| |
| |
|
Depression Information |
|
|
|
10 Simple Coping Strategies When a Family Member Has Clinical Depression
1.Remember that it is an illness: Clinical depression often requires medical supervision as well as professional treatment. Clinical depression is treatable and requires commitment, understanding and patience from all those involved. 2.It is not your fault: Clinical depression is usually a combination of chemical imbalance and learned behaviors. There may be times when the depressed individual is extremely sensitive, argumentative and/or blaming towards you, the children, the in-laws, the boss and even the world. All the above mentioned are not the cause. What you are responsible for is how you choose to take on the outward symptoms and how they affect you, your home and your relationships. 3.Be well informed: Educate yourself on what type of depression is present and if there is a dual diagnosis IE: chemical dependency and depression or personality disorders and depression. Know what the symptoms, treatments and follow-ups are. There are suggested guidelines for communication and setting boundaries. Though the illness is not your fault; it benefits you and your family to remain open minded and willing to learn new ways of doing things. 4.Make sure to have a support network: Depression and dual diagnosis affects the whole family. There are many ranges of emotions from anger and fear to hopefulness and hopelessness. Having others that have experienced it before can help eliminate unhealthy coping mechanisms such as isolation, shame, control and low self-esteem. There are many national and local support groups available on line. For more information check with your favorite search engines or call a local and/or national mental health hotline. 5.Make time for yourself and your children: Don't fall into the trap of not taking care of yourselves. Misery and fear love company. Living with and loving someone who is clinically depressed can be incredibly draining. Do not become a hostage or enabler. Remember your flight instructions: "For those traveling with small children; place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then assist the children." 6.Be a victor not a victim: Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional: We are all going to feel pain in life never mind a home with mental illness. Surround yourselves with knowledge, self-care, experienced support and nurturing. There are no such things as victims only volunteers. 7.Recognize that clinical depression is episodic Clinical depression comes in waves. People with clinical depression do get better! 8.Understand that medication takes time to work: In most cases, improvement takes as long as 6-8 weeks. Even early responders require about 3-4 weeks before they notice mood improvement. Even after a person with clinical depression feels better, she or he needs to stay on medication at least six months. People should never stop taking medication on their own; medical supervision is a must. There can be serious physical and emotional complications from sudden withdrawal such as increased depression and suicidal tendencies. 9.Medication alone is fairly ineffective: Research shows that medication in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than medication alone. Combined with therapy, the person who is clinically depressed may need to make lifestyle changes, including dietary and exercise changes. The family needs to find ways to reduce stressors by simplifying their lives. 10.Get a written relapse prevention plan: Make a list of early symptoms such as sleep, appetite and mood changes. Early intervention is the key to stopping a downward spiral. Determine what worked in the past to get the person with clinical depression back on track and do the things that worked before. Elizabeth Tull is a Professional Excellence coach who partners with people in crafting and designing Legacies of Excellence. Her focus is on bridging the recovery community to professional coaching as well as support for families dealing with clinical depression in the home. Visit her on the web http://www.agapelegacycoach.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Depression - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Get Rid of Your Worries: 5 Golden Rules and a Warning Suresh was a worried person when he came to me . "Sir what if I don't get placement ? I feel that I will fail in the coming exam. Acidity Depresses Thyriod Function THE RISKAccumulation of acids in your body, due to insufficient digestion of food, food allergies and consumption of acid-forming substances, can depress thyroid function. Acid-related causes of hypothyroidism also include exposure to heavy metals and toxic chemicals in the water supply and in highly processed food. Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Depression - A Natural Treatment A new research study has again shown that a diet rich in omega3 fatty acids can effectively treat and prevent depression and other mental disorders.The research, published in the February issue of the journal, Biological Psychiatry, has actually shown that omega3 fatty acids and foods that are high in uridine were as good as (and often better than) anti-depressant drugs in reducing the symptoms of depression. 5 Way Tips To Manage Depression Being lonely is a normal share of our everyday lives. We get sad when we fail in our exams, when we are rejected by the individual we love, or even when someone extremely close to us passes away. Manic Depressive Episodes And Scientology Scientologists believe that chemical imbalances do not exist. In their view manic episodes should be treated with periods of introspection and audits; a notion which is particularly bizarre and scientifically untenable. What is Neurotransmitter Deficiency Disorder and How Can It Cause Depression, Anxiety, and... Neurotransmitters (NTs) are essential chemical messengers that regulate brain, muscle, nerve and organ function. The most common NTs are serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. How to Uncover the Reason You Cant Sleep Tonight If you are like me .. Wellbutrin For Depression: When Its More Than Just The Blues We all have blue days:We're missing someone we've lost, the expected promotion didn't come through, we've exhausted ourselves over the holidays. But when these feelings continue for a long time and begin to interfere in your life, you may have an illness that doctors call major depressive disorder (or depression). Can You Overcome Depression? There are many things that happen within the body when depression occurs. It is not only a feeling, but a disease that is often caused by an imbalance of chemicals within the brain. Get Rid Of Depression Once And For All Depression is something that will occur in many people's lives, for various reasons. But the "normal" occurrence of a plunge in mood due to stressful events in your life, usually doesn't last very long, before a person's natural resilience responds to the environment of friends and family. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Should be Used Early in Treatment when Traditional Antidepressants Fail Lifetime Prevalence of Depression and the Age-of-Onset Report Distributions of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM) in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication The paragraph title sounds complicated, but the study conclusions are critical and simple to understand. Lifetime prevalence estimates are as follows: anxiety disorders, 28. Depression Help & Support Groups For those who face depression, every day of their lives may seem like a struggle. A struggle to get up, a struggle to face the day and the people involved and it can be a struggle to make the most of the day. Eliminate The Belief That Your Illness Is Genetic Many illnesses, emotional and otherwise, are often said to be genetic in origin. When one is told that their particular problem is of a genetic nature it often leaves them feeling helpless since, to date, the idea of reversing something that is stored deep within one's structural DNA, which exists in every single cell of one's body, is considered an impossibility. FDA Approves Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Depression On July 15th, 2005, the U.S. Recognizing Depression Depression is a serious issue. There are simply hundreds of thousands of people who deal with depression on a daily basis. Biological Psychiatry Confirms of Efficacy and Safety of VNS Therapy for Depression The September 1, 2005 issue of Biological Psychiatry confirmed the efficacy and safety of vagus nerve stimulation for chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. The U. So You've Been Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder? If you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) you are not alone. It has been estimated that over 2 million people in the United States suffer from this form of mental illness which involves episodes of both mania and depression. Suicide Prevention: 12 Universal Laws The Law of PermanenceSuicide is always a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Always. Efficacy and Safety of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Depression Published in Journal On September 1st, the efficacy and safety of vagus nerve stimulation for depresssion was published in the prestigious peer reviewed journal of Biological Psychiatry.The data from the pivotal clinical trial of vagus nerve stimulation and depression was been on published September 1st, in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal of Biological Psychiatry. How to Overcome Anxiety and Take Repossession of Your Life! Katie came as close as is possible to having it all. Great job, loving family, boyfriend, social life? That was until she developed anxiety?"There were rumours of redundancy in our department.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
