The Truth About Postpartum Depression

The Truth About Postpartum Depression

Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields are currently engaging in a word war against each other because of a type of depression, called postpartum depression. Cruise's and Brooke's debacle started when Tom Cruise openly disapproved of Brooke Shield's personal choice of opting to take prescribed medicines to cure her postpartum depression, when he guested at the Today Show. According to Cruise, who is a popular devotee of Scientology (who believes that we can be cured through natural means and that taking medicine is doing our body harm), Brooke Shields should have instead, opted to cure her postpartum depression by doing healthy exercises. Adding that a lot of people have been misinformed about depression and how to actually cure this common illness.

But what is postpartum depression really? We've heard about it often enough, yet are we really sure that we know enough about it for us to actually understand this illness in order for us to help ourselves as well as others? Being pregnant should really be a source of joy for everyone, especially the mother to be, who for nine months, will actually have living being grow from inside of her. Unfortunately, there is another side to this joyous occasion, being pregnant means that you and your body will have to get used to some adjustments for you to have a safe pregnancy. Smoking, alcohol, strenuous activities as well as stress should be avoided at all cost. A healthy baby means having a healthy mother as well. But given that you have been able to successfully avoided all these bad habits for your baby to be, childbirth is a whole different thing, as much as we may try to avoid it, there are still some unfortunate cases wherein the mother's as well as the baby's life might be in danger.

But there's actually more, postpartum depression actually happens after childbirth. Although it's quite common and a lot of women have learned to how to deal with it as well as successfully treat it (like Brooke Shields), it is still quite avoidable. Postpartum depression is actually a lot like depression, but only new moms are the possible victims of this illness. There are actually a lot possible reasons why postpartum depression occurs:

Childbirth as we all know is not as easy as pie, actual physical stress from giving birth is one of the main reasons why postpartum depression occurs. Next postpartum depression trigger is massive changes is hormonal levels. A lot of moms-to-be who were hesitant about bearing a child are also more susceptible to postpartum depression, those who are not ready to be a mother yet are more easily to get depressed as opposed to happy and excited moms-to-be.

When postpartum depression happens, it really is best to go to the doctor immediately. Aside from obviously having ill-effects for the new mother, postpartum depression can prove to be harmful to the child as well. New mothers who are suffering from postpartum depression may be harboring ill feelings toward their children. Their are actually some cases of murder wherein postpartum depression has been cited as the reason. Mothers who suffer from postpartum depression may blame their child for their weight gain, thus feeling like they've become less attractive and unloved. It is really best to consult a reputable cognitive behavior therapist to take care of your postpartum woes, your therapist may prescribe medications to help cure postpartum depression as well as therapy sessions to help relieve whatever pent emotions that you may have.

The tell-tale symptoms of depression

The tell-tale symptoms of depression
People who may be suffering from depression or manic disorders actually exhibit or show each and every kind of symptom of depression that doctors will tell you that depressed people have. Sometimes it’s actually quite easy to overlook such symptoms and not be able to help one’s self or others who are suffering from depression for that matter.

There are actually a lot of symptoms of depression that depressed people may actually posses but they don’t have to suffer from each and every one of them before you actually help them get diagnosed and be treated for this illness. Also, since symptoms of depression actually vary, the time of their "attacks" varies as well.

Here are some common examples of symptoms of depression:

Prolonged period of sadness or not feeling "up to it,"  people who are always feeling not in the mood, who’d rather mope around the house and feel sorry for one’s self is the best example for this symptom of depression.

Feels hopeless, perennial pessimist: speaking of feeling sorry for one’s self, another common symptom of depression is when a person actually feels like he/she has nothing to look forward to in his or her life. As for being the perennial pessimist, those who show this symptom of depression are usually very negative about things, again, the feeling of hopelessness comes in to mind.

Guilt-driven, loss of self-worth and helplessness: other symptoms of depression that can be easily seen on people who prefer to mope around all day long are these. Whenever a person feels so guilty over something, that actually makes one a very sad person who feels like he or she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Thus, the loss of self-worth, if that person feels like he or she isn’t worthy of being happy or enjoying one’s self then that’s clear tell-tale symptom of depression. Helplessness also contribute to being depressed, when assuming that things won’t simply go your way, it’s already a clear saying that you have absolutely no hope in your body at all.

