Depression Non-drug treatments

Cognitive- Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a type of talking treatment. It is based on the fact that the way we feel is partly dependent on the way we think about events (cognition). It also stresses the importance of behaving in ways which challenge negative thoughts and unhelpful beliefs. CBT aims to help you examine some of the beliefs you hold about yourself, often as a result of early experiences – such as 'I am worthless'. Although it may sound like common sense, CBT is not just positive thinking.
If you are depressed, a CBT therapist will carry out an individual assessment and use questions and exercises to help you see your situation in different ways and to build up coping skills.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Interpersonal therapy focuses on your relationships and on problems such as difficulties in communication, or coping with bereavement. There is some evidence that IPT can be as effective as medication or CBT but more research is needed.

Counselling

Counsellors are trained to help you think about the problems you are experiencing in your life and find new ways of coping with difficulties. They give support and help you find your own solutions, rather than offering advice or treatment, but some counsellors also use some of the techniques from talking therapies such as CBT.

Coping with mild to moderate Depression

There are a number of things you can do for yourself which can help you cope with mild episodes of depression, or reduce your risk of becoming seriously depressed.

Social Support
Having someone to turn to for support is very important when coping with difficulties. Some people build up a strong network of friends and relatives whom they can talk to, but others may become isolated, particularly if they have no employment or other activity outside the home. People who are already depressed usually find it very difficult to be sociable, and this can make them feel worse. So having someone to support you in a crisis or when things are difficult can reduce your risk of becoming depressed.

Activity & Exercise
If you are physically active or take regular exercise you may benefit from changes in your brain chemicals which affect mood, and from the feeling that you are actively doing something to improve your life. Exercise and activity can also bring important social contact if you are isolated. Outdoor activity seems to be particularly important in staving off depression for older men.

Diet
A healthy diet is important in reducing the risk of depression.
In particular, drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs will make you feel worse in the long-term. Some recent research has suggested that people who are depressed may benefit from eating more oily fish, such as sardines, or from taking fish oil supplements, alongside their prescribed medication. However further research into this is needed.



Taking Control
One aspect of depression is the feeling that, whatever you do, you cannot improve your situation. An important step is to find situations or activities where you can feel that you have some control over your life instead of feeling hopeless. Setting yourself small manageable goals can give you a sense of achievement and make you feel better. Older people in particular may feel that they are no longer valued as employees or needed as parents. Helping other people – for example through voluntary work – is one good way of feeling useful and valued.

What causes depression?

There are many possible causes of depression. You may have an increased risk of experiencing depression because of your particular biological make-up. On the other hand, depression is also related to what is happening in your life, and the kind of support you receive from others.

Inheritance
There is some evidence that depression seems to run in families, but there is no single gene which causes depression.
A family history of depression may increase the risk, but this may be because of difficulties the family has in coping, and it certainly does not mean that depression is inevitable.

Changes in the brain
We know that depression is associated with changes in the activity of certain brain chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, which affect our mood and thinking. These chemicals, such as serotonin, are also affected by factors such as activity and exercise.

Childhood experiences
Past experiences which may be difficult or traumatic, such as losing a parent when very young, can affect your ability to cope with difficult situations. Children who experience abuse or lack of affection are also more at risk of experiencing depression in later life.

Stress
An episode of depression can be ‘triggered’ by stressful things that happen in our lives, particularly events involving a loss of some kind - such as unemployment, leaving home, death of a family member or friend.

Styles of thinking and coping
People who are depressed tend to think about bad experiences in ways that make them even more difficult to manage. If you have had bad experiences in the past, which you were unable to control, you may develop a ‘hopeless’ way of thinking.
Feeling ‘trapped’ in a difficult situation or experiencing a feeling of humiliation can also lead to negative thinking and depression.

Health & illness
We all tend to feel miserable when we are ill. But long-term health problems, which prevent someone from leading their usual life, may lead to depression.

Kinds of depression

The following are some specific types of depression which have been identified.

Bipolar disorder (Manic depression)
A diagnosis of bipolar disorder means that you have both ‘high’ and ‘low’ mood swings, along with changes in thoughts, emotions and physical health. The mood swings are normally more extreme than everyday ups and downs.



Post-natal Depression
About 10 to 15 per cent of women experience post-natal depression in the first year after having a baby. They may be unusually tearful, anxious or irritable, and may also find it difficult to play with their babies and respond positively to them.



Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Some people describe feeling depressed regularly at certain times of the year. A key feature of this kind of depression is the desire to sleep more and eat carbohydrate foods. Usually this kind of depression starts in the autumn or winter, when daylight is reduced.



Next Post will be: "What causes depression?"

Depression key symptoms

How do you can decide whether you are responding normally to difficult times, or have become depressed?

Professionals look for the following key symptoms when deciding if you are depressed.

1- Depressed or irritable mood most of the day, nearly every day
2- Loss of interest or pleasure
3- Changes in weight or appetite
4- Sleep problems
5- Agitation
6- Tiredness and loss of energy
7- Feeling guilty or worthless
8- Difficulty in concentrating or making decisions
9- Thoughts of death or suicide

You are likely to receive a diagnosis of depression if you experience at least five of these symptoms over a two-week period. However, the most important signs are depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, or a loss of interest or pleasure in things you previously enjoyed.
People have different patterns of depression; for example some people are severely depressed for a relatively short time while others have milder depression over a number of years.

I'll write about kinds of depression in next post, don't miss it.

Do you suffer from depression? What is depression?

The word depression is used to describe a range of moods from low spirits to a severe problem that interferes with everyday life. The experience of depression is an overwhelming feeling which can make you feel quite unable to cope, and hopeless about the future. If you are depressed your appetite may change and you may have difficulty sleeping or getting up. You may feel overwhelmed by guilt, and may even find yourself thinking about death or suicide. There is often an overlap between anxiety and depression, in that if you are depressed you may also become anxious or agitated.



How can people with depression get help?

The first step is to be honest with yourself: your sadness or unhappiness is interfering with your everyday life. While relatives and friends can often help you through 'bad patches', severe depression needs professional help. That doesn't mean you shouldn't tell people close to you what is going on if you can - it will help them to know, and their ongoing support can be very valuable.
Some employers are sympathetic to those with mental health problems, although others may worry about the effects on your work and that you may need to take time off.

Next post will be about "How do you can decide whether you are responding normally to difficult times, or have become depressed?"

24 Ways to motivate yourself

These ways listed by the leadership center at washington state university.

• Put your plans on paper. Spell out your goals and ways to reach them.
• Be specific. The advice you give yourself must be such that you can put it into practice.
• Break the task down into small pieces so that you can handle them easily.
• Establish checkpoints on your progress as well as rewards.
• Remind yourself of the benefits you expect from your tasks completion.
• Avoid temptations and circumstances that might sidetrack you.
• Recognize your limitations. Don’t set unrealistic goals.
• Take advantage of your own energy peaks!
• Use negative motivation. Remind yourself of the consequences of inaction.
• Keep a time-control budget. Don’t let one task take control over others.
• Set deadlines and hold yourself to them.
• Make an honest distinction between “I can’t” and “I don’t want to”.
• Get started now. Don’t stall.
• Improve your self-persuasion ability. Learn the difference between reasoning and
rationalizing.
• Be optimistic. Your chances for success will increase.
• Decide how you want to start, what needs to be done first.
• Read, especially literature related to your situation.
• Use self-signaling devices – notes, signs, cues, reminders.
• Promise yourself rewards.
• Use the stimulation provided by good news to do extra work.
• Recognize conflicts and make a choice.
• Give yourself the right to make mistakes. No one is perfect.
• Exercise your sense of humor. Laughter indicates a realistic point of view.

Costly solutions and simple solutions

There is a big difference between the focusing on the problem and concentrate on solving the problem, There is also a costly solution and another simple solution to solve the problem.

Example 1:
While the NASA space flights starting in the processing of outer space they faced a big problem, this problem is the astronauts will not be able to write with pens because the lack of gravity, this means the ink will not fall from the pen on paper in any way, what they will do to resolve this problem?

To resolve the problem:
they do studies continued for about 10 years, and cost more than $12 million to develop a pen, it could write in the absence of gravity, write on smooth surface Even crystal, and also write in temperatures up to 300 degrees Celsius.

Workaround:
When Russians faced the same problem, they simply decided to use pencils as a substitute for pens.

Example 2:
One of Japan soap large manufacturers faced a big problem, the problem was the blank boxes that have not packed with soap because an error in the packaging, what they do to detect the blank boxes?

To resolve the problem:
The Japanese make a device work with X-ray to detect the soap inside
boxes and they appointment new workers to remove blank boxes that dectected by the device.

