As a research scientist, I am asked what The Telltale Signs of Depression and Suicide are and befuddled, I say the usual, "search the web"! Since, I deal with diverse populations, many of the top search engines, especially health websites, are NOT always people of color's "BFF's". When explaining to diverse groups about the symptoms of depression and suicide, there are plenty of "yes, buts" or "what ifs" that countermand adherence to medical directives. These actions still occur even when a Nobel Laureate physician wrote the major symptom section for the DSM-IV revised!

I have personally witnessed on numerous diverse social media websites the grossly inaccurate information posted on them. I myself has been subject to ridicule and harassment. As a result, I am relaying and translating the societal and cultural nuances so that diverse laypeople all understand the key symptoms of depression and suicide. I am translating these symptoms for the African American community because I am African American and many people have come to me wondering if there is a way to identify these symptoms. Disturbingly, they may have lost a loved one to suicide and they wonder if there was anything more they could do to stop it. While reviewing top health websites for depression symptoms, I found there was a lack of cultural competency in explaining these symptoms. While it is clear that not ALL of these symptoms are seen in every case of depression or suicide, the key symptoms outlined in major online health websites do NOT translate with "any culturally nuanced depression symptoms".

At this time, I will not be listing what to do on how to manage these symptoms. I organized this "Translation Navigator" so that everyone is "on same page". I mean no disrespect to those who understand this information, but seriously, looking at the mental health disparities, something MUST be done for the lack of cultural competence described in my symptom review. Anyone using this information is for entertainment purposes only and cannot be used as a diagnostic. Moreover, it can complement a professionally licensed health care provider's directive, but it does not supplant or supersede any treatment plan by a licensed provider. Nor does it counteract against the written referenced material.

The Translator / Navigator

Culturally Competent Telltale Signs for Depression in the African Americans

• The inability to concentrate often resembles forgetfulness This symptom occurs almost everyday and people who are depressed often forget important tasks, like missing due dates for bills, or forgetting to call key people like doctors. It is not the casual forgetfulness of losing keys or dementia like getting lost, or even Alzheimer's, which is VERY different! This forgetfulness is after a profound conversation / argument with the depressed person, and s / he STILL forgets to pay the cable bill!
• Being fatigued or decreased energy If the depressed person goes to church Sunday at 11:00 AM, and then stops suddenly, to which s / he complains of fatigue or "I'm tired", when they did nothing physically strenuous, then it probably a depression. It is the dramatic shift in routine over a month.
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and / or helplessness These symptoms lack articulation by diverse depressed individuals. Moreover men do not discuss these feeling freely. If men say anything, it resembles blame on any perceivable target-usually the caregiver! Depressed women complain, whine, and then blame. Shortly, I will explain later how that resembles in diverse communities.
• Hopelessness and / or pessimism Depressed individuals often have "sarcastic commentary" that teenagers are more than happy to provide whenever anybody makes comments. For example, when the caregiver says, "Let's go to the Beach, it is a nice sunny day!", A depressed individual would retort, "Why? To get burned by the sun !!!"
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping: I have not noticed diverse depressed individuals to be unable to sleep unless they have an anxiety / PTSD or a mania, but I have seen sleeping all day for several days without being sick, or having that dark room, because light hurts. Depressed individuals often choose that darkened room during a sunny day rather than enjoying the outdoors – an active choice that is made.
• Irritability or restlessness: Irritability often looks like whining and snapping at whatever is said. A caregiver could just say "BOO" and the depressed person combined with the feeling of guilt would bite the caregiver's head off for saying it. The restlessness is often combined with the forgetfulness. Watch when they cook. Request the depressed person to make lemonade from powder and s / he will get flustered by making a simple recipe. And remember, the behavior is not random; it is consistent over a month or two.
• Lost of interest in activities once pleasurable, includes sex: This symptom is combined with the forgetfulness, fatigue, guilt, pessimism and excessive sleepiness symptoms. It could be any activity that the depressed person enjoys often as a tradition or ritual, and for some unknown reasons it is suddenly dropped! An example is, with the "holidays approaching" the depressed loved one for no reason, refuses to participate in an activity once thoroughly enjoyed. It is not because s / he has a new life situation, but the excuse is that s / he does not want to do it and is likely to berates it. Remember, the behavior is consistent over a few weeks and is not completely random!
• Changes in eating behavior: What a depressed individual does is overeat a lot of carbohydrates (carbs, sugars, etc.): breads, cakes, chocolates, candies and sugar! Apparently, the medical aspects of depression feeds off of glucose in the brain, the full mechanism is unknown. Moreover, the meal is one time of day – all day and does not stop until sleep! Alternatively, what a depressed person looks like when his / her appetite is lost, s / he has failed to shop for grocery and all that is left is something indistinguishable, often the depressed person is living off of something bizarre like gum or rationalizes vitamin supplements as nutrition. Most of the symptoms mesh with each other, so this one is combined with forgetfulness, inability making decisions, helplessness and hopelessness. Moreover starvation through dieting can cause the insomnia …
• Persistent malaise: A depressed person complains all the time about physical issues and when s / he chooses to see a primary care physician, only the immediate aches and pains are treated with drugs rather than the psychotropic medications due to health treatment limitations and standards of care . Meaning, if there is no adherence to these drugs, why force the patient to take them? Laboratory tests and manifestations cannot convince the depressed person of his / her ailment is depression. Remember this is another symptom that meshes itself with other symptoms, so if this one symptom is seen, then it is likely that others will be seen …
• Persistent negative thoughts: A depressed person says as a complaint or whine that "nobody likes them" or any absolute statements: NEVER, ALWAYS, and NOBODY. Often seen as a judgment with accusations: ie "You should's" and "You must's" and "everybody's". The empty feelings look like a comatose person-especially when asked a simple question like "How are you going today"? The depressed person will respond with a shrug or say "I don't know" on a consistent basis. Remember, this type of symptom is meshed with the other ones. This symptom is a "trigger" symptom or a "red flag" symptom, meaning when you start hearing them frequently, more than 3 times overall, this is the time when the caregiver's antenna needs to be raised and attempt to get professionally licensed help! !!
• Thoughts of suicide: I cannot emphasize this statement any stronger: when this comment is made, it needs to be taken seriously! Whether or not there is a plan: DO NOT TAKE THIS COMMENT LIGHTLY! DO NOT DISCOUNT IT! By the time, the depressed person vocalizes it, s / he has actually intensely rationalized it and has given serious thoughts about it, and now they are beginning to venture out really to get help on it! PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS SYMPTOM OR TALK THEM OUT OF IT! PLEASE GET THEM TO PSYCHIATRIC CARE !!! This key symptom is the neurophysiological course of the depression disease. Literally, the brain is damaging itself due to the aforementioned symptoms. It is thought that all the symptoms meshed together overload the system and crashes the "logic centers" of the brain – somewhat like a computer hard drive crashing. But in this case the other organs actually attempting to save the body at the same time: such as the heart, the muscles, the stomach, the liver and the kidneys, plus many more. The organs try to override this "cerebral self-destruct" button. Remember, this behavior is not always night and day, or random, but it does not lessen the impact, please watch this behavior closely.

