People with depression are simply not able to carry on their lives normally. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. When these symptoms become very intense, they start interfering with one’s ability to normally carry out even the daily chores. The person feels unable to do anything about it; other people need to help him out of this depressive situation. Appropriate treatment is required to help most people who suffer from depression.

Symptoms:

The symptoms that help identify depression include:

1) Constant feelings of sadness, irritability.

2) Feeling exhausted most of the time, despite lack of activity.

3) Decreased interest social activities.

4) Significant weight change.

5) A change in sleeping pattern, such as difficulty sleeping or early morning awakening.

6) Lack of confidence.

7) Spends a lot of time thinking about what has gone wrong or what will go wrong.

8) Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.

9) Physical pain, which has no apparent physical

10) Thoughts of suicide or death  Read more...

Learn how to differentiate between types of depression, signs, causes and treatment. This is the first step toward understanding depression, getting the appropriate treatment and taking that step.

Alcohol Depression

As the name implies, alcohol depression is the lows that follow periods of excessive drinking. Guilt, remorse, and shame play a huge part in this type of depression, and nothing short of a long period of sobriety can begin the alleviate it. With alcohol depression, the normal hangover is much more than not feeling well.

Anxiety Depression

Anxiety depression oftentimes is indicated by profuse sweating, shaky hands and voice. Persons suffering from anxiety disorder are generally pessimistic, always expecting the worse. They also tend to go through long periods of time where they are afraid to leave their homes or participate in social activities.

Bipolar Depression

This type of depression was formerly called manic depression. Bipolar depression occurs in cycles, hence the ‘bi’ in its name. Persons who are bipolar have changing periods of great sadness and immense joy.  Read more...

When people talk about depression, they usually mean a person who is feeling down and lethargic, and who has generally lost interest in life. Most people don’t realize that there are many different types of depression a person can be suffering from, with each type often showing different symptoms.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, here is a quick overview of the most common forms of depression.

Mild/Minor Depression is the least severe form of depression. Usually the symptoms aren’t so severe that they have a major impact in the life of the sufferer, although the depression can still cause distress and disruption. Many people who are suffering from mild depression never seek treatment – they don’t believe the symptoms are severe enough.

Dysthymic Disorder is a long-term form of mild depression (lasting two or more years). Like mild depression, most sufferers never seek help as they don’t believe their symptoms are severe enough. Also like mild depression, the symptoms of dysthymic depression don’t usually have a huge impact on the sufferers day-to-day life. But when the long-term results from the depression are considered, the impact can be huge. People who suffer from dysthymic depression often can’t remember a time when they weren’t depressed.  Read more...

There is nothing abnormal about having days with ups and downs. Most people have a middle ground to come back to after dealing with good and bad days.

Those who suffer with Bipolar disorder (manic depression) do not have the luxury of finding a middle ground. They constantly find themselves on one end of the spectrum or the other. They can spend days to weeks feeling on top of the world only to immediately fall off a cliff and enter a depressive phase that makes it difficult to get out of bed for weeks at a time.

A manic episode can be either a minor state of elation and happiness or involve extreme ideas. For example, an extreme manic episode might cause someone to sell their house and max out their credit cards because they think they are destined to become a pharoah in Egypt.

To the person having a manic episode these ideas would seem completely attainable. Their optimistic attitude and huge reserve of energy might be contagious to those who are close to them.  Read more...

Manic depression or Bipolar depression is actually considered as one of the worst type of depression that people usually suffer from.

Characterized by sudden and extreme changes in their mood, Manic depression is said to be called as such because manic = mania refers to the ‘ups’ while depression refers to the ‘downs’.
A lot of people actually experience erratic changes in their moods, some times, these so-called mood swings may not just be caused by PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) or stress. Doctors actually have diagnosed mood swings as a common symptom of depression.

But when these so-called mood swings have gone to utmost absurdity, from getting irked even by the littlest or simplest of thins like not getting your favorite ice cream flavor, this may not be just a sign of brattiness, but when getting irked means you’ll cuss and swear on the ice cream vendor and throw absurd tantrums, this may already be the start of Manic depression.The so-called ‘manic’ or ‘ups’ in Manic depression is described as to be the times when a person suffering from Manic depression may experience overly high periods, consisting of heightened energy, a sudden outburst of euphoric mood, extreme irritability, thoughts racing as well as aggressive behavior.  Read more...

I’m going to let Amy tell you her story in her own words, but before I do I just wanted to preface this remarkable lady’s account with a comment.

Amy Kiel - Out of Darkness

I met Amy Kiel on Twitter and was immediately taken in by her sparkle, her compassion for others, her terrific sense of humor and her absolute dedication to helping others who, like her, are struggling on a dark path of depression, pain and suicidal thoughts.

