Stress Guide 101

Friday, March 19, 2010

Clinical Depression - What is It?

Depression, a mental illness that is often characterized by prolonged periods of sadness and melancholy, experts from the field of psychiatry say.

But just because one person is moping around and just generally hating the world around him or her, doesn't mean that it's already depression, but if this kind of behavior, the feeling of emptiness, loss of self-worth and absolutely no hope for happiness just goes on and on, then, yes, that individual is very much, indeed, depressed.

Still, there are various types of depression, from Manic or Bipolar depression - characterized by sudden and extreme changes in one's mood wherein one minute he or she is in an elevated state of euphoria while the next minute (day or week) he or she is feeling to be in a personal hell.

Postpartum depression - characterized by a prolonged sadness and a feeling of emptiness by a new mother wherein physical stress during child birth, an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby can be just some of the possible factors why some new mother go through this.

Dysthimia - characterized by a slight similarity with depression, although this time, it's been proven to be a lot less severe, but of course with any case, should be treated immediately.

Cyclothemia - characterized by a slight similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the individual suffering from this mental illness may occasionally suffer from severe changes in one's moods.

Seasonal Affective Disorder - characterized by falling in a rut only during specific seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall) studies however, prove that more people actually fall in to a rut more during the WInter and Fall seasons and lastly, Mood swings, wherein a person's mood may shift from happy to sad to angry in just a short time.

Clinical depression however, or as some might call as 'major' depression, is actually the medical term for depression. Actually clinical depression is more of a disorder rather than an illness since it basically covers only those who are suffering from symptoms related to depression.Clinical depression is how doctors usually refer to "depression" when giving a diagnose of their patient. It's basically just a medical term.

However, in spite of being an actual disorder, Clinical depression may well be treated. Doctors are actually highly optimistic that their patients who are suffering from Clinical disorder will be well on their way towards good mental health as long as they treated as soon as they have been diagnosed withClinical depression.

Patients who have been seeking for treatments for Clinical depression have proven to be quite successful in their quest, given that 80 percent of actual Clinical depression patients have been treated and has somewhat found relief from their disorder.

For those who may be seeking some answers for their Clinical depression related questions, the depression section of the health center is highly recommended, as well as books on psychiatry and the internet - which can offer a lot of helpful information with regards to Clinical depression although self-medication/treatment is highly disapproved of.

Clinical depression may not pose as much as a threat as the other types of depression, but it is best to leave it to the hands of professionals who can safely attend to and cure this disorder.

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Paul Winter has been marketing online for six years. He is the editor of http://www.ArticlesRus.Net and http://www.ArticleBazaar.Net.

Is There Really A Male Menopause Or Is It Just A Myth?

Many men experience many emotional health changes as they reach middle age. Many have revelations that many aspirations from earlier on in life were not quite what he expected. He may begin to feel like there isn't anything to look forward to anymore in his life. Many women state they can tell their partner is experiencing a change in life, though the fact is it is probably a psychological change rather than a physiological one.

Today, many men believe they should have the ability to maintain the same sexual performance that they did at a younger age. They expect the routine will be the same, and with little complications, from foreplay and erections to ejaculation and orgasm. Of course things change, and most bodily functions (such as sex drive) vary from day to day, so the probability that they will not live up to this standard is likely. In fact, many men especially middle age men believe they are underachieving, sexually speaking.

It is essential for both men and their partner to realize that sexual performance varies, occasionally. There are no set standards when it comes to sex, and both parties should understand that, and not have expectations. A considerate and sympathetic partner is very beneficial to potency continuation in the male.

The male testosterone is crucial in male development. Beginning in the mid-forties, serum testosterone levels tend to decline as age increases. Another thing, which declines, is the weight and size of the testicles. In fact, when compared with 30 something year olds, 70 year old males are generally expected to have about 50 percent of the testosterone concentration.

Almost all older men still have a normal range of serum testosterone levels, though. In men who demonstrate a variety of levels in erectile ability, testosterone levels usually fall within normal range. This indicates that testosterone itself is not generally a cause of impotence, though I can cause a lack of sexual interest.

