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Learning to Spot the Symptoms of Manic Depression

July 2nd, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Manic depression is a critical mental disease that can leave someone unhappy, lonely, and unable to maintain a job. These conditions can cause major consequences in a person’s life. That’s why it’s so imperative to treat this health problem as early as possible. But dealing with the illness can be hard if you don’t even realize that you have it.

Similar to any medical concern, there are warning signs of manic depressive disorder. Unfortunately, these symptoms are tough to spot in some individuals since the issue is not altogether depressive behavior. Instead, there are occasions when somebody with this condition will feel enormous joy and gladness, and there can be situations where their feeling of despair is pressing and weighty.

But if you are aware of which indications to watch for, you can definitely notice an individual with this condition, or identify it in yourself. The following are some of the more common indications of this acute psychological condition.

Those with manic depression often move from mood to mood as if they were giving a person a handshake. If you know someone who is often cheery one minute, and then remote or sad the next, this mental condition could be the cause. The highs are very high and the lows are very low. In the course of one chat, somebody with this condition might be subjected to a range of feelings and moods. This volatility is why friends and family normally have a hard time having a discussion with someone who has this illness.

Another symptom to be alert for is an inability to sustain a regular sleep schedule. There might be circumstances when someone slumbers for long hours at a time, yet at other times the person doesn’t sleep for several days consecutively. This inability to sustain a regular sleep pattern is very typical for persons with this form of depression. Moreover, their sleeping requirements can change with no notice at all.

If you are afflicted with manic depression, you may have a hard time controlling your impulses. When you get a thought in your head, then you will feel as if you have to act on it instantly. This is how come so many people with this illness withdraw from school or switch jobs suddenly and inexplicably. Many of them may not even be able to sustain steady friendships or make long term plans that they are able to stay with. As you can see, manic depressive disorder is a serious form of depression that can have far reaching implications for those who suffer from it. It’s critical that those who suffer from it get some form of depression help as soon as possible .

Which Furniture Can Get You Out of The Blues

July 2nd, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

It is hard to not feel happy when the summer roles around. You have a skip in your step, the birds are singing and you have the warm sun on your face. When the shorter colder days of winter approach however, a lot of peoples mood shifts. Winter depression is something that doctors have to treat in lots of countries and around 8% of population in Europe have reportedly shown symptoms at least once. Lethargy, mood swings, muscle pains and generally feeling low are among the many that people report.What causes this is not known exactly, but we do know that one of the major influences is lower light levels in winter causing brain and body chemical communication errors. At night the receptors in the eyes report to the pineal gland that there is less light, which in turn releases a chemical called melatonin into the body, which causes us to feel sleepy and slow down.

All is not lost however, you can fight the effects of seasonal depression by giving a little thought to the furniture you buy and where you place it. Living room and also bedroom furniture are often the most important to get right as these are the rooms that we spend most of our time in. Buying white furniture like white wardrobes, tables and chairs will increase the amount of light that is reflected around the room and will have a large impact on mood.

Keeping furniture down to a minimum is another great tip and stops rooms from feeling restricting and claustrophobic.If you have fewer pieces of furniture in a room, the light has a better opportunity to reflect around it and you will also be able to navigate it easier. It also helps painting your walls a light and airy colour to improve light reflection as well.

Some ideas for reducing the amount of furniture you have include only having your table large enough for everyday use and taking away or adding chairs if and when you need them, only have one bedside table instead of one each side, and getting rid of small pieces that only have aesthetic value.

Can Dr Claire Weekes help you deal with you anxiety?

June 30th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

There is one doctor, Dr Claire Weekes, that has an outstanding international reputation for her material in the field of nervous disorders. Doctors and treatment centers from many different countries recommend her work.  She has achieved distinction as the first woman Doctor of Science at the University of Sydney, and was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to medicine.  If there is any further doubt over her credentials, she was nominated for two Nobel Prizes and is credited with being an early pioneer in her field.

Click here to find out more about physical anxiety symptoms?

Dr Weekes is no longer alive but her legacy is still considered as relevant as it was when she was alive.  Dr Weekes worked with many people that suffered from panic disorders and was able to utilize her observations, her scientific acumen and her own personal understanding to help a multitude of people.  She would never claim to cure people; she would always say that she showed people how they could heal themselves.   Dr Weekes believed that panic and anxiety are the result of a continuous state of severe sensitization which is being kept alive by confusion and fear. Sometimes the condition is brought about by an event and sometimes it occurs bit by bit, especially if the sufferer is forced to live with unpleasant circumstances. She teaches people through her self help methods how to regain mastery over their mental state.What’s more, Dr Weekes provides ways to manage and cope with the feelings of fear and dread that are commonly felt. Finally, she helps people to understand their physical symptoms and how they relate to their mental state.

You can read an article about the causes of panic attacks here.

Basically, her material explains what people are suffering from, how they can deal with it and provides an understanding of all the symptoms both physical and psychological that come with it. She also deals with depression which she refers to (in this context) as depletion.  It is as if the sufferer has been thrashing the panic button and flooding the engine with adrenaline for some considerable time and the battery is flat. Dr Weekes explains how the battery can be recharged. One of her strengths is that she is extremely good at reassuring her patients that they are not the only ones experiencing these symptoms and that there is in fact nothing seriously wrong with them.

If you are suffering from panic or a nervous disorder and you would like some more information including free samples of Dr Weekes work, you can visit Anxiety Assist for help.

