What makes a person suffering from depression Click their loved ones now?

It is true what they say about depression, it affects your whole being. Depression seems to apply not only to your mental being, but also on your physical and social self. Similarly, depression affects not only the sufferer but also the people around him. People who are depressed have a sense of worthlessness and the buy Valium. These feelings can be very overwhelming to the point that they "push" anyone who tries to approach them. 
 If you happen to be at the opposite end, it can be very painful for you. Most often, people who suffer from anxiety do not really understand that, while they are in pain, they also hurt the people they love in the process. But there are ways to fight depression, so it does not reach the point where the relationship with family and friends are affected. Here are some tips to help you help your loved one overcome depression:

   1. Do not let your loved one to push you away. It may be necessary to give him time and space, but do not make your presence overwhelming. Do not talk too much. Be more to listen than talk the language. In many cases, the silence speaks volumes of words. Just be there and be ready to hand, he she can keep up.

   2. Try to get to the bottom of the depression of your friend. There are various reasons why one gets depressed, and for many of these reasons are practical solutions. If financial difficulties are the cause of your friend to get depressed, here are some ways you can be helpful:

         1. Get your friend to list down all of its creditors and the amount owed to each.
         2. Encourage your friend to his her loans consolidated. Loan or debt consolidation can reduce interest rates, and it will be easier for your friend to manage his her debts with only one person or company to deal with every month.
         3. Help your friend to control his her expenses. Get your friend to make a list of monthly expenses. Many of these costs (eg, Friday night dinner, weekend trips, cable, etc.) may not be needed at all so get him her to get it from the list, at least for a while.
         4. Ask your friend to pay for purchases in cash, rather than relying on credit cards. With cash payments, your friend will not be tempted to buy whatever he she can not afford the time.
         5. Help your friend find opportunities to work on the Internet. Getting a part-time on the Internet can help your friend deal with his her financial problems.
   3. Go out with your friend. If the grief and depression is the cause of your friend to make him her from his her words, not necessarily to date other people, but to understand what he she is not alone in the world.

   4. Promoting health eating. I have personally seen the profiles of people who are depressed for one reason or another, and most of them are turning to "comfort" foods is second nature. But you should know that the impact of these comfort foods never last long. Worse yet, they can make one look bloated from too much salt, which tends to draw water inside. Encouraging healthy eating habits and wise food choices that include fruits and vegetables.
Typically, depression lasts only a few days. If your friend seems to have dropped in for a much longer period of time, or showing signs and symptoms that affect his her state of mind and overall well-being, make him her to seek professional help. He she may have need of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication to control the problem.

The capacity of Positive Psychology

Most people quest after therapy to get help with a problem. But what if the research and techniques in the field of luny could be used to build upon existing strengths and personality traits to eschew people become happier and more engaged in their lives?
This is the educate question behind the work of researchers and psychologists in the field of positive psychology, which goes beyond forceful thinking to a deeper understanding of what makes people happy.
“You can do things to muddle through yourself happy,” says Debbie Swick, MBA, associate executive Mr Big of the International Positive Psychology Association and associate director of education in the Positive Madwoman Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Positive Psychology: Areas of Focus
Unmitigated psychology is focused on three basic areas of study and practice:
* Uncontested emotions, consisting of contentment with the past, current happiness, hope for the future.
* Arrogant traits, such as courage, resilience, curiosity, self-knowledge, integrity, compassion, and creativity.
* Overweening institutions, such as community institutions, which can benefit from focusing on the tools developed in emphatic psychology research.
The research that has contributed to the field of positive feelings has been going on for decades, says Swick. Positive psychology, as a specialty, arose far a decade ago and is now applied in a variety of settings, from clinics to corporations.
Positive Psychology: How It Differs From Positive Thinking
Complete psychology can be easily confused with the idea of positive thinking. Notwithstanding, there are several important differences, including:
* Positive opinion emphasizes positivity in all situations, whereas positive psychology offers a species of tools for success.
* Positive psychology draws from the facts of experts who have studied depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.
* Clear psychology is evidence-based, meaning it is based on research.
Irrefutable thinking could be loosely termed as optimism, which has been shown to be bare helpful for people in a variety of situations. However, experts in positive mental also believe that there are times when a realistic or balance out negative view of a situation could be more helpful. “There is a proportion of positive to negative that is a healthy ratio it’s three to buy generic valium online,” says Swick. "There are times when it is rightful not appropriate to plaster a smile on your face.”
Positive Psychology: The Evidence on Happiness
Here are some research results that contribute to the field of positive psychology:

