Find All About Depression Cycle Break

We all have bad days and the ups and downs of daily living can really wear us out. Sometimes, we notice that we are having more down times than up, and the feelings of sadness or hopelessness can begin to dominate our outlook.

Here are Basic sighs and symptoms of depression:

--Having no energy
--Feeling cranky and irritable
--Feeling sad
--Feelings of hopelessness
--Feeling empty inside
--Crying a lot
--You feel like crying, but you can't
--No joy in your life
--You can't concentrate
--Sleeping too much
--Change in your eating habits
--Thoughts of death or suicide

- Note: if you are in immediate crisis, or seriously considering suicide, you should go to the nearest emergency room or phone for help.

If you have several of these symptoms and feel down for more than two weeks, you might be experiencing depression.

Depression can range from normal, mild “ups and downs” to severe depression that lasts a long time. Women are more than twice as likely to experience depression as men. When we feel lethargic and sad, our partners and children notice. This change in mood can affect our job performance as well.

Some people have good results using natural or homeopathic remedies for treating depressive symptoms. If you think you might have depression, consult with your doctor to see if a natural supplement or depression medication might be suitable for treating your symptoms.

Most physicians recommend therapy along with a supplement or medication. A therapist can help you understand the roots of your depression. Additionally, you can learn some basic strategies for easing your depressive symptoms.

Bringing a new baby into the world should be one of life’s most precious experiences. Unfortunately, for mothers affected by Postpartum depression, what follows may feel more like a nightmare. You brought home a “bundle of joy” but didn’t anticipate the distressing feelings you are now experiencing.

Pregnancy and childbirth are attenuated by physical and psychological stresses that can affect not only a woman’s body but also her mental health. These factors can result in either the baby blues, which, it is estimated affects up to 70% of new mothers, Postpartum depression, that occurs in one in 10 cases or, in the worst scenario, an even more troubling disorder called postpartum psychosis (where the mother is at risk of harming either herself or her infant). Thankfully, this third category is rare.

Depression has many faces and each woman’s experience will be different; however, emotional well being and physical functioning will be compromised. Trying to focus and remember or attempting to make decisions may be difficult. Lack of energy and motivation can be accompanied by irritability and restlessness, feeling agitated and anxious. A mother suffering from Postpartum depression may believe she’s facing an uphill battle, feeling ashamed and guilt-ridden, isolated by feelings she has little control over. She may feel terrible sadness and suffer from uncontrollable crying spells, then feeling overwhelmed, withdraw from friends and family. In addition, physical problems may be distressing and hard to cope with. Appetite and sleep problems may interfere with functioning and contribute to fatigue and exhaustion, accompanied by hyperventilation, heart palpitations (skipping or rapid beats), and chest pains. Imagine trying to grapple with all of the foregoing and then attempting to meet your child’s emotional needs!

Childbirth affects a woman’s body in particular ways. Chemical changes have taken place during and after pregnancy. Hormonal changes may have led to chemical imbalances in the brain. Because Postpartum depression can seriously impact on daily life, family relationships, and more importantly, on a mother’s precious relationship with her infant, it is imperative that treatment is sought.

Treatment will be focused on relieving symptoms and correcting imbalances, and different treatment options are available. Conventional methods will employ talk and group therapies, helpful in gaining an understanding about how and why you have been affected. These aid in changing thinking patterns and in developing effective coping strategies. Antidepressant medication may be administered in conjunction with cognitive and behavioral approaches to relieve symptoms of Postpartum depression. Nursing mothers may be concerned about substances they take into their bodies and possible transmission that may prove harmful to their infant. Research indicates that psychotropic medications are secreted into breast milk; however, adverse effects in infants appear to be relatively low. If you have concerns, these should be discussed with your doctor.

For those interested in exploring other treatment options for Postpartum depression, natural remedies offer safe and effective alternatives. Natural supplements include herbal extracts such as black cohosh and chaste tree berry which may relieve irritability and sleep disturbances, vertigo and headaches, heart palpitations, anxiety, and depression. Essential minerals like calcium and magnesium help alleviate physical and emotional stress. Valerian is well known for its effectiveness in helping to reduce anxiety and sleep disorders. It has been used for mood disorders, including depression. Chamomile aids digestion and reduces anxiety. Natural supplements include beneficial vitamins and minerals, amino acids, enzymes, specialty supplements and additional herbal extracts. All of these ingredients provide potent and effective relief.

With the options available today, mothers and their babies don’t have to suffer the effects of Postpartum depression. Each person is different and will choose a treatment they feel is of the most benefit.

Natural supplements provide a flexible, safe, and effective alternative when Postpartum depression impacts your functioning, your relationships, and your well being.

Natural remedies are gaining in popularity as a viable treatment option and can be turned to when seeking treatment for Postpartum depression.

If you are suffering the effects of Postpartum depression, you don't have to go it alone. With the help and hope that modern treatments provide, you'll find that your "new arrival" really is a bundle of joy!

