Stress And Depression

Stress and depression seem to be a part of our lives these days…

How does it make you feel? What to do about it?
What is happening?

Everyone feels depressed from time to time…

How often have you responded, “I feel so depressed about …”?

In fact, approximately 9.5% of the adult American population suffers from a depressive disorder…

And, in Britian, well over half of all patients seen by GP’s are for anxiety and depression – but that still only accounts for the 5% of people who suffer with symptoms of stress and depression and anxiety and seek medical help…

So the problem is HUGE!

And a study by the World Health Organization and World Bank showed that depression is the most common cause of disability worldwide.

Watch out for severe stress because you may also be at risk for development of a depressive disorder.

How To Identify Depression

The feelings that come with stress and depression can be scary. Understanding what is going on in your mind and body will help you to deal with it.

Take a depression test to check if you have any symptoms of depression. This is a useful place to start.

I am not a medical doctor and neither am I a trained therapist but I have had experience with periods of depression as a result of things happening in my life…

My kids have also experienced signs of teenage depression. So I know that recognising the physical symptoms of depression and other depression warning signs is vital.

The Link Between Stress And Depression

The experts cannot give us a definitive opinion on this. But I know from experience that stress increases depression and depression increases stress. It sometimes feels as if you are caught in a never-ending cycle…

Whether a stressful event itself can actually cause a person to become depressed is not fully known. There are times when we all must struggle with very painful situations in our lives, and yet we don’t end up getting depressed…

In fact, sometimes people become depressed even when there is little or no stress in their lives and everything seems to be going very well…

Whatever the build-up, cause or stress involved, depression is uncomfortable and needs to be dealt with. And, of course, having a plan of action to treat stress is important.

Check here for more on relaxation techniques.

Stress factors which contribute to depression symptoms like feelings of sadness include:

• Break up of a relationship
• Death of a loved one
• Family conflict
• Marital conflict
• Financial stress
• Job loss
• Some substances and drugs also leads to stress and depression
  
  
  

How To Deal With Stress And Depression

• Alan has had experience in counselling and helping clients with depressive disorders… Please feel free to drop him a line with any comments or queries. Alan’s advice? – Talk to someone!
  
  
• Margo’s recommendation? – We are all different and all respond differently. You need to find what works for you when dealing with stress and depression… What really works for me is to practice mindfulness in my everyday life. In particular, zen mindfulness brings a dimension of calm yet focused attention to my life-situations.
  
  
• Having a daily programme of stress relief (exercise, meditation, prayer, hobby – whatever satisfies you) is the best way to avoid stress and depression.
  
  
• There are also some useful websites that offer help. Have a look at our links page to see our recommendations. “Beat Depression Naturally” is one that we find really useful.
  
  
• There are many ways that you can maintain good mental health (so essential to dealing with depression) including:
  * getting enough sleep,
  * eating sensibly,
  * exercising appropriately,
  * avoiding use of harmful substances such as alcohol,
  * and effectively managing stress.
  
  
• If you have chronic stress, consult a doctor or therapist to discuss ways to minimize stress and its negative impact on your physical and emotional health. He or she may recommend relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing or visualization, soothing activities, such as yoga or massage, or a mind-changing therapy like cbt.
  
  
• Do you know what anti depression foods to include in your diet?Have a look at 10 natural depression treatments for more ideas of dealing with depression.
  
  
• You need to know how to recognise bipolar depression symptoms so that you can get appropriate help.
  
  

More Useful Information

• Take A Depression Test
• Signs Of Teenage Depression
• Depression Warning Signs
• Bipolar Definition
• Bipolar And Causes
• Types Of Bipolar
• Bipolar Disorder Quiz
• Famous People With Bipolar Disorder
• Physical Symptoms Of Depression
• Anti Depression Foods
• Fish Oil And Depression
  
  

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