Scientists may disagree about male menopause, but when it comes to middle aged men, very few doubt that it does, in fact, exist though the term menopause is actually a misnomer when it is applied to men. Women's ovaries shut down during menopause, and men's reproductive glands do not. Male menopause is gradual, and not universal, while female menopause is quicker and pretty much inevitable. Women experience a sudden decline in estrogen, and men only lose about .5% of testosterone annually (beginning around age 40), and rarely reach a level below what is considered healthy. It also does not affect fertility.

Men do have some symptoms of menopause, but it seems to be less biology, and more lifestyle. This is when their habits (smoking, fatty foods etc) catch up with them, they feel vulnerable, realize life is not infinite, and have problems coping. This can result in impotence, muscle loss, depression and stress (which can also inhibit testosterone release).

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Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as natural male Enhancement at http://www.maleenhancementsolution.com

Personal growth is a journey. It's been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Whether you feel like it or not, you are already on the journey of personal growth. Everything you've been through up to this point in your life, your accomplishments, your victories, and even your mistakes, have brought you to the place you are today.

Of course, when we talk about personal growth, what we really mean is intentional growth. Wherever you find yourself today, you can begin working toward self improvement. In a very real sense, there is only one place to begin on a path of personal growth and that is right here. It might sound trite, but the future starts right now. If you wish to make changes in the way you are living, now is the time to take that first step.

Does that sound like a big deal? Well, it is . . . and it isn't. Yes, it is a big deal to make the decision to embark on a new journey of personal growth. But that first step does not need to be a big one. In fact, often the best way to begin to change stubborn old habits or unproductive thought patterns is with a very tiny move in the right direction. Just make sure that tiny move is pursued consistently.

For instance, if you want to improve in your work efficiency, determine one step you can take. Maybe you spend too much time playing around with your email, or maybe you have trouble making yourself get started on difficult jobs. Choose a habit that will bring you closer to your goal of productivity, and make it a priority every day. When it becomes second nature to you, it's time to add another habit.

Marla Cilley, aka the "Flylady," was a disorganized homemaker who one day decided she would shine her kitchen sink every night before she went to bed. That one "baby step," as she would call it, grew into another, until now she heads up an extremely successful website devoted to helping people learn to keep their homes in order. It all began with a single small habit.

As human beings, our lives consist of a number of different areas, so one important part of beginning on the path of personal growth is to prioritize the changes you'd like to make. What feels like your greatest need? Is it to improve your health and fitness? Is it to increase your income? Perhaps it is to get organized. One thing to remember is that it doesn't matter if you choose the "wrong" area to improve. Don't let perfectionism keep you from picking a habit to instill in your life. Just start.

By the way, getting organized is a good place to start, because all of efficiency rests on our system of order. And a good place to begin to get organized is to begin to get rid of the extra clutter in your office or home. Again, don't stress over whether the thing should go in the trash, be recycled, or be given to charity. Just pick one and do it.

The bottom line is that the place to begin on your path of personal growth is right here. And the time to start is now. If you want your future to reflect the hopes and dreams you treasure now, take that first step real soon!

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For more personal growth articles visit: http://www.personalgrowthunlimited.com

