Do you ever feel like the world is closing in on you and you have no control over it?  You have your dreams and goals, just like everyone else. You feel like you are doing things the way you have been taught, like you have to be smarter than you feel, but the walls just keep getting closer and closer anyway.  Well, my friend you have fallen into the hole of depression.

Depression usually refers to feelings of  a lack of interest in activities that a person used to enjoy, changes in their weight and sleep habits, feeling tired all of the time, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, difficulty concentrating and thoughts of death and suicide.  If a person experiences a majority of these symptoms for longer than a two-week period, they may be diagnosed with major depression.

Although depression is often thought of as being in an extreme state of sadness, there is a vast difference between depression and sadness. Humans will experience sadness from time to time.  It  is a part of being human, a natural reaction to painful circumstances. Depression, however, is a physical illness.  There are more symptoms involved than being in an unhappy mood with no logical reason for this unhappiness. A person having a loss of interest in daily activities consistently for at least two weeks or more, representing a change from the their normal mood is depression – not sadness.  This loss will impair this person’s  ability to function in their daily life.

Having your friends and family tell you to “snap out of it” only causes more frustration because one can no more “snap out of it” than the diabetic can make his pancreas produce more insulin. Sadness is a feeling that passes as a person comes to term with his troubles and a sad person continues to cope with living. Depression can linger for weeks, months or even years and the person may feel overwhelmed and hopeless, unable to cope – thus contemplating ending their life.

Depression is characterized by the presence of five or more of the following symptoms most of the day, nearly every day:

• Feeling sad or empty, ready to cry at the drop of a hat
• Lack of interest or pleasure in daily activities
• Significant weight changes, decrease or increase in appetite
• Insomnia or sleeping too much
• Physical ailments due to emotional causes
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate, indecisiveness
• Recurring thoughts of death
• Thoughts of suicide without a specific plan
• A suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide

Depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters.  However, a variety of factors, including your genetic makeup, your environment, your physical condition and your psychological coping resources, work together to determine whether you will develop depression or not.

There are three basic molecules which are thought to play a role in mood regulation: norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine.  Norepinephrine has been thought to be the causative factor for depression.  Serotonin has been found to be another factor which, over the past two decades, has taken center stage thanks to Prozac, which selectively acts on this molecule. Newer antidepressants like Effexor are actually targeted at both serotonin and norepinephrine.  A third substance that may play a role in mood is dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with the reward that we get which causes us to continue participating in an activity.  It is also associated with addiction and its production is stimulated by drugs such as cocaine, opiates and alcohol, which may explain why depressed persons choose to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.

What is the effect of the stress hormone cortisol on serotonin levels and depression? Are cortisol and depression related?  When the body is under stress, the adrenal gland increases secretion of a hormone called cortisol. Short-term, this hormone can help aid in survival, for example by mobilizing energy reserves. Long-term elevation of cortisol, however, can have detrimental effects.

It is known that in normal people the level of cortisol in the bloodstream peaks in the morning, then decreases as the day progresses. In depressed people, however, cortisol peaks earlier in the morning and does not level off or decrease in the afternoon or evening. Although the exact mechanism that causes depression is uncertain, clinical studies suggest that chronically elevations of  cortisol may induce depression by somehow affecting central neurotransmission.

In many cases, depression actually is the result of habitual negative thoughts. When bad things happen, we begin chastising ourselves. We have thoughts such as:  I’m no good, I’m a total failure or Nothing ever goes my way.  Because our feelings follow what we are thinking, negative thoughts like these can send us spiraling down into depression.

This concept is the guiding principle behind cognitive therapy, a type of psychotherapy developed by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s. If we think something often enough, we begin to believe it’s true and our feelings usually match what we are thinking about ourselves. So if we have negative thoughts all the time, we will feel negative.  The solution is to learn a way of thinking more positive, thus feeling good instead.

Did you know that stress in your life can quite literally be expressed as pain and illness? When we hold in our emotions what will happen? If one of your body systems is weakened, this is where a stress-related illness is most likely to develop. If your weakest point physically is your neck, you’ll develop neck pains. Or back pain. Or ulcers. Or frequent colds and flu.  Any illness that has physical symptoms, but has the mind and emotions as its origin,  is called a psychosomatic illness. Although you may be told that it’s “all in your head”, these illnesses are quite real. The aches and pains are very real, but because your doctor is looking for an actual physical cause, they are very tricky to diagnose and treat. The key is to look for a source of stress in the person’s life that the person is not coping with. By treating the underlying stress and depression, it may be possible to heal the physical problems as well.

