You might agree with me that Depression is an important topic nowadays. The reasons are quite clear; with the first and foremost one being its commonality. In spite of this, I feel (and I expect you’ll concur with me) that there is still great misconception and, therefore, stigma surrounding not only specifically this subject, but many other mental-health related issues. I believe this is due to lack of information, and this is precisely why we are going to further our discussion about mild depression and severe depression here today.
So, please read carefully, because there is a question waiting for you at the end of the post. 😊
Throughout this post let’s keep in mind that depression is an emotional disorder. It is an emotional state that we all experience at some point in life. And here is a question I am often asked whenever this discussion arises:
‘when is sadness or low mood officially considered a disorder?’
First, it is important to understand that there is a vast range of depressive experiences within a continuum; which go from feelings of ordinary sadness to attempts at suicide.
All of us experience sadness or even mild-depression following stressful events that involve loss - a break-up, loss of a job, for example. This is indeed an expected, healthy response to such situations. After a while most people embrace their new reality, overcome their grief and move on in life. These people show resilience.
Psychological Resilience
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from adversities or stressful events and changes.
This is a notion that drew great interest from academics that conducted studies in emotionally adjusted adults who when children were maltreated and lived in extreme poverty. As children they were described as being loving, alert and with good personalities. All characteristics that helped them to obtain support from teachers, social-workers and other suitable adults. Despite everything, they were confident and had a positive outlook in life.
These were understood to be their coping strategies, which later in their adult years enabled them to have close friends as well as a long term partners.
Very much like in children adults exhibit resilience through different strategies. For example, some will just be pragmatic. They set a goal to get through the situation ‘no matter what!’ While other people just adopt what psychologists call repressive coping; basically, these are the people who ‘hide’ their sadness and difficult feelings, but ‘plough through the situation’.
Further still, it is also believed that certain individuals are genetically predisposed to show resilience. More evidence is needed to support this belief, though.
The most interesting thing I find about this topic, however, is that it has been found that resilience is an ability way more present in humans than previously believed. Now you may ask why this is important! Well, it is important because nowadays; particularly in Western cultures people are rather quick to resort to interventions to get rid of their difficult emotions.
My Friend’s Son
Take the case of a close friend of mine, for example. Luca is his 19-year-old son who is struggling with the choices he is facing about his future. He is unhappy at university and seems ‘uninterested’ and ‘disconnected’. His parents, in desperation, decided to take him to a psychologist who quickly referred him to a psychiatrist. Luca is now unwillingly under anti-depressant medication.
From a psychological perspective, I will tell you why this intervention may be an issue. Research has found that this may interfere with the person’s natural mechanisms of dealing with trauma. For example, not long ago, the immediate psychological treatment of victims found in violent and traumatic episodes was a largely adopted approach. However, it has now fallen out of favour because there is little evidence available in the literature to show that such interventions prevent PTSD. Sometimes it is better just to let people be for a while.
Fortunately, there are indeed several mechanisms that we turn to - consciously or not - to get through the set-backs life throws at us. Namely, taking some time alone, going to church, crying, playing an instrument etc. Then, we dust ourselves off and keep going.
Severe Depression
However, for some people, this is not possible. They remain in a state of mild depression for a long time. Instead of taking on board coping strategies, they struggle to find ways to make themselves feel better. In this sort of scenario what begins as mild-depression gradually develops to what clinicians call severe depression.
This is a good time to revisit that question I said I am often asked whenever this sort of conversation arises, and also the continuum. Do you remember the continuum?
‘when is sadness or low mood officially considered a disorder?’
Here a psychologist or a psychiatrist draws a line on that continuum based on a categorical diagnostic system - which I wrote about on my post The Diagnosis of Mental Illness – that helps them to decide if a client is afflicted by a particular disorder or not through the symptoms they exhibit.
For example, Luca (my friend’s son) presents primary symptoms: he has lost interest in his photography and playing with his little sister (this would be classified as his ‘usual activities’). Nonetheless, he has not exhibited: a different sleeping pattern, irritability or feelings of inappropriate guilt. All regarded secondary symptoms, among a few others.
Now, having a client presenting such symptoms would be a case where the prescription of anti-depressant medication is more suitable. In fact, according to NICE, individuals suffering from mild-depression are not recommended to undergo anti-depressant medication. For the very reasons we learnt during our discussion about resilience. So, what would be a good alternative for Luca instead of his medication?
Overcoming Mild Depression – exercising, making an effort to reengage in the activities he has been putting off. This is when a friend or family member could show their support and accompany him during an afternoon to take photos in the park, and bring his little sister with them. Brief psychological therapy sessions would be a good option to add to this list, but they would not be essential.
But, what about a more severe case?
Overcoming Severe Depression
Anti-depressants are recommended in such cases and you might be curious why. We could use Mr. B’s case (from my previous post) once again for purposes of illustration. By now you understand he presented what is categorized as secondary symptoms. Prior to his treatment, Mr. B thought he was a failure at everything. So, for several people in a similar situation, the SSRI drug fluoxetine (Prozac or Sarafem), for instance, has a beneficial psychological effect that enables them to see their situation from a more positive angle.
Biological psychology puts forward an assumption to explain this. I am fascinated by it, by the way. Although it lacks conclusive proof, there is a growing body of evidence to support its validity. It has been termed the Brain-Mind assumption and proposes the following:
Brain events and mind events are intimately related, so much so, that there is a corresponding brain event for each mental event.
Let’s discuss this further, Mr. B’s mental state prior to taking his medication was one of negative emotions, which according to the assumption described above, is related to a particular brain activity pattern. But then, the anti-depressant acts on Mr. B’s brain changing a certain pattern of activity – increasing levels of serotonin – correspondingly, improving his mood. But, wait a minute, this is not as straight-forward as it might sound! This is why there are a few very important points I would like to highlight about this particular class of drug (SSRIs). Therapeutic effects are only observed from three to five weeks after treatment begins, despite the immediate increase in neurotransmitters. Also, side-effects are immediately felt and they include: fatigue, gastric disorders and sexual dysfunction among others.
Additionally,
Research has found that part of the efficacy of mood-altering medication is a consequence of the expectation about their effects – an instance of the placebo effect
Alongside medication, therapy sessions are also recommended to help the individual overcome severe depression.
At this point you may, perhaps, be asking yourself:
Why some people struggle to defeat mild-depression and become severely depressed?
The types of depression that are associated with damaged hippocampus may offer a possible answer to this question.
You might have noticed now that depression often arises as a consequence of one isolated stressful event or a number of them. Luca has one particular thing stressing him out, while Mr. B had had several, and for quite a while. Drawing from the understanding that stress affects the structure of many parts of the brain developmental biologists proposed the Life-cycle model of stress, which suggests that stressful events affect the brain structure that are developing most rapidly at the time of the stressful experience.
Studies in rats that had been exposed to stressful situations when they were pups found that they presented damaged hippocampus; which caused effects that were difficult to reverse, and that played a role in their behaviour. In the human brain this is an area which actively develops both prenatally and during the first two years after birth. This finding is particularly relevant for mental-health professionals because the hippocampus is an area that also plays a part in controlling the HPA axis – a system that operates in stress responses.
This association damaged hippocampus – difficult stress response also exists in humans, as it is well-established that depressed people present a smaller hippocampus then those not suffering from depression. A study conducted in a group of depressed women who had suffered child-abuse and a group of depressed women who had not suffered child abuse demonstrated that the hippocampal size of the depressed woman who had not been abused as children was similar to that of women who were neither depressed nor had experienced child abuse, while the abused women’s hippocampus was much smaller.
This indicates that depressed adults whose hippocampus have been damaged by chronic stress during adult years present a scenario that can be more easily reversed.
Still, as you might expect this is only one out of a few different explanations for why depression sometimes is triggered and becomes difficult to be reversed in some people.
[Original Content by Abigail Dantes - 2018]
Reference List:
APA (2000), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn.
Bonanno, G.A (2004), ‘Loos, trauma and human resilience: have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive envents?’, American Psychologist, vol. 59, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 20-8.
Heim, C., Newport, J., Mletzko, T., Miller, A.H. and Nemeroff, C.B. (2008) ‘The link between childhood trauma and depression: insights from HPA axis in humans’, Psychoneuroendocrynology, vol. 33, pp. 693 – 710.
Heim, C., Newport, J., Heit S., Graham, Y.,Wilcox, M., Bonsall,R. et al. (2000) ‘Pituitary-adrenal and autonomic responses to stress in women after sexual and physical abuse in childhood’, Journal of America Medical Association, vol. 284, pp. 592-7.
Marques, A.H. and Stenberg, E.M (2007) ‘The biology of positive emotions and health’, in Post, S. (ed.) Altruism and Health: Perspective from Empirical Research, New York, Oxford University Press, pp. 149-88.
Dear Reader,
Now that you have made it here I have a very simple question for you: how has this post improved your understanding of depression? Take your time! The reason I am asking you this is because you are my partner on this journey to rid misconception about mental-health, and whatever your answer to my question is I know it will be the information you will pass on to your friend, neighbour and family member. 😊
Thank you so much for reading.
Hi @abigail,
I found it important that you mentioned "Sometimes it is better just to let people be for a while."
When someone shows signs of a mild depression I would consider it normal for there are always events and episodes of disinterest, not engaging in family and friends life and to do what one may call to think about "the meaning of life". Thank you for pointing this out - at least I understood it that way.
From what I experience - I work a lot with young adults who partake a program in "Assisted living" they get no real time out. The program is there to stabilize and to give structure. To help with school issues, accompany the steps of leading an independent life and financial matters. What I see as problematic is that from what trauma or difficulties the young adults have gone trough they are then put into this program which sets the pace of development.
This is not wrong because it substitutes the parents home and what had to take place there, it takes place now in the institution.
BUT: nobody actually assures the young people that what they feel and gone through is not so much an illness or flaw. Some of them are in the program for about ten years and still under medication. Many are super trained in psychotherapy-speech. When a young adult sits in front of me, tells me that he is medicated for years and that he has "social phobia" and what else, I get frustrated sometimes. My systemic approach to coach them seems to be unknown to many therapists and neurologists.
I would say, the kids which I encounter are for the most part super clever. They know a lot about their weaknesses, can talk like psychologists with you and do have various remarkable skills. What they lack in my opinion is to realize, HOW smart they are, how young and full of energy.
What I want to say about medication: people don't like to take them. They take anti-depressants on and off. They interrupt the treatment or the therapy. The daily life doesn't follow a therapy plan (which is what science relies on) or a laboratory condition.
They take the medicine once it gets really acute. And when the acute state of existence calms down, the pills remain untouched.
So, why are they doing that? Wouldn't it help to follow the therapy plan?
It would, I think. But that is not what people want. Once under medication, integrated in a structure and daily tasks, fulfilling what is expected from them, they go back exactly to the point from where they missed something in the past: That someone cares. If a person gets the impression "If I only take the medicine, do my duty, engage in life, than what I need the most is not addressed!"