Isn’t interested in finding or taking pleasure; just dropping the hobbies as well as the other things that one used to enjoy: this tell-tale symptom of depression just shows how depressed a person can be, if one is actually too sad to take pleasure even in the very things that one loves then that person is seriously lacking something, rather, that person might well have caught the depression bug.

Fatigue, always tired: people suffering from depression, since they’ve lost whatever interest in life that they may have had before are actually lacking of physical energy at all times, if one would prefer to just mope around, probably won’t even eat not get enough sleep, a depressed person may well be on their way to not just a mental illness but depression can actually be terrible for one’s physical health as well.

Having trouble concentrating, having bad memory and is indecisive: a person who is suffering from depression easily gives away this tell-tale symptom of depression. Wherein one’s lack of interest with regards to the outside world or for just about anything for that matter can lead to that person’s inability to lose track of things and actually not be able to remember things that happened or what other people said. Lack of interest actually makes depressed people very inattentive.

There are actually more symptoms of depression that can actually help you see if a person (or you) needs to be brought to the doctor to get some help when it comes to depression: lacking sleep, sleeping too much or waking up at wee hours of the morning are all symptoms of depression (if it happens on a daily basis), appetite loss as well as eating too much may show one’s lack of enthusiasm for life. Be weary of sudden weight loss or weight gain in those around you. Being suicidal, talking about death, about wanting to die is another clear indication that that person is depressed. Being restless and irritable and physical symptoms that are usually brought about by poor mental health such as headaches, digestive disorders and various body pains.

Understanding Zoloft Depression Better

Understanding Zoloft Depression Better

Always feeling under the weather? Always not in the mood to be around others and have a good time? If you’re suffering from prolonged sadness for quite some time now, you should face these bouts of depression and get yourself diagnosed by a psychiatrist, they’re doctors who can actually help you out with your problem. Also, with the introduction of Zoloft depression, the number one, most-prescribed medicine for depression treatment, the problems concerning depression can easily be gone.

Depression or prolonged sadness is actually quite common in the United States, around 9.5 percent of the American population actually suffer from this illness, however, not all of them get to be treated, thus, depression and its ill-effects continue to be a burden to some individuals. This illness may seem quite simple to treat but in reality, it takes more than a little cheering up to actually cure depression. Constant visits to a cognitive behavior therapist is a must as well as taking all the prescribed medicines that the doctor will ask the patient to take – none of these exactly come cheap, but the amount of suffering that a person is going through because of depression is enough reason already for others to start taking notice and face depression head on. Here’s where Zoloft depression actually steps in, proven to be a safe and very effective treatment for various types of depression as well as anxiety, Zoloft depression has actually been around for around 12 years. Patients have been proven to respond well to treatments from Zoloft depression while doctors favor Zoloft depression’s availability in various strengths, this way, someone who’s suffering from depression doesn’t have to settle for something else just cause they don’t have the right dosage available, with Zoloft depression, it’s hard to not get the right dosage for you.

 In a nutshell, Zoloft depression is actually a type of antidepressant which is known to people as “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor” or SSRI. It’s well-known to be a good treatment for patients over the age of eighteen that are being treated for the following: depression, posttraumatic disorder or PTSD, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD and obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD.

Some commonly asked questions about Zoloft depression are the following:

How long does it take before the effect of Zoloft depression actually kicks in?

How important is it to follow the doctor’s prescription for Zoloft depression?

To be frank, Zoloft depression is actually not for everyone, those patients who are taking pimozide or MAOIs are strictly discouraged from using Zoloft depression. Various side effects can stem from actually using Zoloft depression such as: diarrhea, nausea, sleepiness/insomnia, dry mouth and sexual side effects. Although according to studies, a lot of people actually didn’t care about the side effects and still opted to continue on taking Zoloft depression.

Some good points to consider though is that Zoloft depression is actually in no way addicting unlike other medication and it is not in any way, can be associated with weight gain.

Since Zoloft depression actually comes in various dosages (25mg, 50mg and 100mg tablets), it is definitely best to consult your doctor first before taking any Zoloft depression tablet. This is one of the main reasons why Zoloft depression was actually created in various dosages, since each person is unique, one’s need for Zoloft depression may actually differ from the other and that is why we need professional doctors to assess how much or how little of Zoloft depression does one actually need. Self medication has always been a problem of doctors since their patients usually just end up in worse state than usual whenever they self-medicate and conduct their own diagnosis.

Depending on a person’s body makeup or ability to respond to treatments as well as one’s willingness to actually help him or herself get better, the effects of Zoloft depression can be felt in as early as 2 weeks, just continue on following the doctors prescriptions as well as showing up for every therapy session, Zoloft depression will seriously work for you.