• Activities bring more happiness than possessions. A survey of 150 young adults showed that when asked to rate the happiness value of purchases they hoped would be pleasurable, experience-type purchases, such as trips or meals, outranked objects.
• Being wealthy does not make you more likely to be happy than other people, as long as everyone’s income is above the poverty level.
• Grateful people are more likely to be healthy, helpful, and have a greater sense of well-being.
• Seeing other people do good things makes us want to do good too.
• An optimistic outlook reduces the risk of physical and emotional health problems.

Positive Psychology: How to Nurture Happiness
 
Here are some exercises to help you nurture your own happiness:

• Practice gratitude
• Allow yourself to enjoy what you enjoy whatever it is, savor it!
• Practice optimism find the positive spin
• Argue with yourself about negative beliefs about the past 

Swick recommends trying this exercise for a taste of positive psychology’s approach: at the end of the day, write down three good things that happened during the day and buy diazepam generic valium.
“Eventually you start to notice the positive things. It changes you,” she says.

Majority Of Depression Sufferers Do Not Receive Treatment

A new report which coincides with Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day reveals that 8.2 percent (2 million) youths aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year. Only about two-fifths (38.9 percent) of these adolescents received treatment during this period according to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The report also found that health insurance coverage seemed to be a major factor in determining whether adolescents experiencing MDEs in the past year received treatment. Among these adolescents, those without health insurance coverage were far less likely to have received treatment (17.2 percent) than those with Medicaid/CHIP (42.9 percent) or private health insurance (40.6 percent).
Based on a nationwide SAMHSA survey, Major Depressive Episode and Treatment among Adolescents also reveals the types of treatments adolescents received for MDEs. The report shows that among treated adolescents:
• 58.8 percent saw or spoke with a counselor
• 36.8 percent saw or spoke with a psychologist
• 27.3 percent saw or spoke with a psychiatrist or psychotherapist
• 26.6 percent saw or spoke with a general practitioner or family doctor
In addition, the report shows that less than half (46.8 percent) of adolescents who received treatment for an MDE in the past year used prescription medication for their condition.
“This report contributes to the growing realization that much more must be done to meet enormous mental health needs of our young people,” said SAMHSA’s Acting Administrator, Eric Broderick, D.D.S, M.P.H. “This report, along with the enactment of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the recent landmark report by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine on children’s mental health, highlight our nation’s growing concern and commitment to alleviating the damage and suffering inflicted by untreated mental disorders on children, their families and their communities.”
The report is drawn from SAMHSA’s 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which collected data from a representative sample of approximately 22,000 adolescents throughout the United States.
An MDE is defined as a period of two weeks or longer during which there is either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure and at least four other symptoms that reflect a change in functioning, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, and self-image.

Bill To Study Causes, Treatment Of Postpartum Depression

Postpartum Depression
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday approved by voice vote a bill (HR 20)that would authorize $3 million in grants in fiscal year 2008 to studythe causes and treatments of postpartum depression and postpartumpsychosis, CQ HealthBeat reports (Armstrong, CQ HealthBeat, 9/27).
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), also would provide grants through HHSfor the "establishment, operation and coordination of effective andcost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services" forwomen with the conditions and their families. The measure initiallywould have directed NIHto conduct research on postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis,but a House subcommittee in July approved an amendment that changed"directed" to "encouraged." The bill would authorize "such sums asnecessary" to continue the research for FY 2009 and FY 2010 (Kaiser Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, 7/20).
According to a CDC study, about 18% of women experience depression after giving birth. No amendments were offered on the bill, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 9/27).

Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view theentire Kaiser DailyWomen’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, and sign up for emaildelivery at kaisernetwork.org/email. The Kaiser Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, afree service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2007 Advisory BoardCompany and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

People's Depression Worsen During Allergy Season

New research is showing that people with depression or bipolar disorder that are allergic to certain pollens such as tree or ragweed, experience worse depression when exposed to that allergen.
"The worse the allergy symptoms, the worse their depression scores [on a standardized test used to assess depression and mania]," says researcher Partam Manalai, MD, of the department of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.
The findings discovered that allergies can make depression symptoms much worse. This is the first time that's been shown. While more research is needed to understand how allergies may make depression worse, the findings also indicate that treating a depressed person's allergies may help improve their mood, even if they aren't experiencing symptoms.
One in 10 Americans suffers from depression. As many as one in five may have seasonal allergies says researcher Partam Manalai, MD, of the department of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. "In patients with allergy and depression, prophylactic treatment of these conditions may prevent worsening of mood during peak allergen season," Manalai says.
"But in people with depression and allergies, we think treating the allergies may prevent worsening of depression symptoms," he says.
Allergists have reported that persons with certain allergies may feel fatigued and mentally “down” during the season. Some people suffer from insomnia. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2006 showed that people with allergies were more likely to have sleep problems than people without the condition. In the study, about 35% of allergic rhinitis patients reported insomnia.
Manalai also points out that only people with mood disorders were studied; otherwise healthy people who feel the symptoms of allergies during allergy season shouldn't go charging into their doctor's office asking for antidepressants to ease symptoms.

Depression Ups Risk Of Complications Following Heart Attack

People who suffer from severe depression following a heart attack might be more likely to experience cardiac complications while hospitalized, according to a new study.
“There is good evidence that if a person has depression after a heart attack, they are more likely to die from cardiac causes in the following months and years,” said lead author Jeff Huffman, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “No one had yet studied whether depression impacts cardiac outcomes immediately after a heart attack—the time we see the most complications.”
The study included 129 patients at Massachusetts General Hospital. Within 72 hours of having a heart attack, each participant underwent an interview to determine if he or she suffered from depression or anxiety. Seventeen of the original group members had a diagnosis of major depression lasting for at least two weeks.
The presence of major depression was a significant predictor of heart rhythm problems, congestive heart failure or a second heart attack.
Anxiety did not affect the risk for any in-hospital complication.
“The results suggest that physicians should be especially mindful of treating depression in patients with cardiac risk factors,” Huffman said. “They also suggest close in-hospital monitoring of heart attack patients with major depression given this increased risk for complications.”
Huffman noted that the study, which appears in the July-August issue of the journal Psychosomatics, is a small, preliminary study. Most of the participants were white males, so its findings might not apply to other groups.
“What is surprising is that differences in outcomes were seen in a relatively short time. The new observation is that risk for these bad outcomes start while patients are still in the hospital,” said David Bush, M.D., associate professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Heart Institute.
“The separation between heart disease, typically managed by cardiologists and internists, and mental disease, typically managed by psychiatrists, is not as great as many seem to think.” Bush said. “Physicians and patients should be sensitive to this and work on treating depression in addition to controlling diabetes, lowering blood pressure and lowering cholesterol.”

Stress hormone can lead to obesity in adolescent girls

Scientists have uncovered a link between higher levels of a stress hormone and obesity in adolescent girls, but not boys. Even though boys and girls both release the hormone during stress, the findings show that girls are most likely to become obese from higher levels of cortisol.
Cortisol, a hormone released by the adrenal gland is known to contribute to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It can also destroy immunity. Though researchers have known that cortisol contributes to weight gain and obesity but the exact reasons are not clear. The researchers for the new study found that higher levels of the stress hormone in girls age 6 to 13 was associated with obesity.

Researchers subjected adolescent boys and girls to testing designed to raise their stress levels and then measured cortisol levels in their saliva. The study included 111 boys and girls ages 8 to 13 that were screened for symptoms of depression using a behavior checklist. The findings showed that depression that raises cortisol levels was associated with obesity only in the girls studied.
The scientists are not certain why stress and depression leads to obesity in adolescent girls and not boys. According to the authors it may be the combination of estrogen and eating behaviors - girls eat more in response to stress.
"This is the first time cortisol reactivity has been identified as a mediator between depressed mood and obesity in girls," said Elizabeth J. Susman, the Jean Phillips Shibley professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State. "We really haven't seen this connection in kids before, but it tells us that there are biological risk factors that are similar for obesity and depression."
The children in the study were asked to perform a math problem. They also had to make up a story and tell a story in addition to being told they would be evaluated by judges. Cortisol levels were measured before and after the tests. Higher levels of cortisol from stress was associated with obese adolescent girls but not boys. The research suggests that treating stress and depression could also treat obesity that predominantly affects adolescent girls.