My conclusion from that is: What is most wanted is the perception that my sadness and my deep struggle with life is fully and 100% accepted from "society" - meaning: the people I am in touch with. If only I could sense and see that they really do care, than they would let me take my own pace. They would signal patience instead of worry.
The deeper meaning of "caring" is for people in a depression a living breathing being they can relate to and who shows patience and: is NOT AFRAID of the person with a depression.
Sorry for answering in this length, but you touched a point in me.
SO glad your answer has been this lengthy! You are basically my Guru. It is official :) I learn so much from you, and of course, what better person to evaluate the whole 'Luca' scenario than you?
I don't feel very comfortable with saying this, but this is what I believe Luca is going through, you know.
I don't mean to say his parents don't care; they love him so dearly, but they just want the kid to show happiness ALL the time! Because of that the kid feels suffocated, pressured and now undergoing a treatment he totally rejects. Guess what? His dad told us he stopped taking the medication (just like you said!). But then, now, he is in trouble with his parents ... it is a never ending cycle :/
Thank you for taking the time to offer us such great insight into this scenario.
Lots of love to you.
:-) HaHa, pleased to meet you, my name is Padme Garnesha.
It is so good, that you see that one cannot be always cheerful. Is there any chance for you to show him that you don't think humans have to be happy all the time? I find this insight really helpful - and/or what he is up to right now, what does he think of life/society?
I have no doubt Lucas parents do love him. Have you asked the parents if this is something they can put TRUST into their son? When they look back at their own lives with 19, what was the most annoying thing with parents and what were they wishing for back than in the same age?
What in general is truly annoying when one has a crisis in life?
I hope the family will shake distrust off and starts to accept "reality":-) I have a little graphic helper when I talk to people about life in general and daily events. When a day has 100 % of life, how many percent frustration tolerance one must build up in order to stay realistic about the fact that there will be for sure frustrating elements appearing?
We know that depression is caused by a lack of social participation
But who is to blame?
Cold boring life because of the lack of values and ethics in society
And having a runaway "Social Media"
Hello @slimanepro. Thank you for stopping by again.
Yes, there indeed the kind of depression that has its roots in the pychosocial environment, and I thing that is precisely the kind of depression my little friend Luca is suffering from like you said: 'social pressures' and so forth. But there is also the kind of depression that is biological and it is do to with brain structure, hormonal functions etc.
All the best to you :)
Unlike most of the time, my morning actually started as planed! I had expected your post for the weekend, but when I came home late in the evening from exercising, I was so tired, that I knew it wouldn't make sense to read and try to understand it. But I left the browser window open, so it would be the first thing I'd see in the morning, together with two other blogs I really enjoy.
Since it was snowing, when I went to bed, I knew, I'd have to clean up in front of the café, so my wife could not ask me for that as one of those "ruining my plans surprises" I mentioned before.
All done, nice big cup of coffee and here I am :-)
The first thing I stumbled over was the emotionally adjusted adults, and I couldn't quite figure out what it means. In the context, it sounds to me, as if circumstances we would label as not particularly advantageous, like being
actually lead to an "advantage", by being more resilient
Further down in your text however, you state that certain bad events in a child's life cause irreversible damage to the hippocampus. I'm most likely not getting it right, but so far it sounds like a contradiction to me...
Anyways, you asked a question, so I better get to the answer. I know you have a tight schedule ;-)
From the time I was married to a psychiatrist, I know enough about the subject to not just tell someone who is going through hard times to "get a grip" as the average German is quick to say. The view on mental illness has come a long way and I am particularly happy, when I see how the knowledge is shared with a larger audience, with publications like yours. Your post confirmed, what I already thought/knew, but also added some interesting new aspects, like the role the hippocampus plays. Inspires me to research the subject further.
Of course, as I was reading, I compared things to events in my own life and how I dealt with difficult situations. Guess I'm pretty resilient and the ups and downs of life don't throw me in a deep hole. As I can get very "attached" to another person, loss (of a loved one) and break-up would be my major issues and there was a phase of about year, when I lost all joy of living after a break-up. I usually busy myself in such a situation with simple, but hard physical work and back then I built a small office, complete with all built in furniture...
Now, here is a question I have. Its been with me for several years already and you mentioning Biological psychology brought it to mind again. Is it possible, that memories of traumatic events can be inherited? Trying to make sense of this in English... what I mean is this: All kinds of things are encoded in our genes. From what I understand, its generally accepted, that the, let me call it hardware, our physical appearance is largely determined by that. But what about the "software"? My brother walks like my grandfather, I have a lot of my dad's temper and creativity... our organs "know" how to function (also a kind of "software, that must come along). Could it be, that drastic events could leave a trace in the genetic information transferred from parent to child?
I'm asking, because, as a child I was haunted by "memories" that could not possibly have been my own. Consciously remember it from the age of 3, long before I even knew what a TV was (to exclude that option)..
My dearest @reinhard-schmid,
You know, in my head you are a character of a very good book: an artist who comes back home to his beautiful wife - in my head your wife's coffee bar is always full of delicious cakes (even at night when it is closed :D) - in a cold winter night!
I like your question very much, and the way you put it, yeah.. It does seem contradictory. But, let's see if I can address this in a satisfactory way:
-The first study mainly addressed poverty. When the author described the participants on his paper he focused on poverty aspects; and, even though he says the children were maltreated he doesn't explicitly state the kids were abused or treated with extreme violence. They were mainly neglected. In that study he was curious to find out how come some children who come from extreme poverty become fully-functional adults, while others enter a life of crime (unfortunately the majority). This is a social-psychology study. Further, from the way he describes the participants, I see -this may be a biased observation - even though those children were neglected and poor, they felt loved and protected by someone in their lives (by mothers, by teachers, social-workers etc..). While the abused women felt the opposite, none of them had someone to talk to about their fears. They spent a whole childhood in shame and feeling unsafe. For me, this is where the difference is. And, I base my conclusions on the findings of Harlow's attachment studies :)
As I said to the other readers, who like yourself, are kind enough to leave a comment and share their own experiences with low-mood and difficult feelings: Thank you for telling us about it. I find it particularly important because it is a real account of someone who overcame adversities and, therefore, gives real hope to those who are in the same situation now and reads it. The pattern seems quite clear to me: the recovery comes as a result of finding a new purpose in life.
Your question about memory is an intriguing one. This is one of the topics within my field that fascinates me the most and, hence, one of the topics I have studied more in-depth. Although, mainly repressed memories. But, to your question .... as you know * your memory is the product of your experience* and this is something that is not possible to be passed on through genetic materials. However, I don't want to limit you to my understanding only. There is a field Epigenetics that proposes this very notion, but for me there still lacks convincing explanation for how it happens, as well as experimental evidence (and this is the tricky part!). What drew my attention here, though, was the fact that you said you were 'haunted' by the memories, which makes me think they were bad memories. Epigenetics focus greatly in the inheritance of traumatic events. This might be something I should pay more attention to now, because of your account!
All the best to you my dear.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Phew.. time flies. Lots of unpleasant changes of plans this week. PC problems... hate those the most.
I wanted to come back here with nothing else on my mind, so I could give it all the attention, it deserves :-)
sounds funny. Although part of it isn't all that far from reality. Only thing is, we have everything under one roof, so I only have to go down two stairs from my studio. And the café is usually only open on weekends. But my beautiful wife bakes sometimes during the week too.. or makes Austrian style pastries :-)
Thank you for making the issue with the children more understandable. I can relate to that, as we didn't have much in material goods, but I was fortunate to have good parents, particularly a very loving and warm hearted mother.
For me it was always important to get myself going and stop the negative thoughts. Therefore I find some simple work good to get into a different frame of mind. Of course time is an issue. And I hope I also have learned what not to do to actively screw up my life. I also know, one is never safe from bad things happening from "outside", but at least I try not to contribute to that :-)
Thank you for pointing me to Epigenetics. It is something that really fascinates me and would answer a lot of questions, if there was any truth to it all.
I do make a difference between memories, which I consider my own. At the same age (3) I started having a reoccurring nightmare. When I put all the pieces together now, I believe its a memory of my own birth. The sounds of a heart beat, like you hear it through a stethoscope, and that of blood rushing through veins, pulsating and crushing movement, feeling trapped, a pulling movement with a high pitched sound and so on...
But the other "memories" are different. Bad, connected with war like environments and people being threatened and suffering. Vague pictures of undefined steel vehicles. Dirty water with dead plants... long ago and its all faded quite a bit by now and more of like felt rather that actually seen. I have just always wondered, where these things came from. My psychiatrist ex wife once said, that there is research on the issue, but she didn't know much about it.
But now, its smelling a lot like apple strudel...
Hello my dear @reinhard-schmid
This week has gone really quick indeed! Sorry to hear about your PC problems (truly annoying stuff!).
I have told you before about how fascinated I am about studies/research on memory (particularly repressed memories), and you are broadening my curiosity with your most intriguing accounts! They really got me thinking and making notes....
.... and there it goes my imagination running wild again.
" he had been sitting before his canvas for a while, his eyes twinkling at the sight of his finished painting. Now, out of his trance, he first heard his wife humming a song that she'd been repeatedly singing for the past few days. Then, he smelt the freshly made apple strudel. He went downstairs and there she was, humming away, the table was set for two ...
:D
Hm... I'm starting to wonder if you are more of a psychic or a poet.. ✨ 🤔
Ahahahah
I think the key distinction to be made is the one about the difference between normal sadness and depression. As you said it is perfectly normal to be sad after tragic events and medication probably shouldn't be used in this case. However, it seems that this is becoming more common which is not a good sign. Not only does this minimize the suffering of those with severe depression but it places people who are experiencing a healthy response on medication they don't need. SSRI should not be taken lightly because they can be very difficult to get off of without side effects. Also, for many people they only have a mild help and in no way are a sufficient solution for treating the depression. I find the idea that mental and brain events can change each other quite compelling because I know it has helped in my personal case.
Hi @timspeer,
Thank you for taking the time to discuss this further. I mostly appreciate the observations you make about SSRI. Further, this is a very important point:
As for the brain-mind assumption... yes! It is trully compelling.
All the best Tim :)
Hi @abigail-dantes
Thank you for your outstanding post. Since joining Steemit I have been looking for quality information that I can use to increase my own knowledge of various subjects. I have followed both you and SteemSTEM. Mental health is an area that is near and dear to my own heart.
I suffer from an anxiety disorder and associated depression, and I also have a niece that suffers from anxiety. I think your post raises some interesting questions about resilience and the use of medication amongst other things.
In the case of my niece (aged nine) the resilience comments are very pertinent. She was having significant difficulties at school and was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder about two years ago. What was most disappointing about this sequence of events was that upon presentation to a doctor, she was immediately prescribed antidepressants. I was somewhat shocked by this, as at this stage in her treatment she had not seen either a psychologist or a psychiatrist. My own experience is that medication should only be used in conjunction with regular therapy. On its own it is really just a Band-Aid solution that provides limited long-term benefits. Potentially this is oversimplifying some situations where medication is the only solution, however I think in her case some more formal assessment and specialist advice would have been warranted. Your comments on resilience rang a bell with me here. It makes me wonder how a child is to develop resilient behaviours when at the first sign of difficulty she is medicated. To put a silver lining on the situation, prior to this event occurring I had not disclosed my mental health issues to my immediate family. As a result of this situation I discussed my own background with my brother, and was able to provide some feedback and opinions. As of as a result of this he was able to take a more proactive role in his daughter’s treatment, which I think in the longer term has been beneficial.