But how do you beat stress? The first step is learning to recognize when we are under extreme stress. Learn to recognize the signs of stress unique to you.  Once you know how to recognize when you are stressed, the next step is to learn how to cope with that stress. One very important way to do this is: don’t hold in your feelings.  You let off steam in a controlled way or you can let the stress find your weakest point to come exploding out. Controlled is safer and healthier for you.  Some controlled ways include:

• talking to someone you trust,
• joining a support group,
• relaxation techniques,
• taking a break from the situation you’re in,
• taking care of your health by eating right, exercising and not smoking,
• being honest with those around you,
• letting go of old grudges; doing something nice for others, or
• just taking some time for yourself.

The list is endless. Just learn a healthy way to vent.

We have to be willing to let go of our expectations about what we must do. We have to be willing to let go of old guilts and shoulds that are guiding our behavior. We have to allow ourselves to just be human. It’s okay for men to cry and be emotional. It’s okay for women to let someone else have a turn with the household chores. It’s okay to fall short of your goals if you’re doing the best that you can. Some of our biggest stressors actually come from within ourselves!

Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow. Better yet, never put off ’til tomorrow what you can avoid altogether!

I don’t know who coined these phrases, but they must have been depressed. The symptoms that we face, such as fatigue and hopelessness, make it so easy to say to ourselves, “I’ll just put this off until tomorrow when I feel better”. Before we know it, that deadline is creeping up on us and we’re starting to panic. What’s the best way to deal with panic? Hide your head in the sand and hope it goes away! Not really, but procrastination is an easy habit to fall into and as the panic mounts, so does the depression. The more depressed we get, the more we avoid reality.

Why do we fall into the procrastination trap time after time? Because procrastination becomes a way  of coping with the emotions and physical symptoms that accompany depression. It may bring some temporary relief, but the next day the cycle starts all over again. Check out the following types of procrastination.

Self Doubt – This type of person fears failure. They second-guess themselves and delay taking action.

Discomfort Dodging – This type of person avoids activities that will cause them distress, discomfort or anxiety. This is ironic because the act of dodging the activity itself doesn’t make it go away and causes even more tension and stress.

Guilt-Driven – This type of  person feels guilty for not doing what needs to be done, but rather than do the task, continues to procrastinate in order to not face up to those feelings of guilt.

Habitual – This type of person has procrastinated so many times, it becomes ingrained into their mind. The person no longer thinks about why they do it, they feel it’s just a part of their life. It becomes an automatic response to say, “This is too hard”, “I’m too tired”, or “I don’t feel good”.

Once you recognize your style of procrastination, you can take steps to stop it.  One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to get organized. Do whatever works for you.  Break large projects up into smaller tasks.  Next time you catch yourself saying, “I will do this later”, just do it! The feeling you get when you finish will be so much better than any relief you get from putting it off.

Does the thought of performing a certain task fill you with anxiety?  When you feel this way breathe deeply and exhale. You will notice after each breath that your heart rate is actually slowing and you are feeling less tense. Now, do one of those tasks from the list you should have made and have been putting off, no matter how small that task. The very act of accomplishing something will ease your anxiety.

When you have accomplished a task, mark it out on your list with a pen. It gives you visual confirmation that you are getting somewhere and also gives you a psychological boost. Sometimes I feel as if I’m getting nothing done, but when I look over what’s marked out I see I’ve actually done quite a bit. I’m just constantly adding new tasks.

Remember, if something can go wrong, it will. Allow yourself more than adequate time to finish each task. If you do not need all the time you’ve allowed, you will be able to progress ahead of schedule. This will be a psychological boost to you also.  Don’t panic if you get behind schedule. If you’ve allowed yourself extra time each day, you will simply shift everything forward until you catch up. The key is to leave yourself room to be flexible.

What if you really don’t have time to finish everything? Get creative. Request extensions on deadlines, get help from friends and relatives, delegate tasks to others, drop non-essential items from your list or just hire outside help. I haven’t found a situation yet that couldn’t be solved somehow once I let my expectations change about how it should be.