Depression Tidbits

Depression is a very serious matter, which does not discriminate.

Depression doe not care what your age is, what gender you are,

or even what your race or social class is.

Depression can often make a person feel sad, helpless, hopeless,

and irritable. It is normal for people to have these feeling

sometimes, but some people cannot just snap out of it and this is

the difference between what is normal and major depression. It is

the determination and brutality of the emotions that determine the

mental illness of depression from normal mood changes.

We are going to talk about different types of depression and how

it can affect you. Depression is an illness that affects your body,

mind, disposition, thought, sleep, energy, concentration, weight,

and much more. Depression is not a mood, it is not a sign of

personal weakness, and it cannot be simply willed away.

Clinical depression is constant and can interfere significantly with

an individual’s ability to function by emotional experiences of

sadness, loss, or passing mood states. Clinical depression can be

devastating to all areas of a person’s everyday life, including family

relationships, friendships, and the ability to work or go to school.

Bipolar disorder (manic-depression) is a mood disorder, which

means that the symptoms are abnormalities of mood. Bipolar

disorder involves episodes of both serious mania and depression.

Bipolar disorder can have a devastating impact on sufferer’s lives

and can lead to suicide if it is not treated.

Major depression is a more common illness, the symptoms of which

are mainly those of ‘low’ mood.

Causes

Several things can cause depression; one of the causes can be

attributed to a deficiency of certain neurotransmitters in the brain

that signal from one nerve cell to another. The immune system of

a depressed person is usually very low and therefore ineffectively

responding to diseases, including cancer. The everyday stressors

faced by Americans have simply become too much for many to

bear, and reasonably so. In recent years, taking an anti-anxiety

medication or anti-depressant has become as common as taking a

multi-vitamin.

How to Alleviate

Two amino acids are known to alleviate depression in many

persons. They are tyrosine and L-phenylalanine. The two amino

acids are a natural precursor of certain neurotransmitters.

You can’t afford what?

Perhaps the only thing worse than depression is having

depression and not being able to afford treatment. Needy Meds is

a website that offers all the information you need to get your meds

free, just click the name of your drug in the list on the left side of

the page.

The Medicine Program is for people who do not have insurance and

do not qualify for government programs you may qualify to enroll in

a privately sponsored program. They do charge a $5 processing

fee but the medications themselves are free. Volunteers staff this

organization and the processing fee covers their expenses. This

company will contact the drug manufacturer on your behalf, or you

can choose to contact the drug companies themselves.

Free Samples – Often pharmaceutical companies provide physicians

with free samples. Ask your doctor is he/she has any samples on

hand of your medication.

Can Depression Be A Sign Of Something More

Have you taken more than one antidepressant but are still feeling depressed? Are you frustrated that your depression keeps coming back? You are not alone. Many people are first told that they have depression or anxiety when, in fact, they actually have a different medical condition. Of these people, one in two will first be told they have depression, one in four will be told they have anxiety.

Why Does Your Depression Keep Coming Back?

There are a number of reasons why symptoms of depression may persist despite taking medication. One of these reasons may be because patients don’t always remember to tell their doctors about all the symptoms they’re experiencing. For example, patients may talk to their doctors when they feel down or depressed and are looking for relief. They may not talk about the times when they’ve felt really good or energetic. In fact, patients often think about these times as their “good times” or “normal times.” This is important information that can help your doctor make a correct diagnosis and provide treatment that may help you feel better. 

Help Your Doctor Help You

Getting a correct diagnosis is the first step to finding a treatment that is right for you. Bipolar depression is a form of depression that requires a different kind of treatment. If you have questions about bipolar depression, be sure to talk with your doctor. Several treatments, including some new medications, along with support from your doctor, can help people manage their symptoms over time. 

What Is Bipolar Depression?

Bipolar depression is one part of bipolar disorder, a chronic-but treatable-illness. Sufferers usually have episodes of depression (“lows”) and episodes of increased energy, racing thoughts or anxiety (“highs”). Untreated bipolar depression can affect an individual’s ability to function at work, participate in social activities and maintain relationships. Getting an accurate diagnosis and the correct treatment can help patients with bipolar depression manage their symptoms and lead productive lives.