The above notwithstanding, I feel that medication can play a very important role in treating some of these disorders. I know that in my case it has been a game changer and has significantly improved my quality of life. I think that the tendency to over prescribe medication that is identified in some of the comments to your article is a real problem. I think not only does the over prescription present a problem in its own right, but also leads to misinformation being spread in the broader community. Many people have a fear of psychoactive medication and this can interfere with them receiving quality care. The way it was described to me by my doctor was that the medication itself was not a solution to my problems, but was simply a tool to be used to allow me to manage my symptoms better. My anxiety manifested as frustration and anger, and my coping strategies were inappropriate. Going onto a medication enabled me to better manage my behaviour and in conjunction with a psychologist, work to develop more appropriate coping strategies when feeling stressed, frustrated or anxious. The medication was positioned as allowing me some breathing space to reassess my existing behaviours and to modify those without fear of being overwhelmed by pre-existing patterns of negative emotions. I haven’t fully conquered the beast, but medication has certainly played a key role in allowing me to maintain a healthy life.
Thank you again for your outstanding post. In addition to the thoughts that you prompted above, you have also motivated me to consider blogging on STEM related topics. I think I will start with ways of engaging young girls in STEM related to play. I have a wife who is an engineer and two young daughters, so this is pretty much mandatory in my house :-). My wife and I have put some significant thought into how to engage the girls in this fashion, and I may use this forum as an opportunity to provide some insights. Hopefully the SteemSTEM community find them useful.
Your comment is incredibly outstanding and informative! You raise so many valid points about the use of medication. This is the sort of comment that helps to debunk misinformation about not only the use of psychoactive medication, but also mental-health in general. I am truly grateful for you taking the time to read my writing and participate in this debate in a such meaningful manner!
As for your little niece's situation; unfortunately, this is a reality I come across more and more often. I disagree with it as I believe there are so many other healthier alternatives to address mental distress in children. As you point out! I truly don't know what goes through the mind of a doctor who puts a 9 year-old child under anti-depressant medication. :/
I am looking forward to seeing your STEM posts :)
All the best to you and your family always @aghunter.
My understanding of depression has improved so much after reading your post. For example, I did not know that the size of the hippocampus is closely related to depression.
Actually this comes at a time when I was in a bit of a depression myself until about 2 days ago. One of my relatives passed away suddenly. Death in the family or among friends gets me into a low mood which I guess is a sort of mild depression since it takes a few days to come out of.
Fortunately I have never needed medicines to recover from a depression. When I was younger I used to go for an hour-long run if I had a depression for more than a day and I would feel much better!
Now I know that it could have been classified as a mild depression after reading about overcoming such a depression in the post.
I am also glad that I have always taken steps to move out of mild depression phases so that I don't progress to a form of severe depression. In fact. this is where I will always keep your post in mind since I have a habit of going into a mild depression after setbacks, which are inevitable in life and can't be avoided. Thank you so much for what I would term as a gold nugget for myself that I got from your content!
Thank you for putting out such an informative article, of a high value as is always the case with your posts. I will have to come back again soon to read all the amazing comments that others have left, as I have been able to read only a few of them.
That is another great thing about your posts - they are so engaging that I have to always come back for more!
Dear @maxabit, I am so very sorry to hear about the situation your family is going through at the moment.
The loss of a loved one is indeed a tough reality to face (particularly when unexpected). I really appreciate a point you highlighted here, which I think it is very important for all of us to be aware of :
I feel that nowadays, the line between sadness and mild depression is rather blurred, and one can easily morph into the other. This is precisely why bodies like NICE recommend caution when prescribing medication in cases deemed as mild-depression. In your situation, it is a most natural response! You are grieving, and you will go through different phases and overcome it at your own pace.
I am so pleased to hear this. Remember then brain-mind assumption! Brain-activity-patterns respond and change to mental events. So, there is a time (for some sooner and for some later) when we do need to move on. When we dwell for too long in that painful feeling our brain-activity patterns change in a way that leave us stuck there. So much so that we tend to forget the good things in life. This is a well-established notion in psychology, which has also to do with the hippocampus - an area of the brain that plays an important part on the functions of short-term and long term memory!
Exercise is indeed a great way to help you through this, among psychologists it is sometimes termed 'a natural anti-depressant'. Also, not long ago you posted a great, practical article about meditation. The hippocampus (and many other brain regions) also 'love' meditation :D
All the best to you my dear. I send my thoughts and love to your family.
Well, I had to read it twice because this post does not deserve a quick answer.
I always believed that treating mental health issues should not involve medication unless a patient's chemistry-anatomy demands it. And that is because when messing with the brain, a false diagnose might do irreversible damage. I also strongly believe that it's advisable to consult a second psychologist/psychiatrist before moving to more "advanced" methods of treatment.
Humans are a mixture of soul and body. The soul exhibits its natural cycles of coping with life, when the body malfunctions and affects the soul it is the time to intervene on the body. If not, then setting a protective net around the soul will help the individual overcome difficulties they would not be able to do so alone.
I think you just validated my beliefs with your thorough article @abigail-dantes.
I hope Luca will get over the hard times he's being through. I am sure he has all the strength inside him to do so! :)
This means a lot coming from your @ruth-girl!
Let me just put your following statement in bold, so it won't be missed!
I really like your discussion on soul & body, it reminds me of the Brain-mind assumption. It is as if you intuitively knew about the assumption!
Thank you for your nice words about Luca :)
I just wish they could let him be for a while. But, what can I do?
Lots of love!
@abigail-dantes, wow... tough one. I believe, in some cases, depression can last for years, not necessarily because it's clinical... rather because the perspective about one's future needs to be adjusted.
Years ago, I went through a phase where I picked up the bad habit of complaining. I was surrounded by complainers and joined the pity party. In reality, life was actually really good. I seriously don't know how anyone could stand being around me. Then the paradigm shift... I realized I had the power to choose my thoughts... and that my thoughts had the power to define my future.
Ironically, it was after "the dark days", that I truly went through several difficult situations... situations that would have crippled me emotionally in the past... with optimism... with the expectation of love, adventure, and a bright future.
Ha! The brain-mind assumption :)
I hope everyone here gets to read this comment. It is truly insightful.
Thank you for highlighting this points here through your personal experience!
Lots of love to you my dear.
:*
well said
Great post @abigail-dantes , this will enlighten many people about the difference between simple and severe depression.
people nowdays have lost the ability to tolerate difficult situation greatly , as a result they tend to take anti-depressant medication too early & have to take them for pretty long time and have to face many side effets.
counselling is the best medicine in early case and being busy in work is the key to prevent it.
totally agree with you
Counseling is the best way to overcome the many issues of life comparatively to
medication
I would also add education. Not popular psychology, but good-quality texts like this one :)
Oh @himal! What a lovely comment :) So well put!
I really appreciate you taking the time to read my writings.
All the best for you always.
Thank you Abby for an amazing write up, I felt it was talking to me in several parts, you know i'm kinda Mr stress lol
Let's say for one, learning that stress affects brain structure... a smaller /damaged hippocampus, wow!
And it is great news that adults can have reversible effects for such cases, yet most importantly is how to assist your child mentally enough to grow strong against stress and properly manage it from childhood.
I do believe in that idea that lots of personality traits can be inherited. I see this hands-on with my baby girl.
Thanks again! :)
Hello my Dear :)
I am so pleased to hear you found the post helpful!
Yes, it is the action of glucocorticoids that damages some areas of the brain. As you know, these are stress hormones that are released during the activation of the HPA axis. A damaged hippocampus is less efficient in controlling the axis. But, you have a great advantage @mcfarhat: your dedication and love for exercise (so good for your brain!).
May I just say that I just loved that you mentioned the importance of a supportive upbringing for children. Yo may just have given me an idea for a post! :D
Lots of love to you and your famile!
:*
haha excellent .. looking forward to that post !
Likewise to you dear Abby ! :)
Hey, amazing article again !(I'm starting to repeat myself..can't help it)
I don't think that there's a person who can't relate to this topic. Probably that's the reason why there are so many studies, articles and subjective opinions about depression. While that's kinda beneficial for the society, because it brings awareness about the topic, there is a lot of misinformation as well and people start to get confused and fail to differ objective truth from subjective opinions.
I like that you've included how this "emotional disorder" can have an impact on some parts of our brain like the hippocampus.
I am a supporter of the thesis that new information is learned well when presented with good examples from the practice. You never fail to do that.
Thanks! I am waiting for the next Friday post :) Cheers !
You are amazing @dysfunctional!
I just hope you know how appreciative I am of your support! ❤️
:)
I like the part you explained that not all depression requires medication. It happens many are quick to pop the pills in the slightest hint of depression. The pharmaceutical companies are the winners here as it appears there's a drug for every occasion same way an Apple phone has an app for everything. The body and mind is surprising self-healing in most circumstances, just that the need to "get it all over with" makes many become dependent on drugs. Thanks for the awesome insight into a subject that is often shrouded in secrecy.
You are very welcome @greenrun
Thank you for adding your (always) invaluable insight into this discussion. I think this post was a way to put my frustration about Luca's situation out there :D
All the best to you my dear.
I hope Luca is getting better/ok now. Sadly, Mrs B that I mentioned in the last post is not getting any better. Her case needs some level of drug intervention.
Oh Gosh green! I hope her family can make the right choices. So sorry to hear that 😕
I've been waiting for this post the whole week! And as expected, yet another heartwarming, eye-opener post about psychology.
Honestly, I have a little idea about how a person's traumatic childhood experiences have a great impact on much of who he is. But I have just realized the connection of it to how people deal with sadness or depression. It makes more sense that because of that irreversible effect on the brains of people with traumatic childhood, it makes it harder for them to cope with the negative feelings.
Thank you so much for this! It added to my knowledge and understanding of people, sadness, and depression.
Lots of love! :)
You deserve a star @annepage and three hearts! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for always taking the time to read my posts. It means a lot to me :)
Lots of love back to you :)
No. Thank you for always giving me posts that are worth reading and feeding my hunger for psychological knowledge.
You are an inspiration. :)
😘
Your post has confirmed something I learned about depression first-hand. I was hospitalized for severe depression with anhedonia about 10 years ago. It was triggered by long-term stress; my teenage son had been in the hospital for 5 months. When he came home and we could see he was doing better, I began to exhibit symptoms of that prolonged stress. I started having several panic attacks a day and eventually stopped sleeping because the panic attacks would wake me up almost immediately. It was probably the lack of sleep that caused the anhedonia. It took several medications and about six months to bring me out of that downward spiral and I do think I exhibited resilience. But I'm not sure resilience alone would have been enough to get my body to start sleeping again and stop hitting me with continuous shots of adrenaline. Great post Abigail. I love your discussions of psychology and mental health and I hope they are doing lots of good for your readers!
