Depression Treatment & Information

Exercise has long been touted as a way to maintain physical fitness and help prevent high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. A growing volume of research shows that exercise can also help improve symptoms of certain mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. Exercise may also help prevent a relapse after treatment for depression or anxiety.

Research suggests that it may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve depression symptoms. But smaller amounts of activity - as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time - can improve mood in the short term. “Small bouts of exercise may be a great way to get started if it’s initially too hard to do more,” Dr. Vickers-Douglas says.

Just how exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety isn’t fully understood. Some evidence suggests that exercise raises the levels of certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise may also boost feel-good endorphins, release muscle tension, help you sleep better, and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It also increases body temperature, which may have calming effects. All of these changes in your mind and body can improve such symptoms as sadness, anxiety, irritability, stress, fatigue, anger, self-doubt and hopelessness.

It’s obvious that poor physical fitness can lead to ill health, and ill health to depression and anxiety. If physical condition and depressive symptoms are mutually reinforcing, treating one can improve the other. But that is apparently not how exercise works in most cases. In a review of 30 trials, it made little difference how much a person exercised, how intensely, or how long. What mattered was only how long the program lasted - at least two months. Besides, in most studies, improvement in depression and anxiety is not correlated with increased strength or cardiovascular health. And aerobic exercise and strength training are usually found to be equally effective.

Other possible explanations for the mood enhancing effect of exercise include enhanced body image, social support from exercise groups, and distraction from everyday worries. Meeting the challenge of continuing exercise may heighten self-confidence. Physical activity may affect mood by altering the circulation of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and the endorphins.

Depression is one of the least understand illnesses in the world. It can seem like no matter what you do or anyone says, you just cannot stop feeling sad and depressed. This can negatively affect your family and work life. Its no way to live and you need to take steps to end depression if you or someone you know is suffering.

There are some medications out there that can help you. These are very effective for some people, and less so for other people. One of the main worries with depression medications is that they can lead to undesirable side effects. If you are one of the many who are seeking an alternative you might want to look into binaural beat audios.

What Are Binaural Beats?

Binaural beats work by affecting your brainwaves. Do not worry, it is completely safe and very effective. Some people have even called this a digital drug. When you are depressed it is a response that your brain is having to either internal or external events.

When you use binaural beats you are simply changing the way that your brain is reacting. This is also called brainwave entrainment. You listen to binaural beat audios through headphones. There will be two slightly different frequencies played through each ear, which creates a beat of the desired frequency.

If you have ever heard of meditation, this is kind of like a more advanced, technical version. You might feel funny about giving it a try but these audios have helped many depressed people come out of their funk. At first you will need to listen to these binaural beat audios very frequently to treat your depression. With time you can retrain your brain and the state will be learned. You can actually cure your depression without the use of harsh medications.

Of course, you will always want to check with your doctor if you have severe depression. They will be able to give you any medicine you need, if you both decide its necessary. If you are at the point where you would prefer self treatment or want to find an alternative it is a good idea to get yourself some binaural beat audios. Some people are concerned with how the beats will affect their medication, or wonder if it is safe to do them at the same time. Since binaural beat audios are so safe it is perfectly OK to use them in conjunction with medication from your doctor.

The bottom line is that depression is incredibly serious and you need to seek treatment as soon as you can. Scientists have put a lot of time and effort into studying how the brain reacts to stimuli and why people get depressed in the first place. You can take matters into your own hands with brainwave entrainment and get rid of the short and long term effects of depression. Binaural beats are completely safe, effective and there are some great audios out there. Clear some time out of your day to sit and listen to the beats with your headphones on and you will feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

Statistics on teenagers suffering from depression and other mental ailments are alarming. Various studies suggest that 1 in 4 teens suffer from some sort of mental illness. Teenage mental illness, to include depression, can have dire consequences. Teenage suicide is on the rise. It is the third leading cause of death in the age bracket of 15 to 24 years. Dealing with depression in teens is an important step in reducing these numbers in our society.

Many things can lead to depression. A teenager is just learning how to handle the pressures and emotions of an adult. Only 30% of teens suffering seek help. The others just suffer through and do their best to get through. Adults have difficulty dealing with many things, asking a teenager to deal with it on their own, is not be the best option.