Depression is more than a gloomy and terrifying disorder; it can be lethal. Therefore, anyone with moderate to severe depression requires vigorous treatment immediately. There are many different depression medications. These same antidepressants can also help treat panic disorder, other anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and attention deficit disorder.

Depression has been linked to a shortage of any one of four different neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine or epinephrine. Depression medications are designed to correct neurotransmitter shortages by increasing the body’s supply of one or more of these important brain chemicals.


There are three main classes of depression medications:


-Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)

increase brain norepinephrine levels. From the 1960s through the 1980s, TCAs were the first line treatment for major depression in the U.S. – Today however, TCAs are generally used as the second or third line therapies. Side effects from this depression medication include dry mouth, sleepiness, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (scarring or thickening of deep lung tissue), weight gain, blurred vision, constipation, fast or irregular heartbeat, bladder weakness, tremors, and dizziness. Brand name drugs in this class are Tofranil, Desipramine, Doxepin, and Elavil.


- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAO)

Is an enzyme that breaks down three important neurotransmitters. Norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. MAOIs have been largely replaced by SSRIs, although many patients with major depression who do not respond to TCAs improve with MAOIs. Depressed patients with specific symptoms like sleeping too much, over-eating for long periods of time, rejection sensitivity, and panic attacks, may get the best results with MAOIs. MAOIs are also effective treatments for panic disorder and bipolar depression. Side effects from this depression medication includes tremors, edema, dizziness, constipation, sleepiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, increased blood pressure, and fast or irregular heartbeat. Brand name drugs in this class are, Parnate, Nardil, and Marphan.


- Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Are the newest of the three main classes of depression medications. They prevent the reabsorption of serotonin from the synapse where neighboring brain cells communicate. SSRIs are the current depression medication of choice because of their limited side effects, although they may cause insomnia, agitation, headache, nausea, and diarrhea. Brand name drugs in this class are, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Lexapro.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that taking a pill is the easy way out. While a medication may take away symptoms of a disease – it does not cure the problem, and often creates a completely new array of side effects. It is important to discover the root of the problem and treat it in a way that can bring lasting relief. In attacking depression, lifestyle measures should be your first line of defense.

Herbs or depression medications should be a last line of defense.

Right at the outset a misconception must be cleared out. In women going through amid life crisis, their approaching menopause is not the cause of all the mood swings and depressions that she undergoes. On the contrary, it is a fluctuation in quantities of estrogen secreted by the hormonal glands that causes such an emotional overhaul. This can be a difficult time for a woman. And this fluctuation of the hormone levels occurs more in women than in men, and therefore women may face twice as many emotional problems as men would. In case one has a family history of such a condition, the levels of depression may also depend on that.

Another misconception that comes with the onset of menopause is that depression is a normal thing during these phases. Yes, it is normal, but it need not necessarily occur. The depression levels can be easily controlled if one accepts the various alterations that are happening within the human body. Menopause or the dropping of the estrogen levels does not directly cause mood swings or depression. On the contrary, it is the inability to cope up with such changes that leads to such a mental condition.

Some of the symptoms to look out during the menopause are:

* anxiety
* irritability
* changes in body temperature
* sleeping problems
* tiredness due to weakening of bones
* mental fatigue
* forgetfulness

However, all of the above are just the resultant manifestations of the actually menopausal onset. Once a woman enters her mid thirties to mid forties the ovaries produced by the womb decrease considerably. Ovulation becomes erratic as a result of which the monthly menstrual cycle also fluctuates from the normal time period.

Many women who undergo severe depression during this time do so because they are unable to understand the changes within their body. The body had been used to a particular pattern for about 25 to 30 years of a woman's life. Now suddenly the disruption of such a routine pattern may result in anxiety. This inevitably leads to a feeling of hopelessness of approaching old age. This is what leads to depression.

Even though a positive mental outlook and taking the changes in one's stride can go a long way in countering such a condition, medical help must be sought in case the problem persists or aggravates. Problems related to the heart and bones are most commonly prevalent during menopause. The prescription of anti depressants by doctors and the undergoing of the hormone replacement therapies are the two most common approaches taken to cure such symptoms.

Many people are no strangers to depression and anxiety. At some point in their lives, they would have experienced a feeling of emptiness or loneliness, which clinically can be diagnosed as depression and severe anxiety. People are more prone to experience depression and severe anxiety as compared to other psychological disorders.

It is a good thing that depression has already been clinically diagnosed and categorized with a list of symptoms and causes, which means that treatment programs have already been developed for it.

To get a clear idea about comparison of depression and severe anxiety follow this :

• Depression Symptoms
• Anxiety Symptoms
• The Relation Between Depression and Severe Anxiety
• Medication For Both Depression and Severe Anxiety

To get a clearer idea about depression you should read its symptoms clearly as

• The feeling of sadness or emptiness that seems to overwhelm the person.
• Loss of focus.
• Mental and physical fatigue.
• Insomnia and other disturbed-sleep patterns.
• A noticeable change in appetite or loss of weight.
• Feelings of guilt,nervousness and other similar emotions at an intense level.