Hello @geke :)
Five months is indeed a long time to be under stress, specially the kind of stress you described here (son in hospital). I have great respect for people who manage to go through this sort of emotional difficulty and are able to openly talk about them. For me it shows that they have moved on, which in itself is a great achievement; and second, it serves as an example while also bringging real hope to those currently going through a similar phase in life.
For me your example is particularly important because it was a case of severe depression reversed by an interplay between your resilience, medication and professional care. I say important because many people are skeptical about the last two. As said in one of my replies here, while one needs to be cautious when recommending the use of anti-depressants, it is also very important to remember they help loads, and loads of people to fully function and get their lives back again!
Beautiful comment Geke. It is incredibly kind of you to bring hope to others through your own experience. Thank you so much ❤️ :)
All the best to you & your family!
I found it very interesting to read about the line between mild and severe depression, and the concept of resilience.
However, I have a question: How does the term: "depressive episode" fit in? I was diagnosed with one of those previously (the classical burn out situation), and it sure felt quite severe and lasted for quite a long time (that's a subjective feeling, of course). But there was no medication involved in it's passing away.
As far as I understood, a "real" depression is something else than a depressive episode, in that it is a constant, long-lasting condition rather than an effect limited to some months - am I correct here?
A depressive episode is another name for severe depression @sco, which can also be termed unipolar disorder, clinical depression, major depression etc.. Too many names, right?The diagnosis of depression is totally categorical; that is to say, based on the symptoms you present. It seems like you had a cautious mental-health professional assisting you :) What I can tell by your brief explanation is that despite the fact that your symptoms met the criteria required for the diagnosis of a depressive episode, they did not seem to require aid from medication. A proof of this is the fact that you feel they have alleviated! So glad to hear that!
Don't get to caught up with the terms :) they are there just to help researchers and clinicians to do their job.
Thank you for your interesting comment!
phew, that IS complicated.
However, I think here in Austria the policy is much more restrictive towards psychotherapeutic drugs, than e. g. in the US.
Yeeey, so I'm not the only one! :D
Would you agree that, in addition to resilience, self-acceptance is extremely important for overcoming depression? f you accept yourself unconditionally, whether or not you do well (or do well about doing well), you will tend to act in your own interests, go for pleasures, and feel much better.
You pointed out exercising as one of the ways to overcome mild depression. I would like to use the opportunity to promote Argentinian Tango as an exercise of chose! Here's an extract from my article about it:
Thanks for sharing the conclusion of the study conducted in groups of depressed women who had and had not suffered child-abuse. It improved my understanding of depression on a physical level.
Cheers! : )
I would also add that, since depression is an emotional 'disorder', everything that evokes emotional release in a healthy, non-harmful way is very important. So, it can be either tango, playing an instrument, drawing, or writing. I think also that if a depressed person becomes successful in what she is doing through emotional expression (for example, becoming a successful writer on Steemit, or a very sensitive tango dancer), it gives her totally new perspective on her 'disorder', and it becomes something positive. That is the moment of realization that negativity can be transformed into positivity if it is accepted and expressed. :) It also says that someone is not a 'mentally ill person', but just a person who can go through different phases in his life during the entire process of self-discovery.
P.S. I must add that @lifenbeauty is really a great dancer!
Thank you for a great expansion of my comment, @katarinamiliv.
I guess I had enough disorders in order to become a solid and sensitive tango dancer. :D
Hiiii @lifenbeauty :D
Of course you are not on your own! :)
I am so pleased you brought up 'self-acceptance'. YES, YES and YES this is a very important means to overcome certain levels of depression. Do you think this topic would make an interesting post?
So glad you further the 'being active' part of this debate. Dancing is one of the most beautiful, gracious ways to make us feel better. Wonderful!
Thanks for stopping by.
All the best to you always :)
I'm always looking forward to reading about self-acceptance and I think that your article about it would definitely be interesting - go for it! : )
there is a reason for the overall depression... it is the slavery we are all under.
it is a prison without walls, but monetary barriers. it is a prison for your mind, and all the censorship you see happening is an attempt to keep that door closed.
but the door is opening, and spiritual realization is dawning.
psychology has one major flaw, it is good at identifying problems, but is weak on solutions.
that is how i found NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) .. Richard Bandler had a concept that I found very true. humans do not learn slowly, we learn fast. you touch the stove once, you burn your hand, you'll remember it. people are often call such learning tramatization as they now apply what they have 'learned' to everything in their life. but what they think they learned was wrong. they got a wrong impression.
so the idea Richard proposed was that changing people wasn't a slow process, but required a sharp blow to make a change. if you bend sheet metal it will just spring back, but take that same piece and slam it into a corner and it is changed forever.
NLP dives into the nuts and bolts of how our minds works, and from what I could see, worked. I use much of what I learned in real life. but my favorite part of Richard's work was that he never took a client that he couldn't give a end-time for their procedure.
anyway, thanks for the write up, it seems very informed from a scientific community. but to me lacks spiritual understanding that would make the process much more smoothly.
Hello @klevn
Your view on depression reminds very much much of the outlook psychoanalysts have on mental ill-health in general. They explain, for example, that anxiety and sadness are a product of the civilized, rule-bound world we live in.How can one disagree with that (at least in part)? :D
Thank you for adding your knowledge of NLP to this discussion. I appreciate it.
Although, I am truly saddened by your statement :
I see psychology as an incredible, invaluable means trough which solutions can be achieved not only in clinical settings, but also in experimental ones. For example, there is evidence that the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy surpasses that of anti-depression medication. There are beautiful experimental studies out there comparing treatment with CT and ADMs - by DeRubeis et al - corroborating this notion.
In my humble opinion I think CT/CBT is anything but a weak solution for people afflicted by OCD, panic disorders, MD and so forth; also, this is only one out of the many means psychology delivers to alleviate suffering. Others are psychotherapy, humanistic approaches and existential psychotherapy. All models that you may find more in line with the spiritual understanding you point out.
As you might have noticed this post has a focus on the biology of mental illness as it has been written from a biomedical perspective, this is a reductionist view that bothers many in the field as well. Believe me! :)
All the best to you always :)
thank you for the response. glad I could add the conversation, hopeful you don't mind a bit more...
a problem with psychology is it spends all its time studying people that are messed up.
NLP studied successful people that where messed up but overcame it.. they then modelled the behaviour and teach it to others.
psychology operates under the principle that you are broken, spirituality operates under the principle that you created a problem on top of perfection. so be still, be silent, and reconnect with the divine, problem solved.
OCD is ego manifested so much control over an individual they feel compelled to do things. meditate, break the ego's hold, problem solved. yes I realize it isn't that simple, but if the one thing they have trouble doing is sitting still... then they need to work on that. if they can't ignore their mind... that is the problem... more drugs or methods will not take the place of doing the work of learning to be quiet inside, learning to you can ignore the mind, learning you are more than your mind.
same for panic disorders.
if all we do is 'ease the suffering' we haven't addressed the root issue. that is my problem with psychology.. it is just like medical science..
ah, the heart of all the problems, the splitting of fields so much they don't know each other and bringing them together we find all sorts of conflicts, which in a single entity wouldn't exist, but in separation thrives.
that is why I mentioned you did a great job from a medical perspective ; )
Well being the son of a now retired psychiatrist there's pretty much nothing new to me from this post :p
Having said that this is a great message to get out there. My biased experience indicates that most people think that depression is a make believe condition that you just have to get over it and don't really understand that this isnt always the case. Yeah, sometimes doing some sports is enough while yeah in most severe cases drugs are the only option for the patient to have a somewhat normal life.
PS I keep pressing the upvote but it won't work :( I will try again later, pinky promise plus cutie spider 🕷️
Hey @trumpman :)
Can you hook me up with your dad? I am going to steal all his books :D
I know .... I am having trouble with upvoting posts too :/
❤️ :*
No I can't hook you up he is a married man! But I will check for books but most of them will look like... greek to you 😂😂😂😂
But I am sure I can find something for you 😘
Gosh! This is not working out very well for me 😂
😘
You know, I have read cases of depression online and seen some in movies, and they are usually characters from the western world. There is nothing strange about that since the movies I like are those from the western world and most of the content online about these cases originate therefrom too.
When I consider the things that make these people depressed, I usually am like, "But they can't be really serious. There is really nothing there to be depressed about." Of course, it makes me feel like a jerk for not caring deeply enough about what they were going through. I always manage to empathise and largely keep my opinion to myself.
Then I read where you said that people who had difficulties earlier in life and who suffered poverty and deprivation cope better with depression because they develop resilience and suddenly my partial disconnect with what these individuals go through begins to make sense.
I have surmounted several seemingly insurmountable difficulties in my life. So when I see a difficult or stressful situtation, I shrug and say, This? This is nothing. I have dealt with much worse and I am still here.
So what I take from this is, even though I have greater resilience than most people, their reasons for being depressed is still valid and I have to empathise with them and help any way I can.
As usual, it is a pleasure to read your thoughts. I like how you expect the reader to pay attention to every detail of your post. It kinda becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy because I can see from the comments that most people read it.
Well done and all the best.
@churchboy you have made not only my evening, but my entire weekend with this:
The pleasure is all my to have you taking some of your time to read my writing and leave such insightful feedback :)
Thank you
All the best to you always my dear!
Thanks for always taking the time to reply my comments. Surely if people got such attention from the people around them, they would have less reasons to feel sad and eventually depressed.
Where I come from, we have a way of expressing that someone is truly special. It goes this way:
After you, it is you again.
Thanks for being that special.
😘
I almost feel guilty writing a comment, seeing this huge wall of text under your post! You should hire a comment-answerer.
(Hey, wait a minute, "irritability or feelings of inappropriate guilt". Hmm...)
Let's not forget eating well! Exercise is rather easy compared to the research and actual cooking people must do in order to feed themselves properly according to current nutrition science. Who knows how many depressions might be caused by bad eating.
My own small "obsession" when it comes to depression, because I read a lot of books and love art etc. etc., has to do with how many very creative individuals I highly suspect suffered from what might be seen as constant low-level depression. I generally don't like this cultural climate where being the slightest bit sad is seen as a bad thing. I believe it shows a more intelligent and sensitive individual.
Treatments have a lot to do with the therapist-client relationship, meaning: a person comes to the therapist, complains, the therapist labels it a problem because the client is complaining, the client gets medicated, and the problem is fixed. So, for instance, a person suffers from losing a parent or a partner more than 6 months, so he has to be treated, cos 6 months is a waaay long time to grieve a loss!
But how about the person who loses someone, literally or because of a breakup, and doesn't shed a single tear? That person, I think, is a loony! Who's gonna medicate that person! He'll never be a client, so he "functions" in society, so he doesn't have a problem. But put him in a society where his lack of feeling causes him to be ostracized, and then his lack of social life will land him at the therapist's door.