Why Most "Experts" Fail to Cure Your Depression Cause

By Chris Nosal
How many years have you spent desperately trying to find that single golden piece of knowledge that will reveal the cause that is driving your depression, and make your depression cause disappear forever?
If you're like everyone else I know the answer is "I'm still struggling with it" or "It's a battle but I'm still fighting"... and there's still no end in sight (for you OR your wallet).
The translation in a nutshell is, "I've met a bunch of second rate "experts" who don't know how to get rid of the problems I'm having, and just settle for a life of struggling with depression".
If you've spent years trying to fight the depression cause that is making you feel helplessly miserable, and just plain out of control of your life on a DAILY basis... and if you're still feeling like you're NO happier than when you started your "treatment" for your depression cause, then I'm going to go reveal to you why everything you've ever been told about dealing with depression is WRONG.
This is important because, if you have someone giving you advice who's never been through what you're going through, you're making a gigantic mistake... you're basically taking advice on how to ride a bike from someone who's never done it.
It happens for one simple reason:
Because you've got someone whose never ridden a bike... teaching you how to ride one!
So what is the solution to finally eliminating your depression cause from your life permanently?
In a second I'm going to tell you, but first I have to ask you a simple question:
Do you know how to turn on a computer?
If you're like 99% of us, the answer is yes... you press a button and everything else "just happens" AUTOMATICALLY!
Now let me ask you this:
Do you have ANY clue how your operating system boots up?
Do you know how ANYTHING in your computer actually works?
Probably not.
You just press a button to send the command to your computer to turn on... and everything else just magically falls into place.
Now how about this...
Do you know how you move your arms and legs every single day of your life with ZERO effort?
Do you know ANYTHING about the process your body is going through when you walk or wave your arms?
Heck no! It's all automatic - you just send the command!
Your body does it all naturally... and that's great news!
Now, what I'm about about to tell you is VERY important... and it's the reason why you've failed to eliminate your depression cause in the past... and It's the reason why every psychologist or therapist you ever visited is going to FAIL to eliminate your underlying depression cause.
This primarily occurs for one reason:
People are always trying to tell you about the problem... rather how to SOLVE it.
A quick search around the internet or any medical textbook will tell you that 99% of the information is focused on the problem and what causes it... NOT how to solve it.
Ask pretty much ANY "expert", and they'll likely all tell you that you've got to understand a problem in order to solve it.
That's like saying you've got to know how your brain makes your feet move in order to walk!
Do you know everything your brain does to make your legs move? I don't.
Yet somehow, it happens so simple and effortlessly it almost feels impossibly easy to perform such a complex task.
But here's the cold hard truth:
All of us function not knowing how 99% of our body's functions work - we just know how to send the command to make our body do EXACTLY what we want.
Your body is in complete control of you.
That's why when you get stressed you can start losing hair or going grey... because your body is always in control of everything going on inside of it... and it all happens without you knowing NOTHING about the process by which it occurs.
You DON'T need to know how OR why your depression cause exists.
The ONLY thing you need to know is how to send the RIGHT simple command to your body... and with just ONE simple command, before you know it, your body will spring into action and fix the problem automatically... just as easily the press of a button!
If you want results, you've got to make a conscious decision to stop doing what's NOT working... and instead start thinking differently that WORK.
I'm sharing this piece of knowledge with you because it has helped me tremendously in my own life.
This piece of knowledge worked to eliminate my depression cause... all because of this one secret I've shared with you in this article.
Remember, if you want to get a different result in life, you've got to do things differently than everyone else who isn't getting the kind of results you want.
Consider how many more days you want to spend struggling with depression... and whether the choices you've made in the past are what may be causing the problems you're having.
You've got two choices:
Either you accept the therapy THEORY that your body controls you, and you should spend your entire life fighting a losing battle with it, or you accept the age old belief that, with the right teaching, YOU are the dominant force that is in control of your body.
You've got two choices for how you're going to live the next decades of your life.
Remember the decision is all in your hands... and you're the only one who can ultimately make it.

After spending over five years struggling with depression, Chris decided that medications, unhappiness and a constant battle with depression were NO way to live his life.
He decided that there HAD to be something better, and that he was going to get results by doing things differently than everyone else and not settle for a mediocre life of struggling with depression and unhappiness.
To learn the secret to Chris's success, get your hands on the only depression solution you will ever need, and make yourself depression-free in just weeks visit Chris at http://fire-your-therapist.com to begin your new life today, or talk to him directly at chris@fire-your-therapist.com for additional help.

