Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Few people who suffer from depression after a gastric bypass operation blame the condition on the procedure itself, or the very low calorie diet that follows weight loss surgery. However, low calorie diets have been found to cause depression, and they can increase the symptoms in already diagnosed depressive people. The diet following gastric bypass surgery is so low in calories that depression often follows the procedure - but the operation itself is rarely recognized as the cause.

Some doctors argue that depression is all in a person’s head. They aren’t too far off, but depression is not a mental illness. It is caused by inadequate levels of mood stabilizing chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Many things can cause these chemicals to get out of balance, including weight loss and low calorie intake. Depression is one of the more serious gastric bypass complications.

Calories convert to fuel for the body. The body needs a certain number of calories to survive. When there isn’t enough fuel to go around, the most important functions of the body get first shot at the available food. This can cause lower serotonin levels in people who do not eat enough.

It can seem overwhelming when you are looking for a depression natural treatment that will work. There are hundreds of supplements and remedies which are being marketed as natural depression treatments but despite the claims being made, by the majority of the companies selling these products their results need to be analyzed. There are nonetheless some that are effective and safe natural depression treatments. So what is the best way of finding out which ones are worthwhile and which ones you might as well throw in the bin before you use them? It is important to judge a potential natural depression treatment according to a few key considerations.

1. Does the natural treatment for depression contain an ingredient or ingredients which have been proven to relieve depression by clinical research that has been carried out?

2. Are the ingredients in the treatment provided in their proper and proven dosages?

3. In terms of herbal extracts and other remedies which can vary in terms of potency , does the treatment use ingredients that are standardized to contain a sufficient and consistent amount of the active constituents?

4. Is it a high or low quality product?

Depression takes a heavy toll on our lives. In the current era, almost every individual experiences symptoms of depression at some point in their life. Interestingly, causes of depression are varied. Some of them include genetic traits, escalating tensions, ever demanding work pressure, anxiety, stress and traumatic events happening in life such as an accident, death or divorce. In fact, the effect of depression on human life can be best understood by glancing through some of the depression statistics that are summarized below.

As per the records of the Commission on Mental Health, 1 out of every 7 Americans is seeking professional help and medical treatment for emotional disturbances. These numbers are just an approximate figure that the authorities had deduced through some statistical analysis. Actual figures seem to be much more than this. Interestingly, there has been no improvement in depression statistics over the last decade.  From this one can easily estimate the gravity of the problem. Other major facts about depression that one can deduce through these depression statistics are as follows:-

Depression affects so many people around the world and learning how to cope with it is not easy. If you have admitted that you have a problem and are being treated for it, then you are one step closer to healing. But you may find yourself in a predicament if your depression is causing problems between you and your co-workers. By getting help through depression therapy and learning how to cope with social situations you will be able to handle the problems your co-workers throw your way.

How many of these questions can you answer?

* Does my illness affect my ability to perform my job?

* Have I changed jobs more frequently than my peers because of depression related issues?

* Have I been passed up for promotion time and time again?

* Have I completely changed by career in order to avoid confrontations and awkward situation?

* Did I quit my job outside of home so I didn’t have to cope with my co-workers?

* Have I been given less responsibility at work?

Despite what the pharmaceutical companies may try to tell you, curing depression naturally is not impossible. In fact, it can be the most effective way and quite possibly the only way. Let me explain…

Antidepressants serve a purpose, indeed. However, they are like a set of crutches. They sure can be handy. But, they won’t heal your broken ankle. Your doctor may need an X ray of your foot to determine how bad you’ve broken your ankle, and may have to readjust it before she puts a cast on it. After she does this, then and only then do the crutches make sense!

Curing depression naturally involves ‘taking X rays’ and finding out what is going on inside your body. Your doctor may need to run some internal tests to figure out what’s going on inside of you. Too often doctors simply prescribe an anti depressant without getting to the bottom of what’s causing it. What if you need counseling to deal with disappointment or discouragement? What if you are not simply getting the nutrition you need?

What are the ‘X rays’ needed in curing depression naturally?