So I have a slight problem with how all these issues are defined, what counts as a "disorder" or problem etc. That needs much analysis, and I'm sure there's plenty of people doing that.
I read this quote today on fb, and though I don't like who said it, I like and identify with what is said:
This brings up another big issue, which is that the therapist treats the individual, because he doesn't have enough power to treat the society as a whole.
Anyways, gonna stop here!
Ahahahahahahah .... Ahahahahaha ....
You are not the first one to call my attention to the importance of a well-balanced diet for good mental-health. And, I am going to to tell you exactly what I said on my previous answer : Even though this is something I put in practice in my daily life, It is easy for me to leave aside because the vast majority of my journals and books don't even mention it! Shocking right? I shall address this on my future posts. You guys do keep me in check! :D
The observation you made about the person who loses someone and doesn't feel sadness ... etc... is great. It takes me back to the writings of one of my favourite psychologists. He says something in the lines that feelings of sadness and fear represent a mature, well-developed emotional system. But, then, wat are Western societies doing with it? Medicalizing it! This is what I said about this on a previous post:
Thank you so much for sharing this most extraordinary quote, it adds a lot to this discussion!
All the best to you @alexander.alexis. I really appreciate your constant support! :)
Do note that Ted Kaczynski, who wrote the quote, is the Unabomber! I guess he had some issues, but it doesn't take away from the fact that he left us some interesting writings with some very good points.
The posts touched different aspects of depression and the way out of it. Especially interesting is the coping strategies exhibited by children which inadvertently help them socialize more in adulthood ensuring they make great friend and long lasting partners.
We all have different thresholds with regards to almost everything but your explanation that we can be genetically wired to be more resilient to depression as compared to the next man is quite apt.
Another interesting part is that really got me is knowing that primary sign of depression could be as simple as losing interest in ones everryday routine.
I have also learned that anti-depressants are best administered in the case of of severe depression with its consequent side effects of fatigue, gastric disorders ,sexual disfunction etc. Can you explain more on the type of sexual dysfunction ?
Wow @keydee. I am impressed!!! You are really showing-off here :D
As for your question: not everyone present the same side effects. This is important to keep in mind. So, in this specific case it can be anything like losing interest in sexual activities; or, even the inability to perform sexually.
Thank you for such a bright, bright comment. You made me truly happy :D
Ah, you write again for depression ^^ When I read your posts about depression - it makes me happy :D Is this a severe form of depression when you have pleasure to read about the depression itself? This is my antidepressant. :D
In this connection yesterday I thought one thing about Nietzsche and his life and creativity. I think that his agony, which he expresses through his philosophy, acts healing for his reader. The same is true of the Schopenhauer's pessimistic philosophy. You are so depressed by reading it that after you finish you feel cured. Don't you think the truth purifies more than the positive delusions like man is good, he can handle every difficulty, and so on? Now I read the most pessimistic writer for me, Émile Michel Cioran. So morbid man I have never read before until now, but he's just great in his misanthropy and despair, he's really inspiring. Yes, most people who are happy in life with such philosophers will repulse them and consider them as crazy, but their desperate speech really has a healing character for those who suffer from such mental disorders.
About your question - it gives me new points of view that complement it :) ... and pleasure to read it :D
You have a refined sense of humor @godflesh! :D
I have never read Émile Michel Cioran. I shall write down his name and add to my list of 'books/material to be explored!'. Thank you for always sharing your vast knowledge with me. I trully respect it and appreciate it.
By the way, I found your post Yoga and Psychology: Schizophrenia and Enlightenment incredibly insightful. Thank you for bringing such quality content for the psychology tag!
All the best to you always my dear :)
Another great and thought-provoking post @abigail-dantes.
The thing that stood out to me most (and improved my understanding of depression) is when to use pharmaceutical intervention. Honestly, I believe it should always be the last step but I do understand the necessity for it in sever depression.
I think we are on the same page and would venture that the use of drugs would be greatly diminished if a person would undertaking some positive activities in tandem: exercise (that you mentioned), improving one's diet, meditation, relaxation in nature and reconnecting with old hobbies. I think once that is done then drugs can be introduced. The thing that I'm unsure of is that perhpas in severe depression drugs might be necessary as a "kick starter" to lead one to find the motivation to undertake those activities. But if drugs are the only method then I think it will ultimately fail.
I am the first to advocate exercise as the best counter to depression but the fact is that getting someone with MDD (major depressive disorder) to do anything is near impossible. I speak unfortunately from very painful experience with one of my kids. Anti depressant medication was not my first, second or third choice but it became my only after a time. It's not a cure by any stretch of the imagination and also every person reacts differently to different SSRI's. For example Zoloft was not working, but Prozac seems to be a better fit. Also dosage matters tremendously and it is a trial and error approach until you get the correct daily amount. It is just a kickstart for sure.
Incredibly valid point!
This makes sense and thank you for sharing your experience @rungirl
Hello @cizzo :)
How great to see you here! Please note, that even when clients present symptoms that place them in the severe depression category they don't necessarily need to undergo medication. It all depends on the set of symptoms exhibited, as long as they are not those that endanger the individual, some people can have even severe depression reversed without medical intervention.
But please, let me just say this: your insight is simply wonderful! It actually made me smile :)
YES! In some cases the medication do act as a 'kick starter' that even helps the client to engage more efficiently with their therapist!
Moreover, as you said, there are cases in which people just do not respond to any kind of drug (tricyclics, SSRIs or MAOIs). They are known to suffer from intractable depression. In such cases electroconvulsive therapy is considered to alleviate symptoms; but it's mostly adopted in suicidal patients.
Thanks for stopping by!
Best.
It's good to know that this is the case! I wasn't positive if that was an approved approach but it made sense to me, thank you for validating this 'kick starter' idea.
Very cool to see that each case needs different approaches, after all every person is different.
And I'm glad the comment made you smile :)
Dear @abigail-dantes, Till I read the nicely crafted write-up on depression, I was unaware of the fact that even depression has many classification. As a human being it's normal to go low or high in life. Different people take life differently. I don't know whether saying this would impact anything on other readers but, after I joined Steemit, I feel blessed, relaxed, stressed-free. I don't know the exact reason behind it.
I am not boasting of myself but the truth is I've shown my mental strength from time time. I couldn't pursue my higher studies, I lost my mother, I lost job, I failed in my start-up business (a Real Estate Start-up) but I was never too stressed up. I know whatever happens, happens for good. I can say I have the ability to tolerate difficult situation greatly.
I completely agree with @himal on his take on depression.
Hello @knowkrish :)
There is no such thing as 'boasting of myself' here in this comment section! The same way we can share our difficult feeling here, we also share our strengths, and I am so pleased you did. It brings hope to others. You are a truly brave, resilient man :) It makes me think that you must have had a childhood filled with love and happy moments.
Thank you again for leaving such positive, hopeful words in this discussion.
Best.
I think I will fall into the mild depression category. Life gets so depressing for me sometimes. Like Luca you mentioned, I even lost interests in the things I usually love doing. Mine doesn't last up to a day most times, but when it comes I really do not feel like doing anything.
I have always been hearing about excercises - how it could help. You mentioning it again seems I'll have to start again. Endurance was my major problem when I initially started. Engaging with friends could be helpful too, but the thing is sometimes they are the reason for the depression. Imagine helping after helping a friend, he goes behind your back telling everyone that you didn't help him do anything. None of the other friends summon courage to ask you questions. This just makes everything depressing. We live in an evil world, it just seems as if depression is one of the things that comes with it.
I really appreciate your writeup, I actually always do. I'm sorry if I sounded too personal.
Hey @jaff8 :)
Great to see your comment here. There isn't such thing as sounding too personal here. You know, this post was the way I found to deal with how frustrated I am feeling about the whole 'Luca' situation. You cannot get much more personal than that! So, you all come here and share your experiences with me and helps me to put Luca's case into perspective.
I was interested in what you said about your friends. It does sound tricky to look for support from the very source that is making you sad, and this is why I find important to have other alternatives in life such as sports. There is A LOT to be said about it.
This afternoon I read a recent study (2015) conducted in adolescents and young adults suffering from mild and severe depression. They underwent a 5-week exercise program, they showed improved levels on depressive symptoms even 6 months after the treatment finished! Thank goodness for endorphin! :) There is enough evidence out there to demonstrate that exercise (any sort of exercise) lowers anxiety ans eases depression. The problem, of course, is to get someone in a low-mood to be active. But this is when your psychological strength and resilience should be put to work. Challenge yourself!
I am a diligent yogi and walker, as I am not a fan of hard-impact exercises and it works for me in so many levels. So, try to gather some strength (despite everything) and get that body of yours moving on a regular basis. It will surely help you to cope with the inevitable hardship of life and preventing you from getting more and more upset about things!
All the best to you :)
Thanks for all the kind words. Will try to exercise anytime I'm free now.
Thank
Once again another excellent post. I had to read it twice to try and digest all of it.
A big problem in modern society is that we seek instant fixes. Pharmaceutical companies are a big hindrance to the fields of psychology which dictate that certain events require individuals to develop coping mechanisms and skills to the ever changing challenges of life. I believe that, even though the DSM is accurate at identifying and diagnosing, the human component is too quick to suggest the use of medicine along with the latter (with this I mean they take own initiative).
This is illustrated with the case of Luca. The jump from therapeutic counselling to psychiatric intervention is swift, not necessarily justified (at the moment) and leaves Luca vulnerable to not develop healthy coping mechanisms, especially as a young adult.
Within the field of psychology and therapy there lacks a neurological component- therapists refer clients to psychiatrists yet the brain is never examined by a specialist before medication is prescribed. In my opinion, many professionals are "trigger happy" in prescribing meds. This is just my personal view but very prevalent in my country.
Parenting styles are very important: you mention repressive-coping styles. Where is this learnt? Repressive-coping styles foster mental disorders.
Working as a teacher I see this everyday. Parents raise their children to be entitled. This is conducive to a victim-mentality (which warrants a few paragraphs of its own, but I belief you'll be able to see my correlation here).
A person fostering a victim-mentality will struggle to work in a therapeutic environment where developing coping-skills and learning to take responsibility over thoughts and actions are the therapists main goal (especially when working with younger people).
Such a good post, this has given me so many ideas. This small block in which I write my replies make it difficult to track my train of thought. Hopefully this makes sense! There are so many points to respond on but I'll stop here as I'm starting to confuse myself, LOL!
Hello @rionpistorius, how great to see you here.
Your comment is absolutely stunning as it raises so many interesting points: our search for instant fixes, the way you got the message that drug intervention may put Luca's natural resilience at risk and the importance of a biological evaluation before the prescription of medication. But, of course, I was particularly drawn to your discussion about how children are being brought-up nowadays. I am not a parent, nor a teacher. However, this is something that I still see on a daily basis through cases in my own extended family. What you said about the sense of entitlement and victim-mentality are aspects that do permeate society nowadays. And you are right, this is something that only makes people's lives harder and harder as people just seem to credit themselves for the good things that happens to them and leave the difficulties for whatever is there to be pointed at.