So please permit me to use some creative license and combine some of the warning signs to suicide that I have translated into culturally competent text from major online health websites:

There are some key symptoms that caregivers MUST watch and be vigilant with someone suffering from depression, especially as it relates to suicide! I cannot stress this enough the depressed individual is NOT about him / her being crazy or funny, this is about him / her suffering from a major medical neurophysiological disease like any other illness and requires professionally licensed care and treatment. Moreover, these are the telltale signs: These are the signs used when one does NOT want to say "if I could have done anything differently …" The way to think about this is the splinter in the tiger. The tiger by itself is a man eating animal, but when there is a splinter in the paw, the tiger writhes in pain and while you might think "it is not a big deal", because it is a man-eating tiger and usually it will kill itself or gnaw off its paw off to minimize the pain. If someone removes the splinter, it is thought the tiger is grateful and remembers that person always. Loving a depressed individual, like that splintered tiger, is perilous and as a caregiver it takes a team to support that individual, which a licensed provider must be consulted. Unfortunately, hospitalization cannot be enforced upon any unwilling mentally ill person who has not committed a crime or threat. However, a caregiver, can learn about the basic suicide symptoms described below:

• Suddenly switching from very sad (depressed) to calm / appearing happy or tranquil: While obviously stated, this symptom often this looks like the depressed person has found "resolution" to his / her problem. Unfortunately it is committing suicide … Like a wrong answer game show buzzer – EHHHN – this inaccurate conclusion erroneously looks like a calm in the suicidal ideation depressed individual. One way to confirm one's thoughts are to ASK what his / her wants are. This is a question of autonomy, because it determines if a definitive decision has been made. If s / he has a formal plan with times and dates, get professionally licensed help immediately or call 9-1-1!
• Always talking and writing about death: Listed as dressing in "Gothic paraphernalia", like always wearing black like a vampire … Seriously, this is probably the most egregious example of culturally incompetence I have seen in regards to understanding suicidal ideation and symptoms. To make this symptom culturally competent for African Americans, this often resembles when young people attempt to look like or live like "gangsters" or "thugs", with the guns, paraphernalia, and listening to "profane gangsta rap" or "thuggish" music and actually believing the lyrics are real. And the discussion looks like dark and dreary kinds of lifestyle, such as robbing people, misogyny, prostitution, and prison life, etc. This symptom meshes with another symptom as described later.
• Having a "death wish" – taking unnecessary risks: such as running red lights … This symptom is another egregious example of missing the social determinants of health and the mental health disparity in diverse communities. In the African American community, especially for young men, running red lights is deadly in the United States, so that would not be something we would see often. The risk factors taken would probably be carrying a gun into a club as to protect oneself as an "unnecessary risk". The death wishes we have is getting involved in very dangerous activities known to ruin one's life and are self-destructive – which leads us to our next symptom
• Substance abuse: Alcohol is a depressant, and some illegal substances, like marijuana and methamphetamine make irrational thoughts worse. Many people in our community abuse substances to self-medicate for their depression. It is a self-destructive habit. This is probably one of the single elements that is seen more in the African American community than others. The symptom looks over and beyond the normal consumption of these substances – a functional alcoholic or smoker, etc. And substance abuse treatment differs from depression treatment, while the two are intertwined inexplicably, first the addiction is treated then the mental health issue. More often than not most substance abusers RARELY get treated for their mental health issues.
• Acting impulsively: Acting impulsively is doing something without thinking about it and letting the chips fall where they land – meaning if the depressed person dies, that will be where the chips landed … The depression symptoms are meshed with this suicide warning sign, such as guilt and hopelessness. It is reckless. One possibility is once they get that gun, what more will they do – such as robbery, going along with the violent crowd, rioting, killing people. The mentality is the suicidal person with erroneously thing that they have to see the end of this bad course of action.