 

Understanding Manic Depressive Psychosis

June 30th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Manic depressive psychosis is a life altering illness that can severely affect a person’s ability to function and carry out day to day tasks. This is because manic depressive psychosis severely affects a person’s energy levels and moods. A person suffering from manic depression can alternate between deep depression and manic episodes when a person is overly happy and excitable.

People with manic depression may have difficulty keeping a job, or maintaining friendships and family relationships. Although the symptoms manifest as a mental disorder, the root cause is organic brain dysfunction.

Frequent Occurring Symptoms

Behaviorally a person may alternate between two extremes. When feeling depressed an individual may feel extremely tired, entertain suicidal thoughts, and have difficulty concentrating. The opposite of this behavior may include high risk behavior such as promiscuity and spending sprees, seemingly boundless energy, and may talk fast and experience racing thoughts.

In rare case, some people may experience auditory or visual hallucinations. Exaggerated perceptions of other’s behaviors or of the consequences of their own behaviour are fairly common. Delusional behaviour can also occur. If a normally thrifty person starts spending excessively, or a normally modest person suddenly starts believing that they are the best at everything they do, these could be symptoms of manic depression.

Support During Treatment

Most people suffering from manic depressive psychosis respond well to medication. It is vital that they have a good emotional support system. It may take some time to determine the right medications and the right dosages and the side effects can be hard to deal with. It takes patience and understanding to help someone receiving treatment for manic depressive psychosis. .

Family members may need to be present during doctor’s appointments to fully understand the disease and what treatment involves. Relatives and loved ones can be very helpful when it comes to treatment. Whenever a patient has suicidal thoughts or manic episodes it is necessary to report them to the patient’s doctor or therapist.

Successful Treatment

To be successful, treatment plans for manic depressive psychosis must be strictly adhered to. People suffering from this disorder benefit from having a regular schedule. The more a sufferer knows about his disease, the better he will be able to actively participate in his own treatment, and the more effective the treatment will be.

Recognizing the early symptoms of a manic or depressive episode and notifying your doctor, can prevent the episode from escalating. The improvement of symptoms of this condition are gradual and occur over a period of time.

 

Treating Anxiety - Focus On What Should To Be Done!

June 30th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you know of anyone in your day to day life that suffers with anxiety, there will be times that you know you just want to slap the person silly for thinking the way they do. This is not the way you should be treating anxiety by yourself, and no, you do not make the person more anxious than they already are. It has no solution.  The most common point or fact about treating anxietyis to let the person know that most of their anxieties will never ever happen, and it is the same with fears. This is a proven fact that ninety nine percent of your worries and anxieties never takes place. So why worry? Be happy, even if it is for a short while.

Treating Anxiety: Moving On

While most people if they have been in a hostile situation, treating anxiety and depression with them would have to be more intense with the help of a clinical psychologist and medication, if they feel they cannot move on until it is dealt with.

Treating Anxiety Is Not Always A Quick And Simple Process

Treating anxiety is not just a quick and simple process, countless sessions have to be attended to get to the root of the problem if the person tends to be over dramatic with every little thing that could possibly happen to them, and finding out the reason why they are continually anxious is a good thing to be treated to.

Were these people who continually needing therapy taught this way of thinking? In most cases treating anxiety means learning not to pass the anxiousness onto others, especially children. it is difficult for some people to see what all the fuss is about so they don’t take lightly to others having panic attacks or anxiety attacks. While these other people see what the immediate problem is, they get in and sort it out as if they were a bomb squad force, they don’t have time to worry about what doesn’t need attention, only the immediate, and then step back. It is all about focus.

For others to learn this method would be quite difficult if they are continually treating anxiety attacks by themselves, as they have learned over the years how to have an anxiety attack by literally seeing it happening, therefore proper guidance should be sought.

You And Self Control Is The Basic Step For Treating Anxiety

Self control is the first basic step, for treating anxiety attacks, breathe and focus on things that need to be done, not what could happen. If you are feeling anxious it is only you who is giving a chance to anxiety to overcome you.

How To Eradicate Depression

June 27th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Any person who has suffered with depression or who is currently suffering with depression will fully appreciate just how badly it can affect our lives. It is something that kind of creeps us on when we are least expecting it and then hits us for six. It can leave us feeling unable to complete the most simplest of tasks. The only way people can think is in the negative and the words of wisdom of people trying to help us only ever fall on deaf ears.

I suffered from a long bout of depression when I was in my teens. This was mainly due to the fact that I had a speech impediment, a stutter. This was something that virtually destroyed my self-esteem and despite my best efforts to increase confidence the stutter would always come back to bite me and ruin what ever progress I had made.

I did not want to continue living in this way, with a constant fear of stuttering, being down and depressed. The main problem however was the fact that the people who were meant to be helping me, the speech and language therapists, were forever telling me that there was not a known cure for stuttering. OK, thanks - this is exactly what I needed to hear! How was I ever supposed to break free from the cycle of depression and how was I ever supposed to start thinking positively when I had people like this destroying whatever hope that I had?

I was quite fortunate to have a superb family around me who eventually were able to drag me from the abyss. They gave me the conviction to battle through and to start thinking in a more upbeat way. There was only one way to think and that was in a positive manner. There was no way that I was going to listen to the rubbish that these so called speech therapists were telling me. I also had to start working hard to enable this day to become a reality.

My dad once stated:

“There is no time for depression; you have too much work to do – to eradicate the stutter and to learn how to increase your overall confidence levels”.

It was far from easy however I did manage to break free from the depression and at the age of twenty-two I also managed to overcome the speech impediment.

Steve Hill, The How To Stop Stuttering Centre

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Credits: Work From Home | Matteo Turchetto | Andreas Viklund