So pleased to hear this post has given you ideas, I am already looking forward to seeing what you will be discussing next!
All the best to you always :)
On the other note how i experience depression is due to memory , i play the event time and again in my memory which depresses me emotionally and keep on thinking about what if I could have done "specific task/situation" in this way or that way.
In second types of "events" which depress me are "revenge related" that i keep the memory of that event alive and want to avenge for that and if avenging is out of my reach then "every other scenario" relevant to previous experience "increases" my "stock" of depression. which was depicted in your article as:
But when it gets shared and you feel other people also go through such states in similar scenarios then one feels peaceful.
Similarly if a person keeps in mind that a "specific event" was done intentionally to "stay in one's memory and haunt him", then depression goes away fast as compared to not focusing on the patterns of depressions previously experienced.
Very nice read but was a bit difficult and long as well :-)
The way you experience your difficult feelings is explained by the pattern of negative thinking put forward by CBT @kay-khosa. It is all about challenging those thoughts and try to make difference sense of them. Try to change the meaning and the interpretation you give to those thoughts. I know this is easier said than done. But, the secret is not to try t achieve this overnight!
I am so sorry you found the post a bit difficult and long! I swear I thought of you when I finished writing it. I even told my husband :D I promise I will be more concise next time :)
I wish you peace of mind and all the best.
Hahahaha.. that is so nice of you, you have identified the problem so cure me as well :D
Write in your own natural way but people here have different educational backgrounds. I find it difficult to follow, dont know about others.
I find you a very nice person. May God give you health, wealth and Peace of mind.
;)
Very interesting. To answer your question: From this post I have learned that depression is associated with the hippocampus and that individuals who experience depression tend to have less density in this particular area of the brain. I find that interesting because I have done some literary research on that part of the brain and how it is affected by meditation. A study published in the peer reviewed science journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging found that an 8 week mindful meditation program, actually increased brain density in several regions of the brain, including the hippocampus. The posterior cingulate cortex, the temporo-parietal junction and the cerebellum were also affected. In relation to your article, perhaps this research suggests that mindful meditation can help reduce depression? Do you have any thoughts on that?
Reference:
Holzel, B. K., Carmody, James., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S, M., Gard, T., Lazar,
S. W., (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain grey matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191, 36 – 43.
http://journals1.scholarsportal.info.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/details/09254927/v191i0001/36_mpltiirbgmd.xml
Hey @leaky!! Thank you SO much for stopping by. As soon as I finished reading your comment I went 'running' to see your blog. I am always looking for interesting blogs to follow :) It would not be honest if I said I am going to read the other two parts of your series on Snowpiercer (well, at least not this coming week). But your last one is incredibly well written and I am certainly going to read the one about The male beard! Anyways ... to your comment!
Yes, I do have many thoughts about your question on mindful meditation alleviating symptoms of depression; and this is something I shall discuss on my next post. It is because of findings like the one you shared here that the brain-mind assumption was proposed.
At the same time biological intervention in brain-activity patterns may cause a change in mental activities (eg. medication = reducing negative thoughts). The opposite has also been seen: mental activities changing brain-activity patterns (eg. meditation - increasing density in certain brain areas).
This is because of plasticity, where over a period of time the brain exhibits changes as a result of the situation, activities etc... to which the individual undergoes or is exposed to.
All the best to you :)
ps: Please note that not all kids of depression are associated with a damaged hippocampus!
Thanks for checking out my blog, I appreciate it :)
The brain is truly an incredible organ. I find the idea of plasticity to be very interesting. It makes sense that the brain remains "plastic" throughout the individuals life cycle. Its what allows us to adapt to new environments and to new incoming information. Simple things like changing careers would be nearly impossible if plasticity did not exists. In our later years, it would be nearly impossible to learn new information if our neuro-networks were cemented in place. Its especially interesting in cases of brain injury and how other areas of the brain take on the functioning of the damaged area so that the individual can continue to function. Those cases are quite remarkable.
Yes I agree. There is always more to the story.
I also find the concept of trauma as it relates to depression and PTSD to be quite interesting. I tend to look at it from the cognitive perspective though rather than a biological one. I like to believe that in all cases, such issues can be overcome without the use of drugs - though I am aware that this belief may be hopeful thinking.
Often people have incredible difficulty working through past traumas because of the natural defense mechanisms that they put in place to avoid the troubling thoughts and also to protect their sense of self, so traumas are never fully worked through - as you also suggested in your article. Often healthcare professionals do not help the situation either. Many individuals see counselors and therapists for years without ever actually discussing the traumatic event. That's an issue with trauma informed therapy though, which is a whole other topic.
Beautiful comment @leaky20! 😊
You raised a very interesting topic. I can't deny that depression is a clinical disease. But at the same time, in my country, such a deviation can hardly be called a disease. The reason is the mentality of people.
We do not have depression, we have Handra (the Blues). This is the case of the fine line between a disease and a sad mood across the nation. Therefore, it is not customary for us to consult doctors. Feel lethargy and apathy six months in a row is this normal. So, a large part of the population to cope with such psychological disorders independently. Successfully? Well, if alcoholism is considered a success, maybe.
On the other hand, if we take the example of Europeans and our citizens will go to the doctors... I think 80% of the country will be hooked on antidepressants.
I'm building up to the idea that first and foremost it all depends on the professionalism of the doctors, and on how well developed the culture of psychology in the country.
For example, in recent years a younger generation of parents dropping their children on sedatives, believing that their child is showing too much activity. I believe this causes terrible damage. Seriously, when the children were calm? But the influence of Western "fashion" in the dissemination among children of attention deficit disorder causes parents to perceive it as a norm. So they happily stuffed their child serious psychotropic drugs. This is an example of the loss of the thin line between normality and illness.
@natord, I really like how you started your comment. Yes, depression is indeed a clinical desease, but I do think, like you said, there is a lot to do with people's and professional's mentality. The line between ordinary sadness and mild-depression is rather blurred. This is why I appreciate when I see bodies like NICE calling out for caution and warning mental-health professionals to not be so quick to prescribe ADMs. Unfortunately, not all professionals follow those guidelines, though. Whether this is down to professionalism, or the system, as you point out. I am not sure. Well, this is perhaps another whole debate.
As for your last paragraph. So right! Like I said in another comment here, I am not a parent. Still, I do not approve of young children taking meds because they are too active! Alternatives like feeding children with less sugary products and motivating them to be more active would certainly help them to calm down. But, instead, children nowadays are loaded with processed food and spend most of their time in front of a screen.
Well, I am quite passionate about this topic!
Thank you so much for your invaluable input.
All the best to you :)
My input is quite modest in comparison with your. It is really exciting and topical subject that is difficult to present, due to the lack of clear criteria. But your examples show a border that is understandable for most. I hope that readers will relate to your post not only in the General view, and also try to project your insights into themselves, to adequately assess the risks of the transition of the fine line that you are talking about.
This is a very good post and it articulates quite a few things that I've been thinking about for long. I would say that if your depression can get to a point where you are seeing physical symptoms such as panic attacks or thoughts that could manifest in bodily harm then you should no doubt be in medication. I see a trend of more and more people self medicating these days with illegal drugs or alcohol. There are even more and more songs about self medication especially in Hip Hop. Most of these people would probably be better off taking medication under control of a phyciatrist as opposed to them just self medicating. I didn't see a mention over this in the article, but many people who experienced very traumatizing events during childhood or extreme violence at any point in life will be suffering from some form of depression. In the country I live in there is a great deal of violence and crime. I think it would be very interesting if someone did a study on mental health statistics and how that correlates with crime statistics in a country. There is a huge stigma around taking medication if you are mentally ill, but at the end of the day if it is gonna help you stay alive and function, then I don't really see a problem with that. Thanks for a cool article, I really enjoyed reading it.
Thank you for a cool comment @netscape!
I really like your reflection on stigma.
Best :)
you also said depression is a feeling, and as we know, feelings is something important in our lives . Depression is a double edged sword. It may be fatal if we sink into it. It may be the point of salvation if we make it a catalyst for us.
Absolutely. But, although I am sure you are aware of this, I feel I have the obligation to highlight how important a network of support from family and friends this is :)
Thank you for your insightful comment!
Best :)
Hey@abigail-dantes! I came across you @rionpistorious and thought I'd check out your posts (thank you for the upvote). In response to this post, despression has been a necessary evil in my life, and I'll tell you why. After an episode of depression, I've gone on to do great things that I never thought was possible. So where you make the point that anti-depressants may not be the answer, and maybe we should let people be, I totally agree with you. I've had mild and severe depression, on both occasions I didn't take any medication even when my doctor prescribed them! I would argue the medical profession is invested in prescription drugs for profit. I wrote about this in not so politically correct terms (ha!ha!), the title of my post is 'Fear is a business' if ever you get the chance to come over!
I'm not advocating for those on medication to stop taking them, I'm just saying that it wasn't a choice that I considered. I'm sure there are many more like me, maybe the medical professional can learn a thing or two in this regard. I'm so glad I've come across you in this debate, I've upvoted and will follow. Peace.
Hello there @fiercewarrior
Thank you very much for your support and also for taking the time to check my work out. Your comment is very interesting and I am very grateful to you for it. As I hope others can gain some hope and inspirations from it. I also appreciate your sensible observation at the end of your comment about those who are taking medication :)
All the best to you.
Hi @ abigail-dantes, reading this it seems that I am seeing a part of my life, and 4 years ago I lost a brother, it has not been easy, but out of love for my children I have moved on; But it happens that my mother has not been able to get out of that depression that fades more and more every day, we are believers of the word, it has been treated by psychologists and psychiatrists, in a few words it has been torture to remove it from that depression. But my deceased brother left a daughter who is in the custody of my mother, the mother of the girl went to another country and now wants to take the girl and we have realized that it is the only thing that could have kept me active. mother. We really do not know what to do when they take my niece. She was diagnosed with an active depressive disorder due to grief, I daresay, it is a severe depression trusting God that one day she will leave that cycle.
I apologize for my mistakes in writing but I must use a translator because I only speak Spanish.
Please don't apologize for anything @jayoxaju! Also, if you feel more comfortable, from now on you can just write in Spanish as long as you don't mind if I reply to you in English!
Your story is really touching and I can only hope your family find peace.