Transforming Your Thoughts Is Key For Dealing With Depression

The Greatest Teacher that ever lived once said: “As a Man thinks in his heart so is he”. What you constantly think of a situation is quite inevitably what becomes of it; therefore it is paramount that in any and every situation our thinking should be positive.

If there is one fact that religion, science and psychology seem to agree on, it is that the mind is indeed the most powerful force in the world. Yoga sages have stated that whoever can control the mind is indeed a powerful human being.

That said, it is obvious that in coping with stress and dealing with depressive situations, one should make every step to think positively as perhaps the first weapon to combat negative challenges.

Friends, everything starts with a thought. 

Moreover, thoughts have the innate ability of phenomenally materializing into what it is that is projected in your mind. Consequently, it will be safe to say we should all make attempts to change our mental habits to belief instead of disbelief as much as possible. This of course will be most paramount when seeking ways to overcoming depression. 

Characterized by feelings of worthlessness, doubt, pessimism, if we allow depressive thoughts to constantly permeate our minds, they could actually gain the ability to diffuse into our speech and actions and consequently could aggravate the very situations and challenges one is facing that may be causing depressive thoughts in the first place.

When dealing with problems arising from depression, the famous psychologist-William James has this cryptic quote to say: “Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking or challenging situation is the one thing that insures a successful outcome at the end”

This reminds me of another powerful verse in the Bible found in Mark 4 verse 23: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes”. 

Combining the gist and effect of both quotes, one can see that it is imperative to believe in and expect the best in any situation one may be going through. In so doing you will bring everything into the realm of possibility and success. 

In no way does this mean that we should sit back and just expect things to miraculously change. It means we must change our thought processes about our situations first, perform the actions that will lead us to and keep us on the path to success at overcoming our challenges and as words, thoughts and actions have an effect on each other as factors, one is also advised to constantly speak positively about what challenges one may be facing.

Combining all three factors will greatly help in making sure each component (most importantly our thoughts) remains positively tuned towards overcoming our depression.

My friends, although it may not always be an easy journey to overcome our challenges, I would like you to remember this quote as well “Life’s problems are like knives, which either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle: Grasp a difficulty or problem by the blade and it cuts; grasp it by the handle and you can use it constructively” 

Take the quote above into consideration and keep it in mind my friend as THE reason to constantly have faith and to hope for the best when it comes to dealing with depression. It is perhaps the one thing that will ensure success at the end.

The Health Benefits Of Tai Chi

More and more people are looking at the different alternative health therapy options these days. In this article, I write about the health benefits which using tai chi can bring. I hope you enjoy the read.

Tai chi is the most popular exercise in the world today. It is relatively new to the western world but is becoming more and more popular. The two thousand year old Chinese martial art is quite simple to do and has many benefits.

I have been attending tai chi classes for around a year now and it has massively helped me to control my anxiety and stress levels. Stress has been a big factor in my life and I have always struggled to think in a positive way. I now try many alternative treatments to manage my stress including meditation and tai chi. Both work very well for me.

I was introduced to tai chi by a friend. I must say that I did not really know much about it before this. He told me that it had helped him no end in controlling his depression. His name is John and he has many issues in his life which not only affect his self-confidence but also makes him very depressed at times. John has been attending tai chi classes for nearly two years and has seemingly become a new man. For whatever reason he did not tell people about what he was doing. On a night out I mentioned to him that he had been a lot happier in the recent months. This is when he talked to me about tai chi. He also asked if I would like to attend the classes with him, which I duly agreed to. I am very glad that we had this conversation as I can also quite easily spiral into a state of depression.

It may be a piece of mind thing as I know that I will be attending a tai chi once a week, but I am now very able to deal with stress and am far less anxious than I ever used to be.

People have also mentioned that I look far healthier and even that I look younger than before. This is supposed to be another benefit of tai chi, it helps to delay the aging process. This is good for somebody like me as people always thought that I was around five years older than I actually was. 

Other health benefits of tai chi:

Helps to keep people mobile well into old age

Helps to improve balance

Helps to reduce asthma

Helps people to recover from certain injuries

Helps to boost the immune system

Helps to lower blood pressure

In conclusion, if you are like me and are a person who is always stressed out and often depressed, tai chi could be the answer for you. Give it a go and it could change your life. 

It goes without saying that tai chi is not for everybody and I would also recommend meditation, reflexology, aromatherapy, and hypnotherapy.

I am a person who likes to try new things as I am always trying to improve my life. I want to live a long, happy and stress free life. Using these forms of alternative treatments is helping me to achieve this at the moment.