I have submitted many articles on a variety of topics related to anxiety, stress and depression in this blog,  talked about how these mental health problems have personally impacted my life, but quite honestly I have never really delved into the symptoms of depression.   I recently came across a great article that can help you self diagnose if you yourself are experiencing symptoms of depression or perhaps someone close to you.

I am pleased to share this article on the “5 symptoms of Depression” by Cathy Jones and hope if you indeed recognize that you are someone close to you are indeed experiencing depressions symptoms that you use some of the resources on this blog to immediately attack this illness.  To your health,

Terry Poster

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5 Symptoms of Depression

By: Cathy H. Jones

Depression is a serious illness that many times people overlook. They tend to tell someone who is suffering to snap out of it. However, unless you really understand the symptoms of depression and how hopeless the sufferer can feel you can’t help them. This is why it is important for everyone to understand and learn to recognize the symptoms so they can help a loved one who has this painful problem.

Lack of Energy – This is probably one of the most prominent symptoms of depression. Even when someone is mildly depressed they feel lethargic and don’t want to do anything. Sometimes simple chores seem to be too difficult to accomplish. Other times a simple act like making the bed seems like a triumph. The drained feeling that depressed people have is very real. They can’t just perk up and get something done. They truly are exhausted.

Sleep Disorders – Going along with the previous symptom, people who are depressed often have problems with their sleep patterns. They either sleep too much or can’t sleep at all. They will wake frequently during the night or have difficulty falling asleep. There is no set pattern for sleep issues in people with depression, but there are definite disruptions in sleep.

Loss of Interest – Many times, sufferers lose interest in the very things that have brought them joy. Hobbies and interests fall by the way side and don’t appeal to them anymore. Perhaps they just don’t have the energy to participate, or they don’t feel that they are capable.  Loss of interest in hobbies can be a result of other symptoms of depression.

Overwhelming Hopelessness – While this isn’t always a symptom that others can see, we can sometimes detect it when the sufferer talks to us. It seems they have given up on life and themselves. They have feelings of worthlessness and have no hope for the future. When they talk, there is a strong negative current in their conversations as though everything is wrong with the world.

Eating Disorders – Like sleep, eating patterns can be disrupted by depression.  The sufferer may binge eat or they may quit eating all together. They may start to crave salty or sweet foods since they are typically comfort foods.  If you notice a sudden weight gain or loss, your loved one may be suffering from depression.

So now that you know the symptoms of depression how can you help? You need to help your loved one realize that they need to go to the doctor. Now this will not be easy because they usually cannot see the symptoms in themselves. In fact, many depressed people think everyone else has something wrong with them.

Show your friend love and understanding. Be there for them to talk to when they need it. Once you build a strong trust, you can encourage them to seek medical help.  Sometimes just having a shoulder to cry on and someone you can rely on can help someone who has a mild case of depression. Just be there and be a friend. That is the most important thing you can do.

About the Author

Cathy is a freelance writer who enjoys gardening and camping with her family. She loves to work in the garden and uses a folding garden cart for an easy to store garden cart. As an avid gardener, Cathy realizes the importance of a great yard cart to keep her supplies organized while she works!

(ArticlesBase SC #2819615)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – 5 Symptoms of Depression

Let’s face it.  We have all landed that new job, were extremely excited and then something happens.   You start the new job, and maybe everything is what you thought it was going to be.  Unexpected things come your way and your not quite sure how to deal with it, or you don’t know if you can solve the problems that are coming your way and what happens?  You begin to get anxious, depressed and stressed out.   You think thoughts like, “This is nothing like I thought it is going to be, or I can’t do this, or I’ll never be able to figure this out?.”  Does any of this sound familiar.

A new job can be overwhelming and stifling.   I remember back in the late 80’s I started a job and experienced these exact same feelings and I didn’t do anything to manage the stress.  I didn’t nip it in the bud so to speak.  I kept showing up for work, and the anxiety, stress and eventually depression got worse to the point I had to be treated for depression.   It was all fear that I created in my own mind, because this job, turned out to be the best job I ever had in my life.  A job that I thoroughly enjoyed after I go myself together.