Lots of love to you all from Portugal ❤️
Amen a tus palabras @abigail-dantes, y si me parece muy bien hacerlo en español ya que se me entederas muy bien y por supuesto es mas fácil para mi traducir lo que escribes. Esperare ansiosa tu próximo escrito siento que encontrare mediante ellos una posible solución para primero ayudarme a mi misma y de alguna manera tenderle la mano a mi mama. Dios te siga bendiciendo y brindando esa sabiduría que hasta ahora has impartido mediante tus escritos con todo el amor y la humildad del mundo de esta venezolana.
depression is really a topic right now and you' re right that it's not as simple as it is. it's aserious matter that needs to give importance to. what i learned about this post , is that when it's just a mild depression, no need for medication, those are only for severe depression, i agree with you that the best cure for depression is the loveof the people around, their support and motivation, now those mechanisms that you've mentioned as well, like crying going to church or yes, exercising doing physiacl activities, for me more interaction is important, But of course prayer and faith is most important i believe. You know what ms. @abigail-dantes , after reading this i am tempted to ask you thesame question others ask you, when is sadness considered depression? because you know sometimes i think i experience depression , i think to be specificpostpartum depression as they call it, but i think i am able to overcome it through my family, my kids, engaging myself on being busy and prayer. i think it might beaffecting my health too, not sure if this has connection with stress, fatigue , thank you very much for this post , i can relate hehe and i learned ,👍👏❤️❤️❤️
Hello @zephalexia :)
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. You see, in a clinical setting sadness and depression are differentiated depending on the symptoms you present. But, you are a smart person and seem to have self-understanding. For example, you said it might have an element of stress and fatigue. In case you believe you have postnatal depression. Well, the important thing to keep in mind is not to give-up, and to understand that it is something that many, many woman go through and overcome in the end. You are a privileged person for having a family, having a faith etc... I see so many people who don't have any of these things. So just keep that in mind. When we adopt a positive outlook in life and are grateful for our fortunes our brains respond to that!
Lots of love to you :)
oh no!ms.@abigail-dantes , it always make my heart smile whenever you noticemy comment, thank you very much, and thank you for a bit of advice, yes copy that miss 😘... you know what i got new poem i wrote earlier, on my latest post , it's actuallynote to myself, like i am telling those to my own self, you might like it sorry for theenglish though hehe, love youmiss @abigail-dantes, it's not just the namewhich is similar to my sister also the kindneas you have , i really appreciate this, ❤️ lots to you too 😘😘😘❤️❤️❤️
Hello @abigail-dantes! How are you? :)
in definition, we know that depending on the type of depreciation, if it is mild or severe, it is caused by a mental or emotional disorder, giving difficulty to certain types of people who can not face that trauma or disorder on their own, but if there are people who have a positive attitude in life, that is, they were not alone when they faced a certain trauma.
However! We could say that certain types of people who show a positive attitude, but not at all have faced a trauma having a repressive confrontation, these people have already had their time to be able to face it but if they have not been able to do it alone, we could say that these people if they need antidepressant drugs?
But you can add more problems to the psychological condition of these patients with Prozac or Sarafem drugs, because if the patient is male and this medication adds sexual dysfunction, is not adding more stress to his life? Well, I think so, it would only be a drug to consider.
In conclusion it is understood that it is easier to treat an adult who acquired a trauma when he was an adult, than an adult who suffered a trauma as a child, as long as he did not have a positive attitude in his life in his childhood.
You nailed @javisem! :)
Thank you very much! In fact this topic calls me a lot of attention because my mother suffers from severe depression as a result of the death of my brother Juan and you have been a blessing to know more about the subject, thank you for your contributions in the area of psychology!
I send your mum all my love @javisem! 🌷
oooh! very kind of you @abigail-dantes, I will be reading all your publications to continue helping my mom, I will also talk about you, thanks for your knowledge, have a wonderful afternoon! :) <3
hello @abigail-dantes u put up such a quality content and i must thank you for that. Recently, I've been so down and i find it hard reading long posts. its either i get bored and leave it or i get sleepy while reading but I cant say that for this post because i got really engaged, I don't know maybe its because of the current problem my family is faced with.
I must start like this, sadness and depression are what my family is going through at the moment. This post has awaken my 'my crying spirit' i must confess. Reading it has put me back in my ''thinking state'' I'm sorry to say this but its the truth.
The sudden death of my beloved grandfather(maternal) is a big blow to the family, tho the burial ceremony is coming up this Friday. Grandpa
was a kind and loving man. when he was alive, he was known as a man of immense generosity, he wouldn't see anyone in need and ignore that person even if it meant giving out his 'last card'. he was a man of wisdom and a God fearing man. i still cant comprehend why death is so wicked, it should have left my grandpa alive for us. crying. but no p, God gives and God takes.
Tho its a normal thing for everyone to feel depressed and sad but my grandma's own is excess, she cries bitterly almost everyday since he dies in late October 2017. she keeps saying '' he died before his time''. I pity her so much. sometimes she tells me stories about his stay on Earth, narrating most of his good deeds to people, suddenly she starts crying uncontrollably. This touches my innermost soul, I wish I could help her.
I believe its a normal thing for women to cry over their dead husband but i think this one is getting too much. I have made calls to my aunts and uncles telling them to provide a solution because me myself cant take it any longer. I dnt know whether to classify it under MILD or SEVERE depression, you tell me. People see her outside and think she's gotten over it but i tell you its keeps getting worst daily. And that brings me to a question I kept for you while reading the post, ''do u support repressive coping'' ?
Thanks for the educative post, i was able to share this experience with u with hopes that i might get help. I just hope granny is still in the mild depression state.
Hi @happymichael :)
Thank you very much for your nice words about the post. I am very glad to hear it has inspired you somehow.
I am so sorry to hear about your grandfather. Life is truly very hard sometimes! I have also lost family members that I loved, and it took me quite a while to recover from the loss. So, let's first talk a bit about your Granny. You are quite right! It is only natural that she is upset but what I see here is that she is a very lucky lady for having a grandson who loves and cares for her.
It would be so good if Granny could talk less about her late husband. You know this reminds me of what psychologists call ruminating. This is when the client just goes on and on repeatedly about the things that make him or her upset. When this is all they think of it is really difficult for them to overcome their sadness. In a clinical setting, what the psychologist normally does is the following: ok, you can talk about what is upsetting you, but you have also got to talk about what makes you feel good. This is something you could start doing with Granny! Also, taking her outside, watching tv, etc ... and reminding her of all the beautiful things in her life. This can be a very slow process, but it will help her and the family to move on :)
As for your question about 'repressive coping'. Well, this is not a question that I can answer with either 'Yes, I support', or 'No, I don't support it'. Because, it depends on each individual. Sometimes, the same person can adopt this strategies to deal with difficulties and it works for them; but sometimes not. For example, I have been through things that made me sad in which I adopted the repressive coping strategy and worked for me; but in some others, I needed to have a little cry. The important thing to have in mind is not to be afraid of your own emotions. If you need to have a little cry, do it (with a friend, or in private - whenever you feel more comfortable), if you can just go through your pain without showing this emotions, do it. But, only you can tell and know what is healthier for you :)
I wish you, your granny and all your family all the best :)
hello @abigail-dantes i hope you are doing ok tonight? And you are welcome.
Firstly, I will like to thank you greatly for your condolences. I'm also really sorry for the loved ones u've lost in the past. Losing loved ones is an unpleasant experience and a thing that touches the soul, it destabilises a person. But thank God for people like you who are there to profer help, its indeed a marvelous thing, knowing you.
Thank you also for your kind words about me, if I were a girl, I would have said I'm blushing right now, 'lol'. Your words inspire me a lot. I am so glad I came across this post, and as for this, i can never stop visiting your blog, never! you have helped me, I wish u knew how I'm feeling right now.
I will surely use your remedy for granny. And if it works, hopefully, I will come back with my heart full of joy to express my gratitude. Not only that, I will also come with Granny's thanks and blessings, because when all this is finally over, i must tell her about u and I'm positive that she would shower blessings upon you. thanks again for your good wishes towards my family and I, I wish you the same.
@abigail-dantes your reply has put a smile on my face, not the fake smile I've been putting for a long time since papa died but a real genuine one. thank you so much, may God repay you.
And as for your reply as regards my question, I asked that for a reason. according to your post, you said that Repressive coping is; "basically hiding ones sadness and feelings, but 'ploughing through the situation." And i said I must be clarified on something. Thing is, for those people adopting it, isn't it unhealthy for them to hide sadness, especially when it takes longer time to heal, as there is a saying that "a problem shared is a problem halved" that is why I support having a confidant, someone u can share your sorrow with, rather than 'ploughing through the situation' alone and dying silently. What do you say?
Hello @happymichael :)
Your words are so very kind. Thank you!
I can see you are quite intrigued by repressive coping. One thing we have to understand in Psychology is the individuality of people. For example, while for some people crying and sharing their emotions make them feel better, for others, it makes them feel worse! Or, they just simply cannot. Does this make them bad people or insensitive? Absolutely not! Don't forget here we are talking about strategies that actually work for people, and not things that make them suffer in silence.
Maybe if I give you an example of a relative of mine this will become clearer for you. He is my cousin. He was engaged for 5 years and finally got married. They had a beautiful wedding and moved in to a lovely house they had been building together. 4 months later he turned up in his parent's house with his car filled with his personal belongings. All he said was that he was no longer his wife's husband, that he was going to divorce her.
Can you believe he never talked about it? And, although his mother heard him crying a couple of times he never complained about her or about what happened or anything. The family just decided to let him to be. For nearly 10 months he was not the same guy, because he used to tell jokes, laugh, spend time in the garden with the family. For almost 10 months he just worked, spoke very little, he gained weight etc... no one ever talked about his ex. Everyone respected his choice. He wanted to have his 'me' time. Whether he cried every night in his bedroom, we don't know.
One day, when everyone was going out to a BBQ. He said: 'I am coming, too!' and that was it. Little by little he went back to being his old-self again. He totally 'ploughed through his pain'. It worked for him. But that was his choice. He had the entire family to share his pain with, but from what he felt that would actually make him feel worse.
We are all different! :) If you feel you need to talk to someone, talk to someone. If you feel you need to cry. Cry. The most sensible thing to do is to respect your own needs and feelings. This is what will help you overcome your distress.
All the best to you :)
What type of being are u @abigail-dantes. You are just so wonderful in all aspect. What! Taking your time to read the lenghty comments of your commenters. And also replying with lenghty messages carrying suitable solutions. Men, I cant say u are an ordinary being, You are an EXTRA ORDINARY BEING to me.. Woah! This is gorgeous. Thank you for every thing..
And more importantly, I now comprehend what repressive coping means now. Thanks for clearing me.. The scenerio u gave made It so easy for me to undestand And I'm glad your cousin moved on at last, but how he was able to not talk about it to anyone is really surprising. Hes strong.
Lastly, I must confess, your attitude is worthy of emulation. I really wish to meet u in person. God created u on a Sunday.
❤️😊
Im thanking u from the bottom of my heart .. I wish you all the best too.
Hello @happymichael, I am going to come back and reply to your comment tomorrow evening. ok? It is my bed time now and I want to read your comment with full attention :)
no problem.
depression- I’ve been through this, or maybe i’m still going through it, I am not aware in which level am I or if what I am goingg through is just a natural roller coaster of grief, most pf my writings in steemit is about my departed son, I release my emotions through writing, while I am going through another pregnancy. I was about to get treated for depression after the loss of my son bit I hbe decided to do self help to get over bit by bit so that my unborn child would not be affected by any medication. I tried coloring books, novena, prayers, and writing. I even had to collect quotes and sayonga about positive pregnancy affirmations. I’m still in the process and praying to get through this as I face another journey in my life. Thanks for sharing this very helpful information..