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By Zack Rhodes
Life can be difficult enough to deal with sometimes. But when we are feeling down even the most ordinary of tasks can seem twice as hard to do. There are many reasons why people get the blues, lack of satisfaction in a job or personal life, money problems, something that happened in the past or even something mundane like the weather. With winter fast approaching many people will feel affected by the change in season.
The blues are a manifestation of the minds warning signals that tell us when something is wrong. Feeling down is like the minds call for help. We need to listen to this call and act upon it in a timely fashion otherwise this feeling can get worse and manifest itself in other ways.
A lot of people worry about getting the blues which is understandable. But feeling down sometimes is just part of getting along with life. There is nothing wrong with feeling sad from time to time; however, if the blues are lasting for long periods of time they need combating. There are various things you can do to beat the blues and feel good about yourself. Some of this involves actual physical activity while others involve changing your perspective on things.
Being active is good for all of us, but especially important for people who are down and those at risk of it. Research shows that physical activity and exercise can reduce symptoms of depression and contribute to positive feelings of wellbeing. Building more physical activity into your lifestyle is one way to beat the blues. You don't need to run marathons - there are gentler ways of increasing activity levels, such as walking, dancing, or climbing two or three floors of the stairs at work every day. Alternatively you can try incorporating another great mood booster - being social - with exercise to enhance the experience even more.
There are plenty of opportunities to socialise with other people while exercising. Pop down to your local leisure centre and you will see a host of different clubs, societies and exercise classes you can join. Alternatively, if you want to save a bit of money, just find a friend to go running or walking with. Never underestimate the power of being around others to help you through the blues, even when you don't feel like talking to people.
This brings us to our next point about networks. Maintaining a network of reliable people in the good times is an excellent resource to draw strength from in the bad times. Your friends are family are there to help you in the same way you are there to help them. Make sure you do not fall into the trap of feeling too proud to ask for help or even just to talk. The quicker you use your friends the quicker you find a solution to your blues. Who wants to feel down when they could feel good? Exactly! No one.
One distinguishing feature about the blues is that it can be difficult to put a finger on the cause sometimes. There may be many things wrong or sometimes nothing at all. Learning about what is causing our negative feelings is a process of self appraisal; learning more about ourselves reveals our problems and solutions. You may feel that you know all there is to know about yourself; however, unless you have developed intense introspection, the chances are there is a lot for you still to learn.
Self-awareness is the key to understanding yourself and the problems you face in your life. Self-awareness has the unique ability to help you gain a bit of perspective on a problem.
Coping effectively with life's problems and failures requires realistic expectations. Psychologists call these expectations and judgements 'appraisals'. Life events (such as traffic jams or the boss's attitude) aren't a problem unless we appraise them as such. If our appraisals are realistic, we're better able to react to day-to-day life events with a sense of proportion.
The appraisals we make are a product of our belief system. If we hold unrealistic, inflexible beliefs then our appraisals may not be the most appropriate for the situation.
Irrational beliefs often include 'musts' and 'shoulds', with an emphasis on perfection. 'I must be liked by everyone' and 'I must be competent and perfect all the time' are all irrational beliefs. They're difficult - if not impossible - to achieve.

This Article is bought to you by Zack Rhodes, A self-help and motivational speaker from the United Kingdom who has been helping people achieve their dreams and attain success. If you liked this article please check out my other articles.
To get your free 5 day e-course and your free copy of the great all time best seller "Think and Grow Rich" please visit: http://www.selfhelpsuccess.net email me:support@selfhelpsuccess.net