Depression symptoms can show up in every person on the planet. No matter what sex or culture a person comes from they can still suffer from a depressive disorder. Even medical professionals must remember that depression affects everyone differently.

For example, a woman who has just had a child will display depression differently than an elderly man. If one keeps these differences in mind, than the symptoms may become easier to spot.

One group of people who will display various depression symptoms are teens. Teen depression is a serious illness that can lead to suicide if not caught and treated correctly.

Parents need to be fully aware of how a teenager displays their depression. A child may seem overly hostile or complain of unexplained aches and pains such as a continuous headache or a stomach ache.

If the child is taken to the doctor and nothing can be found physically wrong, a parent must then make sure that the doctor does a thorough mental examination. Parents must stay involved in a child’s life to ensure that depression stays at bay.

There are many stresses in life that may lead to depression, and growing old can be a key one. One very important for those suffering from depression is to know that it is not normal, and rarely will they come through it without professional help.

In older people, one trigger for depression is difficulty in the transition from a productive working life to retirement. For others, the loss of a spouse can progress from grief to depression, and being the sole caregiver to someone with an illness or disability is responsible.

As we age we experience many disappointments: the death or illness of friends and family, loss of mobility, uncertain financial security, medical bills and so on. These events can lead to depression.

Most people can overcome these obstacles, but for others they may be more significant and, especially if they are compounded, they may seem insurmountable. While a ’sadness’ may pass following an event, depression is very deep-seated, and can leave you feeling down, unable to make decisions, with a general feeling of malaise. It affects you both physically and mentally.

Clinical depression is a psychological problem that should not be ignored, but treated as soon as possible with counseling or psychotherapy.

People with depression are simply not able to carry on their lives normally. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. When these symptoms become very intense, they start interfering with one’s ability to normally carry out even the daily chores. The person feels unable to do anything about it; other people need to help him out of this depressive situation. Appropriate treatment is required to help most people who suffer from depression.

Symptoms:

The symptoms that help identify depression include:

- Constant feelings of sadness, irritability.

- Feeling exhausted most of the time, despite lack of activity.

- Decreased interest social activities.

- Significant weight change.

- A change in sleeping pattern, such as difficulty sleeping or early morning awakening.

- Lack of confidence.

- Spends a lot of time thinking about what has gone wrong or what will go wrong.

- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.

- Physical pain, which has no apparent physical

- Thoughts of suicide or death

If you or somebody close to you is experiencing any of these symptoms, you must consult a doctor right away.

What causes depression?

If you suffer from depression, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself. Sometimes you may need the aid of medication. However, if your symptoms are minor and not bordering on severe, you have the option to try things to help you overcome the depression symptoms. One such thing you can do is journaling for depression help.

What is a depression journal?

Journaling is a great way to release pent-up thoughts and feelings. So for people who suffer from depression, keeping a depression journal can become a therapeutic way to help you work through the thoughts that lead to depression.

A depression journal doesn’t only have to be a journal in which you write. Your depression journal might be an art journal, where you draw or paint pictures to depict your thoughts and feelings. Or you might create a collage journal. Or maybe your depression journal is filled with both words and pictures. There is no right or wrong way to keep a journal for depression.

How can journaling for depression help me?

Depression among college students, with a focus on Freshmen.

Who is at risk, and what can be done?

Graduation time rolls around, and you already know where you will end up next year for college. Your two best friends will be joining you there, where you will all live in the same apartment complex. You have already put your first payment, and deposit in preparation. Now you wait.

When the time comes around, you pack up and move thousands of miles just to go to college. You haven’t heard from either of your friends yet, and you can feel the anticipation welling in your gut. You are so excited, you haven’t heard from them all summer.
Then you find out they never came. Both decided on going to a different college without you, or telling you. You keep telling yourself you will cope, and make new friends, but you still feel lonely and rejected.
Once you are actually in college, things are harder than you expected. You don’t have a car, so it is harder to get around buying food, finding a bank, and getting school supplies. Often times you find yourself taking naps, or just sleeping, because you can’t focus, or feel overwhelmed. One of the many signs of depression.