Dealing with the loss of a loved one is not an easy thing. Mourning and grieving are natural processes a person will go through in order to cope with the reality of a major loss. Mourning the loss of a loved one is a very personal affair which may last many months, or even years.
Grieving is the outward expression of your loss. Your grief is likely to be expressed physically, emotionally, and psychologically. For instance, crying is a physical expression, while depression is a psychological expression.
Grief that is complicated by adjustment disorders (especially depressed and anxious mood or disturbed emotions and behavior), major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are all issues which can arise as a result of grief or loss. Complicated grief can be identified by the length of time of the symptoms, the manner they affect normal function, or by the intensity of the symptoms (for example, intense suicidal thoughts or acts).
Complicated grief may also appear as a complete absence of grief and mourning, or the inability to experience normal grief reactions, delayed grief, conflicted grief, or chronic grief. Factors contributing to the chances one may experience complicated grief include the suddenness of the death, the gender of the person in mourning, and the relationship to the deceased.
Grief reactions that turn into major depression should be treated with both drug and psychological therapy. One who avoids any reminders of the person who died, who constantly thinks or dreams about the person who died, and who gets scared and panics easily at any reminders of the person who died may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Depressive illness, not to be confused with situational depression caused by the loved one’s death, occurs in 17%-27% of survivors during the first year after a death. Symptoms of depression typically begin after one to two months of bereavement, last for several months after the loss, and are constant. The help of a mental-health professional is needed.
Mental health professionals tend to approach their subject from one of two quite different perspectives. Some regard mental health problems as a biological disorder or malfunction. This is the approach that is emphasized within medical models of illness, and by psychiatrists. Psychologists are more likely to look at the psychosocial and cognitive factors. So where does that leave the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression?
Mind: Body Relationships and Chemical Imbalance
We are beginning to understand the ways in which the mind and body are interdependent. The consensus today is that stress and emotions can induce the biochemical changes that can be measured in depressive illness. More rarely it can work the other way round, with physical illness resulting in depressed mood.
Often it is hard to separate the two. Stress or poor diet causes us to become run down and renders us more vulnerable to physical illness. Physical illness is itself frequently a cause of stress, and so a feedback situation arises. Most experts agree that depressive illness is a two-way street.
Various diseases and conditions are thought to trigger depression in certain individuals. Depression is associated with various diseases of the nervous system and the endocrine system, for example. It can also be triggered by infections, such as glandular fever.
What Chemicals Are Implicated in Depressive Illness?
Whichever approach is adopted, there is no doubt that biochemistry is a very real factor in depressive illness and that drug treatments that alter body chemistry can be effective. Attention has focussed on hormones and neurotransmitters called monoamines.
The best-known neurotransmitter linked to depression is serotonin. Low serotonin levels are linked to depressed mood, poor appetite and sleep and other bodily functions. The stress hormone norepinephrine is another. Drugs that prevent re-uptake of these neurotransmitters increase their levels in the body and are fundamental to medical management of depression, usually together with psychological therapies.
An alteration in brain chemistry is involved in depression. Returning that imbalance to normal plays an important role in treatment.
Along with more traditional forms of treatment, behavioral modification has shown to help many who suffer from depression. It is a complementary therapy that many turn to as a form of self help.
The broad term for the category of therapies encompassing behavioral modification is psychotherapy. This is not something you’d see going on in the back room in one of those low-budget horror flicks. It is a form of talk therapy designed to help you to recognize your depression for what it is.
You’d be surprised how many people are in denial. They classify their depression as a bad case of sadness that will eventually pass. They don’t want to be labeled by depression.
They don’t realize that the way not to be labeled is to find help.
Here are the basics of behavioral modification.
- You and your therapist will discuss your condition. They will find out your symptoms, what you feel from day to day and how you view your depression. All of the answers you give are clues to helping them to find a complementary treatment for you.
- One form of psychotherapy is cognitive behavior therapy. This therapy teaches you to recognize when you are slipping back into depression and how to use your behavior, thinking and words to influence the outcome.
Cognitive behavior therapy involves:
- Working with your therapist to decide on what the outcome of treatment will be.
- Learning to recognize what events trigger you to relapse into depression.
- Modifying your thoughts, words and actions from negative to positive in order to cope successfully and not relapse.
What you get out of therapy largely depends on you. Psychotherapy treatments are usually highly structured to give you the safety and confidence to keep pursuing it. Along with medical treatment, hopefully you will find a prescription for successful management.
Find out more on how to live your life Depression Free.
Depression is an illness. As such, you may be at risk for it in your life. This doesn’t mean that you will develop depressive symptoms, but that you might want to increase your awareness of the condition.
Depression has been characterized as feeling the “blues” but that is not an accurate description. The “blues” can be chalked up to having a bad day or the aftermath of an argument. Neither of these situations has anything to do with depression. Once you have a pep talk or shake off the feeling, your mood and attitude returns to normal. With depression, it does not.
If you are a woman, guess what? You are more at risk for depression. No one knows why in particular. Women are prone to postpartum depression after giving birth. Since many women also chalk their feelings up to “the blues,” the number of depressed people of the female sex is probably higher that reported.
Another risk factor is socioeconomic status. It is believed that if you are poor, you are more likely to develop depression. That is not to say that everyone who is of below average means will also have this issue. There are other factors surrounding your financial status that play a part.
Substance abuse plays a part in developing many conditions not the least of which is depression. It could be the side effect of the drugs or the aftermath of getting clean when you realize how you have lived while abusing drugs. The term “drugs” here is not just illegal substances but also abuse of prescription medications such as narcotics and sleeping pills.
Now, we come to family history. You have a greater risk if someone in your family has suffered or is suffering from a depressive condition. But, that is not set in stone. Simply being aware of your risk can help you fight it.
Are you at risk? Talk to your family doctor to find out more and what you can do to help yourself.
One of the symptoms of depression is an altered mood. People, who are normally bubbly and outgoing, change and become more sullen and withdrawn. Anyone who knows you can tell that something is wrong.
Many of the symptoms of depression revolve around your attitude. There is a tendency towards insomnia or trouble staying asleep. Sleep is the time when the body recharges itself.
If you are suffering from depression, you may notice that you are more irritable than usual. That could be followed by crying spells and moments of anger. The majority of suicides have been diagnosed with some form of depression at some point in their lives.
All of these symptoms and others lead to one thing: a change in your outlook on life and your own well-being. It is a common practice for depressed people who are contemplating suicide to give away their belongings. It may not be odd to be generous but these are items that they hold dear and, under any other circumstance, wouldn’t be parted with.
For that reason, making any major life decisions is not wise at this time. If you know anyone who exhibits signs of depression, get them help right away. When people who are depressed are approached by salespersons, they can be more highly suggestible than normal. You may not have wanted to change your life insurance policy a year ago, but in light of your depressive episodes, you may be talked into changing that and more. The downside here is that your life can be totally turned upside down in those days and months when your depression went undiagnosed.
If you or someone you know is being treated for depression, ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Changes in relationship status, financial status, work status (to name a few) need to be put on hold until you are thinking more clearly.
Who Else Wants To Be Free From Depression Without The Use of Medication?