Be sure to schedule time for yourself after you have accomplished the things that you need to get done.  Knowing that you have finished your tasks will also make it easier to relax and enjoy your leisure time.

Depression is a bad thing when you have it but if we work really hard  – it can be defeated.

If you don’t like who you are and where you are, don’t worry about it because you’re not stuck either with who you are or where you are. You can grow.  You can change.  You can be more than you are.

Zig Ziglar

If you liked this post  or have anything to say on the subject,  I would appreciate hearing it.  This has been a particular problem for me my whole life.  Sometimes it seems hopeless but I know it can be handled.  There are seldom, if ever, any hopeless situations, but there are many people who lose hope in the face of some situations.

Please, leave me a comment and let me know what you think on the subject.  Have a great day.

Hi this is Donna Brogan back with you, as promised with Part III of my series on stress.  I really hope you are receiving some meaningful help from these posts. Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know any ideas you may have.

What Stress Means to You

Stress is something that is in everyone’s day-to-day life.  Dealing with it is the harder part of your day.  You can reduce stress by taking your day one step at a time, not making too much of the things that happen.  Relax, breathe deeply, smile – these are things that can make your problems seem less intense.

If not avoided, stress can lead to health risks and even mental illness.  It can affect your relationships with family and friends and can even create a risk to yourself.  It must be taken care of immediately. Thinking positive will reduce the risk of being stressed out. Worrying about things we can do nothing about is also a leading cause of stress.

Stress is preventable and manageable.  It  is the number one health problem for most people. Although stress itself is not a  cause of death, the side effects from it can be.  So many things cause stress in daily life.  It can appear in the body in many ways and in many forms.  Stress is brought on differently in every person and for some people it is a debilitating disease that can ruin an entire life.

Preventing Stress

Some of the reasons for stress can be work, family, a terrible or sudden loss of a loved one, an ended marriage or relationship or problems in health and diet.  Stress can come from anything and take over a person’s life very quickly.  It is important for people to learn to prevent stress in their life.

One way to do this is to follow a good diet.  You need to make sure that you are filling your body with healthy foods that will support your mental and physical health.  The more junk that you eat, the more weight you gain and the less energy you have.  This will not only make you feel bad about yourself, the way you feel and look, but may cause a person to become depressed because of these feelings.

Having a good exercise program is another important factor in relieving stress.  Exercise can make a person feel better, both about the way they look and feel about themselves.  You will be burning calories and helping your body becomes stronger and healthier.

There are medications that can be prescribed by a doctor along with vitamins that can be used to help a person deal with the things in their lives that are keeping them from fulfilling their greatest potentials.  These vitamins are going to help with the support of the mind and help people to maintain a better outlook.

One of the best things I can think of to take away those feelings of depression is a good motivational or personal development person.  There are so many CD’s and books on the subject.  Some really good authors are:  Joel Osteen (my personal favorite), John C. Maxwell (great for personal growth), Stephen Covey, and so many more.  Some very special people always ready to help with motivation and personal development are <a href=http://katiefreiling.com>Katie Freiling</a>, <a href=http://createwitheric.com>Eric Goldstein</a> and <a href=http://karyrogney.com>Kary Rogney</a>.

Most of all you need a great support system.  This means that you should have the help that you are going to need from your friends and family.  You will want to have someone to lean on when you are in need of  that support.  You will be able to manage your stress better and feel more confident in finding a way out of it.  All of these things can make you believe in yourself and feel better about yourself.  Soon you can be on your way to a new life

Therefore, as long as you try to keep a  positive attitude and seek help (if you can’t handle the situation yourself) you should be able to sit back, and enjoy a stress-free lifestyle.  Life can be so much fun, and enjoyable without stress.  So take these few tips and create those dreams and learn how to follow them.  Life can and will be good.

So thanks for being with me again and I will talk to you soon in Part IV.  Remember, I won’t mind a bit if you decide to retweet this or leave a comment.  I look forward to hearing what you think and having you share anything you can to help on this subject.   Have a great day.

STRESS  that is!  Can you handle what comes your way or do you need to seek help?  I would like to share a 5-part study of stress with you.  I hope you will benefit from this series, either for yourself or maybe for a family member or friend.   Please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you think and how stress has affected you.

Exactly what is stress?

That is a very hard question to answer because there are so many kinds of stress and the entire body and mind can be affected  in so many different ways.