• Poor performance in school and work: Young people often have failing grades and it is known they are able to do the work. For adults, it accounts for massive sick days and absenteeism from work, lack of follow through on projects and missed deadlines. There may be some hostilities between the depressed loved one and co-workers. The depression symptoms seen meshed with this suicide warning sign are lack of concentration, fatigue and excessive sleeping.There may be others.
• Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, writing / changing a will, giving away prized possessions: So many depressed African Americans feel they do not have anything, so changing wills is infrequent occurrence. This suicide warning sign resembles vandalism or destruction of property. The depressed person's thinking is "Since I have nothing to lose (hopelessness) and everyone thinks I am worthless (guilt, worthlessness), I will vandalize this property by graffiti or I will destroy this property by stealing / thievery of key items". What makes this illogical thinking occur in a depressed person is putting the affairs in order or tying up loose ends … This a suicidal warning sign shows the welcomed risk of arrest! As usual, this symptom travels with other depression symptoms as well as other suicidal warning signs like substance abuse or a death wish.
• Feeling strong anger or rage: It has been told to me that depression is anger turned in on one's self. The anger people have is due to unresolved hurts and pains or experiencing what is perceived as a traumatic event. Some people casually say, "This is what is called life, deal with it"! Saying this statement to a depressed person is an abusive, insensitive, destructive and harmful comment, because it will tip them over from thinking about suicide to actually committing suicide. The heartless comment often is misconstrued by a depressed person who is already having inaccurate absolute conclusions and this comment causes the person who cannot articulate in his / her feelings to verify his / her self-worth through the "depression and suicidal lenses". What is seen is either the first suicidal warning sign of "listlessness" or "empty" feelings or an anger / rage unloading, often with crying. What causes this anger? I have a blog on anger as it is written from my bipolar POV at Crazy Black Woman

Remember, it should be noted that some people who commit suicide do not show ANY warning signs. So, loved ones may still feel, "I knew s / he was crazy, but …" And if caregiver's actively see these symptoms and want to help him / her, judgment does not help them either! What is optimal is professionally licensed care and treatment! A few pastors have qualifications for mental health care treatment. If a pastor says that ONLY prayer or telling one to just be saved cures mental health , that is HOLY UNETHICAL!

Many professionally licensed providers lack cultural sensitivity and could look "crazy" to you! Finding the what works for you is a personal choice. The key is to ask MANY DIRECT QUESTIONS, learn to navigate the mental health care system, and implement mental health and wellness goals! If that is of interest to you as a "diverse woman", please feel free to join us at SistahMentalHealth dot com and start your PQ Interest Questionnaire TODAY!

It is that time of year again when we start winding down at work yet feeling the pressure from all sides – the pressure to be happy. We are surrounded by the expectations of others to be upbeat and happy while trying to cram in work, home and family, not to mention perhaps taking care of ourselves. Wherever we turn, TV ads, radio music, shop decorations, family and friends bombard us with messages of all we must accomplish in a very short time by the end of December. Christmas music, loaded shelves, shoving others as we maneuver around stores, tricky driving conditions, finding a parking place, early sales with a couple of kids out of school tagging along, the good and not so good aspects of preparing for visiting family contribute to the frenzy. There is gift buying, decorating home and work-place, writing and sending season's letters or cards, overspending and overindulging as we are urged to taste Aunt Bee's or patsy's special treats. How are we going to get it all done? How can we please everyone? We are exhausted just thinking about it. We are stressed out, frazzled and we have hardly begun.

At the other end of the scale, the pressure to be happy may only accentuate your sense of aloneness. If you feel no reason to celebrate, if in fact the last thing you want to do is join in the fake expressions of having fun, you may sink deeper into gloom.

