No More Stress Monthly

April, 2007

The No More Stress Monthly is a newsletter that provides featured articles on depression prevention, proper anxiety treatment techniques, reviews of natural depression treatments, interviews with psychologists, and information on both adult depression and teen depression, stress, and anxiety. The No More Stress Monthly is brought to you by Stress-Anxiety-Depression.org.

Symptoms of Depression

By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN

Everybody has low days when they feel a bit blue or not quite themselves. It's perfectly normal to get depressed now and then, especially when life throws you something that’s hard to swallow. But for some people, depression becomes a way of life, affecting their thoughts, their mood, and their ability to enjoy life. If left untreated, the sufferer can remain depressed for weeks, months, or even years. But the good news is that depression can be treated. The first step is to recognize the symptoms of depression. The second step is to seek help.

Classic Symptoms of Depression

Depression affects your mind, your body, and can disrupt your daily activities.The following symptoms are the most common symptoms of depression. Your health care provider will look for these symptoms when trying to diagnose your condition. If you experience at least five of these major symptoms in the same two-week period, it’s likely that you’re suffering from a major depressive episode.

Changes in Mood or Personality

People who suffer from depression generally have feelings of extreme sadness or despair. It may be difficult or even impossible for them to find pleasure in their daily lives. They may also experience a marked lack of confidence or feelings of guilt and worthlessness, or they may become more irritable or tense than normal.

Appetite Changes

Changes in appetite are a common symptom of depression. Typically, people who are depressed experience a decreased appetite. However, depression may also cause excessive appetite, overeating and weight gain.

Sleep Disorders

People who suffer from depression may also suffer from insomnia, difficulty staying asleep or frequent nightmares. Other individuals complain of sleeping too much as a result of their depression. However, those who wake up after only a few hours sleep and are unable to fall asleep again (terminal insomnia) tend to have the most severe depression.

Lack of Energy

Depression often saps the energy out of a person. It’s common for people who suffer from this condition to report that their energy levels low and that they tire too easily. The decrease in appetite and sleep disorders associated with depression can further deplete their already reduced energy levels.

Lack of Sexual Desire

Low sex drive, impotence, and inability to experience an organism are all common symptoms of depression.

Difficulty concentrating

Depression affects the both memory and mental clarity, which in turn inhibits the sufferer’s ability to work or perform daily tasks efficiently. In severe cases, depressed individuals are unable to even watch television comprehensively.

Physical Illnesses

Many people fail to recognize their depression for what it is. Instead, they may complain of various physical illnesses such as indigestion, heartburn, chronic fatigue, headaches, or joint pain without ever making mention of a low mood or sadness.

Psychotic Symptoms

In very severe cases of depression the sufferer may experience psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. Often, the psychotic symptoms have depressive themes, such as an unshakable belief that one is totally worthless. Some severely depressed patients may even hear voices telling them to kill or hurt themselves.

Male vs. Female: Gender Differences and Depression

Even though men and women experience similar symptoms of depression, they often perceive these symptoms quite differently. For instance, women are more likely than men to notice that they feel tired all of the time. Women also have a higher incidence of low self-esteem, helplessness, difficulty concentrating, and hopelessness. While men on the other hand, may notice that they’ve become inefficient at work, or losing their sexual desire.

Men are more reluctant than women are to admit when they’re depressed. Men often perceive depression as "weak," and "not manly." But women have difficulty with stigmatization, and also find it difficult to ask for help. Many people attributed hormones or menstruation as the cause when a woman claims that she feels depressed. Indeed, half of all women surveyed by the National Mental Health Association cite embarrassment or shame as barriers to seeking treatment.

Treating Depression

The first step to getting appropriate treatment for depression is to seek help from a qualified natural health care professional. Your doctor or therapist will evaluate your medical and physical condition in order to determine the type and severity of your depression. A good diagnostic evaluation should include a complete history of your symptoms, as well as an evaluation of alcohol and drug use, as well as any suicidal thoughts. The diagnostic evaluation should also include a thorough mental status examination to determine if speech, thought patterns or memory have been affected by the condition. Your health care provider will then likely prescribe a course of treatment utilizing natural medication or therapy or a combination of the two.

The most important thing to remember about depression is that HELP IS AVAILABLE. By seeking support from friends, family, and your health care provider, you can treat depression and enjoy your life again!

Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. Look for the product “Relaxyn” (a natural alternative to prescription anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds) to be released in late 2006. For more information, please visit the Web's best resource on stress, anxiety and depression at www.stress-anxiety-depression.org or www.ghchealth.com.