Workaround:
In another smaller plant when they faced the same problem, they have brought an electronic fan and control the power to suit the weight of the blank boxes and put it to front of product line in Delivery section, so the blank will fall on its own by the rush of air.

Logical consequence
"Look to the problem solving without looking to the problem itself".

Think about the simplest solution.

Start life changing from here

Sit in a quiet place twice a day: morning and evening and declined to speak, feel what is happening around you.

Look at the sunset. Or hear trickling water, or smell the roses go into the nature around you and feel life flowing in everything, creating an endless creative.

Start your day by saying that you will not judge on anything happening around you today.

Give people around you a smile or a flower or a prayer. Your smile lead your brother to the delight and joy.

Accept the kindness, respection and love of others and in turn give them kindness, respection and love, even if it were made in silence, those things show through your actions.

"You should know that the best way to prepare for a bright future is to be fully aware of present".

Ask yourself before you take any decision, will you achieve the results of this decision and give satisfaction for you and all around of you?.

Accept events as they are and not as you like, carry the responsibility by yourself at your own risk.

Know that every hardship carries the convenience and the opportunity to change your life to the better.

Trust in life and know that you don't need to defend your point of view about things, you don't need to convince others to accept your outlook on life.

Open your heart for each point of view without being adhered to it, becuase all roads are true for its owners, there is no way is better than the other, but all ways are true depending on the time and place and the psychological state.

haven't you seen that you sometimes laugh at yourself because you behave a certain way and now you see clearly that this way is not right for you.

Your way is the best for you in this time, this place and your current mental, if one of those three factors changed you need to search for another way, if you do not do that you will live in decline and struggle with yourself, your way that was the best for you, it will be burden and an obstacle to arriving to your goal.

Live permanently with a sense that things are not fixed and you are safe in this sense there is nothing fixed, but everything is moving and changing in every moment.

Feel that every problem has a solution and every difficulty is transform to the ease, or to opportunities for change, this mystery of life.

Acquire a distinct personality

Decided to change:

• To begin the change you must first take the decision, and then start to change the way you think, and how your reaction to others.

• If you want to succeed in your life you must be controll your behavior, and control the emotions, and restrain yourself and do not get angry, if you was able to do so, you can take control of your life, and achieve the desired success, don't forget "You make your life by your hands".

How to change:

Adjust your temper and emotions and control on your reaction and do not leave others playing with your day as they please, and do not be from the party who is pessimistic , if they met by a person who do a bad behavior, convert their day to hell .

1. Place your disadvantages that you suffered, and write how much losses you get it from it, and imagine how much suffering and pain felt by a number of times?!

2. Put the benefits that accrue when you stop this habit, imagine yourself, you have changed and reap the benefits, you see yourself in your own new live in the excitement of the great victory, Remember that you do not need anything except the decision.

3. Start now to learn skills that prepare you to overcome your problem

4. Find new ways and begin immediate in implementation.

5. If you want to have a chance, you should take the opportunity from the first problem, because the great people get opportunity and challenge in every problem, and failures people find the problem and a crisis at every opportunity.

Wisdom in the art of happiness and pleasure

- If you delighting yourself you will delighting people around you.

- Life is a short sunrise and sunset, why you don't make the sunrise for a smile and work, and sunset for a rest and calm.

- Two things in your life only two: either to always be optimistic, or pessimistic, you have the choice.

- Crying does not restore the dead to life, but good praise and prayer bring him back .

- The optimist one is the only person who lives happy in any place.

- Live within the limits of your day, neither past with its pain and joy will bring you a smile or a tear, nor the future .

- Everything in life is shattered and eliminated only the light seeks to recognize the beauty of life.

- My friend I am not responsible for the happiness of others, you only the one who will make yourself happy.

- Do not miss the great opportunity, you can be stuck to it.

- Change does not start from the inside only .. Rather it starts from the conviction and strength of will.

- Lamp does not have a meaning only if afflicted by the hardships of darkness .

The simple steps

People often underestimate the simple steps, They see that these steps are not large enough and will not achieve its purpose, They also fear from others to perceived them weakness, a lot of people are too frightened to take simple steps to make them do not do anything in the end.

If success was easy we will all be successful, successful strategies may be simple but may not always be an easy thing.

Richard Carlson say "A lot of people have asked me about the best way to write a book and my answer was: You just have to start writing without having to wait, even if the result is Only write a one paragraph this is better than nothing ".

