Current Feed Content from 4 Sep 08 08:29
Triggers of Depression
2008-08-28T13:28:00Z
by Susan
My husband and I spent four days at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital with his mother who is 94 years of age. She is out of the hospital now and will be returning to the hospital soon for a procedure on her back. The many hours we spent in the ICU and adjoining waiting room were very similar to times when I was there for my own mother and for one of my sisters.
Needless to say, I believe the events of the past week have triggered some depressive feelings for me. My mother passed away in 1999. She was in the hospital for 10 days as a result of a fall due to the unsteadiness she suffered with Alzheimer's Disease. All of my sisters, as well as my brother visited and spent time together. We all rallied together again a few years later when one of my sisters spent 10 days in the ICU on life support.
I believe significant events such as loss of a loved one and life threatening illness of a loved one can trigger depression. I also believe similar events can re-trigger those same feelings of depression, fear and anxiety.
There are so many events in our lives that are possible triggers of depression. Job loss, financial problems, arguments with loved ones, death, illness and many many more. Some of us may be depressed due to genetics and chemical imbalance but these triggering events increase our levels of depression, sometimes to the point of immobilizing us for a short period of time. If you find yourself unable to function somewhat normally for you, get professional help as well as help from family members.
Here is an interesting site that lists many of the triggers of depression "Causes of Depression: Possible Triggers of Depression?"ozzieblackcat You've Gotta Have Hope
2008-08-21T19:11:00Zby Susan
There's an old song titled, "You've Gotta Have Heart" but I've often heard the word Hope substituted for heart including in the title of an old episode of The Golden Girls. In my opinion ya gotta have both....but hope is what I want to talk about in this article.
Those of us with depression often feel hopeless but we can learn to have hope through cognitive behavior therapy. We can learn to set goals and make plans to achieve those goals thus giving us hope....hope for a better life. With hope we can begin to overcome our depression. I believe that hopeful people who encourage us to have hope, are exactly the kind of people we need in our lives.
Let's say we have a goal and a plan. Now we need the motivation to execute that plan. In my opinion, mustering up the motivation is the hard part but we can do it with the help of those who offer us encouragement. Sometimes that can be a professional, a family member or friends. I'd like to say that my brother, David, has given me a lot of the encouragement I needed to carry out my goals with this blog.
There's an interesting article in the Ohio State University Research News on "Hope Therapy". Check it out to learn more about this very interesting idea for controlling the monster.......depression.
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ozzieblackcat Senior Citizens and Depression
2008-08-19T21:28:00Zby Susan
As a senior citizen I can tell you that depression isn't any easier to deal with as you get older. I'm sure that must also be true for most mental health problems. The mere fact of advancing age sometimes causes me a great deal of sadness. This past week I also felt a lot of anger due to my having to let go of some of the things I love to do.
For many years I have been an avid gardener. I loved growing roses, perennials, annuals and even some vegetables now and then. We have a big yard and I had many large flower beds. During the growing season you usually found me outside digging in the dirt planting flowers or pulling weeds. I dug the flower beds, hauled rocks to build the borders for the beds and hauled the bags of mulch. It has been one of my favorite hobbies through the years.
However, the past few years it has been more and more difficult for me to do all of the necessary work to keep my gardens looking nice. This year because of all the rain, the weeds in some areas were soon taller than I am. Last week one of my neighbors complained. So, my husband and I worked all weekend and we totally eliminated two large flower beds. My feet are still sore from digging! I plan to do the same with some of the remaining flower beds. My gardening hobby will have to be limited, but I will still enjoy it.
Senior citizens have to deal with a lot of acceptance when it comes to their continually decreasing physical abilities. Even with regular exercise and good health habits we all get older and dealing with it can be depressing at times. It's a good thing there are some perks to being a senior too. Watching my grandson grow five inches in one year can be even more fascinating than growing plants. Hearing my one year old granddaughter call me Nana cheers me up in no time.
One of my prized flower beds just a few years ago.
ozzieblackcat Dummies Books for Depression or Bipolar
2008-08-14T17:27:00Zby Susan
I've found more helpful resources for those who suffer from depression and those who are bipolar. First I'll tell you what I've found for those who are bipolar.
There is a fairly new site called Bipolar Beat. The blog is authored by Candida Fink, M.D. and Joe Kraynak. At Bipolar Beat you can learn more about Bipolar, ask a question of Dr. Fink or Joe Kraynak, or take a Bipolar Quiz. They also authored the book Bipolar Disorder for Dummies.
Depression for Dummies looks like a good read by By Laura L. Smith, PhD, Charles H. Elliott, PhD. I haven't yet read these Dummies books but can highly recommend many of the other Dummies books on the market. I like the simplicity as well as the humor that is injected into the Dummies books.
Give these resources a try if you feel you need a little help. You might also want to send them to a friend who could benefit from the blog or the Dummies books.ozzieblackcat Self Help For Depression
2008-08-13T14:27:00Zby Susan
We all need help at times, even when professional help is not available to us. It's a good idea to have some self help skills when it comes to managing our depression or anxiety. Most of us don't have the time or the money to see a professional everyday or every time we have a problem, so we need to learn good methods of coping that can be used on a daily basis. Good coping skills can also help you to reduce your medication and your visits to professionals.
I used to see an excellent psychologist, off and on, for about 20 years. He taught me many things I can do on my own to deal with my ongoing anxiety and depression problems. The self help skills he taught me have been the most valuable skills I've ever learned and I still use them on a daily basis. Simple things like deep breathing, journaling (or blogging now), exercise and eating well. There are many, many more.