Wherever you are on this scale you have a severe case of the Season's Stress. Here are ten tips to help you navigate through the stress and enjoy the Holiday Season:

1. Do not set yourself up for unnecessary stress overload such as generating debt, overeating, poor sleep because of worry, stress – especially the kind that will have long-lasting consequences.

2. Analyze. Must you do it all? Must you do it all? Should you do it at all? Ask yourself why you are getting a gift or inviting someone. What would happen if you baked fewer cookies or bought something healthy like nuts or dried fruit instead? Are you trying to live up to someone else's expectations or setting your own too high? What would happen if you gave less or did less?

3. Make lists so that you know exactly what you are doing, when. Start with tasks that can be done well before October, such as buying gifts and cards, wrapping- paper or ingredients and boxes for your baking needs.

4. Do your detective work early. Find out what might be some favorite charities and interests of your friends. Maybe you can give a contribution in their name. You will be helping others, making your friend feel good and getting something back on your taxes.

5. While lying by the pool during your summer vacation decide on the maximum amount of money you will spend on gifts this year. If you can, calculate what you spent last year to use as a rough guide. Create a balance sheet and track the remaining balance to help you control over-spending. If at the end of this exercise you have money left over, splurge – get something for yourself or give to your favorite charity.

6. Pause. Structure breaks in your day. Take a deep breath, relax your jaw, unclench your fists.

7. Do your errands earlier or later in the day to avoid the crowds or when you can whiz around without the kids.

8. Beware of marketing traps. Because something is on sale, must you have it?

9. Keep an eye on your credit cards, PIN numbers and those around you. Keep these personal numbers out of sight from people in the line behind you. Make sure you get all your cards and IDs back after you make a purchase. Even better do not charge. Have a set amount of cash with you when you set out and pay cash instead. It's a good lesson for the children shopping with you as well.

10. Instead of buying gifts, do something good. Carolyn Schmatz at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, (2008) found that helping others made people feel better than those helped. Help out at a soup kitchen or a hospital on Christmas Day so the staff can spend it at home. Start a new custom. Instead of an office party we took our goodies to the Salvation Army over Christmas.

If all this Season's frenzy gets you down, jot down all the reasons why you feel depressed. Then add all the reasons you have to be grateful. This second list usually will be longer. Do you have a roof over your head? Is your health good? Is there a friend somewhere you could make happier by calling? Do you know of someone who is worse off than you? Except in extraordinary circumstances there are people with far greater reasons than you to feel down.

Do something good. Invite others who might be alone for a game of cards or for a cook- together meal or just pick up the phone and say hello. Go to the local humane society and help out for a day.

If someone calls you or invites you or gives you something, allow yourself to accept the kindness unconditionally. This seems the hardest thing for most of us to do. Once you master it, it is a very liberating feeling. It allows you to feel grateful and happy.

Whatever you think of the Holiday Season, it is about taking a break at the end of a year to pause, be grateful for the good things, share and receive kindness and love. Never forget it.

For decades, mental health conditions like depression, anxiety or other chronic medical disorders are not discussed openly in the communities because of stigma, fear, and ignorance. Unlike physical conditions, mental illnesses, specifically depression, do not demonstrate any obvious symptoms and the conditions aren’t that easy to diagnose or observe. People suffering from mental illness deliberately hide the symptoms, or they simply don’t know that there is something wrong with them.

On the other hand, the prevalence of major symptoms associated with depression can have an incremental effect if it is not diagnosed or treated on a timely basis. It can lead to a functional disability or leave you numb and exhausted if the symptoms remain unrecognized.

According to extensive research studies, the symptoms of depression are mainly associated with hormonal imbalances, stressful events, and personality traits, a traumatic incident or unpleasant experiences at certain stages throughout life.

To put the issue in perspective, it is critically important to understand that there is a number of treatment options available to help you or your loved ones fight major depressive disorders. The treatments range from medication or psychotherapy to drug-free alternatives such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

Risk Factors for Depression: Depression affects each individual in a different way and does not have any one-size-fits-all treatment. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is substantial to consult with your psychiatrist or therapist to help you or your loved ones to be correctly diagnosed and have a proper treatment plan. However, In the light of recent studies, the following are the most common risk factors associated with depression:

· Having a family or personal history of depression

· Undergoing trauma, tragic life changes or stressful conditions

· Undergoing physical illness certain treatment and medication

Ways to Overcome Depression: It might take some time for your doctor to determine whether the symptoms of depression are caused by a medical condition or any other reason. That it is to say, the suggested intensive treatment depends on the severity of your depressive disorder.

Though taking antidepressants or certain medications with long-term therapies may have an optimal effect on the mental condition of the patient, there are several other alternatives you can opt for to treat depression. Above all, these alternatives do not rely on drugs or medication – so you don’t have to worry about any long-term side effects.