Don’t let this happen to you.  If you are starting a new job, sure you will be nervous, and a bit anxious, but realize you were chosen because they found something special about you.  Realize you will make some mistakes along the way, because this is part of the learning process.   It is not a reflection on you.   Think positive thoughts about this job and look into the future and visual yourself performing at a high level with a smile on your face, because you thoroughly enjoy this job.

Positive thinking can help alleviate anxiety, but there are still other things you can do.   I discovered a great program on the internet a few month’s ago that so many people are having a great deal of success with in dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and particularly panic attacks.  The program is called Panic Away.  The success of this program has been so remarkable that I decided to feature it on my blog awhile back.  I sincerely believe in this program and want to share it with everyone that is or has dealt with the horrors of anxiety.

Don’t let fear overcome you and rob you of all that you deserve.  Attack your fear and live the life you were meant to live.   Check out Panic Away today and witness the amazing results for yourself.   You owe it to yourself to have all that life has to offer for you.   To your health,

Terry Poster

A Brief Look on the Causes of Panic Attacks

A Brief Look on the Causes of Panic Attacks

Author: Serena Loo

There are quite a number of causes of panic attacks. In order to know how to stop panic attacks, one should first have an understanding about anxiety disorders.

More than often, the causes of panic attacks are directly related to a person’s behavior and lifestyle. Environmental factors could also become a trigger for panic attacks

It is postulated that some of the causes of panic attacks are already implanted in the genes, meaning that the condition runs in the family. However, this possibility is still under investigation and a lot of research is still going on to find out some more triggers, if there are any.

What are some of the possible causes of panic attacks?

1. There is something called relapse, in which people who have previously experienced such anxiety disorders are predisposed to experience repeated episodes in the future.

2. Stress is another trigger for anxiety disorder. For people who are constantly under stress due to heavy work pressure in their profession or burdening personal commitments, they have higher chances of experiencing an anxiety problem. If you think you belong to one of these groups of people, then it is wise to seek help before stress triggers a panic attack.

3. The feeling of fear is also a cause of panic attack. For example, if you are always afraid of a possible attack on you, it could develop into mental disorders. Other types of fear that can cause panic attacks are such as when you become very nervous about making a speech or presentation in front of a huge crowd.

Nervousness and fear, when become very intense, can transform into nervous disorders. It can be quite dangerous for people who have these kinds of feeling, as they have the tendency to isolate themselves or commit suicide.

4. Excessive usage of antidepressants can also trigger mental disorders. Many people use antidepressants to treat their depression, but without knowing that overusing those drugs can cause them to become dependent on those medications, such that they can’t go through another day without taking those drugs.

This eventually develops into a form of addiction, because the person feels tensed and restless if he doesn’t get his daily dose of medicine. This itself is already another form of mental disorder.

5. Other causes of panic attacks can be related to the lifestyle and diet of a person.

You can learn more about panic attacks and anxiety disorder, and how you can help yourself overcome panic attacks. Check out the best panic attack self help programs available online.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/a-brief-look-on-the-causes-of-panic-attacks-2621712.html

About the Author

Serena is a freelance health writer, who has written for major pharmaceutical and international medical communications companies.

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Panic attacks are a very serious thing and they are affecting people we know and care about all the time.   Anyone that has experienced panic attacks knows what a living hell they are.  I personally started experiencing them in my late 20’s and honest to God I didn’t know what they were, but I knew I was scared, felt messed up, wanted to hide from people and they eventually led to severe depression.

Again, this attacks are nothing to be taken light, but unfortunately friends and family do not know how to cope with a loved one who is experiencing these episodes of horror so you hear things like “snap out of it”, “what’s wrong with you?, just get over it.” etc.  These attacks are emotionally crippling and need to be addressed and conquered.

I am proud to offer this program “Panic Away”, because I know first of all how effective this program is and how many people it has helped, but also know what someone experiencing these attacks is going through and how bad they want to end the horror associated with panic attacks.   If you are someone experiencing panic attacks now or have a friend of loved one experiencing panic attacks, please look at this program and take action.   Life doesn’t have to be a living nightmare.  Be proactive and take charge of your life now and order this program.  We all deserve peace of mind……to your health,   CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE METHOD, SUCCESS STORIES AND TO ORDER TODAY!

