroys so much of our motivation and energy that if can become difficult to keep up with day-to-day chores, yet a dirty living environment only serves to make us feel more worthless and discouraged. The following tips can help you get a handle on your house work.

8. Learn How to Forgive
Holding on to anger about past events can contribute to depression. Forgiving these wrongs can help you heal and move forward with your life, but the Biblical definition of forgiveness is very hard for most of us to swallow. How can you forget the unforgettable? How can you forgive the unforgivable? To enjoy the benefits of forgiveness, however, we don't need to go that far.

How can someone help a person who is depressed?

2009-01-14T00:18:00Z

Family and friends can help! Since depression can make the affected person feel exhausted and helpless, he or she will want and probably need help from others. However, people who have never had a depressive disorder may not fully understand its effect. Although unintentional, friends and loved ones may unknowingly say and do things that may be hurtful to the depressed person. It may help to share the information in this article with those you most care about so they can better understand and help you.

The most important thing anyone can do for the depressed person is to help him or her get an appropriate diagnosis and treatment. This help may involve encouraging the individual to stay with treatment until symptoms begin to go away (usually several weeks) or to seek different treatment if no improvement occurs. On occasion, it may require making an appointment and accompanying the depressed person to the doctor. It may also mean monitoring whether the depressed person is taking medication for several months after symptoms have improved. Always report a worsening depression to the patient's physician or therapist.

The second most important way to help is to offer emotional support. This support involves understanding, patience, affection, and encouragement. Engage the depressed person in conversation and listen carefully. Do not disparage feelings expressed, but point out realities and offer hope. Do not ignore remarks about suicide. Always report them to the depressed person's therapist.

Invite the depressed person for walks, outings, and to the movies and other activities. Be gently insistent if your invitation is refused. Encourage participation in activities that once gave pleasure, such as hobbies, sports, or religious or cultural activities. However, do not push the depressed person to undertake too much too soon. The depressed person needs company and diversion, but too many demands can increase feelings of failure.

Do not accuse the depressed person of faking illness or of laziness. Do not expect him or her "to snap out of it." Eventually, with treatment, most depressed people do get better. Keep that in mind. Moreover, keep reassuring the depressed person that, with time and help, he or she will feel better.

What about self-help?

2009-01-14T00:13:00Z

Depressive disorders make those afflicted feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Such negative thoughts and feelings make some people feel like giving up. It is important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and typically do not accurately reflect the actual situation. It should be remembered that negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. In the meantime, the following are helpful guidelines and advice for the depressed individual:

Eat healthy foods and make time to get enough rest to physically promote improvement in your mood.
Express your feelings, either to friends, in a journal, or using art to help release some negative feelings.
Do not set difficult goals for yourself or take on a great deal of responsibility.
Break large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what you can when you can.
Do not expect too much from yourself too soon, as this will only increase feelings of failure.
Try to be with other people, which is usually better than being alone.
Participate in activities that may make you feel better.
You might try exercising mildly, going to a movie or a ball game, or participating in religious or social activities.
Don't rush or overdo it. Don't get upset if your mood is not greatly improved right away. Feeling better takes time.
Do not make major life decisions, such as changing jobs or getting married or divorced without consulting others who know you well. These people often can have a more objective view of your situation. In any case, it is advisable to postpone important decisions until your depression has lifted.
Do not expect to "snap out" of your depression. People rarely do. Help yourself as much as you can, and do not blame yourself for not being up to par.
Remember, do not accept your negative thinking. It is part of the depression and will disappear as your depression responds to treatment.
Plan how you would get help for yourself in an emergency, like calling friends, family, your physical or mental-health professional or a local emergency room if you were to develop thoughts of harming yourself or someone else.
Limit your access to things that could be used to hurt yourself or others (for example, do not keep excess medication of any kind, firearms or other weapons in the home).

Definition

2009-01-12T07:56:00Z

Depression is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. The term "major depressive disorder" was selected by the American Psychiatric Association for this symptom cluster under mood disorders in the 1980 version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) classification, and has become widely used since. The general term depression is often used to describe the disorder, but as it is also used to describe a depressed mood, more precise terminology is preferred in clinical and research use. Major depression is a disabling condition which adversely affects a person's family, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. In the United States, approximately 3.4% of people with major depression commit suicide, and up to 60% of all people who commit suicide have depression or another mood disorder.