Hello @sugarandrainbow :)
Thank you for stopping by. You seem to show extreme resilience and a smart approach to your pain. I also enjoying coloring :) I know this easier said than done, but the main thing here is to fight those negative thoughts. When you adopt a positive outlook (even of your suffering) your brain will respond to that.
Lots of love to you :)
thank you i dont knowif it would help but im trying to stop writing about what happened in the past and start over its just that these days and months are the most painful as memories flash back. Little by little i ahould recover, I should be the most positive mama for my upcoming baby..
It looks like it is time to move on then 😊. A new life begins full of smiles and happines. There indeed the months that are harder, and it is ok. But, dwelling in the difficult feelings is not good for you or for your baby. The baby needs to feel you are happy. Remember, his little brain is being formed now! Is not that beautiful ?! He needs you smiling ❤️
I will. Thank you
Thank you for a well detailed post. Beauty of Psychology in golden words.
I will like to say about mild depression. I have noticed that there are times I had issues which caused me to be depressed, heart broken and weak. But I have discovered at those times too, that talking with my Dad about it gives me assurance that I will be fine so far he gives me some words or calms me down based on his experience and wisdom.
I will like to extrapolate this to the fact that their might be a way in which parents to child(dad-son, mum -daughter) can help their children in such state of mild depression.
I think geographical location also contributes to how and what depresses people.
Do you know hardly will a typical Nigerian commits suicide? Lol.
Your post has given me psychological understanding that depression can be severe or mild. Also, psychiatric treatment are not option to treat mild depression.
Thanks.
Hey @turpsy :D
What a nice comment! and how brave of you to share with us that sometimes you have some difficult feelings to. I think this is the sort of acknowledgement that, I believe, helps to eradicate the stigma and misinformation surrounding this topic. You are very fortunate to have a dad who can give you his time and a word of love, I think this is all Luca needs you see. But, somehow, his parents don't know how to do it. They love him so much, though...
Just a little observation: it is not that psychiatric treatment with medication is not an option. Mainly, it is not recommended! But, unfortunately, in some countries they still resort to this extreme solution.
Have a great Saturday my dear :)
i had the post in an opened window in order to find some time to read the whole thing and not just a part of it. After that, except the fact i understand about some basic things about the differences and some ways to ''cure'' or solve the problem in a way, i think i got more confused as some questions came in my mind.
So one more thing i understood is that one thing can lead to another so from just a sad event there is a chance if you have no help at all to evolve into severe depression. My confusion is that apparently there isn't some secret formula to solve it but it just by case. I would like to avoid the drugs even in early state because i think they harm more than they good they offer so how exactly can we help people who might be sad or have mild depression?
Some people are more absolute and don't listen to other easily while other the opposite, so if a person like that is sad or have mild depression the whole process of just talk to him probably can't solve anything so what you do in this case? Also if you try many different things to make the sadness go away like meditation, walks,gym,books,music,small talks,going out etc etc may bombard the person and bring again more harm than good as the exact opposite thing with one thing for too short time may cause too
In generally i believe we were in a good state of finding out when a person has depression and in what state, but the hard part was how to cure or erase it. Also and i will finish with it cause i tend to type a lot and i don't know if what i am writing has a meaning or are just plain nonsense is that the role of psychiatrist or physiologist is somewhat biased and not many people wanna ''end up'' there, in my country for instance (Greece) except in the severe depression case if you say you need psychologist everyone mind goes to '' you think i am crazy?'' so i believe that role must be more ''friendly'' for the audience!
Hello dear @filotasriza3 :)
The main thing here is to tackle their negative feelings and thoughts, but also respect they space. I think the best way to do this is to make them see you are there for them whenever they need.
This is a truly interesting question @filostasriza3 :) because, for example, in the case of Luca, he is a young adult and the last thing he wants is to be lectured all the time on how he should look at the bigger picture, how he doesn't need to feel low ... etc... so imagine taking that approach to people who, as you put it, 'doent listen to other people'!
This is when actions can replace words! :) Another way to help people to reverse their mild-depression is to get them to reengage with the things they have stopped doing. In Luca's case if only someone made the effort to get him out of the house and went with him to the park and just stayed there while he takes some photos; you know ... without even talking about the things that are making him sad or stressing him out!
This is the sort of misconception that brings so much stigma to this topic, don't you think? I do believe, this is why we have to spread more understanding about mental-health.
All the best to you ;)
thanks a lot for taking the time to reply to my questions as i wrote a lot :P and i know you want to control your time and have a schedule! So bottom line in my second question is that we have as tools words and actions which we should use depending on the case!
Agree that there should be a deeper understanding about depression as the as those interventions and/or medications could be just a bad option. Sometimes if not often, people nowadays tend to use the word depression in describing their being in a bad mood or being sad. While others did not recognized that they are already depressed and did not seek help for it whether professional help or through sharing it to others.
Absolutely @zararina, the way I see this is :
Thank you very much for taking the time to read and comment :)
A very detailed and well written post Abigail. Depression is something that can even complicate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, hyperalgesia etc. I'm bit against anti-depressants. Some people directly go for anti-depressants without going for any natural treatments. I have seen some cases where natural remedies have worked like charm. It's just my opinion. :-)
Hey @bala41288
Yes, depression can complicate many, many things indeed! It is good to hear there are some people out there taking it slowly and resorting to less invasive interventions :)
I like your opinion Bala. Thank you for stopping by!
Best.
Very important article. Luca I felt could have benefited greatly from some sort of big brother program where he was placed into a setting that allowed him to help someone else. Or even volunteering maybe. Sometimes a change of scenery or finding a significant other might help. I wonder how his Choline levels were? Sometimes adding Alpha GPC into diet would adjust, along with increasing his natural feel good endorphins through mini successes like finishing a workout would help... Subscribing and Upvoting!
Thank you for your input @makingthebest09 :)
No idea about Luca's choline levels! He is a healthy kid, though. Eats pretty well and is also active.
Best!
Oh my Friend Abigail, you do have a way of making me think. Mild depressive disorders, like your friend’s son should be left alone or treated with talk therapy. His brain is not yet fully developed, and he is at a point in life where the pressure to make long term decisions may just take a therapist that can help to guide him.
Severe depression on the other hand and the effect it has on the hyppocampus puzzles me. While it is helpful to know it can be rebalanced, what can physiologists say about those people that compartmentalize so well that it is difficult to unify all parts?
Here I must share that NLP or CBT must be used to reprogram the individual thought process by creating new pathways of thinking.
Then their is the person that has suffered alcohol and or drug abuse and must be treated with SSRI’s on a long term basis because the neurons no longer work properly.
Again, in many, but not all cases I do think an individual must be ready for the treatment, and accept the conditions before they can properly move forward releasing their mind, body and soul from the self they wish to change.
Been looking forward to your post and hope Luca finds peace soon. 🐓🐓❤️
Thank you for your thoughts about Luca my dear friend :)
Is your question about 'compartmentalizing' related to Dissociative identity disorder?
The point you made here about the individual having to be ready for the treatment is SO important. In many ways this is what makes a certain sort of approach to be more efficient than another and so on ... I shall learn more about NLP.
Thank you for stopping by my dear.
Lots of love to you always ❤️
Dearest abilgail,
Thank you for your upvote. You are always so kind. Sometimes I don’t really know if you get the answer you are looking for from me.
My guess is you thought I was referring to someone like Sybil with her multiple personality disorder.
Being a long recovering addict I know that many addicts compartmentalize their emotional state depending on the situation. A little like playing different roles on stage. It took years of of listening to other people talk about being honest before I was able to be honest with myself.
Some would say about newcomers, they are as honest as they can be. This is where I learned that people with mental disorders, can and do get better, by learning new coping skills or CBT, the guidance of a therapist, or NLP. Time and willingness to do the work expedites the transition.
People like myself, did a fair bit of self destruction before deducting that change was a necessity. In the beginning, excercise worked to recreate new pathways for neurons to fire, but inevitably my situation required talk therapy/group situation and anti depressants.
I also learned more positive ways to think, however life with anti-depressants looks inevitable, it works so no complaints.
I have worked with addicts that are what could be classified as down right evil and unable to be anything but manipulative, zero honesty. It is scary how many crazy people are out there.
You might just think of me as your own little nutty bag! Lol🐓🐓❤️
The most important thing you don't do is take the medicine subscribes by the shrink. That drug will make you want to kill your self.
It is important to note there are many occasions in which anti-depressants are truly necessary in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Many people have gone back to fully function in life because they received an accurate diagnosis and, therefore, treatment - which included medication. But, I take your point! Have you seen this documentary: A Prescription for Murder?.
Thank you for taking the time to comment :)
Ill read it right now. And you are right, there are many that went back to their lives but i still believe that after this medicine you will still feel that not everything is right. I think you become a different person after. But we all know that there are people who killed themselfscause if this medicine and still its leagal to subscribe it. Or they need to find other ways.
Hey @minigunner, thank you for being so attentive. This is not an article, it is a BBC Panorama documentary. So, it is just in case you have 1 hour to spare, it is the real case of a young man who was taking an SSRI and ended up killing people in the cinema. It is not exactly uplifting. May be you will find it in Youtube, the name of it is : A Prescription for Murder?
:)
So 484 drugs were associated with 1937 documented cases of violence and of those 484 drugs 31 of them were responsible for 79% of the violence. I mean you know that those 31 drugs are just not good and these drugs are still available.
That's how you get all of these killings in schools and other places.
Tnx for sharing #Aperscriptionformurder ;)
I just want to make clear I am NOT against ADMs (Someone has already given me a hard time here for being 'anti-ADM'. Ops! :), but I am against how it has become over prescribed! I am so appreciative you took the time to watch it and share the data here with us!
All the best to you :)
All the best to you too @abigail-dantes ;) It was a good read and I enjoyed it. Thank you! :)
Ill check it out tomorrow after a good night sleep :)
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Thank you so much for writing this. As a child I had many issues with depression, anxiety, and add. It has been hard at times to explain what goes on inside my head. I love seeing people writing things that are informative about psychology and mental illness. Reading not only helps me, but educated others to help remove the stigma behind mental illness. Thanks again!
Thank you for such kind, supportive words!
All the best to you @armadillocreek :)
Hello @abigail-dantes
Though I love this attitude of mine, I've always wondered why no matter how much I go through emotional pain/depression, it never lasts more than a day. Most times, it only lasts for minutes. But your post have made me to understand that I'm resilient.
It's funny how there's so much crisis around me right now but it seems like I don't care. I'm glad because one positive thing about it is that I'm able to live with almost anyone.
Also, I think drugs shouldn't be used for people with mild depression. It will only make them addicted to the drugs.
A very informative post you have here.
Thanks
@berylwills
Hello @berylwills
It is so great to hear you are resilient! Nowadays, only very few people can say what you said here about keeping yourself balanced during difficult times. I believe people like you are highly capable of helping those who find themselves in a hardship or in mental-distress! This is my purpose here you know? Putting the little bit you learn from debates such as these and your mental strength you can do so much good in the world :)
Thank you for stopping by.
All the best.