Drug-Free Depression Treatment

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): This drug-free depression treatment is one of the most revolutionary methods in neuroscience as it does not require anti-depressants or any other medication of the sort. The treatment is called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), which is a clinically proven and FDA approved therapy used medical facilities to treat people suffering from severe depression or anxiety.

It is an effective treatment and incorporates electrical stimulation for your nervous system by using magnetic pulses. The process is similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that targets an inactive region of the human brain. The aim of TMS is to reduce symptoms of depression by controlling the mood elevation hormones of the patient. The approach also helps medical professionals enhance their clinical practices in the domain of neurology.

How TMS works

The anti-depressive properties of TMS work with different techniques. It involves an induction of intracranial electrical current, which is driven from the magneto-electrical device. Psychiatrists have observed vast changes in the behavior of the patients with a notable reduction in depression and anxiety. Not only this, TMS also helps to improve the symptoms of sleep disturbance that leads to abrupt mood swings. The process follows a simple three-step procedure and is equally well tolerated by patients.

· The TMS device is used to deliver magnetic pulses that help doctors stimulate different parts of the brain to control the mood of the patient.

· The device creates a clicking sound and a gentle tapping on the head and transfers magnetic pulses. The session requires 30 to 40 minutes.

· The patient can continue with his normal, daily activity after each session.

Apart from all therapeutic treatments, it is vitally important to show your uttermost concern for the one who is suffering from depression. Your affection and influence can help him or her remain motivated and build a positive perspective towards life.

Positive input in the form of attention, care, encouragement, and motivation helps a person suffering from depression and can also help alter a negative outlook on life. Thus, depression treatments like TMS can be made more effective with love, care, and support of the family.

If you suffer from depression you are not alone, and there is hope. There are many natural treatments for the symptoms of depression. This short article is written for you, as well as for physicians and mental health professionals who sincerely want to help their patients and clients to truly heal from depression in ways that transcend simply prescribing or taking anti-depressant medication.

I have personally experienced a deep, seemingly never-ending depression – fatigue daily sadness, misery, and hopelessness. In the winter of 1984 / '85, I experienced no pleasure and doubted that I ever would again. My depression was precipitated by a crisis in my business and by a betrayal by someone I cared for deeply. This, combined with a pre-disposition towards hypoglycemia and a history of extreme attention deficit, kept me rolled up in bed much of the time. Though I was able to take care of my fundamental needs,

I did so as if trapped in a dark tunnel. This book is not specifically born out of that experience. Yet the opportunity to write this book brought forward in my mind my experience with depression – an experience I had almost forgotten about.

I have learned that depression symptoms are not a selective. This awful disease can affect an individual of any race, religion, nation, economic class, and political persuasion. Composer Cole Porter fell into a deep depression in the late 1940s that plagued him to his death in 1964. Winston Churchill suffered through most of his life in a struggle with depression that he came to call "the black dog." Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, began suffering from a type of depression he called "the melancholy of things done." The great writer and storyteller Mark Twain suffered from a period of great depression towards the end of his life; Abraham Lincoln, considered by many to be the greatest of all American presidents, suffered from what was then called melancholy throughout his life; and poet Emily Dickinson wrote a poem about an emotional breakdown she experienced, saying, "I felt a funeral in my brain."

Depression often seems to have a life of its own. Like some creature from one of those "Alien" movies, it grows inside of you and begins to consume you. Friends and family want to help, offer support, but what they say just doesn't get in. When you are depressed, you feel completely isolated. Depressed individuals sincerely want help and yet they often seem paralyzed in acting on that desire. People with the best of intentions will tell you to "get on with your life," "snap out of it," "think positive," and "exercise!" It isn't as easy as that. Depression, and the treatment of its symptoms, is both basic and highly complex at the same time.

Depression has become one of the major health problems in recent years. With the advent of technology, such as the internet, email, faxes and wireless devices, we are being forced to work harder than ever before, to be on call longer, while at the same time, to take less vacation and personal time. Catastrophic world events have only exacerbated this, spurning a record number of new cases of depression. In 2001, the National Book Award Winner in the category of Non Fiction – and a major bestseller – was a book about depression.

As you address your depression symptoms remember that there is no one magic answer. By being tested for blood sugar, glandular imbalances, nutritional deficiencies or some other factor you will in time heal and transcend this awful condition.

According to a recent study from Ilam University of Medical Sciences in Ilam, Iran, and the Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences in Behbahan, Iran, Gestational diabetes or pregnancy-related diabetes raises the risk of postpartum depression, or the new mother feeling more depressed for a longer time period than ordinary “baby blues” women often experience after giving birth. The researchers, reported in February of 2019 in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, recommending postpartum screening for all women who received a diagnosis of diabetes during their pregnancy.

The researchers reviewed a total of eighteen studies giving a total of 2,370,958 participants. Combining the results of all these studies and analyzing them as if they were one large study, the investigators found Gestationally diabetic women had a 59 percent increased risk of developing postpartum depression, compared with non-diabetic postpartum women. According to the World Health Organisation, about 13 percent of pregnant women worldwide suffer postpartum depression. In developing countries, the number can be as high as almost 20 percent, and in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control estimates the number as about 1 in 9.