The diagnosis of major depressive disorder is based on the patient's self-reported experiences, behavior reported by relatives or friends, and a mental status exam. There is no laboratory test for major depression, although physicians generally request tests for physical conditions that may cause similar symptoms. The most common time of onset is between the ages of 30 and 40 years, with a later peak between 50 and 60 years. Major depression occurs about twice as frequently in women as in men, although men are at higher risk for suicide.

Most patients are treated in the community with antidepressant medication and some with psychotherapy or counseling. Hospitalization may be necessary in cases with associated self-neglect or a significant risk of harm to self or others. A minority are treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), under a short-acting general anaesthetic. The course of the disorder varies widely, from one episode lasting months to a lifelong disorder with recurrent major depressive episodes. Depressed individuals have shorter life expectancies than those without depression, in part because of greater susceptibility to medical illnesses. Current and former patients may be stigmatized.

The understanding of the nature and causes of depression has evolved over the centuries, though many aspects of depression remain incompletely understood and are the subject of discussion and research. Psychological, psycho-social, evolutionary and biological causes have been proposed. Psychological treatments are based on theories of personality, interpersonal communication, and learning theory. Most biological theories focus on the monoamine chemicals serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine that are naturally present in the brain and assist communication between nerve cells. Monoamines have been implicated in depression, and most antidepressants work to increase the active levels of at least one.

Symptoms and signs

2009-01-12T06:16:00Z

Major depression is a serious illness that affects a person's family, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health; its impact on functioning and well-being has been equated to that of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes.

A person suffering a major depressive episode usually exhibits a low mood pervading all aspects of life and an inability to experience pleasure in previously enjoyable activities. Depressed people may be preoccupied with, or ruminate over, thoughts and feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt or regret, helplessness or hopelessness. Other symptoms include poor concentration and memory, withdrawal from social situations and activities, reduced sex drive, and thoughts of death or suicide. Insomnia is common: in the typical pattern, a person wakes very early and is unable to get back to sleep. Hypersomnia, or oversleeping, is less common. Appetite often decreases, with resulting weight loss, although increased appetite and weight gain occasionally occur. The person may report multiple physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or digestive problems; physical complaints are the most common presenting problem in developing countries according to the World Health Organization's criteria of depression, in developing countries. Family and friends may notice that the person's behavior is either agitated or lethargic. Older depressed persons may have cognitive symptoms of recent onset, such as forgetfulness, and a more noticeable slowing of movements. In severe cases, depressed people may have symptoms of psychosis such as delusions or, less commonly, hallucinations, usually of an unpleasant nature.

Depressed children often display an irritable rather than a depressed mood, and show varying symptoms depending on age and situation. Most exhibit a loss of interest in school and a decline in academic performance. They may be described as clingy, demanding, dependent, or insecure. Diagnosis may be delayed or missed when symptoms are interpreted as normal moodiness.

Risk factors

2009-01-11T00:04:00Z

Although precise statistics aren't known, depression is considered relatively common. In any given year, about 12 million adults in the United States have depression. Depression cuts across all racial, ethnic and economic divides - no one is immune from the risk of getting depression.

Depression typically begins in the late 20s, but it can arise at any age, affecting everyone from young children to older adults. Twice as many women are diagnosed with depression as men, but this may be due in part because women are more likely to seek treatment for depression.

Although the precise cause of depression isn't known, researchers have identified certain factors that seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering depression, including:

Having other biological relatives with depression

Having family members who have taken their own life

Stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one

Having a depressed mood as a youngster

Illness, such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's or HIV/AIDS

Long-term use of certain medications, such as some drugs used to control high blood pressure, sleeping pills or, occasionally, birth control pills

Certain personality traits, such as having low self-esteem and being overly dependent, self-critical or pessimistic

Alcohol, nicotine and drug abuse

Having recently given birth

Being in a lower socioeconomic group

Causes of Depression

2009-01-10T23:58:00Z

Depression has no single cause; often, it results from a combination of things. You may have no idea why depression has struck you.

Whatever its cause, depression is not just a state of mind. It is related to physical changes in the brain, and connected to an imbalance of a type of chemical that carries signals in your brain and nerves. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

Some of the more common factors involved in depression are:

Family history. Genetics play an important part in depression. It can run in families for generations.
Trauma and stress. Things like financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a loved one can bring on depression. You can become depressed after changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, or getting married.
Pessimistic personality. People who have low self-esteem and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by low-level depression (called dysthymia).
Physical conditions. Serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and HIV can contribute to depression, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression can make medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make pain harder to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.
Other psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and (especially) substance abuse often appear along with depression.