See the child is walking in a small steps and after a few years you will not be able to catch him.

We repeat much with ourselves, I can not start saving now I do not have enough money now, While one of the wealthy say: I started my fortune with a ten dollars only.

In order to be successful you must focus on what you can do and not on what you can not do and you should just start with a simple step to begin .

In the Proverbs say "a thousand mile journey starts with a step "

list of failure excuses

If I did not have a wife and family ...

If Ireceived adequate assistance ...

If I had a money ...

If I had a good education ...

If my health was good ...

If I have enough time ...

If times were better ...

If others understand me ...

If the conditions were different around me ...

If I live my life again ...

If I given the right opportunity ...

If I have the right opportunity now ...

If I was younger ...

If I was born rich ...

If I met the right people ...

If people did not cause me stress and discomfort ...

If I could save some money ...

if my family understand me ...

If I live in a big city ...

If my talents were a well-known ...

and more ..................

The best treatment of excuses is to say that if I had the courage to see myself and know what is my flaw then i'll have the opportunity to benefit from my mistakes and learn something through the experience of others because I know that I have a flaw.

If I spent more time to analyze my weaknesses and less time for the installation of excuses to cover these weaknesses.

How to live happy ?

In fact, there is no time to be happy better than now.

If not now, then when?

Your life always full of challenges, Therefore, it is best to decide living happily Despite all the challenges.

It was always seems that the real life is about to begin, But every time there was a plight should Exceeded, Obstacle in the way must be passed, Work to be done, Debt must be paid, time must be spent to begin life.

But finally I began to understand that these things were the Life.
This view helped me later to understand that there no path to happiness, Happiness is the way, you should enjoy every moment.

Do not wait to lose your weight a little, or to increase your weight a little, to start new job, to marry, to reach the end of work hours, or weekend, To get a new car, New furniture, spring come or summer or autumn or winter, end of the month , or vacation period, To die, or be born again ...... To be happy.

Happiness is a journey not a destination, No better time to be happy more than now, Live and enjoy the present moment.

The most important matter in this life is to help others to succeed and win, Even if this means that slowed and look back and change the direction of our race, If we sent these words to others may help us to change our hearts and the hearts of others.

Enjoy with anything with you or around you, no matter how it trivial or a little

Enjoy it.

Do not wait for the right time ....

There is not an appropriate time. .

Do what you believe.

Success through positive thinking

Success requires that the human being optimistic, and have a positive idea, in the sense to look at the bright aspects of life, and avoid pessimism and depressing thought

• Success requires that everyone have specific objectives.


• Achieving success requires to do the best and do not know the despair, Insisting an essential element in the equation of success.
  
• Human must used to think accurate to achieve his objectives and aspirations, many people live in the muddled thinking that appears in the wrong conclusions.
  
• Success is requiring that you believe in your abilities to achieve it, and without that the success is impossible.
  
• You can not achieve success alone so, you need to build a relationship with a group of people share you the same goals.


• Success requires you to be initiative.


• Enthusiasm is an essential element to achieve success, the man who haven't the enthusiasm can't achieve anything.


• Who want to succeed must learn well from his failures to be more deeper.


• Time management is an important element in achieving success.

Magic words for success

It is not your fault to born poor but it is yours to die poor ......

if you have not any problem in one day, know that you in the wrong way ......

three phrases to get success:
1. learn more than anyone
2. work more than anyone
3. estimate to get lower than anyone

If you win in one day you not need to say why you win, but if you lose it is better to not be there to justify it ......

Do not compare yourself with anyone in the world, if you do that, you insult yourself ......

Winning does not always mean you're the first, but it means you're better than before ......

would not say I failed 1000 times, But I discovered that there are 1000 lead to failure ......

Everyone is thinking of changing the world, but no one is thinking of changing himself ......

To believe that everyone is dangerous, that mean they are not very dangerous ......

If someone say that, he not faulting never in his life, it means that he did not try anything new ......

Law of Attraction

Do you surprised in one day, When you think about someone and Suddenly the phone rings and you get him call you.

Do not be surprised this is a purely scientific theory Called: - Law of Attraction --
Firstly.. You must determine what you want to pull it,
It is usually be the goal that you want to get it in any way.
Do you set the goal? Good
Write it on paper in detail, Such as: "My goal is to study Masters in management and economics specialization in Business Administration at the University of X”

The work begins here:
Now your conscious mind specify the goal to your unconscious mind clearly, If you don’t specify your goal , the unconscious mind will induce you to pick up any section and possibly a university, and after you finish the study you will discovered that you do not like this area.