Many signs and symptoms of postpartum depression are much the same as those for typical depression, while others are specific to the condition…

• an anxious or empty mood that does not lift,
• having feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, or worthlessness,
• feeling irritability or restlessness,
• loss of interest in formerly interesting activities,
• loss of energy,
• insomnia or too much sleep,
• difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making a decision,
• overeating or experiencing a loss of appetite,
• having suicidal thoughts or attempts,
• pain that does not respond to treatment,
• crying,
• intense irritability,
• withdrawal from family and friends,
• numb emotions or difficulty with bonding with her baby,
• having a fear of hurting her baby,
• feeling inadequate to care for her baby.

Depression and suicide hotlines are listed online. Family doctors can make referrals to specialists with training and experience in treating depression. Physical activity is helpful for brain chemistry, producing endorphins that make us feel better. Some people fear antidepressant medications, but they can make a big difference in conquering depression. Some helpful medications include…

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s):

• Prozac (fluoxetine,)
• Zoloft (sertraline),
• Lexapro (escitalopram),
• Luvox (fluvoxamine),
• Prozac (fluoxetine),
• Celexa (citalopram),
• Vibrid (volazodone),
• Brintellix (vortioxetine),

Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI’s):

• Pristiq or Khedezia (desvenlafaxine),
• Effexor (venlaxafine),
• Fetzima (levomilnacipran), and
• Cymbalta (duloxetine).

Tricyclics:

• Elavil (amitriptyline),
• Norpramin (desipramine),
• Asendin (amoxapine),
• Anafranil (clomipramine),
• Pamelor (nortriptyline),
• Tofranil (imipramine),
• Vivactil (protriptyline), and
• Surmontil (trimipramine.)

Untreated postpartum depression may last months or longer. Treatment usually includes counseling, along with antidepressants or hormone therapy.

“A lot of people don’t realize that depression is an illness. I don’t wish it on anyone, but if they would know how it feels, I swear they would think twice before they just shrug it off.”

– Jonathan Davis

Trying to lift the dark cloud of depression can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Depression is a tragic but real fact of life that must be addressed and never ignored or swept under the carpet.

Depression does not make you emotionally or mentally weaker than anybody else. Just like the common cold or flu, depression is an illness – one that has affected and continues to plague millions of people all over the world.

It’s possible that the mildest form of depression would gradually vanish for good even without treatment. But more often than not, without any proper treatment, depression is only likely to worsen and – in a worst case scenario – may result in suicide and other similarly undesirable outcomes.

THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

Now that you understand how depression is considered an illness, the next thing you should know is what signs you must look for to determine if you or another person is depressed or not.

• Do you or another person exhibit a prolonged state of pessimism?

• Do you or another person frequently feel worthless, empty, and anxious?

• Have you or another person lost interest in the usual activities he or she normally enjoyed?

• Are you or another person having trouble sleeping?

• Are you or another person undergoing any kind of stress?

• Have you or another other person lost or gained a significant amount of weight?

• Are you or another person showing frequent signs of heightened irritability and restlessness?

If more than one factor applies in your case or a loved one, then depression is likely to be the cause of all of these symptoms.

THE CAUSES OF DEPRESSION

There is no one strict and official cause for depression simply because there are just too many factors to consider. More often than not, though, this particular illness has to do with alcohol and drug problems, pregnancy and other major hormonal changes, anxiety and stress, and insomnia or other sleep-related issues. Strictly speaking, though, most experts believe that depression can result from a myriad of psychological, environmental, biochemical, and genetic factors.

So, mental depression can wear many faces. At one end of the scale, it can show up as the common, short term or blue feeling we all experience after hearing bad news, the loss of something we held dear to us, or a blow to the ego. These ‘blue’ feelings are generally not long lasting and usually disappear within a few days. At the other end of the scale are chronic or long-term crippling emotions of hopelessness, emptiness, loss of self-esteem, guilt or shame.

Mental depression can be mild, moderate or severe so there is much ground in between these two extremes. Also, depression can be masked – a person may not even realize they are suffering from it, though they manifest the symptoms to others around them.

THE DIAGNOSIS FOR DEPRESSION

Being diagnosed for depression must be conducted by a qualified and licensed professional. During your initial medical interview, you should be as honest as possible. Let them know if you had a previous history with drugs or alcohol. From there, a combination of therapy, medication, or an alternative treatment may be used to combat your feelings of isolation and sadness.

THE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION

There are various ways to have depression treated, but it’s usually best and recommended by medical practitioners for depressed individuals to undergo a combination of treatments.

• Medication – A majority of anti-depressants require a prescription but some may be available over the counter as well.

• Therapy – One of the most common types of therapies used for treating depression would be psychotherapy.