Take the time to read this and then take the time to do something. Whether that ’something’ is picking up the phone and calling someone who has been down, sponsoring Amy in her Walk Out of Darkness, breathing a prayer or a financial contribution to suicide prevention… Just DO something! ~Dee

Coming Out of Darkness

As so many do, I grew up in dysfunction or less than ideal circumstances … however you put it, my family had it’s challenges. I was raised in a family with a history of alcoholism, depression, abuse, divorce and some other less than lovely issues.  Read more...

The human body is a complex machine. And just like any other machine, it needs the proper fuel to run. Minerals are a part of that fuel equation. Learn how important and integral minerals are to your health.

The body is made up of mostly water. Within that water swims a variety of substances that are carried along through your vessels like passengers on a bus. When the substances reach their destination, they pass through the lining of the vessel and into the cells or organs where they are needed. Minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, hormones and amino acids are on that train.

What is the role for minerals? Let’s look at a general overview. Minerals are used in the fluid that makes up cells. Have you heard of electrolyte imbalance? The electrolytes are minerals and mineral salts that are present: potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and iron to name a few. Many of these minerals are instrumental in building muscle tissue and bone.  Read more...

By Annie B. Bond, Author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999). http://www.care2.com/

The smell of Jasmine transports me to moonlit summer nights with the soft, sensual scent of Jasmine wafting through the night air. It is no surprise, given that in India Jasmine is called queen of the night, because the scent is stronger after sunset. The scent is known to be comforting, calming, and certainly sensual, and I also always associate it with romance.

Try this homemade Jasmine perfume formula to open the doors of romance, to calm, and uplift the mind. Known as a Fertility oil, it is healing for sexuality and even known to ease the trauma of giving birth.

Cupid was known to tip his arrows with Jasmine blossoms, to help inspire love and desire! Jasmine oil is also antidepressive, being mildly euphoric. Make sure you buy a pure jasmine oil that is produced through the purest process, without the use of solvents. Absolute oils are those that derive the oil through solvent extraction rather than stream distillation. The purest jasmine oil of all is derived from the old-fashioned enfleurage process using oil extraction, traditionally made of animal fat.  Read more...

by Helen Graham

TWENTIETH-CENTURY SCIENCE

Investigations into the therapeutic use of color were carried out in Europe during the early twentieth century, notably by Rudolph Steiner, who related color to form, shape, and sound. He suggested that the vibrational quality of certain colors is amplified by some forms, and that certain combinations of color and shape have either destructive or regenerative effects on living organisms. In the schools inspired by Steiners work, classrooms are painted and textured to correspond to the mood of children at various stages of their development.

Rudolph Steiners work was continued by Theo Gimbel, who established the Hygeia Studios and College of Color Therapy in Britain. Among the principles explored by Gimbel are the claims of Max Luscher, a former professor of psychology at Basle University, who claimed that color preferences demonstrate states of mind and/or glandular imbalance, and can be used as the basis for physical and psychological diagnosis. Luschers theory, which forms the basis of the Luscher Color Test, rests on the idea that the significance of color for man originates in his early history, when his behavior was governed by night and day. Luscher believed that the colors associated with these two environments ‘ yellow and dark Blue ‘ are connected with differences in metabolic rate and glandular secretions appropriate to the energy required for nighttime sleep and daytime hunting. He also believed that autonomic (involuntary) responses are associated with other colors.  Read more...

Mental Health America: A Review of Mental Health in America

A leading mental health organization, Mental Health America, has continuously researched on current issues regarding mental wellness. Alongside them, there are other studies that are constantly conducted in conjunction to separate researches by other mental health organizations. Among their studies are the top American stressors and the capacity of Americans to deal with them. In this article, we would try to review this particular study and would provide concurrent details from other sources.

Most mental health organizations recognize that the accelerating changes in technology on top of unhealthy lifestyle, negative environmental stressors, and dysfunctional family contribute substantially to the well being of an individual. Americans, in particular, find it difficult to cope with a very busy society. Also, coping mechanisms are unhealthy such as smoking, drug-dependence and other harmful measures.

What are the major stressors in America?  Read more...

Put a handful of fresh chopped rosemary into a bottle of white wine. Let is sit about 4 days. Strain and use by the tablespoon as needed.

The effects of color on life must have been of great significance to early human beings, whose very existence was governed by light and darkness. Most living things appear to be vitalized by the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of daylight and calmed and rejuvenated by the blues, indigos, and violets of the night.

For the ancients, the colors that make up sunlight were each considered to show a different aspect of the divine and to influence different qualities of life. Color is therefore an important feature in the symbolism of ancient cultures throughout the world, and the origins of Healing With Color in Western civilization can be traced back to the mythology of Ancient Egypt and Greece.

IN THE ANCIENT WORLD  Read more...