depression

How to Deal With Mood Swings

Having mood swings is nothing to laugh at, especially if they reach the level where your work and social interaction is affected. Some people – those who see things from the outside – may take mood swings lightly, thinking that the person suffering from those swings is just “having one of his fits”, or “it must be that time of the month”. They couldn’t be more wrong. Not only is it irritating, it is also downplaying the fact that the mood swings may have clinical basis.

If you suffer from mood swings, I’m sure you’re nodding your head in agreement.

So, how do we deal with mood swings? [Read more…] about How to Deal With Mood Swings

Originally posted on February 23, 2016 @ 8:30 am

Food and Mental Health [Infographic]

Body, Mental Health, Mind, Nutrition

Earlier this month, I wrote about food to avoid when depressed. To recap, you should avoid processed food, caffeine, soy, trans fat, refined sugar, and artificial sweeteners. That post is by no means an exhaustive list of food to avoid if you know that you have depression, but it’s a good place to start.

Today, I found an infographic focusing on the topic. Titled “It’ll Go to Your Head: Food and Mental Health”, the infographic basically mentions certain kinds of food that affect the state of our mental health. [Read more…] about Food and Mental Health [Infographic]

Originally posted on January 27, 2016 @ 8:00 am

Food to Avoid If You Have Depression

Body, Mental Health, Mind, Nutrition

There is the old saying that “you are what you eat”, and it studies have shown that the food we eat may have effects on our mental state as well.

If you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, you may already be seeing a therapist. You may be taking medication to deal with chemical imbalances in your brain.

But have you taken a close look at what you eat on a regular basis? Perhaps what you are eating isn’t helping your depression at all.

Why don’t we take a look at food to avoid if you have depression? [Read more…] about Food to Avoid If You Have Depression

Originally posted on January 12, 2016 @ 8:00 am

5 Things to Think About When You’re Depressed

Inspiration, Mental Health, Mind, Spirit

Depression sucks. Period. Or, rather, that’s the understatement of the year.

Having the blues is one thing, but being clinically depressed is something else. Some days may be awesome, but when a depressive period hits, it feels like nothing – nothing – is right in the world, that there is no point to this life.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. That’s why people who have depression need help – whether from family and friends, professionals, or both.

One can only receive so much input from external sources, though. At the end of the day, especially when you are particularly feeling so low, you will have to deal with your depression from inside. One way to deal with a depressive period is to think about things that will get you through.

Quotes to Beat Depression

Here are 5 “beat depression thoughts” that will help. Mind you, these aren’t meant to replace your meds (if you are on them) and your therapist (if you have one). They do effectively help you get through each day, hour, and minute…

Think…

This period will end

While there are varying degrees of depression, if you are undergoing some sort of therapy, the depressive period will end. Even those with clinical depression who have been in a rut for months or years know that there are moments of hope, maybe even joy. Think of that. Hold that thought, and keep hanging on to it.

The people you love and who love you the most

When you feel that happiness will forever be out of your grasp, when you feel that there is no point to your life, think about the people who you love. Much more, think of those who love you.

You may think that no one appreciates or loves you, but the chances are you are wrong. Deep inside, you know that they (whoever they may be) care for you.

Dig deep. You might be surprised at what you discover, and, at the very least, you have something positive to focus on other than how bad things are.

You’re not alone

Your family and friends are there for you – even if you may not realize or acknowledge it. But more than that, think of this: there are other people experience the same thing you are.

In fact, the National Institute of Mental Health reports:

In 2013, an estimated 15.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. This represented 6.7 percent of all U.S. adults.

You are not alone. Others are going through similar situations and are fighting. Fight with them.

The bad times you’ve gone through – and conquered

How often have you had major depressive episodes? The fact that you’re reading this means you’ve gone through those episodes in the past – maybe not unscathed, but alive. You’ve learned some things. Maybe you’ve come out stronger.

One thing is for sure: you’ve gotten out of the rut many times. You can do it again.

It may not be now. It may not be today. Maybe not even tomorrow. But you will.

The heart of life is good

This may very well be the most difficult idea to hold on to in the midst of a depressive episode. How can life be good when you can’t even summon enough strength to get out of bed?