• Lifestyle changes – Many medical experts also believe that maintaining a healthy lifestyle by exercising more frequently and eating nutritious foods can go a long way in eliminating depression in your life.

COPING STRATEGIES

Below are a number of key strategies that you can use to help yourself, a friend or a family member. It only barely touches the subject, so I would encourage people to research the topic further through the internet, books and self-help groups. Remember, knowledge is power!

• The number one rule when it comes to depression is to TALK. You MUST TALK about issues that are concerning you. The very nature of depression makes it difficult to reach out for help. But always remember, difficult doesn’t mean impossible.

• To recover from depression means you must TAKE ACTION. But taking action when you’re depressed is not easy. In fact, just thinking about the things you should do to feel better, like going for a short walk or spending time with family and friends, can be exhausting. It’s like a Catch-22 situation: The things that can help you the most are the things that are the most difficult to do. But, like I just said above, difficult doesn’t mean impossible.

• Whether we like it or not, we are social creatures. However, isolation and loneliness only compounds depression. That’s not to take away from the fact that every person needs ‘alone time’ for contemplation and reflection. That’s only natural and perfectly understandable. It’s only when isolation and loneliness becomes the normal way of our existence that it causes depression to take hold and control our lives. This is where SUPPORT becomes so vital. We all need a helping hand at some stage in our lives. There’s no shame in it. Why should there be? After all, we’re all human beings with the same needs and problems like everybody else. Getting SUPPORT from family, friends and self-help groups is a vital key in overcoming depression.

• The way to conquer depression is to set small GOALS and build it up from there. One small step at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day! It takes time to make changes in your life. It takes about 3-4 weeks for a person to break a bad habit and you need to give yourself at least the same amount of time to develop a good one! You have to give yourself a chance.

• You must TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. When a person is depressed, personal hygiene usually takes a back seat. Just having a shower and rubbing yourself down hard with a towel will circulate the blood around your body and give you a healthy color. It will make you feel good about yourself. Also, if you eat crap, you’ll probably feel like crap. Try to go for as much natural food as you can. Fruit and vegetables aren’t really all that bad. In fact, just trying them on a regular basis will make you wonder why you don’t indulge more often! And finally, the dreaded exercise lecture! Let me put it this way: Just do it! One small step at a time will become one giant leap for your body fat index!

If you’ve tried some of these strategies and they don’t seem to be working for you, you may need to seek professional help. There are amazing advancements made in medicine every day that can make a huge difference in a person’s life. Talk to your family doctor and get the support you need.

If you are struggling with depression, or have at one point in your life, it is important to learn more about how the birth control pill may affect your depression. Depending on the type of depression you have, birth control pills can improve it or make it worse.

PMS or Menstrual related depression can be improved by using the birth control pill. Depression that only sets on during “that time of the month” is caused by hormonal changes in your body. Those rapid changes can be “mellowed” by taking the pill. Many women with menstrual or PMS related depression see an improvement in the way the feel after being on the pill for a couple of months.

If you constantly suffer from depression, it is probably not hormone related, at least not related to the hormonal changes associated with your period. Taking the pill in this case can make things worse instead of helping relief your depression. Many women feel increased depression after being on the pill. There are also some who don’t start feeling depressed until they start taking the birth control pill. Usually using an alternate form of birth control in addition to some natural or prescription medication will get you back out of depression.

Different types of birth control pills seem to affect depression in different ways. In general pills with higher levels of progesterone are most likely to worsen your depression.

If you are currently suffering from depression talk to your health care professional about treatment options prior to starting on the pill. If you are already on an antidepressant, you may want to discuss birth control with your physician to see which option will have the least effect on your mental health and to make sure there isn’t any interaction or reaction with your depression medication.

If you are feeling depressed and think it may be caused at least in part by your birth control pill, make an appointment with your physician to discuss how the two of you can get you back out of depression and feeling better.

The study results conclude that mood disorder and depression are two Faces of the same coin. We can call depression as a symptom of mood disorder. Feeling of hopelessness, apathy and low energy are indications of depression. Mood disorder is also characterized by failures and rejections in ones life. It is both a psychotic and a neurotic condition.

Depression is mainly because of the consequences of life such as the death of kin etc. Most of these kinds of depression (bipolar) fade away with the time and as one takes the new situation in his/her stride. It is not for nothing that they say time is the best healer. The chronic mood disorders (unipolar), in some cases genetic, require medical attention as they can be life threatening (suicides). The unipolar mood disorders are major types and clinical attention is necessary. No amount of love from kin, positive thinking or counseling can help. Medical assistance is imperative to cure the depression spread over sessions. Lack of treatment can result in permanent behavioral disorder.

Off late is believed that depression is connected to deficiency of norepinephrine and serotonin. Drug therapy uses various antidepressants. Caution needs to be exercised in administration of drug supplements in bipolar patients. Mood disorders or depressions of unipolar type has benefited from electroconvulsive therapy.

