I Survived Depression - so can YOU!

People begin to smoke for many reasons, including peer pressure, the pleasurable feeling brought on by nicotine and even just the desire to try out something new. And despite all the warnings it is estimated that 4000 teens light up a cigarette every day for the first time.

Along with all the health problems associated with smoking there is yet another problem - DEPRESSION. Originally it was thought that depression, especially in teens brought out the need to smoke.


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According to the National Center on addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), led by former U.S. Health, Education and Welfare commissioner Joseph A. Califano Jr. twice as many teen smokers as non smokers will suffer symptoms of depression. (more…)

The loss of a loved one is never easy, but losing your spouse can be especially devastating. It does not matter if the death was anticipated because of a terminal condition, or not. The sense of loss is still overpowering and can lead to bouts of depression.

The Symptoms

Depression is when a person feels sad and unhappy, and the world just plain looks gloomy. In many cases depression is short-lived and will go away on its own as circumstances improve. In other cases, severe depression may need to be treated with medication and counseling. In severe cases the depressed person wakes up in the morning with a feeling of “why bother” and many times even has trouble getting out of bed. The emotional symptoms of depression can include: (more…)

Depression, a serious illness that causes a person to feel extremely downtrodden and hopeless about life has seen the number of people getting treated triple in the last ten years. That number is even more alarming when you consider the availability and development of new drugs and a more general acceptance of depression as a “real” illness and something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Depression in its early stages has symptoms that include the loss of energy, apathy and sadness. Other signs of depression are a loss of appetite, a disinterest in friends, family and hobbies and the use of alcohol and drugs to “dull the pain” or self medicate. Depression can lead to suicide in its worst cases. If you don’t personally suffer from depression, you probably know somebody who has or who will. Up to 10% of Americans have a depression related episode in the course of any year.

Although depression can always return to a person, and likely has genetic components that pass it down in families, it can almost always be alleviated with proper treatment and care. Traditional care includes therapy and medication (primarily anti depressants), preferably with a combination of the two. This process may take some trial and error as not all medications and types of therapy are right for every person.

However, there is more that can be done than paying exorbitant bills for therapy and medication. In fact, simple changes in your lifestyle such as getting involved in athletics and exercising can greatly improve your mood, both in the short and long term. Much of this is linked to the fact that exercising causes your body to release endorphins (and other feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine). Endorphins are your body’s natural pain killer and also contribute to feelings of elation and joy.

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