Recently I came across a self help book online that I thought some of our readers might like to explore. It's called Psychological Self-Help by Dr. Clayton E. Tucker-Ladd. This is a free download and might give you some good ideas on how to help you feel better.
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Ozzie Reviews Avonozzieblackcat Depression During a Heat Wave: His and Hers
2008-08-03T22:19:00Zby Susan
Depression can become almost as overwhelming as the soaring temperatures when a heat wave lasts more than a few days in your part of the world. Here in Missouri we are having temperatures in the mid to upper 90's with very high humidity which causes the heat index to be over 100 degrees.
When heat keeps us indoors we can begin to suffer from cabin fever which is usually associated with being snowed in during the winter months. We can get just as bored and feel just as cut off from friends and neighbors in August as we can in February. Senior citizens are especially affected by long hot summer days.
If you find yourself feeling down from staying indoors during a heat wave, try doing something new such as trying a new hobby or rent some new movies. One of my favorite things t do is to learn something new on the computer. Learning new things can hold our interest for long periods of time.
If you feel you must get out of the house be sure to use good sense and stay hydrated. I found an excellent source of information on dealing with the heat during extended periods of hot weather. http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/heat.html This site has a lot of tips on coping with the physical problems related to heat waves. If you have mental health problems as well, try something new to keep your mind off your troubles and the heat. Maybe there is a new book you've been dying to read.
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2008-07-31T22:03:00Zby Susan
Last night I saw Liverpool Legends in concert in Branson, Missouri. My husband and I had been feeling a bit depressed the past week or so and decided to take a break from our routine. We drove to Branson where there are many excellent music shows to choose from. On the recommendation of my brother, David, we chose to see Liverpool Legends.
The Liverpool Legends are four very talented musician/actors who were hand chosen by Louise Harrison who is the sister of the late George Harrison, one of the Beatles. Together, Louise and the Liverpool Legends put on a magnificent two hour show of Beatle music. It was wonderful and I felt as though I had gone back in life to my high school days when I swooned with everyone else with Beatlemania.
The show was great entertainment for any family and there were plenty of families in attendance. My husband and I enjoyed interacting with the rest of the audience and along with the Liverpool Legends. We clapped to the music, swayed back and forth and also whooped and hollered. From "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to "Hey Jude" we were having so much fun! It's no wonder this group was voted Best Band in Branson in 2006 and 2007.
Needless to say, we did not feel any depression during the concert. Today I've also been free of depressed feelings and have talked about the concert to anyone who would listen. I think, taking a break from daily routines is sometimes just what we need to jump start interest and enthusiasm in something outside of ourselves.
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Ozzie Reviews Avonozzieblackcat Inspired by Randy Pausch
2008-07-27T18:02:00Zby Susan
I have been inspired by Randy Pausch's last lecture as shown on youtube. Randy Pausch was a young professor at Carnegie Mellon who passed away on July 25, 2008. His last lecture was in September of 2007 and it is quite moving.
Randy's last lecture is titled "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". In the lecture he talks about each of his childhood dreams and how he achieved satisfaction from them. He also discusses how we can enable others to achieve their childhood dreams.
Something I found especially helpful about his lecture were the points he listed on how to get people to help you.
1. You can't get there alone
2. Tell the truth
3. Be earnest
4. Apologize when you screw up
5. Focus on others, not yourself
He also said something profound that gives me hope for the future of the fallen relationships in my life. He said, "People will show you their good side, just keep waiting". I believe hope enables others to achieve their dreams and I appreciate the feeling of hope I received from Professor Randy Pausch.
If you are interested in seeing the inspiring last lecture of Randy Pausch you can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSoozzieblackcat Disappointments and Depression: His and Hers
2008-07-26T21:50:00Z
by Susan
Disappointments in the every day life of those of us suffering from mental health problems are often triggers of depression. Many people are able to easily let go of the frustration of disappointments but if we're prone to having depression it is more difficult.
Disappointment is the frustration we often feel for failing to attain specific hopes or wishes. Recently I proudly sent pictures of my immediate family to members of my family of origin. I failed to attain the reactions I had hoped for. In fact, they didn't even acknowledge the receipt of my pictures. I have been in a dark hole ever since. I'm writing this post as a step up out of that hole.
Over the years the relationships I've had with members of my family of origin have changed dramatically. I don't like the changes but I do concede the changes have been necessary for my general well being. Letting go of old, hurtful relationships is a hard thing to do. I find myself reaching out every now and then, hoping for a better result and it just doesn't happen. I only end up feeling disappointed, depressed and frustrated.
I have five sisters but it is my brother, David who is my friend and the one I can count on if I need support or encouragement. He's definitely not a disappointment! Thanks for reading. You are helping us to achieve our hope of having a successful blog. I'm half way out of this dark hole as a result of posting this article!ozzieblackcat Stress Hits Unexpectedly: His and Hers
2008-07-22T17:39:00Z
by Susan
In 2003 I was going through a difficult time and wrote a poem about how stress grabs us when we least expect it. Stress has been a big part of my depression and anxiety disease. It's something I frequently feel even though I'm past the worst of it. Maybe some of you can relate to my poem if you also have mental health issues that you are dealing with on a daily basis.
Stress
Stress can hit you in the middle of the day
It can wake you when you're dreaming and take your breath away
It can grab you somewhere like the grocery store
It can sneak right up behind you and make you feel unsure.
Stress can wring from you every ounce of mental strength
It can squeeze your very will away, It goes to any length
Stress can twist your thoughts into an awful mess
It ropes you in against your will and steals your very best
It hits you, grabs you, wrings and twists you till you can't go on
It leaves you when you least expect it, then you're glad it's gone.ozzieblackcat
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