Stress is usually considered the buildup of anxiety and pressures.  There is only so much pressure that one person can handle and stress will  occur when the person has had their fill of it.  Now if you are a believer – this is where people will say “God won’t give you any more than you can handle”.  Well, how many people really believe this when they are the one going through the stressful situation?  I am here to tell you that I have personally been in this position and know, for a fact, that this is true.  At the time I wasn’t so sure that I would get through the stressful problem but I did.

Stress is not necessarily a dangerous thing.  It is only a problem when the person who is under a great deal of it can no longer function and is letting it get the best of them. It is very important that help be received immediately whether by counseling or medications.

Many people have stress because of their job.  Some people bring their work worries and troubles home with them.  This can mean that they are having a hard time dealing with pressure.  They may start to have mood swings or be depressed a lot.  Depression is one of the major symptoms of stress and can be a danger to the person themselves as well as hurting the people who are close to them.

Some people have too many problems at home.  It may be a bad relationship with a partner or child.  This can cause a person to lose sight of what they are doing, making them think they can’t manage one more thing in their lives – these people need to take time out for themselves and relax – even if it is just going for a short walk  to get away from things.  An example is:

I have a dear, dear father living with us.  He is 86 and I have learned so many things from him in the years he has been with us.  But he has been diagnosed with scoleosis and cannot walk or stand for long periods of time.  This makes it hard for him to do even little things – without going into all the details – I just want to say this can be an added stress to daily life  and when you have so many more things on your plate, well, let’s just say it can become very stressful.  The hours in the day are gone before you know it because you have spent your day changing DVD’s, getting lunch, giving medications, etc.  Believe me when I tell you this can be very stressful.  Not that I would change things and send him to a nursing home, but I have learned to handle this stress and so can you.

It is very normal for people to have some form of stress.  It is something that we all have had to deal with and we eventually get through it.  However, there are some that cannot work past it and this can lead to more problems that may become very serious for them later down the road.  This will include a person’s emotional and physical health.

When a person has too much stress, they must find help from a source that they can trust.  This can be a professional, a spouse (if they are not the cause of the stress), or a very dear friend.  It is important to get things under control as soon as possible so that the person will have a chance for a happy and healthy lifestyle.  There are ways to control stress and to get away from those stress-related problems.  But the first thing that must be done is to recognize when you are under too much stress and then get help immediately.

I hope this has given you some insight into how challenging stress can be and if you or someone you know has a problem, maybe it will allow you to understand how important it is to manage it as soon as possible.  It usually does not just go away by itself and I really believe that there is no cure for stress, only a way of managing it.

If you have any other ideas or just want to share please comment below.  I look forward to all comments.  If you haven’t already would you please join my google friend connect so we may all stay in touch.  I will be back with Part II soon.

Anxiety disorders cover a number of disorders, such as panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.  However, all of these medical conditions can lead to even more health and emotional problems, so treatment  may be necessary in a number of areas. 

Depression is a medical condition that may develop. While many people carelessly use the term depression to describe an intense sadness, it is more than just a day of being upset about something. Depression can completely stop you from living your life. If you are worried that you may be depressed,see your doctor immediately.

There are a number of symptoms associated with depression that you may experience. Some of these symptons are loss of appetite, increase in appetite, having no sexual energy, muscle aches and pains, inability to concentrate, feeling afraid or confused, being easily angered, not caring about things you used to love, not being able to pinpoint why you feel sad, hating yourself, and constantly thinking about death.  If you are experiencing three or more of these symptoms on a daily basis, you should see your doctor right away.

In the worse case scenario, depression can lead to thoughts of suicide. If you have thought about killing yourself, even once, you should get help right away. Tell someone you love or call 9-1-1 or a local hotline for support. If you cannot do these things, at least go to a public place. Give yourself some time to think about things before making any decisions.

Remember, depression is a real medical illness. Several million Americans suffer from depression at some point or another, and it can affect any age, gender, race, or religion. Treatment for depression includes medication that inhibit certain receptors in the brain or therapy to help you talk about the things that are making you depressed.

In the end, it is important to realize that there is help and you can feel better. Being depressed is nothing to be ashamed of, it is a medical problem.  Modern medicine makes it possible for you to overcome your depression and your anxiety disorders in order to live a healthy life.  Don’t continue to be unhappy and hurting the people who love you.  Talk about it to someone.