It’s one of those things that you have to try to believe, at the very least. Thinking of the good moments in your life will help. It will be a gargantuan task, I know, but try. It’s better than nothing. You’ll want to give up. You may not even want to start.

But think of rainbows. Butterflies. The beach. Christmas with your kids (or nephews/nieces). Picnics.

Heck, think of unicorns! Whatever makes/has made you happy!

I’m not being crazy here, but my point is that are things in nature and life that will show you that at its very core, life is good.

Depression is an awful, complicated thing, and there’s no guarantee the above “beat depression thoughts” will get you out of an episode as soon as you want. But the key is to keep trying – even if you stay in bed all day, try to fight the episode in your head.

Good luck!

Originally posted on September 22, 2015 @ 8:00 am

What Is Childhood Emotional Neglect And How It Affects Your Child

Family, Life

Childhood emotional neglect. It’s not something we hear about when talking of typical developmental childhood conditions. But it’s actually more common than we think, albeit less noticeable because the manifestations are not as alarming as, say, autism, ADHD or defiant behavior. Yet, CEN can lead to serious problems in adulthood, which we shall enumerate in this article.

Parents who learn about emotional neglect in childhood often wonder what they have done that resulted in CEN. Dr. Jonice Webb, a clinical psychologist, defines the condition as the effect of a parent’s failure to respond enough to a child’s emotional needs. When your kid comes home from school looking sad or upset and you don’t bother to ask what happened, or the pet dog died and you did not comfort him, those are examples of emotional neglect. Done often enough, it has a cumulative effect that exhibits itself later in life, from the teen years to adulthood.

Parents are often too busy to take notice of their child’s feelings. Or if they do, they ignore them or read something else into the child’s high-strung or defiant behavior. True, they provide for the physical and educational needs of their offspring and the children grow up medically healthy and finish school. But there’s less talking, sharing of experiences and bonding over meals and short vacations. The child ends up feeling distant and unloved. He learns to inhibit himself from others and repress his emotions in the absence of a positive response from his parents.

The Insidious Effects of Childhood Emotional Neglect

Depression affects 20% of teens in the United States, regardless of gender, social status, race and other demographics. A study by psychologists at Leiden University in the Netherlands found that the primary cause of depression in later life is emotional neglect, exemplified by lack of attention, empathy and support from their parents or guardian.

Addictive behavior

Although child sexual, physical and emotional abuse are key factors that contribute to substance addiction, habitual indifference to a child’s feelings also lead to addictive behavior. Trauma in childhood has been linked to a person’s predisposition to addiction. Trauma in its broad sense is stress that may be physical or emotional from which a person cannot remove himself. CEN stems from a parent’s chronic lack of attention, which is a traumatic situation for a child.

Pervasive sense of unhappiness and discontent

A child who grows up emotionally neglected often becomes an unhappy and discontented adult. He or she may have a good family and a great well-paying job but there’s an unexplainable emptiness in his or her life. Often, the unhappy adult feels he has not reached his true potential and compares himself with others more successful than he is. This “grass is greener” outlook leads to constant job hopping, believing the perfect job is yet to come. It can also lead to unstable relationships, especially with a significant partner.

Unhappiness also comes from a learned technique in childhood of suppressing one’s own needs yet meeting the needs of others. He presents a cheerful face and is thought of as a caring and thoughtful person but deep inside, the unhappiness lingers.

Childhood emotional neglect is not easily evident and so has the tendency to remain unchecked. Parents who are aware of the disorder and wish to avoid doing it to their own kids can use the following approaches:

When your child is sad, angry or upset, do not give a general assurance that everything will be alright. You are not addressing the problem nor showing you understand his emotions. Instead, ask your child what happened and identify what his specific feelings are toward the incident.
After knowing the cause of his emotions (for ex., anger,) poke and find out what he is angry about. If he got into a fight at school, was he angry at his opponent for upsetting him, or angry at himself for being humiliated? When you know what the underlying cause of the feeling is, you are better able to offer appropriate support.
Show sympathy. Show your child that you support him and understand what he’s going through. Reassure him that no matter what happens, you’ll be there for him.
Teach him to let go of control. The child must realize early on that he cannot control everything and that it should not be a source of frustration or anger. Train him to be accepting of events and other people’s behaviors.