Learning the signs of depression for our youth can be difficult. Depressed teenagers are often just seen as being a teen. Signs of irritability, fatigue, withdrawal and changes of eating and sleeping habits, are seen as normal signs of growing up and hormone surges. They are also signs of depression. Learning the difference in your teen’s behavior may be key in getting them the help that they need.

Learning to talk to your teen may be your best investment in their mental health. Parents and adults in a teen’s life struggle with this aspect. They often want to see the teen as still a child where the teen wants to be seen as an adult. Learning to bridge this gap and communicate efficiently may be a daunting task, but can be managed.

An adult should learn to offer support when conversing with a teenager. Let them know you are there for them. Ensure them that you are available to them at any time. Show them that you can listen without being judgmental. Don’t try to talk them out of the way that they feel. Show them that you can understand and give them the help that they need to deal with how they are feeling.

Trust your own instincts. If you have a teenager that is showing signs of depression get them help. Trusting your own feelings and emotions may be what sets the teen on the road to better mental health. They may resist getting help at first. Be firm. Let them know you are there for them and willing to work with them, but insist that they find someone they can work with to help them through this difficult time in their life.

Often a teen will find it easier to speak with someone other than a parent. Consider a peer mentor for your teen. These are teens that are trained to work with others. They become a positive influence. Teen mentors can become a confidant and will be there for the teen that may be in trouble otherwise.

Teenage depression is a serious problem, but can be treated. Learn to recognize the symptoms and get help as soon as possible. Turn the teen in your life into a success story instead of a statistic. source

Everyone feels down every now and then, and this is normal. However, clinical depression is lasting and intense - the gloom can be overwhelming to an individual. Some sufferers describe clinical depression as “living in a black hole,” or having a feeling of despair that they cannot escape from. Clinical depression can last for more than several weeks, as opposed to “normal” depression that rarely lasts longer than a few days.

Some individuals suffering from clinical depression don’t feel sad at all - instead, they experience a lingering feeling of emptiness. They are generally apathetic and numb towards enjoyment and pleasure, even when going through activities that they normally enjoy. This is usually a clear sign of clinical depression.

For a doctor or other health professional to diagnose clinical depression in an individual, most of the following signs and symptoms must be observed in the patient for at least two weeks. Problems with sleep. Normal individuals exhibit a fairly steady sleeping pattern. Having trouble getting to sleep (or its opposite - getting too much sleep) is typical of clinically depressed individuals. When an individual wakes up in the middle of the night, or early in the morning, and finds himself/herself unable to go back to sleep, it may be a sign of clinical depression.

Hampered thinking or concentration. A clinically depressed individual may have trouble concentrating, making decisions, and remembering. Such problems may come into conflict with a person’s performance in school or work, and may render the individual unable to hold a job until the episode passes.

Weight changes. Clinical depression may cause an individual to lose or gain weight suddenly. Abrupt appetite changes are also indicative of this. Weight changes will also lead to a host of other health problems (such as high blood pressure), further aggravating the individual’s condition.

Irritability and anxiety. Clinically depressed individuals may seem unusually restless, agitated, irritable, and easily annoyed. They may also feel fearful or anxious for no reason. For many individuals suffering from depression, this is the first symptom that the people around them notice.

Marked fatigue. Depressed individuals feel weary nearly every day, or at least notice a pronounced dip in their energy levels. Some individuals may wake up from a night’s sleep feeling just as tired as they were the night before. Others may even feel like they’re moving in slow motion, or speak in a slow, monotonous expression.

Self-esteem suffers. Clinical depression almost always causes an individual to feel worthless or guilty, often for no apparent reason. Reduced interest in sex. Individuals normally sexually active may notice a conspicuous decrease in interest with regards to having sexual relations. For most people, this is cause enough to worry.

Thinking of death. Depression may cause individuals to see themselves, their situations, and the future very negatively. This may lead to thoughts of death, dying, or even suicide. Aside from the above-noted symptoms, depression can also cause a host of physical problems, such as gastrointestinal discomfort (indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, etc.), headaches, backaches, and muscle pain. source