Control Your Destiny - Know the Key Differences Between Being Stressed or Depressed

Stressed or Depressed

Juggling multiple medications, always watching what you eat, ensuring you get enough exercise, and your daily routines can cause stress and, in some cases, depression. 

So how do you know if you're depressed or just stressed? There are some key differences.

Stressed
Stress is your body's physical response to high-demand situations that you have little or no control over, such as dealing with a chronic disease. Stress isn't all bad - on the upside, it can make you feel energetic and focused. 

On the downside, if you're constantly stressed, you may experience health problems overtime: high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and premature aging.

Depressed
Depression is more than just feeling blue - it's a serious medical condition. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, you're twice as likely to suffer from depression as someone without the disease. 

Only your doctor can tell you for sure, but if you have several of these symptoms for more than two weeks, you may be depressed:

• Feeling nervous or emotionally empty
• Feelings of excessive guilt or worthlessness
• Tiredness or a "slowed down" feeling
• Restlessness and/or irritability

You may need help from a mental health professional if you suffer from depression. However, stress is manageable. So, are you ready to lower your stress level?  Try these tips:

Slow down. 
Make time each day to sit quietly, preferably for at least 15 minutes. Focus on breathing deeply. Think pleasant thoughts.

Just relax. 
Have you ever been surprised to notice your jaw was clenched or your shoulders were tight? We tend to be tense without even realizing it. Try this: Lie down and, starting at your feet, clench each muscle group for a count of 10, then relax - all the way up your body.

Move your body. The best stress buster around is exercise. Take a walk, work in the yard, go to the YMCA ... you'll feel the benefits instantly.


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3 Things You Must Know About Depression

Blues or Depression?

Just about everyone gets the blues from time to time - that feeling of sadness or grief that usually
results from unpleasant life experiences.

While many people refer to the blues as depression, however, true clinical depression is as different from the blues as pneumonia is from a head cold.

Blues and Depression
The blues is a temporary and usually normal reaction to stressful life situations. Most cases don't involve physical symptoms, loss of self-esteem, or suicidal thoughts, and the negative state usually passes within a few hours or days.

Depression on the other hand, is an intense, pervasive and long-lasting disorder of mood that attacks the body as well as the mind, often resulting in serious problems in work, social, and physical functioning. 

Unfortunately, some people don't recognize depression for the serious illness it is. They think of it as a personality flaw, a sign of weakness or a character defect.

3 Dynamics of Depression
To go further in depth, depression occurs in at least 3 different dynamics:

1. People in the first category are chronically depressed. Depression is built into them and may be passed from generation to generation.
2.  The second dynamic concerns lasting grief that occurs after a severe loss. Its severity is entirely subjective but might occur with the loss of a child, spouse, or loved one, an amputation, mastectomy, a sizable career setback, or loss of functioning brought about by disease or trauma.
3.  The third dynamic involves loss accompanied by anger. People who have unresolved issues with a departed loved one often do not know that they are angry. This despair can set in after messy divorces or after a close relative or friend passes away. Since they are not able to deal with these problems by interacting with the object of their anger, they take their antagonism out on themselves instead.

Loss is the common element in all three dynamics. It could be a loss of time, an object, an idealization of an object, or a person.

Symptoms of Depression
Symptoms of depression often include disturbances with sleep, appetite and sleeping patterns, sadness nearly every day, sexual functioning, and difficulty thinking, focusing, or concentrating.

There is frequently excessive guilt, feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, and, in severe cases, thoughts of or attempts at suicide.

Some depressions are the result of a chemical imbalance and may only be treated by anti­-depressant medication, some require psychotherapy, and still others a combination of methods.

Chronic Depression
Those with chronic depression can't be helped except by antidepressants. In these cases, psychotherapy may be of little help and a poor use of time and money. 

Time helps a person who has suffered a severe loss as well as an involved other person who listens to the aggrieved as he or she gives words to the pain. 

This does not necessarily have to be a therapist, but if there is not a strong support system, treatment is very necessary. 

Finally, only a strong guide can help people whose loss is accompanied with anger move toward slow recognition and safe expression of their real feelings. This is usually the only path out of melancholy.

The Good News About Depression
The good news is that more than eighty percent of depression sufferers can be treated successfully. If you or someone you care about is depressed, seek help now by contacting a qualified mental health specialist at (773) 614-3201.

What is your views about depression? Do you accept the difference between having the blues and experiencing depression?

Add your comments below.

What You Need to Know about Depression to Control Your Destiny

Almost everyone gets the blues from time to time - that feeling of sadness or grief that usually results from unpleasant life experiences. 

While many people refer to the blues as depression, however, true clinical depression is as different from the blues as pneumonia is from a head cold.

Blues and Sadness

Blues is a temporary and usually normal reaction to stressful life situations. Most cases don't involve physical symptoms, loss of self-esteem, or suicidal thoughts, and the negative state usually passes within a few hours or days. 

Similarly, sadness is an appropriate reaction to bereavement, financial and personal problems, the realization that life is finite, and the symptoms of serious disease. But sadness becomes depression when it continues for weeks or months and interferes with everyday living.

