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Each year over 19 million American suffer from persistent feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. This can lead to despair and possible suicide attempts. Signs include changes in eating, sleeping and/or libido patterns, lose of interest in everything, decreased affect, suicide thoughts, unresolved grief issues and/or general hopelessness.
Depression, like anxiety, can be traced to bio-chemical origins. It is often seen that depression runs in families. This predisposition to depression, also like anxiety, does not necessarily guarantee the person will grow up a depressed person. Environment also plays an important part. Persons surrounded by a negative environment or who experience trauma or abuse tend to experience the world with a sense of worthlessness and see anything hopeful as beyond their capabilities. Their life becomes a negative self-fulfilling prophecy only to reinforce the same old disappointments and to perpetuate the lack luster life experience.
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The good news is that depression can be treated and the treatment can help people find new strength and hope. Studies reveal that the greatest likelihood of success in effectively dealing with depression is when three treatment responses are initiated together.
The first is proper medication. In the last two decades, there are many new drugs that have been used successfully when dealing with depression. It is standard, however, for the full effect of most anti-depression medication to take four to six weeks. As a result, there is a tendency to give up on the medication, thinking it will not work. It is critical that this not be done and to give the medication a chance to work as prescribed. It is also important to truly partner with one’s doctor, sharing with him or her any side affects, in order to determine if the medication or dosage needs to be changed.
Combining with proper medication, is the utilization of counseling services. The use of talk therapy, such as provided by the Life Source Center, one can develop an ability to recognize, accept and effectively deal with the feelings of depression. Treatment, that is solution focused, with the goal of lowering one's depression level and enhancing coping skills will result in an improved quality of life.
Finally, the third necessary response is initiating some type of activity. This, for many can prove to be the most difficult. People who are depressed find it difficult to muster the motivation to engage in activity. The tendency is to say, “ I’ll wait until I feel better.” Unfortunately, non-activity only perpetuates the depression deeper. The key here is to engage in some type of activity regardless of the difficulty in doing so. Activity, in small increments, begins to develop feelings of accomplishment and success that can be build upon. Even a walk around the block brings forth a sense of completion. There is a beginning and an end. This is critical with people who are depressed, giving them a sense of accomplishment that is critical in effectively dealing with depression.
For persons wishing to learn to more effectively deal with anxiety, depression and stress, thereby enhancing one’s self image and quality of life, one can purchase the workbook or CD, entitled, “The Road Map to a More Effective Life” taking the mystery out of change and developing the necessary strategies to effectively improve the quality of your life. The cost is $15.95, plus $5.00 for shipping and handling. Merely mail your check, along with your return address to the
Life Source Center, 45 Arrowleaf Court, Cheshire, CT 06410.
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