Psychologists have argued in recent years that the depression or the mood disorder is a result of learned helplessness when a person understands his actions have been useless and looses hope. It is also found that such people are emotionally dependent on others for morale boosting.

The most determinants of mood disorder are tackled even without medication. But non-negligence and timely diagnosis (initial diagnosis need not be even at the psychiatrist’s site) can result preventing physical and physiological disorders and alcoholism etc.

At the beginning of going through depression, I didn’t even realize I was in one. I never self-harmed, and I never thought about suicide. I never even considered that I needed to see a professional or just talk to somebody. I didn’t realize I was in depression because what I was going through didn’t seem like anything they show on television.

I know some people that are going through depression and how they can’t get out of the room for the entire day, but me I did everything I ever did, and I did it with all my heart. I wasn’t feeling anything like that.

And that was the first thing that my depression lied to me about – I was neglecting the fact that I am going through depression.

It did it in a way that I woke up every morning doing my usual and routine activities, I went to work regularly, and I did that every following day. And the rest of the free time that I had, I would sleep it all off.

I thought that all the work I’ve done exhausts me. I needed time to rest and recover but had no idea that my depression was the one guilty of it. I was ignoring and neglecting the fact that my depression was the one that made me tired and wanting to sleep all the time.

Later, I had confronted the second lie my depression told me. The one that I was in control and everything is OK when clearly it was not. I obsessed over my food intake making sure that everything I eat is the healthiest option. Or making sure I worked 8 hours a day, did yoga and some relaxation techniques. I did everything but didn’t realize that going through depression is not all sadness and avoidance, but neglecting and controlling.

However, just a little time later this being continually restrictive and controlling has turned up against me, and I started losing my inner peace and balance.

It was the third lie my depression told which was probably the one that hurt most and slowly begun to open my eyes. It was the time when I started doubting myself constantly thinking that I am not good enough.

In these times, it was like I forgot all the people that loved me for who I am and the ones that always reminded me of that. I started losing sight. Going through depression had me fooled that even the people that cared most about me didn’t. It was then when the insecurity hit me, and I started questioning myself. I started pushing myself to do better and be better for people to love me, even though they already did. It was exhausting.

This process followed with the hardest phase – I pushed myself away from all that I loved and loved me back and built my giant walls up against them. In these times one should realize that going through depression not only hurts you but also hurts the people around you who love you.

To make it even worse, it followed the fourth lie that my depression told me. This one was that I wasn’t suffering and didn’t have any anxiety. I didn’t have real problems; I had everything I could ever dream of. Often I experienced this anxiety which involved fears that I couldn’t control. This feeling made my real anxiety and depression even worse.

It was then when the fifth lie hit me, and it walloped me. It was the feeling that the things are not bad enough. I recalled all the things I did right and fooled myself that it is not bad at all that everything is under control.

Finally, I got untangled from all the lies and admitted that it really existed, but I would never let it define me.

For those unfortunate women who experience recurring episodes of ovarian cysts, the question often arises whether depression can be a side effect that is actually related to their affliction. The truth is that experts tend to disagree on the subject, but the general consensus seems to be that depression associated with ovarian cysts occurs mainly in those women who have been diagnosed with certain types of cysts, primarily Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Studies seem to point to the fact that depression associated with ovarian cysts in these women is caused primarily by a hormonal imbalance, and much of the depression stems from the resulting symptoms, which oftentimes includes weight gain, infertility, elevated testosterone levels, increased body hair, and other very disturbing symptoms that unfortunately frequently accompany a diagnosis of PCOS.

Additionally, women who have been diagnosed with PCOS frequently have increased levels of homocysteine, which is a chemical substance which forms in the body that may injure the blood vessel linings when levels are too high, and many researchers believe that depression associated with ovarian cysts may be a possibility due to the elevated levels of homocysteine.

Another factor to consider is mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, a condition that sometimes occurs in women with PCOS. These women generally have higher homocysteine levels during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. A relatively new category established by the medical community, mixed anxiety-depressive disorder defines patients suffering from both symptoms of anxiety as well as depression, both being of equal intensity.

Unfortunately all of the conditions referred to above may occur in women diagnosed with PCOS, which seems to reinforce that depression associated with ovarian cysts is a reality. There are, of course, other factors you should consider, but if you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS and you’re also experiencing depression, it’s definitely something that you should discuss with your physician.

The good news is there are some surprisingly simple things you can do in your daily life-style to address the hormonal imbalances which often accompany cysts, which is most often the culprit of depression associated with ovarian cysts. Your diet, exercise, stress, nutritional supplements, et cetera, all play a major role, and the real challenge comes with choosing from the various ovarian cysts treatments programs and finding one that is suitable to you as an individual.

The absolute key to selecting the right treatment program is to choose a plan that is time-tested, that has been used successfully by others, one that you can incorporate into your daily life, and then you should follow this plan religiously. Do this and there’s a very good chance that you won’t be constantly dealing with recurring episodes of cysts.