Symptoms of Depression

To be clear, depression is an intense, pervasive and long-lasting disorder of mood that attacks the body as well as the mind, often resulting in serious problems in work, social, and physical functioning. Symptoms of depression often include disturbances with sleep, appetite and body weight, energy, concentration, and sexual functioning. 

There is frequently excessive guilt, feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, and, in severe cases, thoughts of, or attempts, at suicide. Unfortunately, some people don't recognize depression for the serious illness it is. They think of it as a personality flaw, a sign of weakness, a character defect, or, perhaps, a temporary blue mood.

Clinical Depression is an Illness

The fact is, clinical depression is an illness, not a weakness or a passing blue mood. Depressed people cannot simply "snap out of it" or just "pull themselves together," any more than a diabetic can merely snap out of a blood sugar imbalance. And, without appropriate treatment, symptoms can last for months or even years. 

Some depressions are the result of a chemical imbalance and may only be treated by anti-depressant medication. Some require psychotherapy, and still others a combination of methods.

  

Treating Clinical Depression

The good news is that more than eighty percent of depression sufferers can be treated successfully. If you or someone you care about is depressed, seek help now by contacting your family doctor or a qualified mental health specialist at (773) 614-3201

Leave your comments below.

What You Need to Know About Depression

The blues is a temporary and usually normal reaction to stressful life situations. Most cases don't involve physical symptoms, loss of self-esteem, or suicidal thoughts, and the negative state usually passes within a few hours or days.

Depression on the other hand, is an intense, pervasive and long-lasting disorder of mood that attacks the body as well as the mind, often resulting in serious problems in work, social, and physical functioning. 

Unfortunately, some people don't recognize depression for the serious illness it is. They think of it as a personality flaw, a sign of weakness or a character defect.

To go further in depth, depression occurs in at least three different dynamics. 

People in the first dynamic are chronically depressed. Depression is built into them and may be passed from generation to generation.

The second dynamic concerns lasting grief that occurs after a severe loss. Its severity is entirely subjective but might occur with the loss of a child, spouse, or loved one, an amputation, mastectomy, a sizable career setback, or loss of functioning brought about by disease or trauma.

The third dynamic involves loss accompanied by anger. People who have unresolved issues with a departed loved one often do not know that they are angry. This despair can set in after messy divorces or after a close relative or friend passes away. Since they are not able to deal with these problems by interacting with the object of their anger, they take their antagonism out on themselves instead.

Loss is the common element in all three dynamics. It could be a loss of time, an object, an idealization of an object, or a person.

Symptoms of depression often include disturbances with sleep, appetite and body weight, energy, concentration, and sexual functioning. There is frequently excessive guilt, feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, and, in severe cases, thoughts of or attempts at suicide.

Some depressions are the result of a chemical imbalance and may only be treated by anti-depressant medication, some require psychotherapy, and still others a combination of methods.

Those with chronic depression can't be helped except by antidepressants. In these cases, psychotherapy may be of little help and a poor use of time and money. Time helps a person who has suffered a severe loss as well as an involved other person who listens to the aggrieved as he or she gives words to the pain. This does not necessarily have to be a therapist, but if there is not a strong support system, treatment is very necessary. 

Finally, only a strong guide can help people whose loss is accompanied with anger move toward slow recognition and safe expression of their real feelings. This is usually the only path out of melancholy.

The good news is that more than eighty percent of depression sufferers can be treated successfully. If you or someone you care about is depressed, seek help now by contacting a qualified mental health specialist.

Learn the 8 Stress Reduction Techniques

                               Statue of Hans Selye 

In his book, Stress Without Distress, Dr. Hans Selye, the great endocrinologist and pioneer in the study of stress, offers these eight stress-reduction techniques:

1. Concentrate on the pleasant side of life.

2. Fight for only those things that are really worth the effort.

3. Don't try to be a perfectionist.

4. When you fail, reestablish your self-confidence by remembering past accomplishments.

5. Don't procrastinate. Get the unpleasant things out of the way.

6. Value the simple things of life.

7. Don't waste time trying to befriend those who don't want your love and friendship.

8. Earn your neighbor's love.

Here's what I'm adding to the above. 

Get Exercise. Walking, riding a bicycle, deep breathing, and calisthenics are very beneficial in reducing tension if they are done regularly. Such activities revitalize and refresh you.

Learn to Laugh at Yourself. A wise man once said that one of the reasons he was a happy man was that he didn’t take himself too seriously. You can free yourself of stress and tension by developing the ability to laugh, silently, or aloud, in moments of stress.

Take Up a Sport or Hobby. All types of sports provide release from pressure. Also activities such as singing and dancing, working with the hands, talking, and writing can also be helpful.  

And, Occasionally Just Indulge Yourself. At times a certain amount of self-pampering can be good for you. An occasional splurge on something unusual can make you feel better. In most cases, however, it's best to face the problem directly and resolve it.

Dr. Selye passed away twenty-nine years ago, but his words continue to ring true today. Follow Dr. Selye techniques, but don’t forget to exercise, laugh often, engage in a sport or hobby, and occasionally just indulge yourself.  You deserve it.

Keep your anger under control, click on Personal Growth to read Anger Management - A Self-Help Strategy and other related articles