Terry Poster

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Everybody suffers from anxiety at some point or another.  It can actually be a useful emotion in helping us to cope with stressful situations. In extreme cases, anxiety can be out of control and interfere with our ability to function normally not only in stressful situations, but everyday living situations,  even if the stress is just manufactured in our minds.

There will always be reasons to feel anxious. All ages experience anxiety. Children feel it in school before a test; even young babies feel it when separated from their mothers. Adults have plenty of opportunities to feel anxious whether it is from a job, job interviews,  finances, romance, or due to being overly  self conscious.

Sometimes anxiety comes about because people have to do something they fear doing. One of the most common anxiety producing experiences  is when it comes to public speaking. Many people fear being in front of the public, either as a speaker or just as someone being singled out or noticed in a crowd.  Believe me, this caused extreme fear, stress and anxiety in my life when I was called upon on to speak.   I had never quite felt quite so anxious about anyone thing in my life as I did about getting up on stage and speaking.  It wasn’t that I didn’t prepare my talks or that I didn’t know what I was talking about, it was plain and simple unfounded fears of failing.   I know I wasn’t alone, and that is why this topic is close to home and I wanted to share with others, the things I did to cope with these unfounded fears.

Do you also have a fear of speaking in public or performing on a stage? If so, you could be suffering from a type of performance anxiety. Do you have any of the following apply to you? If so, you may have performance anxiety.

-Worry about looking foolish in front of other people and being laughed at?

-Worry that people can see how nervous you are?

-Suffer from stage fright if you have to speak in front of others or perform onstage.

-Experience anxiety in advance of the event simply from anticipating your fears.  It would hit me about a week before going on stage and that week would be a night of restfulness and horror.  Is that you?

-Feel immediate and intense fear upon learning you need to perform in public.

-Attempt to get out of public performances or not show up if you can’t get out of it.

-Missed out on opportunities because of your fear of being in the public spotlight.  

I look back now on all the missed opportunities to do more and be more that I let get away, and I could kick myself for not doing something about it sooner.

Performance anxiety is actually all in the mind of the sufferer. After all, not everyone fears going on stage, there is no danger in doing so. The fear comes from imagined dangers such as feeling like you are not smart enough or good enough to avoid ridicule. So the way to overcome your performance anxiety is to change your way of thinking.

There are four steps involved in overcoming performance anxiety. Let’s take a look at them below.

Step one: Self Assessment

-Get to know yourself, both as a person and as a performer.

-Identify the problem thoughts that are holding you back and creating anxiety.

- If it helps, set up your audience by saying something like, “I realize that I am not a great speaker, but I come up here, because I feel I have something to offer and I hope you can bear with my nervousness as I get through this.

Step two: Exposure and Preparation

-Find opportunities for limited performance exposure but not to the point your anxiety kicks in.

-Practice your speech or performance. Tape it and watch yourself. Practice until you have it down pat. Always be totally prepared before giving your performance so you feel confident.

-Learn relaxation techniques and practice them right before your performance.  Deep breathing 3-5 minutes several times per day helps greatly.

Step three: The Performance

-Visualize the audience as friends and family that wish you well.

-Don’t think of yourself. Think of the audience and what you have to offer them.  Remember someone thought enough of you that they asked you to share.

-Stay calm and enjoy yourself.

Step four: After the Performance

-Don’t criticize yourself no matter what happens.

-Congratulate yourself for doing your best.

-Reward yourself for making progress

Train yourself to change your thoughts and instead of worrying about what people will think, just go ahead and imagine they are thinking good things about you. Imagine yourself as self confident and thoroughly capable of completing the performance. As you change your thinking, you will see your performance anxiety start to slip away.

The more you practice these techniques and the more opportunities you have to perform and hon your skills, the more comfortable you will become to the point where you will look back and think, “how silly was I to have feared this, which give me so much pleasure.” 

To your health,

Terry Poster

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