Depression: How to Overcome Depression

Everybody experiences feeling depressed at some points in one's life. This is a normal feeling due to some unwanted events or things that happen in your life. However, if such mental condition stays longer than usual that it inferferes your daily activities and quality of life; then you have developed depression which can become a chronic mental disorder that needs immediate medical attention.

• Consistent feeling of sadness
• Anxious or empty feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Guilt feelings,
• Feelings of being worthlessness or helplessness
• Restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies
• Feeling tired all the time
• Difficulty concentrating and remembering details
• Difficulty making decisions
• Insomna
• Overeating
• Loss of appetite
• Thoughts of suicide
• Physical symptoms such as body aches and pains, cramps, headaches, and indigestion

• Loss of a loved one
• Broken relationship
• Financial problems
• Career problems
• Stress and anxiety
• Previous traumatic experiences
• Health problems and physicall illnesses
• Hormonal change

Depression may strike anyone and its symptoms differ from each individual. It may affect both men and women, young children and elderly people; however, it is more common among women compared to men.

Most often, people with depression are also suffering from other illnesses such as anxiety disorder, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and other health problems such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and parkinson's disease.

Depression is a common and serious mental health problem that can be completely treated even in most severe cases. The first step for treatment is to visit your physician in order to detemine the cause of depression and administer proper treatment. Your doctor will check if such depression is caused by other health problems; if results are negative, then your physician may refer you to a mental health specialist.

The most common treatment method for depression is a combination of psychotherapy and use of medicines. Medications can help maintain balance in neurotransmitters which is a chemcial that can affect emotions. The commonly prescribed medicines for depression are Selectvie Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), Serotonin and Noripineprhine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI), Monoamine Oxidase Inhibotors (MAOI), and tricyclics. Use of these medicines require prescriptions from your attending physicians,

Each individual have different response to each type of medicines; sometimes your doctor may switch from one type of medication to another until he finds an ideal type well suited for your case. Depending on the type of medications given to you, the most common side effects experienced by users of these medicines are any one or more of the following:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Vervousness
• Agitation
• Drowsiness
• Sexual problems
• Dry mouth
• Constipation
• Bladder problems
• Blurred vision

There are two types of pshycotherapy generally used to treat depression; they are the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT). In CBT, the affected person is guided in changing his perspective in life from negative thoughts to positive one. On the other hand, IPT helps people suffering from depression by helping them cope with troubled relationship problems that causes depression to occur.