Place the paper in front of you.
Take a deep breath - inhale through the nose, and then exhaled breath of the mouth - repeat the process three times, with your eyes closed. Relax fully, then open your eyes and read the paper with a calm voice.Take a deep breath - inhale through the nose, and then exhaled breath of the mouth - repeat the process three times, with your eyes closed.

Keep your eyes closed and imagine: "You see yourself achieving your goal in a place you chose and the one you love around you, you hear all the cheers, applause and expressions of the blessed because you have achieved your goal.
Imagine yourself that you feel the sense of victory.

Take a deep breath - inhale through the nose, and then exhaled breath of the mouth - repeat the process three times, with your eyes closed. Open your eyes when you see the appropriate time, And look at the paper that you wrote.

Now look to the paper with positive feelings, that lead you to achieve what you want, Unlike the way you look to the paper in first time.

Smile and say I’ll achieve my goal, change your place and do anything.

In the next day, Read the paper and remember this beautiful image.
Repeat the process of reading for 21 days at least, and without interruption.
After the period is finished forget the whole issue.

Previously you was sent message to your unconscious mind and you are also strengthening it for 21 days .
Now unconscious mind will stimulate your conscious mind and the rest of your body to get what you want.
Even if you think you might feel lazy or listlessness, the unconscious will stimulate you to do what you want.

And you'll have radar picked up the subject of your goal in any place.

Think before you sleep, but ................. How?

Often, we wake up on the morning of frustration, despair and depression, suddenly, without any warning, and we do not know why, these feelings continue throughout the day, we can’t do our mission, or we do it without ambitious, but it seems that these negative feelings are related to the thinking before sleep.

thinking before sleeping is consider as the most negative means that effects on humans, which may have a significant impact on the condition in the following day, but not all kind of thinking, only negative and pessimistic thinking.

You should monitor your mind before you sleep, and care about your thinking, ideas and scenes.
You should remember the positive things, beautiful moments and any thing positive in your life and enjoy the quiet atmosphere of joy.

Now I offer two ways to think positively:

The first method depends on thinking of future goals you want to achieve, you have to write it, or to review it in your mind and your imagination, type your name at the bottom of the paper to find that the distance between you and your goals is very close, imagine that your goal has been achieved in all colors and sizes, and live for a few minutes as if achieved, then it would be great to go to sleep and the latest thinking is to succeed in achieving your goal.

The second method relies on remembering scenes, the beautiful memories and attitudes that faced you in your life. Relax in a quiet and comfortable place, and then remember the nicest memories from the past.

You will wake up with wonderful feelings!!

Problem frame and solution frame !!

Every one is facing problems in his life, but how you can get out from these problems... And benefit from them.
The way that we put ourselves in the solution frame ..!

Exercise:
Identify a problem happened to you....
Remember it well, remember your feelings, voices, heard words than spoken to you the and feeling that you took, the people look around you and the color of their eyes ....
If I can remember the problem...
Ask yourself this question directly...

Why me?
What I do to get this problem?
How this problem limit my abilities?
What is the fault?
What is the most difficult period I suffered from this problem?

Now how are your feelings...!
I think it's very negative feelings ...

Take a deep breath....

Go again but change the questions...

What I want now?
When I want it?
What are resources do I have?
How do I use my resources to get what I want?
When I get what I want how my life will change?
Where do I start?

What are your feelings now?

What do you think a cup of tea to ensure your success? And method of preparation for free!

Imagine that you have a cup of tea with sugar added to it, but sugar does not moved, you will find the taste of the sweetness of sugar ? Definitely not

Has given careful consideration in the cup for a minute and taste of tea
Have you changed something? I think not

Notes that tea began cool and cool and you are not taste it yet?

So last attempt Put your hands on your head Lauder about a cup of tea and pray god to become the tea Lauder .

So all of this madness may be absurd
Will not become sweet tea, but it will be cold drink .

The life is like a cup of tea, capabilities that God has endowed you within yourself is the sugar that was not moved by yourself, you'll taste sweetness if you move it and work hard to make your life better.

You will taste the sweetness of your work, your business and your creativity

Do your best to modify your mood.