How to Beat Depression: 5 Counterintuitive Ways

Mental Health, Mind

How to beat depression is a topic that has been talked about so much. Is there anything else that we can add to the discussion?

For those who have not been in that sh#thouse of the well of depression, their answer would probably be no. For those who have experienced depression in varying degrees, there is always something to look at, analyze, and talk about.

Depression is hard to describe in itself. It’s hard to understand. It may come and go. For the sufferer of depression, it is a constant battle.

There are many “cures” and tips on how to beat depression, but they usually run along the same veins. In this post, let’s look at ways to tackle depression which may be counterintuitive.

Acknowledge your need for need.

Depressed people withdraw into their own world. It’s easier to stay in that funk and not face what’s really causing their emotional state. While many cases of depression cannot be fully treated without medication, there is a first step that any depressed person has to take: to acknowledge his/her state.

Corollary to this is the concept that depression is closely related to a need for need.

What does this mean?

Depressed people have a need for something although it varies from person to person. It could be a need to feel useful or needed. It could be a need for help in times of weakness. It could be a need for companionship.

Whatever that need is, it is important for a depressed person to acknowledge this and break through society’s idea that needing help is a sign of weakness. Don’t be ashamed of how you feel.

Don’t shield yourself from depression and feelings of loneliness.

[tweetthis url=”https://www.thedailymind.com/?p=3479″]Accepting that loneliness and depression exists in your life is the first step toward beating it![/tweetthis]

Avoid sugar.

But sugar gives you energy and makes you feel better, right? That’s true; but there is also the fact that after that surge of “feel good”, you’ll crash. Then you fall right back to that hole you detest.

That’s not to say that you should totally not consume sugar. As with most things, moderation is key, but probably even more so with those suffering from depression. The AHA recommends 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women, and 9 teaspoons for men.

Get your butt off that sofa.

For people who are not suffering from depression, this is an obvious thing to do. For those who are in a bad place, however, the intuitive action is to stay inside, holed up.

A reason that often comes up is that they won’t be good company anyway. They don’t want to drain their friends’ energy.

Don’t fall for that trap. Go out. Meet friends. It will be difficult to get on your feet, take a shower, and walk out the door, but you’ll thank yourself after.

More than meeting with friends, getting your butt off that sofa means get some physical exercise. You don’t have to go to the gym and workout like you want to be a champion weightlifter. A 20-minute walk everyday (or every other day, if that’s what you can manage at first) will do you wonders. Mental health is improved, and stress is relieve.

There’s science behind this: endorphins, which are chemicals released in the brain when you engage in physical activity. These chemicals reduce your perception of pain and give you an overall positive feeling.

So if you think that talking a walk will only tire you and drain your energy, think twice.

Don’t spend a lot of time on social media.

Social media is a way of interacting with other people without having to actually go out. At least you’re interacting, right? That should help with your depressive feelings.

Nopes.

If you think this is one of the suggestions on how to beat depression, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Research has shown that “people do not advertise their negative traits on their social profiles, nor do they pose unflattering pictures. Because of this strict control of the way we are viewed, we are often fooled into believing other people’s lives are much better than our own.”

[tweetthis ur=”https://www.thedailymind.com/?p=3479″]What is essential to remember is they too wear masks, the way I do, the way everyone does.[/tweetthis]

Don’t meditate for prolonged periods.

But doesn’t everyone know that meditation is good for you? Of course, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend more time you feel is necessary on meditating.

Alan Watts, author of The Meaning of Happiness (1940) and The Wisdom of Insecurity (1951), was rather controversial in how he interpreted zen and tried to “bring” its concepts into the Western world.

…he dismissed the core Zen idea of zazen (which meant spending hours seated in contemplative meditation) as unnecessary. ‘A cat sits until it is tired of sitting, then gets up, stretches, and walks away,’ was his forgiving interpretation of zazen.

More tips on how to beat depression:

How to Beat Depression: Take Baby Steps

15+ Quotes to Beat Depression

Originally posted on April 24, 2015 @ 8:00 am