Anxiety symptoms can be differentiated from Depression symptoms by its manifestations as :

• Heart palpitations.
• A feeling of choking leading to a sense of shortness of breath.
• Nausea and dizziness.
• Losing a sense of reality.
• Trembling and sweating.
• Chest pain.
• Numbness and tingling sensations.
• Hot flushes or chills.

Studies have shown that about 58% of those people who suffer from depression also show symptoms of anxiety disorder. Because of the resemblance of symptoms, experts oftentimes agree that depression and severe anxiety occur at the same time. The level of the depression and severe anxiety is what makes the difference. There are currently two clinical terms used for when depression and severe anxiety merge with each other:

1. Agitated depression is anxiety depression characterized with heightened restlessness, insomnia, panic, a general sense of doom and suicide. It is actually a form of depression that presents itself as an anxiety.

2. Akathitic depression is anxiety depression characterized with suicide tendencies without symptoms of panic.

Because of the sometimes merging of these two psychological illnesses, medical experts agree that psychologists should take into consideration the presence of the symptoms of both depression and anxiety to have a more accurate diagnosis.

The overlapping symptoms of both depression and anxiety result in a similarity in prescribing medication or solutions for treatment programs. Antidepressant drugs are oftentimes considered for anxiety cases. Patients with anxiety attacks should not be worried by the prescription of these antidepressant drugs because the drugs are taken to improve the symptoms, which both illnesses have in common.

Talk therapy is also used in both depression and severe anxiety cases, though talk therapies used for the treatment of depression may be different from those used for the treatment of anxiety.

Acupuncture is also one of those alternative treatments that can be used for the treatment programs for depression and severe anxiety. The Chinese art of acupuncture can be used to calm and relax the nerves, which is very important for the treatment of both of these related disorders.

Depression signifies a great time of deep transition. If you are depressed, it is natural to want the pain to end. However, consider the idea that perhaps your pain is necessary. You feel the heartache, the loneliness, the despair of your life. For a while, perhaps your pain needs to run its course. It may just be a natural outcome of wanting to evolve and live your life differently, but at the same time being terrified, uncertain, and grieving for what you must let go in order to move forward.

At some point during your depression you will arrive at a decision making point. You can decide to release certain beliefs, adopt new ways of believing, and move forward with the new experiences your life will bring. Alternatively, you could decide to remain in your suffering for a long time. A third choice exists and that is to end your life as a way of ending the painful conflict. There is no right choice to make. It is your life and you must choose what feels right for you, not only in your mind and emotions, but also in your heart and soul.

Depression is a time of big change, a time of choosing if we dare release the beliefs that have kept us alive, surviving, and conformed. Depression is a time of questioning the foundational beliefs we hold. This is not a bad thing. Yet, when we question deeply held beliefs the problem lies in the fact that we temporarily lose safety, meaning, and purpose of life. Leaving something behind and moving into something unknown can cause different reactions for different people. Some people sail more easily through change, but most of us tend to go kicking and screaming. Indeed, when great change is upon us, for many people the experience will turn into a period of great depression.

Depression involves an interim of releasing old ways of believing yet we have not yet embodied new beliefs or new life skills. Depression, and thoughts of suicide, happen when we are in turmoil, caught between the end of an old way of living and a terrifying desire to live in a new way. In this transition, we cannot feel the joy of being alive. Internal anxiety rises and there is nothing we can do to run or hide from the conscious realization that we feel alone. We feel lethargic, powerless, and trapped. It seems as if the pain exceeds our capacity to deal with it.

The first step for breaking the cycle is accepting depression. If you are struggling with depression, you may have tried countless therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, energy healers, self-help books, and programs. You may have practiced the power of positive thinking, studied the law of attraction, practiced meditation, or looked into religion for you answers. Through all these strategies, you have been at war with your depression, doing everything within your power to get rid of it.

Pharmaceutical companies try to convince us that depression is an illness caused by an imbalance in brain chemicals. If we simply take medication, we can quickly get back to feeling better again. If only the answer were so simple. Perhaps there is a gift beyond depression that can only unfold if you first accept your experience instead of trying so hard to make it disappear.

There are many symptoms of depression depending on type of depression and its origin, age and gender take a great part in this symptoms but in general it include :


• Depressed mood for most of the day
• Persistent sad or "empty" feelings
• Loss of appetite or loss of weight
• Eating more than usual and gaining weight
• Trouble sleeping, insomnia, or oversleeping
• Anxiety
• Feeling tired all the time or finding everything is an effort
• Not caring anymore about work, hobbies, friends, or sexual activity
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly, or indecisiveness
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Excessive or inappropriate guilt
• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts


Problems people experience during a clinical depression include:

• Frequently feeling on the verge of tears
• Waking up early in the morning, with difficulty returning to sleep
• Feeling worse in the morning
• Feeling anxious or irritable
• A gloomy view of the future
• Physical pain or headaches
• Cravings for certain foods

Generally if you experience this symptoms thats don't necessarily indicate you must have depression, instead you should take it further to eliminate this factors