[Miss_A]

All about Depression:

Introduction:
Depression occurs in different stages of life and different age groups. There is child depression, Teenage depression, Adult depression and Elder depresion. Still your not alone, its common now adays mostly if anyone in your family suffered with Depression. But there are ways to sort out Depression and with the help your on the way to sucess. Just want to say everyone one of you are important!

Recognising depressive illness:
*Persistent, low, miserable mood
*Sleep disturbance
*Lack of enjoyment or pleasure inusual activities
*Reduce energy and weariness
*Loss of appetite or weight (rarely gain)
*Impaired efficiency
*Self-reproach and guilt
*Inability to concentrate and make decisions
*Distinctive posture and gesture
*Reduced libido and sexual function.

In addiction, anxiety, irritability, agitation and retardation are often present.

In severe depression the above characterstics are present with greater intensity and may be accompained by:
*Suicidal ideas, plans or acts
*Failure to eat or drink
*Delusions and/or hallucinations

Typical acute presentations of depression:
*Normal activity disrupted - unable to cope with daily suties; unable to go to work; unable to get out of bed.
*Vague psysical symptoms - Tiredness; loss of appetite and weight; insomnia.
*Difficulty coping - alcohol abuse; drug abuse; violent impulses or behaviour.
*Worried family and friends - frustration; loss of sympathy; guilt.
*Suicide - thoughts; plans; attempts.

Symptoms of depression:
Mood - Sadness, Misery, Gloom, Despondency, Anxiety and Tension, Lack of enjoyment, Lack of satisfaction, Loss of affection, Weeping, Labile mood, Temper and Irritability.
Thinking - Loss of interest, Lack of self-esteem, Sensitivity, Sense of inadequacy, Sense of apathy, Sense of futility, Inability to cope, Difficulty making decisions, Shame, Hopelessness, Self blame, Worthlessness, Forgetfulness and inability to concentrate.
Drive - Wish to escape, Withdrawal, Feeling of being in a rut, Activities seem dull or meaningless, Desire to seek refuge, Compulsive rituals, (e.g. Cleaning or checking - this occurs in 1 in 5 depressed patients).
Physical - Feeling run down, Tired, Aches, Pains, Loss of appetite, Loss of weight, Sleep disturbance, Loss of sexual appetite, Fatigue, Inabilty to relax, Autonomic symptoms, Agitation, Motor retardation and Constipation.
Judgement - Delusions: typically of guilt, worthlessness or nihilidm and of hypochondraiasis (e.g. that the brain or bowels have rotted)
Hallucinations: typically auditory, of someone talking to a patient, the content being negative (e.g. 'you are dying of cancer/aids')
Adapted from Wilkinson (1989).

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
This remains a controversial nosological entity, being widely recognised in North America but as yet unclassified by the World Health Organisation. SAD is characterised by episodes of bipolar disorder or recurrent major depression over a 60-day period in winter months. Thwew sould be at least three episodes of mood disturbance in three sparate years of which two or more years are consectuive; seasonal episodes should outnumber non-seasonal episodes of mood disorder by more than 3:1.

Some types of problem for which GP's refer patients to clinal psychologists...
*anxiety
*phobias
*obsessions
*compilsions
*behavioural problems
*personailty difficulties
*marital and/ or sexual difficulties
*cognitive impairment
*mild to moderate depression

Older anti-depressants:
*Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Phenelzine (Nadil) MAO-A
Selegiline (Deprenyl) MAO-B
*Tricyclie antidepressants (TCAs)
Clomipramine (Anafrnil)
Imipramine (Tofranil)
Amitriptyline (non-proprietary)
*Other antidepressants
Trazodone (Molipaxin) antihidtaminergic

Disadvantages of tricyclic antidepressants:
Adverse effects - Dry mouths, Blurred vision, Postural hypotension, ECG changes - tachyarrhythmias, Constipation and Urinary retention
Overdose - Convulsions
Coma
Sudden death.

New anti-depressants:
Selctive serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's)
Fluxetine (Prozac)
Sertraline (Lustral)
Paroxetine (Seroxat)

Self help:
*Don't bottle things up - Talk to someone you trust a therpist, friend, family member, consellor or Nurse.
*Do some activity - Excerise is good for you. Maybe get out with some fresh air and walk a dog. Join a yoga class or yoga at home way to relax stress. Do some house work or gardening.
*Eat well - Have a balenced diet. Eat loads of fruit and veggitables. Have a lovely ceasur salad. Drink plenty of fresh water.
*Don't get into a state about not sleeping - Listening to the radio, reading or watching tv while you're resting will still help, even if you're not actually asleep. You may find you drop off because you're no longer worrying about not doing so!
*Resist temptation to drown your sorrows - Alcohol actually depresses mood, so while it may give you immediate relif from your worries, it is only temporary and you may end up even depressed than before. Too much alcohol stops you from seeking the right help and from solving problems; it is also bad for your bodily health.
*Remind yourself that your suffering from depression - This is something that many people have gone through and you will eventually come out of it, as they did, even though it may not feel like it now.

(I didn't copy and paste this by the way. I've got this information out of a special book of mine, hope this comes in use to others.)

Thank you, Miss_A.

[dayzee9]

Miss A........thank you very much for the info but there are things called web sites; mainly the ones that Doc John has in this actual web site itself; that adequately covers depression.

If any one would like to b**** at me b/c I list web sites occassionally; please free to PM me & tell me what's on your mind; I know this is "meal time" for a couple of members...geez....the more the merrier?

Peace, DAYZEE9