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By Jennifer M. Stewart
Depression: the word is enough to make anybody run for the hills. It's one of the most uncomfortable, painful things to experience. It makes a mockery of hope and faith, it obliterates the light, turns daily experiences into nightmares and normal challenges into massive undertakings. It invades your mind and your soul, and drains your body of energy. It turns dreams into dust and the idea of love into a cruelly unattainable concept.
It takes your power away, cripples you, depletes your will to seek solution. It makes life seem horribly bleak, meaningless and not worth living. The most awful thing about it is that temporarily destroys the ability to see solution - sometimes even to seek it.
11 million people in the world typed "Depression" into Google's search in December 2009. I doubt anybody was searching just out of curiosity, just for fun. Yahoo showed 350 million results for the word, Google 65,9 million and Bing 51 million.
With so many people suffering, and actively searching, why don't we have an answer? Why hasn't science and medicine come up with one for us? One that works, that actually frees us without creating dependency on some chemical or making us crazy or close-minded in some way or another?
I've been one of the millions throughout the past 30 years looking for solution. For so long, the word had a capital "D" for me, and I thought of it almost as some kind of alien monster that invaded humans and made them powerless. Or else some kind of state that had no cause and therefore could never be understood. Which is not, when you think about it, that different from what the medical profession tells us. It's a disease that they have no real explanation for.
Sure, they once thought you could zap somebody's brain with electroshock therapy and bingo, the depression would disappear. Then they realized it didn't work, so they tried removing bits of brain. That didn't work either. Then they made a huge discovery - the chemicals in your body are out of balance when you're depressed.
They said "it's a disease, it's DNA, it's caused by the chemical imbalance and there's nothing we can do about it except try to control it more or less with drugs, live with it". Well that's a great help; that really makes depression sufferers feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel. No wonder we're so terrified of depression. Not only is it the most awful of conditions to experience, but the people we look to for answers assure us it's totally out of our control to fix.
And boy do the pharmaceutical companies like that one. After all, that's how they make their money. Pardon me for being cynical, but it's no wonder depression has become such a monstrously difficult thing to overcome. Look at who we rely on to find solution. The companies and people who make money off our pain.
But who else can we turn to?
I don't believe depression is an illness or disease or DNA deficiency. I don't believe it is some chemical defect we're born with. Most of all, I don't buy that we are as powerless as Medicine would have us believe. Au contraire, I think depression is something that each of us can understand and correct. Without drugs. Who am I to take on Mighty Medicine? Well somebody has to do it, might as well be me. I fancy the role of David in the face of Goliath.
No, this is not another Secret-type hype magical thinking formula. Depression cannot be cured in a day or with positive thinking. I believe that "cures" offering that kind of prospect are just exploiting our desperation. For money or power.
I had depression for 30 years and I do not have it any more. I didn't take drugs, pills, hynoptherapy or any of the less invasive but hardly any more sustainably successful alternative "solutions". I learned about emotional fluency.
I remember the day I realized from experience that depression is the consequence of repressing emotion and not meeting my need. I had learned the theory of it, but it's easy to not realize the theory applies to you! The day that is lodged in my memory, I recall being angry, and choosing not to express my anger, choosing to push it down. Within a short while I was severely depressed. It was amazing, as if I was participating in and observing a science experiment. I already knew that emotions generate huge energy that needs an outlet, and we all know the image of a pressure-cooker. But that day was the beginning of my paying close attention to what happened to my body and my mind when I repressed emotion - I felt kind of sour, acid, heavy - oh my, could that be the dreaded chemical imbalance for which there is no scientific explanation? I watched my body become enervated, my vision of life become cloudy, my faith and hope disappear.
As soon as I let myself express my emotion - the depression melted away and back came hope, faith, clear vision - and I had tons of energy. From one moment to the next. The principle is simple, but learning how to feel, how to express and meet the need in a sustainable way takes time. But now that I know, there is no going back. My days of being controlled by depression are over. Forever. I have a lot more to say on this subject! Watch this space...

Jennifer Stewart experienced bankruptcy six years ago which changed her life dramatically - for the better! She now writes a blog about her experiences and her journey of Stepping out of History. For more on this topic Visit its-not-about-the-money

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By Cally Rao
When it came to dealing with 'feeling down' or otherwise called mild depression, the "bootstrappers" credo was that you just pull your socks up and get on with things and the blues will eventually flee. But the persistence of feeling down should not to be confused with occasionally "feeling low."
It's almost a disease that slithers through our emotions like a slug leaving little sign of it's violence and preventing us by it's very invisibility how horrible an ogre it could become when out of control.It debilitates us in every way it continues to inflict mood disorders. When a family breaks up it's alright to feel sad.But just as normal cells can be infected by carcinogens,sadness out of control triggers malignant sadness or otherwise called by it's proper name:depression.
There are no reliable tests to diagnose depression other than that it's victims are mostly negative about everything.They also go through weight and sleep swings and are ridden by overwhelming feelings of worthlessness and guilt.Many reasons have been proposed for depressiveness.Any event or activity in any area of life can trigger depression with as yet untold consequences upon physical health.
There seem to be just two over-relied treatments for those among us battling depression:anti depressants and cognitive therapy.In cognitive therapy a care giver or practitioner helps a victim unlearn the negative thoughts that are emotionally taking them to mood mayhem and replace them with positive ways of thinking. For example going for long walks or exploring trails instead of languishing on the couch is called positive or 'replacement' thinking.
The depressed are also hell to be with as caregivers can attest. So if you are feeling down in the dumps most of the day and unable to shake yourself free,get out of yourself,reach out and get help.Here are resources to help yourself.
Cally Rao

Cally Rao had been a Manufacturing Manager in a F500 Company, is now an instructor at college and marketer and passionately believes in individual entrepreneurism. She writes at http://www.jacobsvalley.blogspot.com

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